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Greetings Earthlings. We don't want to frighten you, dear listeners but The Ghost of Your Nuclear Past is lurking in various states as we speak. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, NY Gov. Hochul & MA Gov. Healey are all in for it (a bit of irony on the latter: we are told Healey's parents allowed the Clamshell Alliance to camp on their land for a Seabrook anti-nuke action) 😌. The good news is The Clamshell Alliance is still alive and pushing back.CliffMcCarthy & Shel Horowitz of The Commonwealth Coalition for Democracy & Safe Energy [PDF] join us for the details. Sen. Comerford came out strongly against the scheme, btw. AND please sign the petition HERE. . As usual, we will also introduce you to this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and "Those Whose Brains Were small" as well as our "...of the Week" segments and more but first it's time for........Revenge of the Critters! A roadside tale.
We have a pair of Fools-on-the-Hill this week in the wake of Zohran Mamdani's victory in the NYC Dem's primary. "Representative Nancy Mace, [Repugnican] of South Carolina, implied that Mr. Mamdani was somehow tied to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, which occurred when he was 9 [years old]. That came after Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, of Georgia, reacted on Wednesday to Mr. Mamdani’s apparent victory with an edited image of the Statue of Liberty clothed in a burqa." There it is.
We may as well segway right into "Their Brains Were small And They Died" since Rand Paul has always held the title in spite of staying alive. This dino might like to revive the Pony Express to deliver our mail but we guess he needs to start gradual. A donation request from USPS supporters notes: "Senator Rand Paul tried to force the U.S. Postal Service to auction off its entire electric fleet,
all 7,200 zero-emission trucks and over 14,000 charging stations
currently being installed in post offices nationwide in the budget
reconciliation process. Luckily, his efforts were stalled by the Senate
parliamentarian – but he could try again."
Our Critter of the Week was most likely one of last year's candidates but given their plight and the fact that their time to shine was in June we decided to praise the Fireflies yet again. Inside Climate News tell us: "The intense interest in...festival[s] highlights how much Americans love
fireflies. Summer nights spent watching fireflies (and debating whether
or not they should be called lightning bugs) is a cherished tradition
across the country. But this tradition could be threatened by climate
change, according to a new study." Besides participating in "No Mow May" and eliminating unnecessary lighting around your home in the evening, you can help these amazing critters by pushing back against pesticides.
Did somebody say "this tradition COULD be threatened by climate change" ? Well, after all, "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" After all, "The World is Warming Up. And it's Happening Faster" . The NY Times goes on, "Summer started barely a week ago, and already the United States has been smothered in a record-breaking “heat dome.” Alaska saw its first-ever heat advisory this month. And all of this comes on the heels of 2024, the hottest calendar year in recorded history." We get it, but what are we going to do about it? Certainly not ignore or deny it like the MAGA reprobates, or worse actually work to make matters worse by knee-capping clean energy projects! Have they no decency?? Nah! And, the Big Banks are banking on climate chaos in a BIG way as well. Meanwhile this listener suggestion from The Conversation: "Antarctic summer sea ice is at record lows. Here’s how it will harm the planet – and us." It's an in-depth scientific study that concludes: "Recent low sea ice summers present a scientific challenge. The system
is currently changing faster than our scientific community can study
it. But vanishing sea ice also presents a challenge to society. The only
way to prevent even more drastic changes in the future is to rapidly
transition away from fossil fuels and reach net zero emissions."
Here's where His Malignancy The Mad King meets The Climate Crisis. "The administration shut down a federal website that had
presented congressionally mandated reports and research on climate
change, drawing rebukes from scientists who said it will hinder the
nation’s efforts to prepare for worsening droughts, floods and heat
waves......They're public documents. It's scientific censorship at its worst,”
said Peter Gleick, a California water and climate scientist who was one
of the authors of the first National Climate Assessment in 2000. “This
is the modern version of book burning.” Surprise! Given the complicity of Big Media in normalizing and establishing His Malignancy from the get-go should we really be surprised? AND, the White House's aversion to anything climate related was also manifested in their cutting back on weather related issues resulting in the horror of the recent flooding in Texas. OK, by the time you read this The Mad King's Big B.S. Bill will probably be signed and then challenged in court. MAGA will rue the day they stole from the poor to enrich themselves and the billionaires. Read what Bernie wrote. We'll see you out in the streets, especially on July 17 when "Good Trouble Lives On". BTW, it seems His Malignancy is forming his own Gestapo by allocating "some $175 billion towards his mass deportation campaign, more money than almost any country spends on its military ." #NoGestapo Go HERE.
