Tag: Cut Carbon

Climate Action, Climate Change June 8, 2021February 21, 2023

The Footprint of Our Food | Vegan Scene

Washington (GGM) Analysis | June 8, 2021 by Sarah J. Kings

Many of us know about the widely successful climate campaign #Change1Thing. The idea is fantastic. People need to feel empowered; we need to feel like there is something we can do to combat the massive problem we are facing. #Change1Thing does that! With each metal straw and every reusable bag, consumers feel like they are slowly turning the wheels in the right direction. Still, if you are looking at your latest zero waste purchase, and wondering if this is enough to reduce your carbon footprint, then you’re in the right place.

Continue reading →

2020, Climate Action, Climate Change, Nature June 21, 2020August 17, 2020

The Soil Solution | Climate Change

Washington (GGM) Analysis | June 21, 2020

The many climate change solutions for lowering atmospheric carbon levels and keeping our children’s futures and lives safe, are all mapped out and well documented. The climate crisis is therefore more about the vast majority’s failure to implement, especially in America, rather than not knowing what to do to correct.

The most frustrating part about the startling failure to act, is how simple and easy the solutions are. Why so much resistance? Or is it more about apathy and procrastination?!

Let’s focus on the soil solution for a second. Soil stores 2x the amount of carbon than air and plants combined, British fungal network expert and author Merlin Shedrake outlines in his new book The Entangled Life, How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures. Shedrake passionately opens reader’s eyes to the hidden fungal mycelium network below our feet, pointing out that fungi are the “guts of the earth.”

Toxic fertilizers and pesticides destroy these vital, ecosystem-saving mycelium networks. While home and community composting preserves, strengthens and grows these networks enabling that much more carbon to be stored in our soil, as well as simultaneously supporting the good health of nature above ground.

Increasing the amount of nature grown above ground, increases the number of mycelium networks below the surface. The strategy is thus very clear and straightforward.

Home and community composting is imperative in maintaining healthy soil, begin today if you haven’t already started
Grow far more nature above ground; trees as well as shrubs, flowers, ground cover and window boxes
Don’t use toxic fertilizers or pesticides, instead choose one of the many organic alternatives

That’s it! These easy life-saving and game-changing steps in soil health are this simple. Let’s all begin TODAY! No procrastinating. 🌱

2020, Climate Action, Climate Change, Environment, Nature March 14, 2020April 27, 2020

Time to Plant Climate Gardens While We’re Stuck at Home

Washington (GGM) Analysis | March 14, 2020
by Noreen Wise

Backyard gardens are one of the easiest most inspiring ways to lower our carbon footprint. Adding multiple layers beneath trees and along fences, lining the front of homes. Shrubs, flowers, vines, ground cover. Ivy and creepers up and down walls, around mailboxes and lamplights. International cities like London and Paris have perfected this.

The best part about zeroing in on a giant burst of nature as the solution, is that it works immediately, especially if we all collectively execute ASAP, during these next few weeks while we’re stuck at home hoping tp stay clear of the coronavirus pandemic.

Imagine the positive impact.

In the nick of time, no less. We’re down to only nine years to save humanity from climatocalypse. So, the silver lining of being thrown into our current heart-wrenching calamity, with unexpected at-home time on our hands, is that we can pause and focus on the long term, and alter our destiny by conquering what otherwise would most likely be an improbable collective gardening effort.

Live in an apartment or condo? Balcony, patio and rooftop gardens or plantings on every available flat surface is a life-and-planet-saving difference. With a success rate as significant as this will be, at a minimal cost, we can all jump in first thing in the morning.

Bringing back nature, will not only be a giant leap forward in our progress at lowering our atmospheric carbon level back down to 350 PPM, but has multiple other valuable benefits.

Nature improves mental health, not only an emotional positive boost, but a sensory one as well. Sunlight provides the much needed daily dose of vitamin D that will keep our outlook positive and optimistic. Additionally, nature’s scent has an array of therapeutic properties. Some species are calming and supportive, while others keep us alert and energized. There’s also the tangible, yet little understood, sentient characteristics of nature that indicate plants and trees can problem solve, even connect with other plants and animals, as well as communicate with each other, and some believe communicate with humans, in addition to nurturing humans, .

