The Youth vs. Gov Enviro Show

Greetings Earthlings. The Climate Crisis may not seem like the imminent disaster it is to many of us older folks here in the first stages of climate change but think of what it means to young people who will be most impacted by the intense chaos of mega-storms, erratic weather patterns, food shortages, and social disintegration when the Crisis is more severe! Phil Gregory, pro-bono lawyer for Our Children's Trust calls in to talk about their Juliana v. United States lawsuit and some recent developments. Phil specializes in complex business and environmental litigation, including financial fraud, intellectual property, partnership and shareholder disputes. Of course we'll also take you to see this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and to endure the spectacle of His Malignancy The Mad King, as well as a trip to The Enviro Show Echo Chamber but first it's time for.............Revenge of the Critters! Given so many critters are injured or killed by motor vehicles is it any wonder they strike back now and then?

This Fool-on-the-Hill will soon be off of it given that six-term incumbent Repugnican Peter Roskam lost his race for reelection even though he has been posing as “climate advocate” in Illinois’ 6th district. He was another Repug member of the poorly named House Climate Solutions Caucus we talked about on the last show. Also, Roskam voted for a resolution condemning a carbon tax and snagged a 7 percent lifetime score from the League of Conservation Voters and scored just 3 percent last year. Roskam's also on record calling global warming “junk science” but none of that matters anymore after January!

His Malignancy The Mad King recently nominated climate denier and industry sellout Bernard McNamee to fill a vacant seat on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). McNamee once wrote an Earth Day op-ed on the benefits of fossil fuels and is a champion of that coal and nuclear bailout that appears to be floundering. The Senate will be considering his nomination in the next few days but will they ever realize that FERC Don't Work?? You can inquire HERE. We've talked a lot about The Sixth Mass Extinction on the show over the years and no one should be surprised His Malignancy has a part in it, right? The U.S. is a major contributor to the decline of these animals. As just one example, we have imported tens of thousands of giraffe products and trophies over the past decade alone and are driving up global demand. Some of The Mad King's sorry offspring are trophy hunters. Maybe that's why he's not doing anything about it, but more likely he just doesn't care. And speaking of not caring, His Malignancy was casting blame, in all the wrong places (O say, as in "not raking leaves" ?) for the horrendous wildfires in California before finally sending aid after being roundly criticized for his usual utter insensitivity. There are 1,300 people unaccounted for and 80 dead in the Camp Fire alone as of this writing.

In The Enviro Show Echo Chamber we found this piece from Grist that concerns one of the young participants in Our Children's Trust. "[Aji Piper] didn’t end up finishing his senior year at West Seattle High School, deciding to drop out in order to focus on his legal efforts. College, a career, even a potential job as a dog walker are on hold as he waits for the new court date to be set [for Juliana v. United States lawsuit]." We've reported on plastic ocean pollution and the Great Garbage Patch(es) for awhile now with no good news about anyone doing anything to address it.....until now. The website looks a bit slick but hopefully the effort will get legs. And this from the Boston Globe: "As storms intensify, sewage spills in rivers become a concern. Dozens of rivers in the region are repeatedly inundated with raw sewage from treatment plants overwhelmed by heavy rains." It's climate chaos vs. ancient infrastructure!  

After our conversation with Phil Gregory we move over to the Bus Stop Billboard:


Monday November 26, 7 to 9pm. Climate Action Now MA monthly gathering.  Unitarian-Universalist Society of Amherst, North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA. Climate Action Now is a people powered, grassroots Western Mass organization dedicated to building a powerful, unstoppable climate and environmental justice movement. Go to: http://climateactionnowma.org  


Thursday November 29, 6 to 8pm. CLIMATE CHANGE IN YOUR BACKYARD.  Mason Square Public Library, 765 State Street, Springfield MA. Citizen’s Climate Lobby: 
Climate change, what local leaders and groups are doing and climate actions you can take. 
Update on Springfield's Climate Action and Resilience Plan,  Valley Bike Share, Solarize Mass, Ener-G-Save, and more! 


Saturday, December 8, 2:30 – 8:30pm.  Sustainability Summit comes to Springfield, Massachusetts.  Co-op Power’s Annual Sustainability Summit is a great opportunity to share ideas with like-minded people on topics from green business development and community finance to grassroots activism and social justice.  Expect vibrant discussions about our society and our environment centered around our theme, "Energy Democracy”, with a dynamic keynote speaker and workshops throughout the day. If you are passionate about the environment and social justice then you have a place at the Summit to add to the excitement and expertise! Go To: https://www.facebook.com/events/2149412618455035/  


We are out of here for now. Remember to listen to your Mother!

VFR Fall FunDrive Enviro Show

Greetings Earthlings. Now that we've all fallen back it's time to look forward to more excellent programming here at Valley Free Radio. That said, the deal is we need YOUR support if we are to continue broadcasting an excellent eclectic mix of music and public interest programming. See this LINK? Pleeeeeeease go there and help support community radio and please note you are an Enviro Show listener! OK? We'll be broadcasting a truncated version of our show this Tuesday 6 to 7pm and Thursday 2 to 3pm. Won't you tune in and make your pledge or go to the above link? If so, THANK YOU for your support. If not......how do you think we can continue with this all volunteer low-budget community service without your support?? OK, on with the show and a brief visit with our Fool-on-the-Hill and the Mad King, also a call-in from Scot Quaranda from Dogwood Alliance on  "The Biomass Delusion", but first it's time for........Revenge of the Critters! We have our reservations about many golfers but on this course a Griz is decidedly on the rez!

