Other Ways to Get Together by Maxine Margo (GD Max)

The more we get together

Together, together

The more we get together

The happier we’ll be

‘Cause your friends are my friends

And my friends are your friends

The more we get together

The happier we’ll be

I learned this song in kindergarten, and while the spirit of the song

still applies, the way we get together has changed. We used to dance 

in a circle together, while singing the song. Today we Zoom, Skype or

FaceTime to help us connect to our friends, family and workplace.

We are living in uncharted waters, and very scary times, but we need to

power through the best that we can. The realities are stressful, and we have to

find time to take a breather. Even those told to shelter in place, (depends on the 

rules of  your city or town) can take a walk, as long as you socially distance 

yourself from the person in front or behind you. The rule is to stay six feet apart. 

We all need to be mindful, especially for the sake of our elders, and those 

with medical issues, who are more vulnerable to COVID-19, heretofore I will call it IT.  

No one wants to get IT, no one wants to  give IT, so what can we do? I have seen 

Public Service Announcements (PSAs) by health officials and some celebs which say, 

If Sick Stay Home, If Not Sick Stay Home, with the hashtag #ALONE TOGETHER. 

Other PSAs tell you to DO THE FIVE to help stop coronavirus:

1. HANDS Wash them often for 20 seconds

2 .ELBOW Cough into it

3. FACE Don’t touch it

4. FEET Stay more than 3-6ft apart

5. FEEL sick? Stay home, call your primary doctor

We all have to do our part. State and local governments are doing their best

to reduce contact of their citizens. In many areas restaurants, bars, gyms and other

non-essential businesses have been told to close. This is an unprecedented moment in

history, but we have to take this seriously. We will get through IT! 

There is some good news within the context of IT. Mother Nature is getting a break of sorts.

Data obtained by the European Space Agency (ESA) gathered by the Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite which tracks air pollution recorded a sharp decrease in emissions that coincides with the lockdowns in Italy and China. Earth Systems Professor at Stanford, Marshall

Burke stated that two months of pollution reduction “likely has saved the lives of 4,000 kids under 5 and 73,000 adults over 70 in China. 

While the spread of Corona Virus is a top concern and a top priority, seeing the reduction in emissions indicates that people are taking steps to reduce their exposure. Another side story

is that the water in Venice, Italy is getting clearer, and dolphins have been spotted in the canals.

So now more than ever we need to take care of ourselves and take care of each other. 

Seek out a walk in nature, take a forest bath, or a stroll by the water. Check on your neighbors and your loved ones. Be prudent, be calm, be mindful, so you don’t get IT! Right now the new norm is #ALONETOGETHER and if we follow that mantra the happier we will be.

REFERENCES

https://www.redcross.org/about-us/news-and-events/news/2020/coronavirus-safety-and-readiness-tips-for-you.html

space.com/italy-coronavirus-outbreak

Hunkering Down in the time of Corona

Over 100 million people in the U.S. are hunkering down and staying in place during these unprecedented and scary times. This episode gives information to help you get through and be calmer, more balanced, greener and a bit more optimistic. We don’t have to panic or hoard toilet paper, we need to try to center our psyches. Mother Nature is a bit happier, as the CO2 emissions are dropping, as everyone stays homes. Dolphins have returned to the canals of Venice, Italy as the water is cleaner. We can only hope that there will be some more sliver linings beyond the clouds. We are all in this together. For more info go to thegreendivas.com. #STAYSAFE #KEEPYOURDISTANCE

Eco-travel, Eco-therapy and Sexy Tortoises… Go Diego!

Wonderful show from GD PonderRosa Studios as Green Divas Meg, Max and Lisa chat about Eco-tourism and why we should consider visiting places that have been hard hit by climate change. We also discuss various ways that eco-therapy can calm our jagged nerves. Tune in to hear Silly Science Facts and learn about Diego the tortoise, who single handedly brought his species back from extinction. For more info go to thegreendivas.com

Vedat Gashi

In this episode of QuaCast we interview Vedat Gashi, who is running for Westchester County Legislator in District 4, which includes New Castle and portions of Somers and Yorktown. We discuss issues which touch on the Westchester County Airport Expansion, Con Ed’s storm responses, green space and development in the county, plus much more. We also find out what it was like for Vedat to run his first marathon and asked him to connect running a marathon to running for office. Tune in to find out the answers.