Considering how many alarming societal threats we face — climate, suicides, drug addiction, physical and mental health — the fact that nature can aid in improving every single one of these, is a very compelling reason to quickly sow our climate gardens during this unexpected period of being stuck at home (at least it’s spring, the planting season). In fact, there’s no better way to keep our minds off this extended emergency, than to dig into a powerful solution that will not only bring back nature, but will keep us calm in a crisis.

Once nature is back, the wildlife that goes along with it will also return. Our planet will be healthy again, which will make humankind that much healthier too. It all begins right now, during these mandated weeks of social distancing.

Let’s GO!

Climate Action, Climate Change, Health, National Security, Nature December 21, 2019April 26, 2020

So Many Beautiful & Exciting Possibilities | Cutting Carbon

Washington (GGM) Analysis | December 21, 2019
by Noreen Wise

“Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food, and medicine to the soul.” ~Luther Burbank

And flowers cut carbon too! Flower boxes in the windows of our homes and businesses, and hanging baskets from street lights, will add yet another layer of nature to absorb carbon. We need as much help as we can get. It’s another exceptional tool in our climate action tool shed that will reap a wave of benefits, improving both our atmospheric carbon levels, and our quality of life.

Will flower boxes in the windows of the majority of homes and businesses increase property values? I guess we’ll find out as soon as we begin a window flower box campaign.

BrightSide-350SquarePocastLogo-NEWEST — PODCAST- daily conversation that focuses on how to turn negative circumstances into positives and land on the bright side.

According to BestLife, flowers:

Reduce stress
Elevate mood
Strengthen relationships
Increase memory
Certain flowers can help us fall asleep
Help us heal

Not only do flowers absorb CO2, they’re also air purifiers, absorbing pollutants such as benzene, acetone, formaldehyde and trichloroethylene.

We can do this! Warm weather climates can begin today. The rest of us can begin planning today so we’re ready to spring into action as soon as the weather breaks. 🌺

Climate Action, Climate Change, National Security, Politics September 9, 2019December 22, 2019

What? Why so many life-threatening new gas plants opening?

Washington (Gallant Gold Media Hill Report | Analysis | September 9, 2019)
by Noreen Wise

The climate crisis keeps growing more alarming as climate change inflicts serious consequences. The out of control fires in the Amazon rain forest last month, devastated hundreds of millions of trees. Trees sequester carbon, lowering the worlds’s
atmospheric carbon levels. And although there’s been significant global effort to lower the PPM carbon level by transitioning quickly to clean energy, and we’ve been trending lower in 2019 — moving from 415 PPM to 411 PPM (YAY!) — the goal is to actually reach 350, so we still have a long way to go.

And then disaster struck… again. We now must transition to clean energy that much faster. Thankfully we can do this. Solar energy is much less expensive than building new power plants, cost consumers less per moth, and can actually earn households money if they invest in a battery that stores excess solar energy. With this clear vision in place, and with a united purpose of saving lives, which may be our own, what is the point in initiating a plan that’s the opposite of this? It seems ludicrous and life-threatening.

With headlines like that of this morning’s, “As Earth faces climate catastrophe, US set to open nearly 200 (dirty) power plants“, climate deniers are doing an excellent job at undermining America’s influence in the world. Gas power plants are expensive, dirty, and will kill innocent people across the globe. We see this now. We see innocent Bahamians, with one entire Bahama island demolished, 70,000 people without homes, no sanitation, completely reliant on the kindness of others, yet dozens of evacuees on one humanitarian cruise ship were removed.

The US is behind the majority of other nations in the world on transitioning to clean energy. This makes us look indifferent to the suffering of others, backwards and greedy. In fact, in opening 200 new dirty power plants, we actually are all of these terrible things.

US is world LEADER in carbon emissions from power plants “emitting 2.70 billion tons” of carbon, followed by China who emits 2.66 billion (China has a population of 1.43 billion though, while US population is only 329 million). So US carbon output at this level almost seems criminal, at the very least negligent.
Texas has the most power plants and oil reserves and emits 12% of US carbon, that’s an incredibly irresponsible number. There are 50 states. California emits 7% of US’s carbon emissions but has a population of 39.75 millions, while Texas only has 29.09 million.
It’s far less expensive to install solar panels than to build a gas power plant, even though gas is less expensive than coal power plants.
Clicking through the EnergySage link to get a Solar quote is just like scrolling through Expedia or kayak for a travel quote.