We have a newbe for this week's Fool-on-the-Hill, Rep. Matt Gaetz, Florida Repugnican and proud member of the House "Climate Solutions Caucus". Yes, it sounds terribly climate conscious but sadly this entity just provides cover for congress members who, in Gaetz's case ".............. introduc[ed] a bill last year that would have abolished the EPA. When Trump announced that he would be withdrawing the United States from the Paris climate agreement, Gaetz cheered the move as 'strong leadership'." Given this fool's district is in extreme southern Florida, which is slowly being reclaimed by the sea, you'd think he'd stop posing and actually start acting? Nah!

On to His Malignancy The Mad King who has just blamed forest management (rather than express concern) for the wildfire disaster in Southern California. Experts quickly pointed out that places like Thousand Oaks, Malibu and Paradise were not forests, OK?  The Mad King had another setback, this time with what some call "Trump's Pipeline", the Keystone XL dirty oil travesty. It seems "a federal judge invalidated [the] "presidential permit" for Keystone XL, ruling that the Administration violated key laws when it approved the pipeline."  Ya' think?? You can continue confounding His Malignancy by signing The Promise to Protect right HERE.  As you no doubt know, The Mad King fired Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Wednesday replacing him with Matt Whitaker, a enabling goon who is publicly opposed to special counsel Mueller's investigation into His Malignancy's many crimes, which the goon will now attempt to supervise. One problem however, his appointment is illegal. Even so, it seems Whitaker also has a vendetta against climate investigations into ExxonMobil. Grist tells us: "Whitaker promised that the organization...., the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust, would 'continue to press its investigation into these 17 attorneys general for more information and answers regarding the true motivation and the real agenda behind this reprehensible campaign.' His organization was funded through a secretive website frequently used by conservatives like Charles Koch to make anonymous donations." And this: It was reported back in mid-October  The Mad King’s enablers on the National Security Council couldn't find any national security justification for making regional electric grids buy power from aging coal and nuclear plants. We guess that setback almost went down The Memory Hole. 

We have Breaking News! We are sad to report that our friends the Bumblebees have just been listed as an endangered species. The good news is that His Malignancy's U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service actually listed them? 

After we beseech you to show your support for The Enviro Show and community radio HERE we move on to The Bus Stop Billboard:

Thursday November 15, 8 to 9:30pm. 2018 and Beyond: Election Debrief -- the Road Ahead for Safe Energy and Nuclear Waste Tele-Briefing. Nuclear Impacts of the 2018 mid-term elections--analysis from NIRS Executive Director, Tim Judson. 2018 is also NIRS's 40th anniversary. We will hear from Diane D’Arrigo and Mary Olson--both veteran staff of NIRS--who will reflect on MAJOR VICTORIES that NIRS and the safe energy movement have led over the past few decades, and what they show us about how to win the fights ahead. We will open the lines half way through the event to hear your thoughts, questions, and stories! Register HERE  .

Saturday November 17, 9am to 4pm. Berkshire Natural History Conference will feature presentations by local and regional naturalists as well as acclaimed authors. Berkshire School, 245 N Undermountain Road, Sheffield, MA. Go to: http://www.thebeatnews.org/BeatTeam/event/2018-berkshire-natural-history-conference/ 

Saturday, November 17, 2018 8:30am.- 4:00pm. 2018 Forum Workshops and Speakers -Building Just Communities in Times of Chaos. GCC, Dining Commons, 1 College Dr, Greenfield, MA.  If you are looking for hope and direction in these troubling times, and are seeking ways of connecting with others of many persuasions, please join this one day forum organized by Greening Greenfield. The forum is anchored by two inspiring keynote speakers, Rev. Mariama White-Hammond & Rep. Jim McGovern and a diverse array of 12 workshops inviting discussion and idea sharing. Go to: https://greeninggreenfieldma.org/events?layout=edit&id=322  

Sunday, November 18, 12:00-1:30pm.  Rally For Love and Justice! Say NO to hate and violence! – Greenfield Town Common, 14 Court Sq, Greenfield. In response to all of the recent acts of Domestic Terrorism and the President's incessant Fear Mongering [and his War Against Nature], we call upon people of good heart and conscience to come together and rally for love and justice, to send a signal to our leaders that we will not be cowed or bullied into acquiescence as they attempt to transform our nation into a state that operates on fear and terror. We denounce all acts of hateful violence and call upon everyone, on all sides, to love one another. This action is meant to get at the heart of the matter. This is an opportunity for many different coalitions to come together and stand as one! View the event on Facebook here.            

Monday November 26, 7 to 9pm. Climate Action Now MA monthly gathering.  Unitarian-Universalist Society of Amherst, North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA. Climate Action Now is a people powered, grassroots Western Mass organization dedicated to building a powerful, unstoppable climate and environmental justice movement. Go to: http://climateactionnowma.org  

Thursday November 29, 6 to 8pm. CLIMATE CHANGE IN YOUR BACKYARD.  Mason Square Public Library, 765 State Street, Springfield MA. Citizen’s Climate Lobby: 
Climate change, what local leaders and groups are doing and climate actions you can take. 
Update on Springfield's Climate Action and Resilience Plan,  Valley Bike Share, Solarize Mass, Ener-G-Save, and more! 




Saturday, December 8, 2:30 – 8:30pm.  Sustainability Summit comes to Springfield, Massachusetts.  Co-op Power’s Annual Sustainability Summit is a great opportunity to share ideas with like-minded people on topics from green business development and community finance to grassroots activism and social justice.  Expect vibrant discussions about our society and our environment centered around our theme, "Energy Democracy”, with a dynamic keynote speaker and workshops throughout the day. If you are passionate about the environment and social justice then you have a place at the Summit to add to the excitement and expertise! Go To: https://www.facebook.com/events/2149412618455035/ 

OK, remember to support this show and community radio.....AND listen to your Mother!