For more info go to QuaCast.net, themanyshadesofgreen.com. You can contact Vedat Gashi via Twitter@VoteGashi, or email him at [email protected]

1908 Plastic, Plastic and more Plastic

We are a world filled with plastic bottles, bags, straws, packaging and more. Rivers, lakes, oceans, parks, highways, train tracks, fields are littered with single use throwaway plastic and it is damaging the planet. We can use our collective will to be more proactive and work to find solutions, as well as take personal responsibility. On this episode Green Divas Meg and Max delve into the plastic problem and give information and ideas about the problem and what can be done about it. We talk to Eileen Bastianelli, Founder of Eco Centric Solutions, who is a Plastic Hunter (she helps promote One Plastic Free Day) as well as a marketing advisor and eco-steward of the earth, about steps that can be taken to reduce plastic. For more information go to oneplasticfreeday.com. We also talk about the Octopuses Garden in the shade filled with plastic straws. We would love to hear from you, so tweet us @tmshadesofgreen, @50ShadesofGDs, @thegreendivas. Find us on Facebook, Instagram and tune in via thegreendivas.com on Spotify, Buzzsprout, iHeart, iTunes and ask Alexa or Siri to play The Green Divas podcast. #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

1905 GD Politics, The Green New Deal, will it save the environment or a will a carbon tax and/or carbon tax dividends be the answer?

GD Politics

The Green New Deal recently proposed by new congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and senator Ed Markey may become the rallying cry and theme for the democratic party… or anyone concerned about climate change, healthcare, fair wages, infrastructure and general social justice. It may seem like an overwhelming proposal, but many feel that the general concept could work. It may require a political miracle, but hey, crazy political things seem to happen every day!

GDs Meg & Wayne got to meet with and have a brief chat with their newly elected congresswoman, NJ democrat, Mikie Sherrill and ask her about her thoughts on this big proposal. tweet us your thoughts @thegreendivas and @tmshdadesofgreen


1904 The Kids are fighting climate change and teaching their parents well

The Green Divas stand together with the youth activists who are trying to build a greener future… climate change is affecting the planet, and we must take steps now to form solutions, and stop the degradation of Mother Earth. So support the kids, and tune in to this latest episode, as kids lead the way. The youth are marching and protesting to show they are the true adults in the room! We interview Tia Hatton and Kiran Oommen, who are plaintiff’s in the Juliana v US judicial climate action case, and we hear from Grist reporter Zoya Teistein about the Sunrise Movement and the Green New Deal. For more info go to thegreendivas.com, ourchildrenstrust.org Tweet us @tmshadesofgreen, @50ShadesofGDs, @thegreendivas

1903 Can Technology Help Us? Green Gadgets are on the way

With all the dire news about climate change acceleration and tipping points being tipped, are we doomed or can technology help to save us? Will we all be driving electric cars in the foreseeable future? Will we be able to create safer, more renewable energy to power them? From giant CO2-sucking air filters to large-scale ocean trash bins, some humans are finding creative solutions. Does the answer lie in the technology developed in the Mel Brooks classic Spaceballs?

Learn about the latest in electric cars, battery and charging tech and what’s coming down the road (ha ha) in the next few years from Green Car Dude John Voelcker.

Hear commentary on solar and capacitor tech from Green Living Guy (aka Green Dude) Seth Leitman. For more info, go to thegreendivas.com. Tweet us @tmshadesofgreen, @50Shadesof GDs and @thegreendivas. Tune in via iTunes, Spotify, SoundCloud, Stitcher, and ask Alexa or Siri to play The Green Divas.