In The Enviro Show Echo Chamber we ask our listeners to go to Save Mass Forests opening page HERE to learn about critical forest related bills in Massachusetts that need your support. Please share this info with family & friends and urge your Reps to support them. Here's another thing to share: "Unmask ICE. No Secret Police in America."
Our Doublespeak of the Week pulls this quote from the White House's own b.s. "Declaring a Energy National Emergency": "The policies of the previous administration have driven our Nation into a
national emergency, where a precariously inadequate and intermittent
energy supply, and an increasingly unreliable grid, require swift and
decisive action. Without immediate remedy, this situation will
dramatically deteriorate in the near future due to a high demand for
energy and natural resources to power the next generation of technology." Then we turn to this report from AP News: "More than $14 billion in clean energy investments in the U.S. have been
canceled or delayed this year, according to an analysis released
Thursday, as [the] President's... pending megabill has raised fears
over the future of domestic battery, electric vehicle and solar and wind
energy development." Wait......what??
Maybe you thought Two-face was just another Batman villain? Sorry, it's the 21st century, the line between fiction and non-fiction is history. Which brings us to our Quote of the Week:
What
strength belongs to every plant and animal in nature. The tree or the
brook has no duplicity, no pretentiousness, no show. It is, with all its
might and main, what it is, and makes one and the same impression and
effect at all times. All the thoughts of a turtle are turtle's, and of a
rabbit, rabbit's. But a man is broken and dissipated by the giddiness
of his will; he does not throw himself into his judgments; his genius
leads him one way but 't is likely his trade or politics in quite
another.
After our interview it's off to the Bus Stop Billboard:
Fridays 4:30pm Stop the Coup Standouts on Rt. 2 Gill side of
Gill-Turners Falls bridge in WMass grow weekly. Bring your own signs & friends! AND: The Good Trouble
Democracy Brigade is holding protests every Friday
from 3 to 4 p.m. at the intersection of Route 116
and Sugarloaf Street in South Deerfield. AND Every Friday HANDS OFF OUR STUDENTS! Peaceful Visibility Standout, 4 pm – 5:30 p.m., Kendrick Park, [Cancelled for 6/6] Amherst: https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/778646/ AND Every Friday Jewish Voice for Peace Weekly Northampton Standout.
4:00-5:30 p.m. at the Route 9 roundabout at the Northampton side of the
Coolidge Bridge. Join us in demanding a ceasefire & arms embargo.
Signs & banners provided. Park at the Norwottuck Rail Trail, 446
Damon Rd. Click here for access info.
Saturdays 11 to Noon. Regular Stand Out concerning MAGA government coup & DOGE in Memorial Park in Orange, MA. 25 South Main Street Orange, MA 01364 AND: There is an ongoing NO KINGS!/DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION/DEMOCRACY standout on the Greenfield Town Common, beginning at 9:30am EACH Saturday.
Every Sunday: Massachusetts Rapid Response for Our Freedoms: Virtual 6:30 pm. – 7:30 p.m. To mobilize and activate a network of people ready to take immediate, strategic action to defend our rights, freedoms, the rule of law, and democracy.-To educate and inform participants about current authoritarian threats, legal overreach, and coordinated attacks on our freedoms.-To share concrete tools, tactics, and next steps that individuals and groups can take in their communities to push back.-To build a connected movement rooted in collective power, solidarity, and a shared vision of justice and equality for all—not just the wealthy, powerful, or those with privilege. Register and more information.
Wednesdays 11am to 1pm. Weekly Standouts at ICE Facility at 1000 District Avenue.
Burlington, MA. Rabbi Susan Abramson of Temple Shalom Emeth agrees. A longtime advocate
for immigrant rights, has been co-leading peaceful protests outside
the Burlington ICE office every Wednesday. Attendance
has grown steadily, with about 70 participants last week. Go HERE.
