Yet Another Public Lands Logging Enviro Show

Greetings Earthlings.  Elliott Ruga, Policy Director for the New Jersey Highlands Coalition joins us along, once again, with Silvia Solaun and Kay of New Jersey Forest Watch/Friends of Sparta Mountain as we journey back to Jersey in search of justice for the Trees and the Climate. Here in the "Commonwealth" of Massachusetts we have some things in common with New Jersey besides it being Glen's old stomping grounds. We'll get into that presently after we bring you along to visit this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and His Malignancy The Mad King and his enablers, as well as a reminder that it's the "Climate Crisis, Stupid!" but first it's time for...............Revenge of the Critters! It's Grasshopper season as we speak but watch out if you're down south!

Our Fool-on-the-Hill this week is Senator Tom Cotton (Repugnican-Ark.) who returns to infamy with a reminder last month that “As the Founding Fathers said, slavery was the necessary evil upon which the union was built”. Soon after this lame comment it was revealed "The 1850 Tax List for Drakes Creek, Simpson Co., KY, lists Tom Cotton’s ancestor Francis Ryon as owning 180 acres of land and 
seven slaves. Francis Ryon’s daughter Rebecca married Jesse Hackney Cotton in 1842. In 1859, Jesse and Rebecca moved to Yell County, Arkansas. According to the 1860 census, Jesse Cotton, owned twelve slaves."  So, Tom Cotton speaks from experience, we guess.

On to His Malignancy The Mad King whose enablers just issued a new proposal  to severely limit the government's ability to protect the habitat rare and vanishing animals and plants need to survive and recover. This latest attempt to trash the Endangered Species Act focuses on the law protecting  "critical habitat" for threatened and endangered species. The new proposal limits protections for habitat that could currently support the species but not areas that could be restored or safeguarded to provide more habitat for recovery. At the same time His Malignancy's henchmen moved forward with plans to scale back protections for over 1,000 species of American wild birds. And this: "William Perry Pendley has spent years trying to sell our public lands to the highest bidder. Why would The Mad King put him in charge of their preservation at the Bureau of Land Management? We guess that's a rhetorical question 'cuz as AZcentral notes: "As president of the Mountain States Legal Foundation, in Denver, for almost 30 years he has advocated for disposing of public lands. Through his many speeches and articles he has taken the firm position that the Founding Fathers intended all lands owned by the federal government to be sold." Soooo, it seems His Malignancy and his Repugnican Super Spreader Death Cult isn't satisfied with simply enabling the coronavirus to kill more than 160,400 people in the U.S., they want to also sell off the family jewels and kill off the wildlife as well? Surprise! 

Of course, the Monster in the White House who periodically calls COVID-19 a hoax also says the same holds for climate chaos but most everyone knows "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!".  Maybe His Malignancy should have a screening in the White House of this video! Not much chance of that much less one titled "Extreme heat is worse in redlined neighborhoods"! Also, we've talked about the warming of the tundra near the Arctic Circle in the past and how much methane they could release into the atmosphere, a worse threat to the atmosphere than CO2. It seems such peatlands can be found in the tropics as well. The folks at Grist recently noted: "Peatlands, a unique kind of wetland that stores high amounts of carbon in its soils, may start to release carbon as the climate warms, according to a new study from the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory...Peatlands are the world’s largest natural carbon store, storing more carbon than all the world’s forests combined." Who knew!   Finally this:  The last fully intact ice shelf in the Canadian Arctic has collapsed, losing more than 40 per cent of its area in just two days at the end of July. 

After the conversation with our guests we'll head over to the Bus Stop Billboard, OK?

Wednesday August 12, 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm. Extinction of Deer Ticks in North America. A virtual woirkshop with Dr. Stephen Rich, Professor of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts Amherst; Director the Laboratory of Medical Zoology. Dr. Stephen Rich will discuss a recent publication in Nature(June 2020) from the Laboratory of Medical Zoology that provides insight to the evolutionary and ecological origin of the primary Lyme disease vectors in North America.
Register at: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7268068031726182913


Thursday August 13, 7pm.  Center for Biological Diversity Webinar "Saving Life on Earth" series. About a quarter of pesticides used in the United States are deemed too dangerous to be used in the European Union and many other countries. Pesticides are also a leading cause of pollinator declines — yet they're still heavily used, even on public lands set aside for wildlife protection.
Clearly there’s much work to be done. Join us to find out how you can help. Register here and check your email for the link to join.

Wednesday,August 19, 6-8 pm. 350MA Berkshires  Node  Zoom  Meeting . All are welcome! Use the password 350ma.    Zoom link 


On August 20th, join a virtual lobby meeting with your senator’s office to speak out against extinction. Speaking out by telling staffers how much you value plants, fish, and wildlife and the laws that protect them is one of the most valuable actions you can take as an activist. When senators hear that constituents like you are taking the time to show up to a meeting to speak, they listen closely. Register HERE.   