So what’s the point here? Natural gas power plants do not make economic sense. They pollute the air, undermine health, and do indeed kill innocent people through climate change events. There is no economical or moral justification for 200 new gas power plants. Wong choices like this one, reinforce the world’s perception that the US is idifferent to the suffering of others (that we inflict ). That we’re driven by the blind greed of a few, no matter what the climate and human consequences are to the 99%. And the few that are mapping out this nonsensical strategy, only have scream “climate denier” to gt away with it.

We need to hold these executives accountable. Denying climate change, and thus furthering the crisis, is the equivalent of admitting guilt.

Children, Climate Action, Climate Change, National Security July 30, 2019February 2, 2020

Focusing On Small Things | Climate Action Success

Washington (Gallant Gold Media Hill Report | Analysis | July 30, 2019)
by Noreen Wise

Succeeding at substantial climate action in the shortest period of time is an absolute imperative. However, we’re never going to reach our carbon targets if we promote the required changes using intimidating long-range objectives as the key selling points for executing the Climate Action strategy.

Clearly, many of our political leaders care deeply about the intense climate crisis and want us to know about the dire consequences if we don’t act quickly. They feel passionately about this looming catastrophe. Their tireless commitment to the Climate Crisis is heroic and noble.

But, in order for the general public to make the necessary changes we must break everything down into small simple weekly steps that can be executed immediately:

Call local Solar Energy companies and ask about promotions for switching. Search online for all those with solar sharing about how low their energy bill is. (Solar is MUCH less expensive than electric or gas and oil). Deadline, Friday August 2, 2019.
Call town hall and ask about the city’s plan for switching to solar panels for street lighting, solar panels on town buildings, and electric buses. While on the phone, suggest apiary bus stops (planting flowers and greenery on the roofs of bus shelters for bees and other pollinators to visit ). Cities in general need far more green downtown. Mrs can simply invest in rooftop gardens. Others can add to sidewalks along the streets. Deadline, Friday August 2, 2019.
Stop by car dealership and ask about deals for Hybrids and EVs. It’s absolutely incredible how far the price has come down. Take a test drive. Deadline, Sunday August 4, 2019.
When grocery shopping, grab the almond milk instead of regular milk. Choose chicken or turkey rather than red meat. Deadline, Sunday August 4, 2019.
Do all errands on the same day. ONLY use re-usable bags.
At dinner each night, talk with family about trees and gardening and where to plant more trees. How to care for the trees you’ll plant. Where to buy the trees. What kind of trees. Trees are a great way to build strong family ties. Trees nurture our children when they take good care of them. Trees become part of the family. As children grow, they return home and marvel at the tree height, and the sprawling branches and subliminally identify that they have grown taller and ar branching out just like the tree.

None of these small tasks are difficult. Or time-consuming. They are not expensive. There are very few excuses for why we can’t do each this week, versus next week. The Climate Crisis DEMANDS we each, every last one of us, immediately execute all of these.

Good luck… Have fun!

Climate Action, Climate Change, National Security July 28, 2019February 2, 2020

Civilization-Destroying Droughts | Farmers & Climate Action

Washington (Gallant Gold Media Hill Report | Analysis | July 27, 2019)
by Noreen Wise

Farmers have a vested interest in cutting carbon emissions at breakneck speed, and are currently striving to make that happen.

The United States has experienced several intense droughts, spanning entire decades, that have uprooted entire communities, leaving ghost towns in their wake. The most recent drought plagued devastation was across the great plains in the 1930’s, termed the “Great Dust Bowl.” This heart wrenching era altered America’s DNA forever:

There were only 127 million American at the time
100 million acres were impacted, with no farming for ten years
2.5 million Americans had to relocate hundreds of miles away… 300,000 relocated to California
2 million became homeless
6,500 people died in one year, and it’s expected that each of the ten years was similar
Generally, food prices go up sharply during droughts unless the government can step in with aid

If carbon emissions continue to rise unchecked, the United States will face the existential threat of extreme droughts in the not so distant future. Farmers can look to the past, to guide them into quick action today and prevent the horrors of the past. It’s an epic opportunity.

