Greetings Earthlings. It's said that everyone loves a comeback story and we couldn't agree more when it comes to the American Chestnut Tree. Once a mainstay of life in New England forests and beyond it sadly fell victim to human ignorance and greed. Now, we are happy to report, after decades of failed attempts to overcome the blight, this amazing native tree has returned. Anne Petermann of the Global Justice Ecology Project returns to the show with the good news. As always, we will also delve into the bad news from our Fool-on-the-Hill and Those Whose Brains Were Small segments, along with the Doublespeak of the Week and more but first it's time for.........Revenge of the Critters! Fisherfolk in China Beware!
This week's Fool-on-the-Hill was probably last year's Fool and the year before that and the years before that. Texas Senator Ted Cruz is even looked upon as a fool by his fellow MAGA low-lives but he just keeps filling up our inbox. This time Common Dreams reports: "Doubling down on efforts by Republicans to smear the peaceful “No Kings” protest movement as “terrorism,” Sen. Ted Cruz called for the passage of legislation he introduced earlier this year to “prosecute” those funding the protests." Do you think that includes the 5 bucks you sent in to your local Indivisible? Apparently, this fool is unfamiliar with the U.S. Constitution?
As luck would have it, Cruz also came up with our Doublespeak of the Week in the Texas Tribune in the wake of his public condemnation of J6 insurrectionists. Attempting to defend himself using the term "terrorists" to describe the mob: "Cruz said he asked to come on [Tucker] Carlson’s show so he could better explain himself. Cruz said he understood why people were angry at his use of the word “terrorist” but insisted that he would never use the same word that “Democrats and the corporate media have so politicized” to describe the “patriots” that were at the Capitol that day to protest the results of the presidential election." 😏
Now it's time for "Their Brains Were small and They Died" and what better an example than the U.S. Soldiers who took part in the 1890 massacre of hundreds of Lakota men, women and children at Wounded Knee as well as white nationalist MAGA fascists like Dept. of "War" Secretary Pete Hegseth who want to whitewash that sorrowful event. Previous officials in the Pentagon withdrew the medals given to the cavalry for their butchery but Hegseth announced a reversal in "the latest move to sanitize the nation’s history taken by the Trump administration since [His Malignancy] signed an executive order in March titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History”. What, more Doublespeak? Those rogue soldiers are dead and gone now but we'll have to wait a bit before we can bring actual truth to power regarding the likes of Hegseth and any other dinosaurs with a similar lack of decency and Intelligence.
We give thanks to Nature for all Her gifts but we say "No thanks" to the likes of His Malignancy and the MAGA freak show who seem obsessed with trashing Nature and wildlife at every opportunity. What is wrong with these people?? You know something is terribly wrong when you read His Malignancy's "anti-climate agenda could result in 1.3m more deaths globally, analysis finds." The Guardian piece goes on: "Increasing temperatures are already killing enormous numbers of people. A ProPublica and Guardian analysis that draws on sophisticated modeling by independent researchers found that [the]“America First” agenda of expanding fossil fuels and decimating efforts to reduce emissions will add substantially to that toll, with the vast majority of deaths occurring outside the US. Most of the people expected to die from soaring temperatures in the coming decades live in poor, hot countries in Africa and south Asia, according to recent research." Surprise! Sadly, we must also note this headline: "6 Democratic Governors Have Linked Arms With the GOP to Push Fossil Fuels" and our Gov. Maura Healey is among them. 😒 From anti-climate to anti-American, last week His Malignancy accused "Democrats of ‘seditious behavior, punishable by death’"? In a "video...six Democratic lawmakers who have previously served in the military or in intelligence roles said to Vets...“Like us, you all swore an oath to protect and defend the Constitution, and right now, the threats to our constitution aren’t just coming from abroad, but from right here at home. Our laws are clear, you can refuse illegal orders,... you must refuse illegal orders. No one has to carry out orders that violate the law or our constitution.” Reaction to His Malignancy's death threat continues on many fronts. Stay tuned for more.
Like we always say to those who should know better, "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" and you can tell the fossil fools yourself right HERE. Also, last week "was the week from hell for environmental policy in the United States,” said Pat Parenteau, a professor emeritus and senior fellow for climate policy at Vermont Law and Graduate School. “Unless stopped by the courts, each of these proposed rollbacks will do irreparable harm to the nation’s water quality, endangered species and marine ecosystems.” In one rollback, the Interior Department moved to allow new oil and gas drilling across nearly 1.3 billion acres of U.S. coastal waters, including a remote region in the high Arctic where drilling has never before taken place." Also this, "The [MAGA captured] Environmental Protection Agency is promising to erase a scientific finding that underpins climate regulations nationwide." And, as the billionaire Takers toast to Mammon, "The United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP30, concluded....in Belém, Brazil with a deal that does not even include the words “fossil fuels”—the burning of which scientists agree is the primary cause of the climate crisis." That said, it appears a bit of good news surfaced regarding forests: "With the announcement of two major forest finance initiatives at the climate talks...there is renewed hope that the Congo Basin, home to the world’s second-largest tropical rainforest, could finally secure the sustained, equitable climate funding it has long been promised. The first was the Tropical Forest Forever Fund, unveiled by Brazil, which is backed by $6.7 billion in commitments. The second was the official launch of the Canopy Trust on Nov. 17." Stay tuned for more on that.