Wednesday, August 26, 7:30-8:30 pm "Adaptive Silviculture: Examining Climate Change Forest Management Strategies" Anoither  CounterAct Climate Change program  via Zoom. 

Register here.



That's all folks! But remember one thing please.....listen to your Mother!

A Highly Necessary Enviro Climate Show

Yes, it is a rather strongly worded title for this week's Enviro Show but given we've been trying to get highly respected climate scientist Professor Raymond Bradley of UMass Amherst on the show for some time now we thought we'd get into some....amplification? As we've been saying on the show since COVID daze began, the pandemic is actually  just another aspect of the Climate Crisis 'cuz both disasters have been brought about by the human propensity to trash Nature, OK? We are the Crisis, but we could also be the answer to the Crisis. Of course, we'll also bring you along to endure this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and to witness His Malignancy The Mad King and his enablers latest insults to life on Earth, but first it's time for.........Revenge of the Critters! Another snap happy tourist in Yellowstone Park gets too close to the Buffalo. This one comes complete with a video of a previous Buffalo Tourist Toss. They are not harmless Disney robots people! 

This week's Fool-on-the-Hill is Arizona Congressional District Five House Rep. Andy Biggs who apparently is big on foolishness. Awhile back he would not support any of the COVID 19 assistance measures because it would either raise the debt, legitimize same-sex families, or give people an incentive not to go to work. Recently, at a time when Arizona's COVID numbers are spiking and hospitals are near out of ICUs, Biggs stated  “As our economy is restored, it is imperative that President Trump is not undermined in his mission to return our economy to greatness. Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx continue to contradict many of President Trump’s stated goals and actions for returning to normalcy as we know more about the COVID-19 outbreak. This is causing panic that compromises our economic recovery. We can protect our most vulnerable from the COVID-19 outbreak while still protecting lives and livelihoods of the rest of the population. It’s time for the COVID-19 task force to be disbanded so that President Trump’s message is not mitigated or distorted.”.  O  wait, did we mention when masks were being required by local governments, Biggs said it was the mark of a tyrannical government?

 It was reported recently His Malignancy The Mad King's Environmental Plundering....er "Protection" Agency and some enablers in Congress are expected to propose a new rule detailing how burning biomass from forests can be considered carbon neutral in the United States. The report states: "..industry leaders believe they have science on their side, making a case that wood pellet production is barely putting a dent in the carbon-storage capacity of forests in the South." Really? [Insert hysterical laughter here]  We don't think so! Also, Inside Climate News reports: "new plants are being proposed in South Carolina, Arkansas and other southern states to produce wood pellets for export to Europe. The industry for this type of biomass energy has exploded, driven largely by European climate policies and subsidies that reward burning wood, even as an increasing number of scientists call out what they see as a dangerous carbon accounting loophole that threatens the 2050 goals of the Paris climate agreement." And this from our friends at Grist, "After three and a half years and 100 environmental rollbacks either completed or in progress this is no surprise: President Trump has spent more time defending Confederate monuments than voicing concern over COVID’s taking of 16,000 Black lives that would still be here if African-Americans weren’t dying at more than double the rate of white Americans."  The man is a monster and so are his enablers. HERE is more proof, as if you needed it. 

In The Enviro Show Echo Chamber our friends at Grist tell their readers about a new study scientists will soon unveil to help prevent future pandemics. Not sure why they didn't just ask us or the Center for Biological Diversity 'cuz we've been talking about the very same solutions for months now. Kidding!  We need all the science possible to protect threatened species and their habitats and put an end to wildlife trafficking. 

Of course our guest knows "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid" and we'll get into that presently but here's a quote from Scientific American that touches on something Prof. Bradley is very familiar with: "Facebook appears to be weakening a firewall it has built to fact-check such climate denialism. The company recently overruled a fact-check from a group of climate scientists, in a move that concerns researchers about a potentially new precedent by the platform that permits inaccurate claims to be promoted if they’re labeled as opinions. At the same time, Facebook has placed restrictions on one of the country’s most visible climate scientists, Katharine Hayhoe, of Texas Tech University and a lead author of the Fourth National Climate Assessment. She has been blocked from promoting videos related to climate research, a move that has limited her efforts to refute false claims."