Tuesdays, 4-6pm Hold banners, signs and flags, on I-91 overpass to show people that they are not alone -
and help give them the courage to join us and take a stand against the Coup & DOGE. Please make signs with very few words and very big and bold letters. Come even if you don't have a sign, we'll have plenty! Here's the link for more info and to register:https://mobilize.us/s/4Gq1hs We've
added this coming Sunday and Thursday, from 4-6 pm, at the
same location: the I-91 overpass at Mountain Park Rd, Holyoke.You can
sign up for Sunday or Thursday on Mobilize: Sunday 3/23, 3:30pm. - https://www.mobilize.us/indivisiblenorthamptonswingleftwesternma/event/766766/. Thursday 3/27 - https://www.mobilize.us/indivisiblenorthamptonswingleftwesternma/event/767589/
ALSO: Tuesdays 4-5pm. No Kings Weekly Vigil, Park Square, Elm and Main Streets (Route 20) Westfield, MA 01085 AND Tuesdays 3:30 – 5pm. 12 Mountain Dr. Overpass, Hatfield, MA 01038 AND Every Tuesday in Amherst. Stand out for Peace and Racial Justice (and immigrant justice, climate justice, etc.) – in Amherst. 4:00-4:30 P.M. Main Street and South Pleasant Street in front of the bank. Bringing positive action in troubling times.
Weekly on Tuesdays & Thursdays. The MA State House Stand Out is back in a new incarnation! This historic climate action lasted for 14 months and engaged hundreds of volunteers from across the climate movement. Volunteers are needed!The new version, lovingly referred to as Stand Out Two, happens at the Massachusetts State House between 10 am and 2 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
This is a great way to participate in the climate movement with no risk
of arrest! Volunteers normally sign up for a 2 hour “shift." If you have questions about the Stand Out or would like to get a link to the sign-up sheet please contact organizers at fossilfuels.standout.ma@proton.me
Every Saturday. Geendfield Standout for a Ceasefire.. 11 a.m.-noon, On the green by Court Square.
July 15 & July 22, 5-8 pm. Non-violent
direct action training prepares people to make the choice to
participate in a diversity of actions that aim to resist a current
policy or situation. Taking the training does not obligate you to choose
to risk arrest, and there are countless strategies of resistance and
non-cooperation. With both instructional and experiential activities,
participants will learn some of the history and approaches to non-
violent actions, techniques for de-escalation and navigating hecklers,
self-care, the role of power and privilege in this work, the use and
purpose of affinity groups, including special roles, community building,
and, how to prepare for an action whether it involves risking arrest or
not. Please REGISTER HERE no later than July 12, 9:00 pm (Email heckysmith@gmail.com with any questions)
Thursday July 17, 6 – 7pm. Good Trouble Lives On! On
July 17, the anniversary of Congressman John Lewis’s passing,
People Power United is hosting a virtual event to honor his legacy and
defend our rights and freedoms. As Trump and his allies push voter
suppression bills like the SAVE
Act and criminalize protest, we’re rising up in nonviolent
resistance—because in America, the power belongs to the people. This
isn’t just a virtual rally. It’s a moral stand. It’s Good Trouble—alive
and marching forward. Go HERE. Northampton rally HERE. Amherst rally HERE.. Greenfield rally HERE. More HERE.
Saturday July 19, 1pm. Hanscom GroundICE Protest. Hanscom Field in Bedford, MA
Signature Aviation provides aviation fuel and logistical support
for I.C.E. detainee transport flights in a number of cities throughout
the United States. Although the company lacks a direct contractual
relationship with I.C.E. itself, Signature works closely with its
contracted charter airlines to facilitate these flights. This protest is being organized by GroundIce.org. Check out their website for more actions.
Thursday July 24, 2pm & 6pm. The new SMART 3.0 solar subsidy regulations [are] released. While they are in effect now, DOER will be conducting 3
months of public processes - public hearings and public comments. While
the new regulations are very good in protecting the environment, carbon
sequestration and promoting development on the built environment, there
is room for improvement. This is the final push on the long road of SMART regulations. Once this period is over the regulations will be finalized. We need to raise our voices for 2 important reasons: 1. To protect the good things in these regulations - please include a thank you! 2. To prevent watering down of the regulations by parties lobbying for less protective, more industry-friendly approach. 2pm Register 6PM Register . Public comments are due by July 25 at 5pm. They can be sent to DOER.SMART@mass.gov . Summary of the SMART 3.0 regulations - Word, pdfAnalysis of the SMART 3.0 regulations - Word, pdfThe website with the regulations can be found here: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/smart-programmatic-review Friday July 25, 1:00 PM, the Department
of Energy Resources (DOER) will host an in-person public hearing to
accept comments on the SMART 3.0 regulations (https://t.e2ma.net/click/krjugj/ws4oz/g0j1bs).