Yet Another Vote for the Planet Enviro Show

Greetings Earthlings. As you vote for the Planet by voting out The Mad King's enablers and hangers-on we bring you, on Election Night here in western Mass, some of the Commonwealth's Green candidates the corporate media failed to tell you about. It turns out 57% of U.S. citizens think a third party is needed. Surprise! Northampton resident Jamie Guerin running for State Treasurer will be the first to call followed by Juan Sanchez running for Secretary of the Commonwealth. Also on the line, running for State Auditor is Green Party candidate Jed Stamas.  All that and the usual hijinks with the Fool-on-the-Hill and His Malignancy The Mad King as well as some Breaking News but first it's time for........... Revenge of the Critters! Elections could be considered turf battles but when humans invade turf meant for big Cats things get a bit dicey.

This week's Fool-on-the-Hill is a repeat offender. We'll let our friends at the Center for Biological Diversity convey the fool's recent foolish move verbatim:  "Recently right-wing Congressman Rob Bishop (R-Utah) has sent letters to the Center bizarrely claiming we're acting as "foreign agents" via our work to save Okinawa dugongs — manatee relatives threatened by a U.S. military base in Japan — from extinction. We won't indulge his paranoid and ridiculous assertions, but instead just sent a letter requesting that the House Natural Resources committee hold an oversight hearing on dugong protection. 'If Rob Bishop's so concerned about our work to save Okinawa dugongs, we'd love to have a full public hearing about it,' said Center Executive Director Kierán Suckling. 'But he seems far more interested trying to bully and harass us with tactics that would've made Joe McCarthy proud.' " And here's a note concerning Texas arch-fool Rep. Lamar Smith who is being challenged for his seat by one of the twelve scientists running for Congress this year,  Joseph Kopser, an aerospace engineer, Army veteran and Austin tech entrepreneur.  Another Go Joe vote, if you will. 

On to His Malignancy The Mad King who, besides being a pathological bullshit artist and a fascist, is also the Enemy of the Earth-in-Chief (but you know that, right?). Think Progress informs us of one of his most recent assaults on Nature: "... he intends to nominate a former agrochemical industry official to lead the Department of the Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). The selection of Aurelia Skipwith, who worked at Monsanto for six years, to head FWS carries on [the] administration trend of filling top environmental regulatory positions with officials from companies regulated by the agency. If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Skipwith’s duties will include enforcing federal wildlife laws, protecting endangered species, managing migratory birds, and conserving and restoring wildlife habitat." None of which, we assume, will get done.  Hardly surprising is the recent news that The Mad King's enablers at the EPA have come out full throttle for dirty wood biomass.  Bloomberg Report notes: "The Environmental Protection Agency joined the departments of Energy and Agriculture in a letter to congressional leaders committing to “encourage the use of biomass as an energy solution.” The EPA also reasserted its view that power plants burning trees and other woody materials to generate electricity should be viewed as carbon neutral, because when the plants eventually regrow they remove carbon dioxide from the air." We guess we must have 100 years or so for all those trees to grow back! How about this headline from the LA Times: "Trump blames wildfires on California forest policy and threatens to withhold funds from state"? Maybe he'll use the stolen funds to help pay for the U.S. Military's fools' errand to the border with Mexico? Too bad we didn't have this one for our Halloween Special: "'It's a ghost page': EPA site's climate change section may be gone for good". Apparently His Malignancy's enablers won't be keeping their word about putting up a new climate page but you will get this message: "“We want to help you find what you are looking for.” (Actually, we're looking for a real president, OK?)

We have Breaking News! There is a new citizen petition titled, “Moratorium on Logging on Massachusetts State-Owned Lands.” Here is a link to the petition:

https://petitions.moveon.org/sign/moratorium-on-logging-1?mailing_id=40973&source=s.em.cr&r_by=4071355

This petition calls on Governor Charlie Baker to protect all 650,000 acres of Massachusetts state-owned lands — covering 13 percent of the state — from logging. It includes a long list of forests targeted by current or planned logging projects. Many Massachusetts residents will find a forest near them on this list. A growing number of people across Massachusetts believe that bold action is needed to save our state-owned forests from logging and other industrial exploitation before it is too late. To achieve this, we need to unite forest advocates across the state as a powerful movement. Your signature on this petition will be a big step in this direction.

In The Enviro Show Echo Chamber we get this op-ed segment in The New York Times from billionaire Hansjörg Wyss: "For my part, I have decided to donate $1 billion over the next decade to help accelerate land and ocean conservation efforts around the world, with the goal of protecting 30 percent of the planet’s surface by 2030. This money will support locally led conservation efforts around the world, push for increased global targets for land and ocean protection, seek to raise public awareness about the importance of this effort, and fund scientific studies to identify the best strategies to reach our target." Wake-up rich people, it's your turn! And this from The Hill: "Arizona’s Green Party candidate drops out of Senate race and endorses Kirsten Cinema". We'll ask our guests about this if time allows. Also concerning Election 2018 Inside Climate News informs us: "Washington state voters will decide this November whether to approve the nation's first carbon fee in what has become the most expensive ballot initiative fight in the state's history and a referendum on the oil industry's political clout." Also this piece: "Election 2018: Clean Energy’s Future Could Rise or Fall with These Governor’s Races" tells us nut job governor Lepage from Maine has finally run his course in trashing The Pine Tree State and his Repugnican standard bearer is in a toss-up with the better candidate, "Maine's attorney general, Janet Mills, who has clashed with the governor repeatedly, including over his wind moratorium." 

After our visit with the Greens we head over to the Bus Stop Billboard:

Saturday November 10, Noon. Nobody is Above the Law (Protect the Mueller Investigation) Pulaski Park, Northampton, MA 01060.  1280 attendees signed up so far! 