 After our conversation with Prof. Bradley it's on to the Bus Stop Billboard:

July—August 9, 2020  NOFA Summer Conference.
Just sit back and relax in your home while we bring you the rich and dynamic education program of the NOFA Summer Conference right to your home. We’re bringing the classic and innovative content of the conference to you via video/webinar sessions so you can continue to deepen your knowledge on topics such as Vegetable Production, Hemp/CBD, Chickens, Grazing Plans, Soil Carbon, Wild E dibles, Worms and more.If you haven’t been to the NOFA Summer Conference in years because of the distance, now’s your chance to attend. If you love the conference but can’t make the schedule work for your summer schedule, now’s your time. If you wish you could have the program in hand to experience on demand, whenever you choose, now is your chance too. What’s in store for the new virtual Summer Conference program? More INFO, REGISTER. 


Monday August 10, 7pm.  Brattleboro Biomass Zoom Webinar hosted by Community Action Works. Register HERE.  Dirty energy pollutes our air and water, impacts our health, and contributes to climate change. Over the past 30 years, Community Action Works has helped communities all over the northeast retire dirty power plants responsibly, halt dangerous new fracked gas pipelines and win clean, local, renewable energy solutions. 
Monday

Tuesday, August 11, 11:30am – 2:00pm. (The meeting starts promptly at noon.) MA Elders Climate Action Zoom meeting. Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89313211335 This month we have the privilege of hosting Frances Moore Lappé, author Diet for a Small Planet, which gained world-wide attention 50 years ago. Since then she has written nearly 20 books. 


Wednesday August 12, 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm. Extinction of Deer Ticks in North America. A virtual woirkshop with Dr. Stephen Rich, Professor of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts Amherst; Director the Laboratory of Medical Zoology. Dr. Stephen Rich will discuss a recent publication in Nature(June 2020) from the Laboratory of Medical Zoology that provides insight to the evolutionary and ecological origin of the primary Lyme disease vectors in North America.
Register at: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7268068031726182913

Wednesday,August 19, 6-8 pm. 350MA Berkshires  Node  Zoom  Meeting . All are welcome! Use the password 350ma.    Zoom link 


On August 20th, join a virtual lobby meeting with your senator’s office to speak out against extinction. Speaking out by telling staffers how much you value plants, fish, and wildlife and the laws that protect them is one of the most valuable actions you can take as an activist. When senators hear that constituents like you are taking the time to show up to a meeting to speak, they listen closely. Register HERE.   

Wednesday, August 26, 7:30-8:30 pm "Adaptive Silviculture: Examining Climate Change Forest Management Strategies" Anoither  CounterAct Climate Change program  via Zoom. 

Register here.






That's all for now everyone. Please remember to listen to your Mother!

The Public Lands Logging Epidemic Enviro Show Part II

Greetings Earthlings. We're going to continue the conversation about our public lands being used as timber plantations by government and industry. It's another kind of epidemic but with many of the same players up to their necks in cause and effect. Silvia Solaun and and Kay of New Jersey Forest Watch/Friends of Sparta Mountain return to the show with our friend Chris Matera of Mass Forest Watch. [UPDATE: Stop logging of state lands! To contact the Gov. of MA go HERE and to contact the Gov. of NJ go HERE]. As always, we will bring you along to meet this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and then head on down to Black Lives Matter Plaza to look beyond the barricades where His Malignancy The Mad King and his fascist enablers are hiding. Of course, we'll also remind everyone who seems to have forgotten that 'It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" but first it's time for........ Revenge of the Critters! Mayflies shutdown a nuclear power plant?

This week's Fool-on-the-Hill is Rep. Mike Kelly (Repugnican-Pa.) not just  for his comment that being a white guy makes him a person of color (actually white is the absence of color) but for claiming: "Attempts by Democrats and the media to divide and define us by race are harmful to our nation’s strength. We need to elevate our level of discussion, and I believe most Americans agree.” He went on to defend The Mad King who doesn't even try to "elevate our level of discussion" and whose enablers are out there running over protestors in their cars, showing up at rallies fully armed and threatening people on social media.

On to His Malignancy The Mad King who has been obsessed lately with trashing "our level of discussion", in fact his recent 4th of July addresses sound like they came straight out of Adolf Hitler's playbook. Most liberal commentators lately seem unwilling to make that connection, perhaps in fear for their careers, but like the man said long ago: "We have nothing to fear but fear itself". Another four years of this monster and those fearful ones won't have careers anyway, they'll be lucky to have a life at all. Moving on, His Malignancy's Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette has been talking about the bright future of coal. Of course, The Mad King's Department of Energy and the coal industry cheered from the orchestrating pit, but that old burn technology's going nowhere unless those dreaded years mentioned above come to pass. And this: The Mad King nas nominated William Perry Pendley to serve as Director of the Bureau of Land Management. Pendley has long advocated for the privitization of public lands and is a fierce skeptic of global climate change, the hole in the ozone layer and the existence of acid rain?

