Chattanooga, TN, has big plans to go Green, which have been in the works since 2006, according to noogavoices.com. Citizens from Chattanooga formed the independent grassroots group in 2021 to challenge the City's plans to become fully sustainable with goals to attain a zero carbon footprint.
Noogavoices website states that the Climate Action Plan (CCAP) has "not been approved by voters" but is rather the brainchild of politicians who are enamored with World Economic Forum (WEF) policies. Biden's Inflation Act of 2022 features historic spending on initiatives related to the climate crisis agenda.
According to the Noogavoices website, only one publicly held planning meeting asked for input from everyday Chattanoogans. In the March 21, 2023, meeting, there were only 40 speakers, 21 of whom represented the state, county, and city government or public/private partnerships. The website states, "The actual number of citizens represented on March 21, 2023, was only 21, and 2 were children who were not old enough to vote." Of those, 17 or 81 percent did not support the plan. Only 4 or 19 percent were in favor of the Climate Action Plan. Noogavoices contends more than 4 out of 5 citizens are not in favor of the CCAP proposal.
Noogavoices was formed to "make all citizens of Hamilton County aware of the facts" about the Chattanooga Climate Action Plan (CCAP). The plan was initially named the "Chattanooga SMART City" plan. A short video entitled "And still the people didn't see" warns Chattanoogans of 15-minute cities, digital ids, electric cars, driverless vehicles, restricted movement, and carbon footprint taxes that "will increase the quality of life for all Chattaoogans in the years to come."
Mayor Tim Kelly endorsed a "Green" Chattanooga with his 2022 "One Chattanooga" Strategic Framework, a "framework for the next three years." He hopes to put the City on the path to "shared prosperity and common purpose" with seven goals and four key priorities.
One Chattanooga/7 goals and 40 priorities
One Chattanooga/7 goals and 40 priorities
Eleven principles "serve as guideposts for the [One Chattanooga] framework." The guideposts are; "Equity, Common Purpose Over Partisan Politics, Urgency of Now, Candor, Prioritizing Justice Over Charity, People First, Involved and Interested, Not Just Informed, Localism, Opportunity in the Service of Prosperity, Common Sense for Common Purpose, and Respect."
On March 7, 2023, Mayor Kelly published the Chattanooga Climate Action Plan after the "public" input session on March 21.
Kelly also announced Chattanooga would become the 1st National Park City in the U.S. The designation means the Federal Government will oversee and rule, with implications on "land re-allocation." A 1st National Park City designation will almost certainly impact the zoning of properties in the City.
According to the National Park City website, it is "just the beginning" of the "journey" to implement these cities worldwide. Currently, there are two such cities. The first was London, designated in 2019, and the International National Park City Foundation awarded Adelaide National Park City status in 2021.
Mayor Ron Littlefield Kicks Off Chattanooga's Sustainability Initiative
Ron Littlefield/Chattanooga's 72nd Mayor
Mayor Ron Littlefield set targets to reduce greenhouse gas in 2006. In 2009, he was re-elected and created the first Climate Action Plan with Resolution 25833. In 2012, he issued an Executive Order to reduce energy, water, and waste by 2020.
Littlefield was known prior to his election for his work to further the adoption of environmental regulations. He was also a key figure in adopting Tennessee's "Scenic Routes" legislation in 1971. He had worked for the Research Triangle Institute under a contract with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency "on the health effects of air pollution in Chattanooga."
The Chattanooga Tea Party circulated a petition to recall Littlefield in 2010. The petition "complained of high taxes, water quality fees, and annexation." Hamilton County Circuit Judge Jeff Hollingsworth ruled the recall "failed to comply with state law." Littlefield left office at the end of his term in 2013.
SMART City Plan Published in 2015
Chattanooga made plans to become a SMART City by publishing its first SMART City Plan. In 2020, the City was selected by the WEF as one of two pioneer U.S. cities "in a global initiative to use broadband and data to plan and utilize energy, transportation, health care, and communications in more sustainable and equitable ways," according to the Chattanooga Times Free Press. Chattanooga and San Jose, California, were chosen "to pilot adoption of new technologies being developed by the G20 Smart Cities Alliance."
Chattanooga is known as "Gig City" for its early adoption of citywide high-speed broadband. In September 2010, EPB Fiber Optics, the City's municipally owned fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) network, began installing fiber in a 600 sq mile area totaling $390 million. This included $111 million from a federal grant and $229 million in local revenue bonds. French-owned Alcatel-Lucent partnered with EPB to install the "only 1-Gigabit broadband service in the U.S. for residential and business customers" available citywide at the time.
A WEF White Paper from 2021 emphasizes the necessity of using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and quantum computing to process data quickly and efficiently. Installing and implementing high-speed broadband is a foundational prerequisite for SMART cities. In November 2022, Chattanooga announced a partnership between EPB and Qubitek to "launch America's first industry-led, commercially available quantum network" in the City. Such a network cannot be installed without an "established fiber optic environment."