Sunday, Nov. 11, volunteers are needed for a pollinators blitz planting at Pulaski Park on Main Street from noon to 3-4 p.m. (Rain date 11/18).  If you can help, contact wmassbees@gmail.com.



Tuesday, November 13, 6:30 – 8 pm. Free Workshop: Solar 101 with PV Squared. Have you been thinking about solar for your home or business, but need a little more information? Join PV Squared Solar, a worker-owned cooperative, for a workshop about how you can benefit from making the switch to solar energy. They will cover the finances (tax credits, incentives, loan programs, etc.) and answer any questions you have about solar.  This free workshop will be held at River Valley Co-op in Northampton- PV Squared installed the solar array on River Valley Co-op in 2008!
Information about pre-registration can be found here:
http://rivervalley.coop/event-details/free-workshop-solar-101 


Thursday November 15, 8 to 9:30pm. 2018 and Beyond: Election Debrief -- the Road Ahead for Safe Energy and Nuclear Waste Tele-Briefing. Nuclear Impacts of the 2018 mid-term elections--analysis from NIRS Executive Director, Tim Judson. 2018 is also NIRS's 40th anniversary. We will hear from Diane D’Arrigo and Mary Olson--both veteran staff of NIRS--who will reflect on MAJOR VICTORIES that NIRS and the safe energy movement have led over the past few decades, and what they show us about how to win the fights ahead. We will open the lines half way through the event to hear your thoughts, questions, and stories! Register HERE .


Saturday November 17, 9am to 4pm. Berkshire Natural History Conference will feature presentations by local and regional naturalists as well as acclaimed authors. Berkshire School, 245 N Undermountain Rd. 
Sheffield, MA. Go to: http://www.thebeatnews.org/BeatTeam/event/2018-berkshire-natural-history-conference/? 2C%202018&utm_source=Robly.com&utm_medium=email



Saturday, November 17, 2018 8:30am.- 4:00pm. 2018 Forum Workshops and Speakers -Building Just Communities in Times of Chaos. GCC, Dining Commons, 1 College Dr, Greenfield, MA.  If you are looking for hope and direction in these troubling times, and are seeking ways of connecting with others of many persuasions, please join this one day forum organized by Greening Greenfield. The forum is anchored by two inspiring keynote speakers, Rev. Mariama White-Hammond & Rep. Jim McGovern and a diverse array of 12 workshops inviting discussion and idea sharing. Go to: https://greeninggreenfieldma.org/events?layout=edit&id=322 


Monday November 26, 7 to 9pm. Climate Action Now MA monthly gathering.  Unitarian-Universalist Society of Amherst, North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA. Climate Action Now is a people powered, grassroots Western Mass organization dedicated to building a powerful, unstoppable climate and environmental justice movement. Go to: http://climateactionnowma.org 

That's all folks! Hopefully we'll be speaking to you in a new slightly improved nation next time if we all remember to listen to your Mother. 

A Scary Enviro Show Halloween Special

Greetings Earthlings. We guess in the era of His Malignancy The Mad King it's hard to scare many people these days, all the horrors on the daily news have so desensitized us. The Good Green Witch doesn't do scary anyway and she'll join us to tell you why. Also, Guy McPherson returns with a call in that might actually scare you. As always, we'll take you to witness His Malignancy and his enablers at work in their chamber of horrors, as well as our Fool-on-the-Hill where other scary things are lurking. Meanwhile, over at The Enviro Show Echo Chamber we've decorated the walls with some of the most frightening things we could find, but first it's time for..........Revenge of the Critters! You'll have to climb into the Wayback Machine and take a long trip for this disturbing story but given the season and all, why not go for it!

Our Halloween Fool-on-the-Hill is the Bad Witch from the North, Senator Susan Collins who fell body and soul into the Dark Side when she voted to seat what for all intents and purposes appears to be a drunken predator fratboy on the Supreme Court of the United States. She threw a virtual bucket of ice water on all women and a lot of men in this nation BUT she's the one who will cry out, "I'm melting! What a world, what a world!" when she's up for reelection in Maine.

On to His Malignancy The Mad King who just stated: "I have a natural instinct for science" [insert laugh track]. The Inteligencer went on to point out he "asserted that, contrary to the scientific conclusion that pumping heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere has caused an upward ratcheting of temperatures, he sees it as random unexplainable variation.." We guess it's no longer a scam from China? Wait! Last week The Mad King "suggested that the world's climate might actually be 'fabulous' " Huh? And this: His Malignancy and his "emergency management" types have dropped the ball once again, this time with Mega-Hurricane Michael's devastation on the Florida panhandle. Also, given how much His Malignancy's choice for the Supreme Court has lied before Congress we guess you won't be too surprised to learn he lied about his environmental rulings as well? And speaking of the SCOTUS theft there's some court intrigue concerning what ever went down to get Justice Kennedy to bail so the fratboy could be foisted upon us. Finally, the Mad King's  State Department just published another hastily-produced draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement that concludes the proposed Keystone XL pipeline would produce only "minor" impacts to land, water, endangered species and Native American sacred sites in Nebraska. Make your voices heard HERE. Finally, His Malignancy's fellow climate criminal, Lyin' Ryan Zinke over at Interior is entertaining the idea of using our military bases to.....are you ready? EXPORT COAL and FRACKED GAS!


We have Breaking News! The14-year old (yes, 14 years!) Taylor Energy oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is about to become one of the worst oil disasters in U.S. history. The Washington Post notes: "Between 300 and 700 barrels of oil per day have been spewing from a site 12 miles off the Louisiana coast since 2004, when an oil-production platform owned by Taylor Energy sank in a mudslide triggered by Hurricane Ivan. Many of the wells have not been capped, and federal officials estimate that the spill could continue through this century. With no fix in sight..."