Further, farms are major carbon emitters. If the agriculture industry can swiftly shift into new technology and updated methods, by moving away from fossil fuels, the world will be rewarded with strategic benefits at a critical, planet-saving turning point in our fight against carbon emissions.

5 Simple Changes farmers can make today, to prevent future annihilation tomorrow.

(1) Wind turbines & solar panels are ideal on farmland. Wind turbines can be installed in the same fields as the crops. The elevation enables the same quantity of crops to be grown below. The farmer is benefited by a duo harvest, energy and crops, substantially increasing the revenue generated from the same acres. Many farmers have begun placing solar panels on acres laying fallow for a year to regain nutrients, resulting in all land generating income all the time.

(2) Rethinking irrigation. Current irrigation methods use extensive amounts of fuel, and water. The new green methods will conserve water as well requires less energy, and preferably no fossil fuels at all.

(3) Soil health to increase carbon sequestration. Carbon is pulled from the air and stored in soil and water. In fact, soil stores 40% of the carbon. Soil can store more carbon if the carbon has more to feed on. Farmers are being advised to treat the soil with special compost, and planting cover crops that foster more bacteria and fungi and bacteria, as well as protozoa, etc.

(4) Increasing the amount of green on a farm by planting trees, and shrubs, forest vegetation and hedgerows. The increased green will store more carbon, further reducing the amount in the air.

(5) Managing cattle to a new higher green standard, with an awareness that cows are responsible for 15% of the global carbon level. Manure lagoons are a major culprit as well as anaerobic decomposition.

Let’s make it happen!

Climate Action, Climate Change, Environment, National Security July 8, 2019February 2, 2020

EMERGENCY | Curbing Personal Carbon Footprint, 4 Key Areas to Nail

Washington (GGM) Analysis | July 8, 2019
by Noreen Wise

Climate expert Dr. Joseph Romm has made carbon reduction super easy for all of us by organizing our decision making into four manageable categories.

The only way for the United States to SAVE our East Coast landscape – our beautiful, fabulous cities and all the homes, businesses and assets contained within – is to RUSH on minimizing our individual carbon footprints by taking advantage of numerous green solutions under each category.

HOME: one of the easiest and fastest ways to cut carbon.
- Solar Panels: take advantage of one of the many offers being floated in 2019 where the Solar Energy provider will install solar panels with no $ down.
- Replace all lightbulbs: all traditional lightbulbs in the home should be replaced with either LEDs, halogen incandescents, or compact fluorescent lamps. These cost more, but they last 3-25% longer, so we’ll save money in the long run.
- Turn Off Lights: so basic, turn off lights whenever we leave a room.
- Buy Smaller House (if moving): it’s no longer cool to have a huge house. The new life-saving logic is to have a smaller home with more land, beautiful gardens, and plant as many trees as possible.
- Use cold water for laundry: washing clothes uses a lot of water, warming water wastes energy. Get used to cold for washing whites. New normal.
TRANSPORTATION: Hybrids and EV options have been transformed in just a few short years. Much longer range. Super fast charge. Many more charging stations. More affordable. One of these must be on our list when we replace existing cars.
- Hybrid: prices have come down and range is up to 280 MPG.
- EV: Significant price reduction, with one model as low as $30,000, range is now at 200 MPG.
- Walk, Bike, Scooter, Public Transportation, Carpool: Attend monthly Town Legislation meetings and work to get walking/bike trails set-up maintained.
- Run all errands at same time: awareness of who our actions impact the survival of other people will make us more organized about how we time manage simple things like grocery shopping and going to bank.
DIET: surprisingly, cows add as much carbon to environment as fossil fuels.
- Switch to white meat & fish: turkey & chicken, etc.
- Minimize dairy: this may also cure several health conditions that stem from high levels of antibiotics and pesticides found in dairy.
- Vegan: finding the right protein is a climate solution. Beans, lentils, eggs.
STUFF: Stuff we buy, Stuff we cart around, Stuff we store. Who knew that our “stuff,” particularly the vast accumulation and management of, is a significant factor in global warming.
- Carting around stuff, results in buying larger cars than necessary.
- Buying more stuff than we need or can possibly use, results in buying a larger house that uses more energy
- There’s substantial carbon emissions involved in the manufacturing and transporting of stuff.
- American consumerism has been a global frustration since the 1980’s.