Speaking of climate change, "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" It's not an emergency like some fire down the street, it's the worst CRISIS ever, OK? And guess what, it's not just taking place in the Arctic like we've reported on the past few shows, it's happening right here in New England. The link we just put up points out:  "One assessment projects that average summer and winter temperatures in Connecticut will increase 2.8 degrees Celsius (5 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels within the next 60 years. If that happens, the summer climate in Connecticut by the end of the century will be the same as it is in present-day South Carolina. Temperatures in Hartford would exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit for 28 days a year." This report doesn't even get into the probable increase in extreme weather events associated with such temperature increase or the effects on the biosphere, human infrastructure and health. As an example there's this: "In a study of nearly 700 fresh and saltwater fish species, researchers examined how warming water temperatures lower water oxygen levels, putting embryos and pregnant fish at risk." Go ahead, tell us that's not a crisis!

Finally, we return once again to The Enviro Show Echo Chamber with this piece from the Guardian titled, "Pandemics result from destruction of nature, say UN and WHO". Yes, we keep harping on this critical subject and we will continue to do so as long as our fellow activists, journalists and pundits continue to ignore it. We are the cause of COVID-19 and of other such threats to human health and safety. How can we talk about COVID without mentioning toilet paper! Surely you recall the TP hoarders back in the beginning, yes? As it turns out, unless you're using TP with recycled content you are most likely contributing to deforestation in Canada. Read all about it! (PDF)

After the conversation with our guests we head over to the Bus Stop Billboard:

July 20, 2020—August 9, 2020  NOFA Summer Conference.
Just sit back and relax in your home while we bring you the rich and dynamic education program of the NOFA Summer Conference right to your home. We’re bringing the classic and innovative content of the conference to you via video/webinar sessions so you can continue to deepen your knowledge on topics such as Vegetable Production, Hemp/CBD, Chickens, Grazing Plans, Soil Carbon, Wild E dibles, Worms and more.If you haven’t been to the NOFA Summer Conference in years because of the distance, now’s your chance to attend. If you love the conference but can’t make the schedule work for your summer schedule, now’s your time. If you wish you could have the program in hand to experience on demand, whenever you choose, now is your chance too. What’s in store for the new virtual Summer Conference program? More INFO, REGISTER.


Monday July 27, 7 to 9pm. Climate Action Now Monthly Gathering on Zoom. Register HERE. Also go to:  https://climateactionnowma.org 


Tuesday July 28, 7 to 9pm.  Praise the Dead: The role of dead trees and fire in forest ecosystems, with George Wuerthner. Many of us have heard about the wildfires in the West. Why are they happening? What about Massachusetts? Are we at risk for forest fires here? Why are controlled burns being done on our state lands? Are they beneficial or counterproductive? Are policy changes needed and if so, what should be considered?  George Wuerthner is an ecologist and has published 38 books, including Wildfire: A Century of Failed Forest Policy, Protecting the Wild: Parks and Wilderness Foundation for Conservation and Keeping the Wild: Against the Domestication of the Earth. Register HERE. 


Wednesday July 29, 6pm.  EDT: “Who Speaks for the Trees?”: How Forests that Store Carbon Can Help Save the Planet. Dr. William Moomaw, PhD. is Emeritus Professor of international environmental policy and founding director of the Center for International Environment and Resource Policy at The Fletcher School. Dr. Sam Davis, PhD. of the Dogwood Alliance was a principal researcher for “The Great American Stand,” a report that examines forest management opportunities for combating the climate crisis in the United States. Over the past four decades, forests have moderated climate change by absorbing about one-quarter of the carbon emitted by human activities. Forests are a vital part of the carbon cycle, storing and releasing this element in a dynamic process of growth, decay, disturbance and renewal. At this free program you can learn what forest management strategies are most successful in solving the climate crisis – and why! After registering for this free event, you will receive a reminder email a week and 24 hours before the program. If you are unable to attend, a recording will be made available to registrants.

Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_SbwWofGbSauGMJiGPYBiSw

Thursday July 30, 7pm. What’s the Buzz - The People Plant Pollinator Connection. Do we garden for pollinators effectively?  Dr. Gegear’s talk will fascinate listeners and lead us to a greater understanding about plant and pollinator interactions. This knowledge is the basis for helping threatened bees by reframing how to create better pollinator habitat.  Rob’s Beecology app has informed his research on bumblebees, and we plan to teach participants to use this app later in the summer!  Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88092908307.  OR by phone:  (929) 205-6099   |   Meeting ID: 880 9290 8307


That's all for now everyone. Please remember to listen to your Mother!