The hearing will be held in the Stinchfield Lecture Hall at Greenfield
Community College, 1 College Drive, Greenfield, MA. Participants who
would like to attend and provide comments in person may register for the
hearing by filling out this form (https://t.e2ma.net/click/krjugj/ws4oz/wsk1bs). Additional details on the rulemaking process and a summary of the proposed program changes can be found on DOER (https://t.e2ma.net/click/krjugj/ws4oz/cll1bs). The deadline for submission of public comments will be 5:00 pm on July 25th. Show up protest deforestation for solar! OUT FRONT TOO !
Saturday July 26, 10am. Rain Date July 27. Join Standing Trees for a guided hike to North Pond and some amazing
old forest in the Telephone Gap area of the Green Mountain National
Fores near Chittenden, VT. Along the way, we'll
give you the latest on the massive Telephone Gap logging project that
threatens much of the old and mature forest that make this area so
special. Expect 5-6 miles of hiking with approx 1200ft elevation change.
RSVPs are required for updates and the exact
location. RSVP HERE. 8am - 1pm
. Join 2 million fellow Americans in Washington, D.C., and your state capital, for the March for Integrity—the
largest grassroots Money Out of Politics Movement march in Washington,
D.C., all 50 state capitals, and major metro areas across the...movement to demand an end to political corruption. It’s time to ban lobbyist gifts, stop congressional stock trading, and pass The WE the People Amendment to permanently keep money out of politics. Go HERE.
Monday July 28, 8pm. Dr. Dominick A. DellaSala to talk to on forest protection. If you haven’t registered, you can register
here.
MondayJuly 28, 6 pm. CodePink co-founder Medea Benjamin and Colonel Ann Wright, Retired will speak on “Where are we now?” The discussion will cover current wars and militarism, the domestic crisis in the U.S., and the ongoing genocide and starvation in Gaza, supported by U.S. weapons, tax dollars and corporations. Northampton Friends Meeting, 43 Center Street in Northampton. Medea Benjamin, and Ann Wright have vast experience and knowledge about the current crisis across the Middle East and the expansion of militarism here at home as we face the growing climate emergency.
Wednesday July 30 (TBD) Indivisible's "How to Make it Happen" This
train-the-trainer session is how we get to one million. Learn not just
our strategy, but how you can train others and get them on board. You'll
host your first community resistance gathering after this session. Stay tuned!
Thursday July 31, 7pm. Please join Beyond Plastics for an inspiring look at some existing
alternatives to single-use plastic packaging featuring reuse and refill
business leaders, Sarah Paiji Yoo, the CEO and Co-Founder of Blueland,
makers of non-toxic natural cleaning products sold in reusable,
refillable packaging and Rob Kutner, the CRO of USEFULL, a fast-growing
reuse program provider that makes it easy for colleges and universities
to seamlessly offer takeout meals in stainless steel returnable
containers. Go HERE.
Saturday August 9, 4 to 8pm. Valley Free Radio, WXOJ-LP 103.3 FM, a non-profit community radio
station, is celebrating 20 years of independent broadcasting with a free
community concert at the Elks Lodge, located at 17 Spring Street, Florence, MA. The celebration will feature: Live music from Kalliope Jones and Shokazoba; Studio tours of Valley Free ; Food and treats from Crêpes Nanou Food Truck, Caravan
Kitchen, and Crooked Stick Pops & A live simulcast on 103.3 FM and streaming at valleyfreeradio.org
Wednesday August 13 (TBD) Indivisible's "What Now? Organizing Action". You'll
be onboarded to basic campaign design and learn how to implement it
locally as well as get plugged into our next national campaign work.
Your second community resistance gathering will move this action
forward. Go HERE.
Sunday September 21, All Day. Sun Day is a day of action celebrating solar
and wind power, and the movement to leave fossil fuels behind.
Enough......except to remember to listen to your Mother!