As I write this a Red Shouldered Hawk is perched less than twenty feet from me waiting for some field mouse, chipmunk or songbird to make a foolish move. The hawk's presence is a gift from Nature and as such is hereby our Critter of the Week. Audubon tells us: "The Red-shouldered Hawk is a bird of lowland forest and swampy areas. The ideal habitat seems to be associated with Beaver ponds and adjacent streams, with mature hardwoods nearby to provide nesting sites. Seclusion from human disturbance is usually a requisite for successful breeding. Sections of southern Berkshire County and Quabbin have an abundance of this type of habitat." And this: "The [Red Shouldered Hawk] family stays together well into August, but the birds rarely are seen, and little is known about their habits during this period. Some groups become vocal again by late summer. By September, they have gone their separate ways. Fall migration peaks in late October. The birds winter mainly in the southern states, but an occasional straggler will remain in Massachusetts." Greetings straggler, welcome to our nest this day after Thanksgiving.
Our Quote of the Week is quite on target for this show...
“In some Native languages the term for plants translates to “those who take care of us.”
-Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass
After our conversation with Anne it's on to the Bus Stop Billboard:
Weekly. Here's what appears to be Indivisible Northampton — Swing Left Western Mass's complete daily listing of all the pro-democracy events in WMass: https://in-slwm.org/wp-content/uploads/Calendar/cal.html And This: Western Mass General Strike is hosting drop-in sessions on Wednesdays, 6:00-8:00 p.m. at the Hadley Public Library for conversation and networking around general strikes and other forms of economic resistance. If you would like to get involved in organizing prior to that, contact us at wmgeneralstrike@proton.me. And This: Every Wednesday, 11am-1pm | Bearing Witness to ICE, Burlington, MA. Stand in solidarity outside the ICE Enforcement & Removal Operations Office. Together, we can show love and support for immigrants, express our shame at ICE, and bear witness to the cruel and unconstitutional actions of our government. Info/Sign Up. Fridays , 11:30 AM – 1 PM thru Nov 21: Stop Citizens Bank From Financing Private ICE Prison Standouts. At Public sidewalks on King Street in Northampton, in front of Stop and Shop Plaza (Citizens Bank has a branch inside Stop and Shop). Register HERE. Fridays 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm: Overpasses for Democracy Coordinated Visibility Standout, Wisdom Way Overpass on I-91, Greenfield. Join us for a coordinated event where Indivisible chapters across Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut stage a massive bridge overpass banner event. Register here on Mobilize.us. Every Monday, 11:30am. -12:30pm. Join us each Monday at the VA Medical Center to show your support for our veterans and federal workers. All the cars honking will brighten your day, too! Bring flags, signs, and friends! VA Medical Ctr, 421 N Main St, Route 9, Leeds, MA. Park in the VA Visitor lot or, if you have a sticker or are a Veteran, park in Look Park. Register here. Saturdays: Noon to 2pm. Weekly Standout at Pride for Migrant Workers, Sidewalk in front of Pride gas station, intersection of Routes 9 and Bay Road in Hadley, 25 Russell St. Hadley, MA 01035. & 2 to 4pm Peaceful Protest, Granby, MA Town Green, U.S. 202 & Connecticut 20, Granby, CT 06035. Go HERE
Monday December 1, 8:30 AM: Urgent action is needed Standout outside the office of Congressman Richard Neal, 300 State Street, downtown Springfield., MA. A beloved immigrant family (mom, dad, and young daughter) will be deported this coming Tuesday, and needs our support. Their pending T visa application is being invalidated due to grounds of “severe labor trafficking.” Mom was released from months of detention 3 weeks ago, and this ICE plan to punish and deport them is cruel and inhumane.Please come and bring signs of support for families, solidarity, and decency to this peaceful protest to protect this and all immigrant families from the cruel policies of ICE and the president. More information here.