In our Enviro Show Echo Chamber of Horrors we find unsettling news from WAMC that forest soils are absorbing less methane than usual. If that's not disturbing enough for you how about bubbling pools in the Arctic? This gives new meaning to Shakespeare's witches chanting "Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble", yes? Remember those tacky old Japanese horror films with radioactive monsters? The monsters were always the result of dumped atomic waste. They're still working on that!  In past shows we've discussed the shocking decline in insect populations. We guess it follows that there's also a corresponding decline in insect eating bird populations like Tree Swallows.  And, since we're talking air bourn critters and we're coming up on Bat Week, how about our friends the bats? It seems the dreaded White Nose syndrome is working its way west but so are bat scientists studying it. Stay tuned: same bat channel! And another scare for everyone, this time from the Cape Downwinders: "the Oct. 9 NRC inspection report with highlights concluding corrective actions STILL have not been resolved.  Entergy's operation of Pilgrim [nuke] remains in the "Multiple/Repetitive Degraded Cornerstone", the lowest NRC assessment matrix.  Pilgrim is STILL the worst reactor in the U.S. and STILL one step from federally mandated shutdown." A real chiller for eastern MA.

After our visit with the Good Green Witch and Guy we move on to the Bus stop Billboard:



Saturday, November 3, 2pm.
 to Sunday, November  4, 6pm.  "Body is a Guest". Art from the Natural World by Denise Beaudet. Cottage Street Studios
1 Cottage Street Studio #436, Easthampton, MA. Call 413-570-5027


Wednesday November 7, 7pm. Northampton Community Preservation Committee to consider a proposal to employ glyphosate (the active ingredient in Monsanto's RoundUp) in an effort to eradicate a small stand of Japanese Knotweed a few feet away from the Community Garden plots.  so please attend if you can! City Council Chambers, 212 Main St. in Northampton. Also, please send a comment to the Community Preservation Committee to oppose the use of glyphosate and to demand a more transparent process! Go HERE! 


Wednesday, November 7, 7 – 8:30 pm.  Acting Together in the Face of the Climate Crisis.  Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 845 West St, Amherst, Massachusetts. Come join us and this panel of local grassroots organizers -- Jacqueline Velez, Susan Theberge, and Marty Nathan -- to hear about local environmental justice issues and the great work these three community leaders are doing. Registration appreciated: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/acting-together-in-the-face-of-the-climate-crisis-registration-51810186663 

OK, remember now, if your out Trick or Treating be sure to wear black.....No, wait! That's wrong. Remember to......LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER!

Another Vote for the Planet Enviro Show

Greetings Earthlings. We're closing in on Election Day so it's time once again to see who are the best candidates to help keep this planet livable for future generations. Naturally, The Mad King's enablers are the worst possible choice but thankfully here in the Mid-Connecticut River Valley there aren't many of them. Jo Comerford, candidate for State Senator in our neck of the woods joins us in the first half hour to discuss the issues. After that we're off to meet that Mad King and his hangers-on, as well as this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and a trip over to our long lost E-Valley-uation segment, but first it's time for..........Revenge of the Critters! Down Under Eagles at war with gold diggers drones.....and they're winning! 

Get ready with your hot air sickness bags listeners 'cuz The Mad King has been gassing off big time as he prepares for a "Major Weakening of Mercury Emissions Rules".  According to the far from failing New York Times, "The proposal would not eliminate the mercury regulation entirely, but it is designed to put in place the legal justification for the...administration to weaken it and several other pollution rules, while setting the stage for a possible full repeal of the rule." But it's OK, remember His Malignancy says  "...they’re taking out coal. They’re going to clean it". Who knew! On top of that outrage The Mad King's Bureau of Land Management issued a final rule trashing regulations mandating oil and gas companies drilling on public and tribal lands reduce methane pollution. This follows a recent proposal from His Malignancy's  Environmental Protection Agency pushing back on similar rules for private lands." More methane in the atmosphere, what a concept! Pushback HERE! On another front The Mad King's Department of Transportation, run off the rails by evil Mitch McConnell's wife  Elaine Chao, has repealed an Obama-era rule (of course!) that mandated upgrades for bomb trains to reduce the chances of derailments, spills or explosions of that unstable crude oil being shipped all over our rail lines. Those trains are running through much of the Northeast. Just sayin'! O, and speaking of speaking, that new deal with the old NAFTA? The word "climate" seems to have been omitted during the "art of the deal" and, surprise! it's a corporate giveaway for Big Oil & Gas.  Remember "Toxic sludge is good for you"? How about radiation? Common Dreams informs us," The [Mad King's] EPA sent toxicologist Edward Calabrese, who has argued that loosening radiation regulations could have positive health effects on humans, as well as saving money for businesses that currently work to limit exposure, as its lead witness to testify before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee."  If you're thinking of heading down to The Belly of the Beast to protest any of this you should be aware His Malignancy and Lyin' Ryan Zinke are thinking of taxing you for all that "free speech".  Finally, His Malignancy's drunken predatory fratboy  Supreme Court Justice is off to a bad start as the Climate Crisis induced typhoon grinds into the southern U.S.

Our latest Fool-on-the-Hill seems to be every Repugnican on The House Natural Resources Committee. The Hill news guys tell us they advanced five Endangered Species Act bills that "aim to strip all protections for Gray Wolves in the contiguous United States; give priority to the science submitted by state and local governments over the federal government’s when determining whether a species needs protection; and let the administration more easily de-prioritize certain petitions for protection." Of course Utah's own Rob Bishop heads that committee but why should we let him take all the discredit!