The Public Lands Logging Epidemic Enviro Show

Greetings Earthlings. As you may know by now we've been focusing on forest protection, preservation and proforestation for quite some time on the show. And you are probably aware that a large part of the reason for our....um...fixation? is that we need intact forests to capture CO2 emissions in the struggle with the Climate Crisis (you know, the crisis that threatens life on Earth?). While much of our focus during this time has been on local or regional public forests we're going to make some border crossings on this show with Silvia Solaun and Katherine Evans of New Jersey Forest Watch/Friends of Sparta Mountain joins us to see the forest for the trees further afield. Of course, as always, we'll also take you to see this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and His Malignancy The Mad King in his epic awfulness, as well as a reminder (not that you need it, right?) that "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" but first it's time for........Revenge of the Critters! In the event you are new to show we thought we should once again bring up the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic is totally The Revenge of the Critters. Read it and weep, this in-depth piece from the New York Times Magazine, How Humanity Unleashed a Flood of New Diseases.

Back for yet another appearance on this week's Fool-on-the-Hill is the guy who may actually be the biggest bona fide fool in the entire U.S. House of Reps, Texas nutjob extraordinaire Louie Gohmert. Never one to pass up the chance to engage in lame-ass childish behavior in the hallowed chamber of the people, this time Gohmert loudly drummed on his desk as the House Judiciary Committee heard testimony from one of two Department of Justice attorneys who said that improper political influence had warped multiple cases, including the sentencing recommendation for [The Mad King]’s associate Roger Stone. Democrats asked for the Sergeant at Arms to remove Gohmert from the hearing room because he refused to stop banging on a table but instead he was made to sit in a corner wearing a dunce cap while facing the wall for a time out....no, kidding. Nothing was done, apparently because punishing misbehaving adolescents isn't nice, even when they are flat-out fascist.

On to His Malignancy The Mad King who infamously continues to call for less testing of the Corona Virus so the numbers will look better for his reelection. Yes, the ugly face of the Repugnican Death Cult just can't resist publicly displaying his utter disregard for the people of this nation and his epic self-regard. One can only wonder at the one-third of the population who still claim to support this monster. Living proof that we are, indeed, a highly flawed species. His Malignancy's enablers in government must share that distinction. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue has now unveiled what he called a “blueprint” for enabling energy extraction, mining, grazing and logging in federal forests by speeding up environmental reviews and permitting, a euphemism for privatizing our public lands for corporate profits. Meanwhile, over at the EPA His Malignancy's enablers finalized a rule to roll back regulations of perchlorate, a chemical found in rocket fuel that can cause brain damage in infants. And speaking of the EPA here's a bit of Orwellian groupthink for you: "The Environmental Protection Agency defended its controversial decision to halt enforcement of bedrock anti-pollution laws amid the coronavirus pandemic on the grounds that doing so protected workers and offered flexibility to companies facing staffing shortages." But wait, there's more! June is National Oceans Month and Thec Mad King issued an official proclamation in recognition of this, but instead of pledging to protect our oceans or highlight the ocean’s critical role in mitigating global climate change, His Malignancy celebrated the “enormous opportunity” we have to expand offshore oil drilling.

We guess the lead story for "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" segment is the present heatwave in.......Siberia?? You read that right: "A Siberian town hit 100 degrees, setting a new record for the Arctic Circle". Science news goes on to note: "The new benchmark highlights how the Arctic region is warming twice as fast as the rest of the planet, a phenomenon known as Arctic amplification. Average temperatures in Siberia from December to May were also the warmest on record going back to 1979, according to Copernicus. When combined with data from NASA going back to 1880, the researchers suggest, this six-month period is likely unprecedented within the last 140 years." 

The Enviro Show Echo Chamber is back, this time with another tale of "progress" vs. historical integrity, something that often means business-as-usual rolling over Native American history and culture. Which would you rather have: construction of another roundabout for cars! cars! cars! (where it's not all that needed) or the preservation of a 10,000 year old Indigenous site, possibly occupied by the Norwottuck people?  Here is a link to a site describing the situation. Scroll down for links by local media as well. Some of the information on the site may be incorrect like the "July 1" start of construction. Senator Comerford and Representative Sabadosa are actively engaged in this issue. Let them know you are as well! 

Time for an Enviro Show Quote of the Week, this one especially for loggers and foresters but you'll need to prepare yourself for a loooong trip in the Wayback Machine, all the way to the turn of the 16th century:

"For in the true nature of things, if we rightly consider, every green tree is far more glorious than if it were made of gold and silver."                

                                                                    - Martin Luther 

After our conversation with Silvia we move on to the Bus Stop Billboard:

Tuesday, July 14, 1 p.m. ET: Story of Plastic panel discussion. Learn why we can't recycle our way out of our waste issues and how to take action. Register here to get a link to watch the Story of Plastic movie before the panel. 