EPB is also studying how smart power grids can "reduce outages, boost energy efficiency, and remotely control electric-powered appliances and devices." Implementing smart power grids may mean consumer appliances and devices will be shut down remotely if they exceed usage limits.
And, of course, EPB has an eye to equitable access to education "to confront the digital divide."
What is in the 2023 Climate Action Plan?
Chattanooga has extensive plans to reduce its carbon footprint by 2050. All solutions "will be implemented through an equity lens so that all Chattanoogans, regardless of zip code or skin color, experience the benefits of a growing green economy and more sustainable city." Transportation, Buildings and Waste, Greenspaces and Waterways, and Jobs and Opportunities are targeted in the plan.
Chattanooga's Climate Action Plan/https://chattanooga.gov/images/citymedia/sustainability/ClimateActionPlaninfographic.pdf
The Chattanooga-Hamilton County/North Georgia 2050 Regional Transportation Plan "includes solutions for decarbonizing the transportation sector and increasing cleaner, greener transportation options." Alternate transportation plans include the expansion of public transit and pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure in the City.
The city tracks and rates its progress in what it calls the 2050 RTP Universe of Projects. Among the projects rated are ramp metering installation projects, road widening, bridge replacements, public transportation arteries, ADA-rated accessibility improvements such as the installation of roundabouts for vision impaired pedestrians, overheight detection and warning systems for underpasses and tunnels, and the "complete implementation of the City of Chattanooga Regional ATMS signal software and signal upgrades" that allow for "real-time monitoring and communication capabilities."
Chattanooga Rating 2050/https://chcrpa.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/media/index.html?appid=8f7338f53e3440b3a8ebbf73336d1388¢er=-85.1836;35.1336&level=9&hiddenLayers=183cd9096f3-layer-14;183cd9096f3-layer-15
City officials contend that "buildings are the number one contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in Chattanooga." Moreover, they claim the people who "live and work in them" cause unsustainable levels of waste that pollutes greenspaces and waterways" and leads to "landfill accumulations." The City leads in energy efficiency, surpassing the goal set by the Department of Energy's Better Buildings Challenge."
Even the Chattanooga airport shares the "city's vision for sustainability." A decade ago, the airport started implementing sustainability practices. Projects include a solar farm, LEED-designed facilities, green cleaning products, pest control, green landscaping practices, recycling programs, recycled asphalt, and 2018 pavement made with "an environmentally safe product instead of traditional coal tar."
The area has some of the most "biodiverse landscapes" in the country. The Climate Action Plan includes projects to "create and preserve conservation easements, establish a habitat corridor and connectivity plan, and remove invasive species." The City actively seeks "innovative funding streams" to plant trees, focusing on planting in "low-income and underserved neighborhoods." The overarching goal of CCAP is for every community to have access to greenspaces and trails.
Committed to growing its Green economy, the City has produced "more than 1300 [Green] jobs" and has benefitted from $950 million in investments because of its "emerging Green economy." Novonix put down roots in Chattanooga in 2021, investing $160 million and creating 290 new jobs in Hamilton County. The company manufactures "clean battery materials" and will assist in manufacturing VW's ID.4 electric car. VW hopes to sell 500,000 ID.4s annually globally by 2025.
15-Minute Cities
According to Noogavoices, Chattanooga is rapidly moving toward becoming a 15-minute city. 15-minute cities promote the ability to live, work, attend school, and play where you live without ever using a car. Some believe implementing 15-minute cities will eventually mean restricted movement or fines if citizens move outside the prescribed 15-minute city zone.
15-minute cities are already being rolled out globally. Chattanooga has installed cameras with face recognition and license readers at most intersections. The City is re-zoning properties to high-density mixed-use as we speak. Surveillance is a critical component of the 15-minute City because it allows for the tracking of non-compliant citizens.
San Jose, CA, already uses a massive surveillance program in its transit center. It is a chilling example of surveillance technology coming to a city near you, complete with date stamps targeting certain citizens and the citizen "networks" associated with the surveilled individual, all in the name of security. Below is a video on China's use of facial recognition and state control.
How SMART are SMART Cities?
SMART Cities mean more government control of what goes on in your homes. Proponents of SMART technologies say it makes everyday life more sustainable and promotes equitable outcomes. Those who disagree say SMART technologies are invasive and controlling. They surveil, monitor, and report citizens who do not follow "Green rules."
SMART Cities/https://www.noogavoices.com/what-is-smart
According to Noogavoices, "SMART meters and SMART thermostats in your house track your energy consumption in real-time and allow the energy company to control your temperature inside the house and track your usage without your knowledge." In September 2022, Fox News reported thousands of customers in Colorado "were locked out of their thermostats" because of an energy emergency in the state.
Noogavoices also warns of other residential technological controls:
" SMART water meters give control over your water consumption to the water company. Having a drought (see California) - the water company will allot and turn down your inflow at will.
"SMART intersections with cameras, face recognition, and license plate readers that record, analyze, and report where you go, when you go, what time you go, how fast you go. They will track and report your CO2 emission and adjust your social credit score."