Did someone say endangered species? In our E-Valley-uation segment Karl Meyer continues to raise the alarm about all the extermination of critters in the Connecticut River. Go to his blog for some in-depth views into the troubled river that runs through this Valley. And on the subject of Vote for the Planet, Inside Climate News notes "Some of the most consequential elections for climate policy this fall could be the 36 governor's races, where a blue wave could position clean energy advocates as a significant counterforce against the Trump administration's fossil fuel agenda." That includes right here in the Commonwealth where Repugnican Gov. Baker leaves much to be desired. We're still waiting to hear from his challenger, Jay Gonzalez regarding dirty biomass and our state forests, especially the Wendell State Forest presently threatened by the MA Dept. of Cut & Run! Have you signed this petition yet? Please do!  O wait! Did someone say dirty biomass? Palmer "Renewable" Energy just announced they going for that dirty biomass incinerator in Springfield. 

We have Breaking News! NPR (National Public Relations?) informs us that the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change "says pledges from the world's governments to reduce greenhouse gases, made in Paris in 2015, aren't enough to keep global warming from rising more than 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees F) above pre-industrial temperatures."  Of course, His Malignancy has pulled us out of that pledge in the spirit of "American exceptionalism" we gather. The announcement goes on to say, "Some of the world's top climate scientists have concluded that global warming is likely to reach dangerous levels unless new technologies are developed to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere." Wait, don't trees and soil do that?

After all of that we head over to the Bus Stop Billboard:

Saturdays, 11am to Noon. Stand Out Against Logging the Wendell State Forest!  This logging project cannot be justified for ecological or forest health purposes, and has minimal if any financial benefits for the public. Freight House Antiques, 11 East Main St./Route 2, Erving, MA. Go to: savemassforests.com 


Thursday, October 18, 6 to 8pm. "Saving Massachusetts Forests for Climate, Nature, and People"
Mohawk Trail Regional High School, Rt. 112, Buckland, MA. Massachusetts forests are vital in storing carbon to fight climate change, providing critical habitat for native plants and wildlife, preserving historic and sacred sites, and offering opportunities for nature-based recreation. Yet, almost all of our forests are currently open to resource extraction, which is undermining these values. We need to take action now to protect our forests, before it is too late. Speaker Michael Kellett is cofounder and executive director of RESTORE: The North Woods, a Massachusetts-based conservation organization. Free and open to the public. Email: restore@restore.org


Monday October 22, 7 to 9pm. Keep it in the Ground. Climate Action Now MA hosts Jo Comerford and Dan Carey to discuss the Movement Voter Project and the Columbia Gas resistance Campaign at First Churches, of Northampton, 129 Main Street, Northampton, MA. Email: climateactionnowmass@gmail.com 


Monday, October 27, 7 to 9pm. Climate Action Now Monthly Gathering. Please join us. Everyone is warmly welcomed! Feel the warmth of community and the strength of collective action as we move forward together at this critical moment in history.  Accessible/on bus line,  First Churches,Main St, Northampton, MA. Go to:  http://climateactionnowma.org


Monday October 27 to November 4.  Walking into the Future - Listening the Call of the Great Spirit. "We walk towards the year 2020 - a major marker in time. It marks 400 years since the landing of the Mayflower in Plymouth in 1620. We can begin to understand the reality of the foundation of this country. For information call Tim at 413-485-8469


Sunday, October 28, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Pollinator Symposium. Susan N. McLane Audubon Center, Concord, NH. Fee: $75 (Member) / $90 (Nonmember). This is a great opportunity for a full day of pollinator-related knowledge, with a range of topics that includes selecting native plant seeds, designing pollinator habitats, overwintering pollinators, and capturing and recording pollinator data
Cosponsor: New Hampshire Audubon and New England Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife. TOO FAR?  Email wmassbees@gmail.com to arrange carpooling. Register HERE. 


Monday October 29—#TheTrialOfTheCentury begins. Solidarity in Greenfield  4:00 p.m.—Theater Action on the Commons, 4:45 p.m. —Panel—Hawks & Reed—21 youth sue Uncle Sam for violating their right to life, liberty, and property and for failing to protect the public trust in this time of Climate Crisis.  Featuring Bill Newman of the ACLU plus local youth & climate activists. Sponsored by Greening Greenfield


That's it for this time. Please remember to listen to your Mother when you're out there, OK?

The Stop Logging Commonwealth State Forests Enviro Show

Greetings Earthlings. While we've grown weary of having to remind climate activists protection and preserving forests is most assuredly part of the struggle, it's a bit hopeful to see at least some of them showing up. Michael Kellett of Save Mass Forests returns with some cutting remarks about the Massachusetts Dept. of Cut and Run (DCR) and our favorite roving reporter and troubadour, Tom Neilson joins us in the studio with another Enviro Show Premier Performance of his latest hit, "The Forest Song".  All that and a visit to His Malignancy The Mad King and this week's Fool-on-the-Hill, as well as a peak into The Enviro Show Echo Chamber (if time allows) but first it's time for............Revenge of the Critters! Raccoon rampage in Watertown last Spring. There must be kits by now!

Let's start with some actual good news concerning His Malignancy The Mad King. It seems his offshore oil drilling scheme is a bit of a belly flop. Only 1% of the leases have been sold  so it's kind of "successful" as say Trump Airlines? Trump Steaks? Whatever. On to the dark side: turns out His Malignancy's pick for that stolen seat on the Supreme Court, Brett Kavanaugh has a sorry record on wildlife. "The Center for Biological Diversity's Bill Snape analyzed Kavanaugh's 12 years on the U.S. District Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., and found he ruled against wildlife and endangered species 96 percent of the time." That probably didn't come up in the recent hearings but it did here, OK? The Mad King's new Dark Prince at the EPA, Andrew Wheeler, a former coal lobbyist will decide soon to press ahead with a proposed rule that could block EPA's use of some scientific studies, including research on health and pollution. Science? Science! We don't need no stinking science! And this, speaking of "science": The Mad King is trying to sneak a Dow Chemical executive in as chief scientist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). You can oppose Scott Hutchins nomination HERE.  Finally, it's reported that His Malignancy wants to frack the Petrified Forest: "The Bureau of Land Management plans to auction off 4,200 acres of public land for oil and gas leases in northern Arizona near Petrified Forest National Park and two rivers. Parcels that do not receive bids will be available for noncompetitive leasing for two years." 