Thursday July 16, 10:30 am - 1:30 pm. Virtual Class: Soil the Solution Beneath our Feet. This class will address all aspects of soil composition and soil health and will discuss soil’s role in sustainability and combating climate change. The class will provide you with the information needed to use soil regeneration to capture carbon, reduce flooding and drought conditions, and grow healthy plants resistant to disease and stress.   Read more and register.   


July 20, 2020—August 9, 2020  NOFA Summer Conference.

Just sit back and relax in your home while we bring you the rich and dynamic education program of the NOFA Summer Conference right to your home. We’re bringing the classic and innovative content of the conference to you via video/webinar sessions so you can continue to deepen your knowledge on topics such as Vegetable Production, Hemp/CBD, Chickens, Grazing Plans, Soil Carbon, Wild E dibles, Worms and more.If you haven’t been to the NOFA Summer Conference in years because of the distance, now’s your chance to attend. If you love the conference but can’t make the schedule work for your summer schedule, now’s your time. If you wish you could have the program in hand to experience on demand, whenever you choose, now is your chance too.

What’s in store for the new virtual Summer Conference program?

MORE INFO, REGISTER, ETC.

Monday July 27, 7 to 9pm. Climate Action Now Monthly Gathering. Either on Zoom or at the Unitarian Meetinghouse on N. Pleasant St (downtown Amherst). Check CAN's website at:  https://climateactionnowma.org/

OK for now Enviro Show fans. Please remember to listen to your Mother! 

The Usual Suspects Enviro Show

Greetings Earthling. We've rounded up the usual suspects for this week's show. Some of those who are seemingly always stirring up trouble for the cause and getting in the way of business-as-usual, in this case the business of commercially logging our public forests and making the Climate Crisis worse. Members of the Wendell State Forest Alliance will be speaking about their actions trying to protect the public forests from the state. Checkout their blog HERE. [Disclaimer: The Enviro Show hosts are proud members of WSFA]
As usual we will also introduce you to this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and expose you to His Malignancy The Mad King and his morally challenged enablers' latest outrages, as well as remind those who have not been paying attention that "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" but first it's time for........Revenge of the Critters! The Animal Kingdom is taking over as the humans are sheltering in?  Finally some justice!

Repugnican Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas makes a repeat performance as this week's Fool-on-the-Hill given his recent op-ed that made its way into the New York Times [now removed] in which he advocated for sending the U.S, Military into U.S. cities to deal with the nation-wide protests over police violence and racism.  In essence, Cotton wanted to further his "proto-fascist" tendencies as was pointed out in one Times op-ed. We guess it goes without saying that a certain occupant of a white house down the street from The Hill was fully supportive of the senator's screed.

And now, on to that White House occupant, His Malignancy The Mad King who went full-out wannabe Rambo when the protests broke out after George Floyd's killing calling crowds on the streets “anarchists,” “terrorists,” “losers,” and “lowlifes,”   demanding state govs “get much tougher” and calling on Antifa to be designated as a terrorist organization. Let's be clear: anti-fascism is not terrorism; our fathers and grandfathers fought against fascism and came home heroes, OK?? We all know what a phony tough guy His Malignancy is with his bullshit poses and loud-mouth bather but as phony as his act is his fascist mentality is the actual threat. The Mad King is the true terrorist and his words and actions make that apparent almost daily. His Malignancy is also an environmental terrorist, one of the latest examples being an executive order he signed that would waive requirements under a group of important environmental laws like NEPA. The new order expedites the permitting of construction projects and energy projects overseen by corporate captured federal agencies, using emergency authorities to avoid environmental regulations. It's just more of the same but now he's doing it under cover of the COVID-19 pandemic he's actually doing nothing about. His criminal negligence is right up there with his climate crimes and all the enablers in his Cabinet are equally guilty. Another example is he will open up a 5,000 square mile conservation area in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of New England to destructive commercial fishing. That allows commercial fishing to resume in the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, a sanctuary created during the Obama administration to allow fish populations to recover from bad practices in the past. It also cancels a planned phase out of red crab and lobster fisheries in the area. The plunder continues.

How about we move on another matter His Malignancy avoids, even though we keep reminding him "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!"   Did you know it was 84 degrees near the Arctic Ocean last month as carbon dioxide hit its highest level in human history?  You may have missed that amid all the other bad news but hey, we're "Reopening America" right?  Get out there and exercise your growing carbon footprint! With all the sheltering in with COVID a lot of folks are more focused than ever about their diet. Grist asks: "What’s the more climate-conscious diet: Plant-based or place-based?"  Inquiring minds need to know! 