THE CLIMATE CROSSROADS: WHY HAVEN'T WE CHANGED — AND HOW WE DO NOW. A live event from The Way Forward Regenerative Conversations Podcast. We know the science— still we haven't changed. Why? Join three of the leading voices on Climate for lively dialogue about breaking the deadlock. Bill McKibben, Dr. Rupert Read, and Brian McLaren, in a live conversation moderated by Dr. John Izzo, confronting the hard truth of where we stand and explore what it will take to move from paralysis to action. Register HERE.
Tuesday December 2, 12 – 12:45pm. In honor of UN World Soil Day, join our Climate Action Call with Senator Jo Comerford to understand the crisis and take immediate action. PFAS contamination is spreading into drinking water and agricultural soils across the Commonwealth. These toxic chemicals have been linked to serious health issues, including cancer, immune system damage, and developmental problems in children. Go HERE.
Thursday December 4, 8AM. Indivisible Northampton-Swing Left Western Mass is hoping to catch some of the contractors who may use Home Depot regularly, and who come by early to pick up needed materials. Sign up HERE for this early-morning experiment! We'll see how it goes--then stay tuned for future standouts against ICE and those who enable it.
Thursday December 4, 7pm. There are three generations of wild American chestnut trees growing on the land of renowned naturalist Dr. Bernd Heinrich, Biologist, naturalist, and author of A Year in the Maine Woods and 20+ other books. These trees, numbering in the thousands, are rewriting the story of a species once thought lost. Their resilience challenges the widespread claim that only genetic engineering can restore the species. Join us for the premiere screening of a new short environmental documentary on this amazing success story. Go HERE.
Monday December 8, 7-8:30pm. Climate Action Now monthly gathering via
Zoom. "Solidarity & Resilience as Acts of Resistance: Creating the World We Long for Right Here Where We Live". Our panel of speakers will share stories of people showing up for each other and nurturing community through mutual aid. Time for Q & A followed by conversation in small groups. Register HERE.
Wednesday December 10, 12p.m. Nuclear and Fusion Info Session: University of Massachusetts at Lowell (UML), with support from the Healey-Driscoll Administration, is leading an effort to develop a Massachusetts Roadmap for Advanced Nuclear and Fusion Energy (Roadmap). The Roadmap is intended to outline a strategic vision [and the Gov's Nuke dreams😏] for state leadership across policy, infrastructure, workforce development, and public engagement, to understand the role Massachusetts can play in enabling these advanced energy systems. Go HERE.
Wednesday December 10, 11am to 1pm. Let ICE Know – "You’re Not Welcome in MA!" Bearing
Witness @ ICE, a group committed to peaceful, nonviolent protest, has
been holding standouts in front of the ICE Field Office since last
April, their numbers growing from two people last spring to 600+ this fall. Wednesday, December
10 will be the first time a large group from Western MA is organizing
to participate. It is critical at this time, when nationwide resistance
to ICE cruelty is growing, to show that the entire Commonwealth is
united in opposition. Here is a link to the flyer: https://conta.cc/
Wednesday, December 10, 6 to 7:30 p.m. Town Hall with MA Senator Jo Comerford Via Zoom. Registration is required — sign up here. Since we last connected in a Town Hall a little over a year ago, much
has changed — in our communities, our Commonwealth, and our nation. In
my newsletters, I write about how state government can (and must) serve as both a line of defense and a line of offense for our people, always guided by the values that define Massachusetts.
Friday December 12, 9am to 4pm. The MA Grid Modernization Advisory Council (GMAC) is hosting its second in-person event to convene municipal stakeholders and community leaders who are interested in or taking steps to decarbonize and electrify their city or town. Attendees will hear from a panel of speakers from the GMAC and electric distribution companies (EDCs) to learn about the actions Massachusetts is taking to modernize and proactively plan our electric grid. [Expect the status quo] More info and registration here.
Saturday December 13, 9:30 to 11am. Carbon Countdown 2025: State Support for Local Climate Initiatives. Online, and In-person at Follen Church, Lexington, MA. Senator Mike Barrett will update us on the State Legislature's efforts regarding Climate Change. Join us to learn how State programs can provide crucial support for local climate initiatives. Learn from experts in the field, and network with like-minded individuals who are passionate about combating climate change. Don't miss out on this opportunity to be part of the solution! Reservations HERE.
Tuesday, December 16, 7-8:30pm. Winning on Climate in a System Stacked Against Us: Organizers’ Tales of State House Adventures. Climate Action Now and Local Energy Advocates invite climate organizers and activists statewide to join us for an evening of reflection and conversation with special guest speaker Jess Nahigian. Jess has many tales to tell about life as a climate organizer focused on moving meaningful climate legislation through the Mass State House.Together we will reflect on the historic shift in policy we just experienced and how we can build on this win moving forward. Register HERE.
That's all for now except to remember to listen to your Mother.