Another return trip for this week's Fool-on-the-Hill. From the Courier Journal herrrrrrre's Mitch! "In remarks on the Senate floor [late last month] Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., applauded the end of regulations around which former President Barack Obama’s “war on coal” was centered. “The Obama Administration’s so-called ‘Clean Power Plan’ offered a typical story from that era,” McConnell said. “An innocent-seeming name. A pleasant-sounding objective. But underneath, an intrusive regulatory regime — built not on effective policy, but on far-left ideology. That’s why I am so grateful that, today, the Trump administration is unveiling its plan to pare back this unfair, unworkable, and likely illegal policy.”  Far-left ideology??

In the Enviro Show Echo Chamber the group Environment Massachusetts informed us on August 28 "the state Assembly approved a plan to require 100 percent clean electricity in California by 2045. This bill will make California the second state in the country, after Hawaii, to commit to getting all of its electricity from clean sources. Now, the bill is awaiting approval by the California Senate, which passed similar legislation in 2017, before heading to the Governor's desk for his signature. This is a big deal. California is the world's fifth largest economy. And history has shown that when California leads the way, other states tend to follow." We trust by specifying "clean energy" they've excluded dirty biomass?

After our conversations with Tom and Michael we take over to the Bus Stop Billboard:

Saturdays, 11am to Noon. Stand Out Against Logging the Wendell State Forest!  This logging project cannot be justified for ecological or forest health purposes, and has minimal if any financial benefits for the public. Freight House Antiques, 11 East Main St./Route 2, Erving, MA. Go to: savemassforests.com 


Saturday October 6,  10:30 - 11:30 am.  Leaf Peeping Bike Path B-I-N-G-O.  Kids – grab your parents and we’ll go exploring! All ages are welcome as we practice examining the natural world with field guides, binoculars, and a fun game to see just how much you can see! For this special edition of bike path bingo, we focus on the amazing New England fall color right outside our doors. Meet at the main entrance to the Great Falls Discovery Center, Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA. Please bring water and wear layers and sturdy shoes. Call: 413-743-1591




Sunday October 7, 3pm. A Gathering: Honor Our Trees in Brook Rd. Forest. Join us to honor the trees of Brook Road in Wendell, MA. with our love, gratitude and respect, for the abundant gifts they have provided to the Life of Our Planet for the past 110 years. The trees are now threatened by the Massachusetts DCR. Please sign our online petition, and share it with friends:
https://tinyurl.com/savebrookrdforest . For directions go to: https://www.facebook.com/events/683207012059036/ 


Saturday October 13, 12:30pm. Old Growth Hike with Bob Leverett. Mohawk Trail State Park, Campground Headquarters - Cold River Road, past the Town of Charlemont- Rte. 2
"This hike will explore older “Second Growth” trees and identify some Old Growth located at a distance on the ridges." (Bob Leverett-co-founder, Native Trees Society & tree measurement expert and... founder of the Bob and Monica Leverett "Forever Wild" Fund at Kestrel Land Trust.)  Space for 20- Must register-Email: massforestrescue@gmail.com 


Sunday October 14, 3 to 5pm. Back from the Brink: A conversation with Dr. Ira Helfand about preventing nuclear war.  An interfaith discussion about building the Back from the Brink Campaign in Western Massachusetts. Jewish Community of Amherst, 742 Main St, Amherst, MA


Thursday, October 18, 6 to 8pm. "Saving Massachusetts Forests for Climate, Nature, and People"
Mohawk Trail Regional High School, Rt. 112, Buckland, MA. Massachusetts forests are vital in storing carbon to fight climate change, providing critical habitat for native plants and wildlife, preserving historic and sacred sites, and offering opportunities for nature-based recreation. Yet, almost all of our forests are currently open to resource extraction, which is undermining these values. We need to take action now to protect our forests, before it is too late. Speaker Michael Kellett is cofounder and executive director of RESTORE: The North Woods, a Massachusetts-based conservation organization. Free and open to the public. Email: restore@restore.org



Monday, October 27, 7 to 9pm. Climate Action Now Monthly Gathering. Please join us. Everyone is warmly welcomed! Feel the warmth of community and the strength of collective action as we move forward together at this critical moment in history.  Accessible/on bus line,  First Churches,Main St, Northampton, MA. Go to:  http://climateactionnowma.org


That's it for now but remember to listen to your Mother, yes?

The Vote for the Planet Enviro Show

Greetings Earthlings. You remember that old phrase "Act Locally Think Globally"? We are resuscitating that one for your voting in the upcoming primaries in the Commonwealth. This time around those in the  Franklin First District have the most excellent opportunity to put Kate Albright-Hanna in Steve Kulik's old MA Representative seat. You may recall Steve was great in the struggle to stop Kinder Morgan's NED fracked gas pipeline, but when it came to burn technologies like wood biomass Steve totally went south on us. Kate, on the other hand, is all about real renewable energy and is no fan of....The Biomess! She joins us in the studio to drill down into the details of her environmental platform. We'll also be promoting Jo Comerford's run for State Senator. Jo also is no fan of Big Biomass and, we assume, neither are you! As always, we also take you for a visit with this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and The Mad King and his enablers, but first, it's time for...........Revenge of the Critters! It's most assuredly the Dog Days of Summer but some dogs might want to consider a change in pursuits.