In 2019, America’s population is only 4.6% of global total, however we are now ranked #1 in carbon emissions. We are responsible for the deaths of thousands. Let’s jump on this so we can save lives and save our country as well as the world.

Climate Action, Climate Change, Environment June 7, 2019February 2, 2020

Exxon In Pitched Battle With the World

Washington (Gallant Gold Media Hill Report | Analysis | June 7, 2019)
by Noreen Wise

A growing number of world leaders, and state attorney generals, are taking off their gloves and flexing their muscles in an effort to drive home the point with Exxon that they aren’t backing down. In fact, they plan to ramp up their resolve, and persevere through to the next level and pry the appropriate climate action commitment from Exxon. Not only that, the world’s prepared to continue bringing charges against Exxon for climate fraud.

ExxonMobile Corp is the world’s largest publicly traded oil company. Back in 2015, during the build up to the 2016 presidential election, documents leaked revealing that Exxon had intentionally kicked off a misinformation campaign for the purpose of undermining climate science in the hopes it would steer decision makers to continue with the massive use of oil for automobiles and energy. Since the 1970’s, Exxon has known that oil production causes global warming and has continued to mislead consumers, failing to warn of the hazards.

Now, 40 years later, we see Exxon’s misinformation campaign worked. Carbon levels have risen significantly – 335 PPM to 415 PPM. Thousands of innocent people have died as a result.

The state Attorney General’ who have and/or will be filing climate fraud charges against Exxon:

Massachusetts
New York
Rhode Island
Washington DC – tentative

Foreign Nations are leveling penalties against Exxon through the European Parliament.

Climate Action, Climate Change May 30, 2019February 2, 2020

Exxon Shareholder Majority Rejects Climate Action Responsibility | Votes for High Profit at World’s Expense

Washington (Gallant Gold Media Hill Report | Analysis | May 30, 2019)
by Noreen Wise

American publicly traded global fossil fuel companies are in for a turbulent next twelve months. Exxon was feeling this rough ride at it’s annual shareholders meeting Wednesday May 29, 2019. Two of its largest shareholders were demanding climate action accountability and threatened to wrangle the support of fellow shareholders and vote the directors out.

The New York State Common Retirement Fund, led by Thomas DiNapoli, the New York State Comptroller, along with The Church of England led the proxy fight. And although they may have missed their targeted goal of outright removal, they successfully increased shareholder support for climate responsibility. More eyes will now be closely following decision makers, and tweeting about their objections.

The Church of England, another large Exxon shareholder, believes in ethical finance. They’ve made their shock and frustration with Exxon’s refusal to act on #climatechange very public.

“This has been a very difficult AGM for Exxon and a warning shot to management.” ~Edward Mason, Church of England

Climate Action 100+ is a force to be reckoned with. This powerful group of 324 #climate focused international investors, control $33.4 trillion in assets. They have a reach far beyond America’s political divide with a proven ability to move mountains. American conservative investors who aren’t paying attention may find their political allegiance selling them short in the long run, maybe even the short run depending on where the next Category 4 or 5 hurricane or tornado strikes.

Exxon’s press release, following their shareholder’s meeting on May 29, 2019, stated: “ExxonMobil expects to increase annual earnings potential more than 140 percent and double potential annual cash flow from operations by 2025 from 2017 adjusted earning, assuming a 2017 oil price of $60 per barrel adjusted for inflation based on 2017 margins.” Seeing numbers like 140% and a doubling of “potential cash flow” without a concrete plan for climate action, is a clear statement that Exxon views profits as far more important than cutting carbon.

The climate action world does not agree with Exxon’s disregard for their responsibility to decrease Exxon’s carbon footprint. The climate focused public will happily avoid Exxon gas stations, and instead choose Shell and BP. If dollars are the only way to connect with Exxon’s decision makers, the public will accept this and send our objections using dollars. No problem.