After we plot against business-as-usual with the Usual Suspects we go to the Bus Stop Billboard:

Wednesday, July 1, 7pm (ET). Organize to Prevent Wildlife Trade - an online event. Wildlife trade is one of the leading threats to biodiversity. It is also a major threat to public health, as it is the most probable cause of COVID-19 and several other pandemics. The United States plays a major role in wildlife trade, importing more than 224 million live animals and 883 million other wildlife species every year. Experts predict that new diseases will emerge from wildlife to infect humans somewhere between every four months and every three years. If we want to avoid future pandemics and stop the extinction crisis, we must fundamentally change our relationship with wildlife and nature. Join this call to learn how you can organize to protect wildlife and public health by ending wildlife trade.  Register HERE. 

We'll add more events as they arise, meanwhile remember to Listen to Your Mother! 

The Greatest Good Enviro Show

Greetings Earthlings. It's Valley Free Radio's Spring Fund Drive so  we truly hope you will support the show and VFR by going HERE and showing that support. Thank you! One of the many reasons we are so focused on trees and forest issues in the show is because many of our fellow Climate Crisis activists and environmentalists are not. Over the years we've sought to have the critical issues of forest protection and preservation integrated into the climate movement and have utilized this show to help with the work. With that in mind, George Wuerthner joins us to discuss his recent piece "Greatest Good Is To Preserve Forest Carbon" in The Wildlife News. As always we will also bring you along to meet this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and to learn about the latest assaults upon you and the planet by His Malignancy The Mad King and his court of criminal crazies, as well as some news for those unaware that "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" but first it's time for............Revenge of the Critters! These Aussie fishermen were apparently not "On guard!"

This week's Fool-on-the-Hill is Rep. Timothy Lee Walberg (Repugnican, MI) who stated "I believe there's been climate change since the beginning of time," Walberg reportedly said at a 2017 town hall. "Do I think man has some impact? Yeah, of course. Can man change the entire universe? No...Why do I believe that? Well, as a Christian, I believe that there is a creator in God who is much bigger than us. And I'm confident that, if there's a real problem, he can take care of it."  OK folks, case closed. No wonder he's called the Savior! (or is that His Son?)

Would you be interested to know His Malignancy The Mad King ".. is the most “anti-nature” president in U.S. history"?  Wait, didn't you already know that? In keeping with that the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition tells us "Oil companies drilling on public lands are getting a break from royalty fees owed to U.S. taxpayers, while wind and solar projects have to pay huge unexpected bills." Go figure...then Take Action!  And this: Our friends at the Center for Biological Diversity report The Mad King's "Nuclear Fuel Working Group" issued recommendations to expand uranium mining by lifting protections on public lands like those around the Grand Canyon. The so-called Working Group is also trying to slash environmental laws and use tax dollars to revive that tanking industry. Add His Malignancy's plans for wholesale logging on public lands and you may suspect what used to be called plunder? Now, it's just....."essential" business-as-usual! How about this from CBD: [The Mad King] "and his Interior Secretary David Bernhardt could soon turn Alaska's national preserves into trophy-hunter amusement parks. Kenai National Wildlife Refuge is rich in biodiversity, home to moose, eagles, brown and black bears, lynx, wolves and other species. But the administration envisions so much trophy hunting there, it's calling for more use of game carts for hunters to haul off their prizes." Wait, aren't they called refuges?? Speaking of refuge, at least we still have social networking to express our disgust of His Malignancy, right? Maybe not for long: The Mad King baselessly claimed Wednesday that social media platforms "totally silence conservatives' voices" and threatened to "strongly regulate, or close them down, before we can ever allow this to happen."  Big Brother lives! 

Has any habitual Faux "News" viewer heard that "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid"?  They might be interested to learn about this new study in which it's pointed out "Across the world, forests cover almost a third of all land — and in some places, the ratio is even higher. But if climate change continues unabated, many forests will suffer. Researchers have used models to understand potential changes to the forest canopy, and you can easily see 40 to 50% of forests being destroyed in 40 years".  How about this for a headline: "Unless steps are taken to check global warming, up to 3 billion people will find themselves in areas too warm for human comfort, a new study finds." Want to drill down into the study?  Nah! 

After our conversation with George it's time for the Bus Stop Billboard:

Tuesday June 16, 7pm.  Forests and Brain Health: Emerging Research, with Dr. Susan A. Masino.  The link between forests and brain health is a public policy imperative: we face increasing costs for disorders ranging from Alzheimer’s disease to addiction, and forests offer exercise, mindfulness and stress reduction. We are still discovering new species, and forests are a former and a likely future source of new medicines. Research on cardiovascular, immune and neurological systems is expanding worldwide. Register for Zoom Meeting HERE. 