Utah Repugnican Rep. Rob Bishop, chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee is baaaaack this week, perhaps we should refer to him as the Bishop From Hell given his rampant climate denial and Enemy of the Earth qualifications. This time we find him harassing Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) for trying to help China clean up its act. Inside Climate News notes: "The Committee is concerned about the NRDC's role in aiding China's perception management efforts with respect to pollution control and its international standing on environmental issues in ways that may be detrimental to the United States," the lawmakers said in the letter, dated June 5. "The NRDC's relationship with China has many of the criteria identified by U.S. intelligence agencies and law enforcement as putting an entity at risk of being influenced or coerced by foreign interests."  Say what? Are we talking about a bunch of do-gooder latte sipping enviros or the present occupants in the White House??

Speaking of! Let's see what His Malignancy The Mad King is up to this week. How about this headline from The Guardian: "Trump administration lifts ban on pesticides linked to declining bee numbers"? Here we are planting weeds all over our yards trying to help the pollinators survive and that freak in the Oval Office and his slimy enablers are ruining everything. We reported on this earlier when it was just a proposal, now we are living with it. Elsewhere, a tweet His Malignancy spewed out late Sunday about California’s wildfires will surely qualify as another one of the thousands of lies issuing from Fake News Central. According to the LA Times, "Trump blamed the fires on “bad environmental laws which aren’t allowing massive amount of readily available water to be properly utilized.” He complained that water needed for firefighting is being “diverted into the Pacific Ocean.”
Sorry, but fire fighters say they have plenty of water, it's the climate chaos that His Malignancy and fellow Repugnicans deny that's the problem. And this: The Mad King's choice to fill that stolen seat on the Supreme Court, Judge Brett Kavanaugh has a horrendous history on environmental cases. He wrote the unanimous opinion finding environmental groups did not have standing to challenge an EPA decision not to tighten carbon monoxide standards and also on cases where he found that industrial groups have standing to oppose environmental restrictions. It seems Kavanaugh is a Scalia kind of guy in many cases and no friend of the Earth. How about His Malignancy's plans to open more than a million acres of public lands in central California to oil drilling and fracking.? The move would end a five-year moratorium on leasing federal public land in the state to oil companies — won largely by the Center for Biological Diversity and allies. The NY Times tells us The Mad King "is expected to propose rolling back regulations on emissions from coal plants on Tuesday. We looked at the role of the top air pollution official at the Environmental Protection Agency, who once represented the industries that would stand to benefit from the change."  Finally, in the wake of Scott Pruitt's escape, Acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler is busy making matters worse in any number of ways. One is trashing the Clean Water Rules. You can comment HERE. Also, you can "fight to protect clean air standards" HERE.

Time for an Enviro Show Quote of the Week (and soon apropos!):

"Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the world...would do this, it would change the earth." - William Faulkner

In The Enviro Show Echo Chamber the New York Times tells us: "Globally, 2018 is shaping up to be the fourth-hottest year on record. (The hotter years were the three previous ones.)" SURPRISE! How about some good news from Common Dreams? The headline reads: "'Guilty on All Counts!': In Historic Victory, Monsanto Ordered to Pay $289 Million in Roundup Cancer Lawsuit".


After our conversation with Kate Albright-Hanna we move on to the Bus Stop Billboard:


Saturday September 8, 11am-5pm. WMass Pagan Pride Day at the Florence Civic Center,
Northampton MA. There is no admission fee to the event, however we ask that you bring a non-perishable food item for our food drive. You can come expecting to experience open ritual, musical entertainment, workshops and many vendors for a fun, family friendly community driven event. There will be some food for purchase on site, and there are a number of restaurants and cafes in the area. Go to: http://www.wmppd.com/


Saturday September 8th, 1pm. RISE for Climate, Jobs and Justice in Worcester,  Institute Park Worcester, MA 01605 Go to: https://actionnetwork.org/events/rise-up-for-climate-jobs-and-justice-rally


September 8, Noon12:00pm. Boston RISE for Climate, Jobs, Justice: Rally at East Boston Memorial Park, Boston 02128.  Host Contact Info: vignesh@betterfutureproject.org.


Saturday September 8, 3:00pm. Critical (and Kidical) Mass Bike Rally for Climate Action. New England Youth Theatre parking lot, 100 Flat Street. Brattleboro, VT. Contact Info: brattleboro@350vt.org


Saturday September 15, All Day+. Ambush Wall Street. Go to: https://www.micahmwhite.com/ambushwallstreet


Thursday September 20, 7pm. CAN (Citizens Awareness Network) is organizing a High-level Nuclear Waste (HLNW) Tour in New England to address the abdication by the federal government and the nuclear industry to deal with HLNW stranded at nuclear sites throughout the country. We have a ‘mock’ high-level nuclear waste cask and are taking it on the road to show people what an estimated 1,000 shipments through New England could look like. The tour will bring speakers from across the country to discuss the issues of nuclear waste, federal policy, environmental justice and direct action. Hawks and Reed, 289 Main Street, Greenfield, MA, NUCLEAR BLUES withThe Wildcat O’Halloran Band, “Downtown” Bob Stannard & Court Dorsey as “Will Nukem”, and other speakers. More info: http://nukebusters.org/ 


Thursday September 27, 7pm. -  A fall speakers’ series “Massachusetts Forests: A 21st Century Vision” ‘presents Call Of The Forest – The Forgotten Wisdom Of Trees’ is a documentary featuring scientist and acclaimed author Diana Beresford-Kroeger. The film follows Diana as she investigates our profound biological and spiritual connection to forests. Her global journey explores the science, folklore, and restoration challenges of this essential eco-system. Mohawk Trail Regional High School auditorium, Route 112  Buckland, MA.




That is all for now. We won't be back 'til sometime in September, until then remember to listen to your Mother, OK?