Saturday June 20, Noon. Reading by d.o. during the Authors and Artists Festival online. d.o. will be reading from his work in progress "2020 Hindsight" an epic poem on our times. Here is the link to get your free ticket, https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_DUj_BdkcTmGZld6mBHWfOQ Once you register, you will be sent an email that contains the link to join the festival. THAT is the link you use to get into the festival. It is like a ticket, it’s unique to you and cannot be shared. 

We'll add more events as they arise, meanwhile remember to Listen to Your Mother! 

Another Biomess Enviro Show

Greetings Earthlings. Most everyone agrees we are in a mess these days and in many ways it is truly a biomess. As I write this it is International Endangered Species Day and who isn't aware we are in the midst of the Sixth Great Extinction? Right here in the Mid-Connecticut River Valley the endangered Shortnose Sturgeon continues to be ignored. Another of those endangered species is the Pangolin and as we've noted in previous shows their plight may be at the source of the COVID-19 pandemic. Other biome threatened and endangered these days are the very forests around us, some of which are being chopped up and shipped off to the UK. Yes, it's the industrial Biomess we've been warning you about for.........ever! Almuth Ernsting of Biofuelwatch UK joins us for the interview and to talk about how subsidized the industry is.  As usual, we'll also take you to see this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and to witness His Malignancy The Mad King and his court of climate criminals as they continue rampaging through the halls of government and across the land like the crazed marauders they truly are, but first it's time for...........Revenge of the Critters! Glen called this one "Improper Social Distancing" which it really is.....along with just plain stupid. Which part of Don't pet the gators! don't they understand??

This week's Fool-on-the-Hill is Sen.Tom Cotton (R-ARK) who apparently has some of that cotton stuck in his ears 'cuz he seems unable to hear about the Climate Crisis. Cotton has been a critic of the Green New Deal criticizing Democrats for pushing a "radical vision for humanity." He said: "They believe that Americans driving around in trucks on farms, or commuting from the suburbs where they can have a decent home into the city to work are a fundamental threat to the world, and they have to have the power and the control of those Americans' lives to implement their radical vision for humanity."  Whoa Tom! Did you get that from Faux "News"?

His Malignancy The Mad King, with the help of his climate criminal enablers, has to date reversed 64 environmental rules and is in the process of reversing 34 more, amounting to 98 rollbacks of rules meant to protect you and other living things; that according to the New York Times Climate Team. "The bulk of the rollbacks identified by the Times have been carried out by the Environmental Protection Agency, which repealed and replaced the Obama-era emissions rules for power plants and vehicles; weakened protections for more than half the nation's wetlands; and withdrew the legal justification for restricting mercury emissions from power plants. At the same time, the Interior Department has worked to open up more land for oil and gas leasing by cutting back protected areas and limiting wildlife protections.So, His Malignancy's Repugnican Death Cult has quite a record so far, no?

Is there anyone out there who still needs to hear "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!"? It sounds like The Mad King of Brazil could use some informing. The destruction of the Amazon Rainforest is up 55% under his watch according to Greenpeace ; that seems like a nightmare, yes? " From January through April, deforestation in Indigenous lands increased by 59% in Brazil. Illegal loggers, miners and land-grabbers don’t work from home, and are taking advantage of the current crisis to invade Indigenous lands, threatening to expose #covid19 to Indigenous People."  Sounds like His Malignancy's Repugnican Death Cult from here, but isn't that what Bosonaro models himself after anyway? "Bolsonaro took office in January 2019 and immediately got to work on his agenda targeting the environment and Indigenous Brazilians. As international scientists have warned over the past year that "human activities are drying out the Amazon," the Brazilian president has faced global condemnation for rising deforestation and his attempts to open up the Amazon to more agribusiness and mining." Meanwhile, how do you think our own forests are doing? 

On to the Bus Stop Billboard: 

May 29, 2:30 - 3:30 pm.  Black Bear Research Webinar. Interested in learning more about black bear behavior in Massachusetts? Join us for a webinar with Kathy Zeller, a post-doctoral researcher in the Mass Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit in Amherst. She will be sharing current research on black bears in the state and what we’re learning about black bear movement and behavior. Go to: https://www.hilltownlandtrust.org/events/black-bear-research-webinar  

Wednesday, June 3,1pm. Center for Biological Diversity Stop the Wildlife Trade Call. Wildlife trade is one of the leading threats to biodiversity. It is also a major threat to public health, as it is the most probable cause of COVID-19 and several other pandemics.   Go to: https://ignite.biologicaldiversity.org/event/online-events/1519/

Tuesday, June 9, 7:00p.m.  Bioenergy and Forests.  Dr. Mary S. Booth, Founder and Director Partnership for Policy Integrity, directing PFPI’s science and advocacy work on greenhouse gases, air pollution, and forest impacts of biomass energy. Register HERE.

We'll add more events as they arise, meanwhile remember to Listen to Your Mother!