The Forest Preservation & Protection Enviro Show

Greetings Earthlings. We can see the forest for the trees and all the lifeforms dwelling there. You? Shelby Perry, Stewardship Director at Northeast Wilderness Trust joins us to enhance the view and remind us "We are faced with the challenge of helping Nature continue to heal and flourish for future generations. The need to restore and protect wild lands and waters has never been greater." As always we will also invite you to meet this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and to thumb your nose at The Mad King and his vile enablers, as well as a visit to The Enviro Show Echo Chamber but first it's time for.......... Revenge of the Critters! Lions stand up for highly endangered Rhinos/Poachers lose. 

Let's go straight for The Mad King since he's was such an easy target this past week, but where to start?? His Malignancy's Prince of Darkness at the EPA followed The Mad King's lead by announcing "last Friday that [the EPA] would evaluate and require approval for new uses of asbestos but would not evaluate the health risks of asbestos already in the environment" (this before he was shown the door.....finally!). The Mad King is a fan of asbestos (and apparently a Ruskie asbestos operation is a fan of  His Malignancy!) . Back in '97 he stated: “I believe that the movement against asbestos was led by the mob, because it was often mob-related companies that would do the asbestos removal. Great pressure was put on politicians, and as usual, the politicians relented”. We're not sure if he ever asked his mobster friends about that but now you'll be glad to know all that old asbestos in your basement is no longer a problem! Another move Scott The Dark Prince Pruitt made before emptying out his bullet proof desk was to remove the old Obama cap on dirty polluting "glider trucks" that have old diesel engines not up to present day standards. Gliders can spew 55 times more pollution than newer trucks. Maybe Scotty will run in to one of those trucks as he hits the road. No more first class flights on the public dime for him. BTW, the guy who is replacing Pruitt may qualify as a Prince of Darkness too. Inside Climate News tells Andrew Wheeler a "former coal lobbyist inherits some important decisions from Scott Pruitt, including on the Clean Power Plan, auto standards, methane and use of science." (Check the link for some in-depth analysis). Of Course, His Malignancy doesn't need lame-ass underlings to do outragious things he's perfectly capable of doing himself. Just this past Tuesday The Mad King pardoned ornery cowpokes "Dwight and Stephen Hammond, the father-son team of Oregon ranchers whose 2012 conviction for arson inspired the right-wing Bundy militia's armed takeover and month-long occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in 2016."  Speaking of cowpokes, The Mad King's guy at the Interior Department, lying' Ryan Zinke wants to allow landowners and hunters to kill any of the last 30 Red Wolves in the world that leave their refuge. You can try and talk some sense into him here.

We have another twofer this week for our Fools-on-the-Hill courtesy of the Mountain Journal: "Last December, U.S. Sen. Steve Daines of Montana introduced legislation that would open five Forest Service wilderness study areas in Big Sky Country, totaling 449,500 acres, to all kinds of multiple use, including intensive resource extraction. Then in March, newly-elected U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte of Montana (and the previous boss of Daines in a tech business Gianforte founded) introduced companion legislation in the House. Apparently not satisfied with just joining ranks with Daines, Gainforte at the same time introduced still another bill that would release an additional 365,300 acres in 24 Bureau of Land Management wilderness study areas in his home state." Privateers at work!

Big news in The Enviro Show Echo Chamber from The Boston Globe (and that's surfaced elsewhere): The testing for CO2 emissions related to efforts to deal with the Climate Crisis may be inaccurate.  “Without actual measurements of changes in emissions, we don’t know — and we can’t know — if we’re meeting our goals, and that’s a problem,” said Lucy Hutyra, an associate professor of earth and environment at Boston University, one of the lead authors of a new study on emissions..... Current methods of quantifying emissions don’t actually measure the carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Instead, they rely on complex calculations that estimate emissions by tabulating the pollution from power plants, buildings, transportation, and other sources. That method often overlooks a range of factors, such as unknown natural gas leaks, traffic from outside the state, or the amount of photosynthesis by trees and other vegetation."  Come on guys, it's not rocket science.....O wait....maybe it is

We have a bit of E-Valley-uation here regarding that proposed assault on the Wendell State Forest's 110 year old-growth oak stand near Wickett Pond by the Department of Cut & Run (DCR). There was a meeting of the DCR Stewardship Council in Turners on Thursday with recipients of The Enviro Show's Big Green Clearcutters Award, DCR's Leo Roy and Elisa Campbell and others. Both Lisa Hoag from Wendell and our own d.o. spoke on behalf of the trees. Here's d.o.'s testimony:           

" I strongly support the proposal from Wendell Residents calling for an 80-acre, 110-year old-growth oak forest to be placed in reserve status, and classified as a zone 1 wildland pursuant to the forest management policies of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 

It is the 21st century and science has confirmed we are in a Climate Crisis. Forests are among the few natural systems capturing the excess of CO2 in the atmosphere and old-growth forests are particular in their ability to sequester those emissions.

It is the 21st century and we are in a Climate Crisis. Many old notions of “forest management” are no longer valid in this crisis. Even students of forestry who graduated a few years ago have not been brought up to date in their knowledge base. Forestry has changed and experts are changing our thinking on the need to preserve and protect our forests almost daily. DCR and the DCR Stewardship Council must be in step with the times if our children and grandchildren are to have a livable world." 

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

Saturday July 21, 3:30pm. Keene Youth Climate Action Rally, Ashuelot River Park • Ashuelot River Park , Keene, NH 03431. Host Contact Info: cthill13.ct@gmail.com


350MA and Better Future Project are planning a series of vigils next week outside the Beacon Hill offices of the conference committee members who are failing to act on climate and immigration:

• • Monday from 12-1pm 
  • Tuesday from 11-12pm (there will also be an Immigrant Rights vigil from 12-1:30)
  • Wednesday from 12-1pm
  • Thursday from 12-5pm (culminating in a HUGE mobilization)

Click here to fill out your availability for vigil spots. And feel free to sign up for more than one if you can!  Go to: http://www.betterfutureproject.org/

Monday, July 23, 7 - 9pm. Climate Action Now MA Monthly Gathering. We come together once a month to meet each other, plan, and imagine how to contribute, in our corner of the world, to the urgent fight against climate change . We love to meet newcomers, whether you are brand new to activism or have been doing this a long time. We do not have a membership or dues. People give of their time and talent when they see fit. You are welcome to join us!  Unitarian Universalist Society of Amherst (UUSA), 121 N. Pleasant Street, P.O. Box 502, Amherst, Massachusetts.  Go to: http://climateactionnowma.org/  

Wednesday July 25. 6:00 to 7:00pm. Saving Massachusetts Forests for Climate, Nature and People, a presentation by Michael Kellett, Executive Director, RESTORE The North Woods. Bascom Lodge at the top of Mt Greylock. Free and Open to the Public. Presented on the porch. Optional : Sunset Beverage Hour starts at 4:00 PM      Dinner at 7:00 PM  Reservations requested   413-743-1591 or MAIL@BASCOMLODGE.NET

Monday, August 6, 7 PM.  "Call of the Forest: The Forgotten Wisdom of Trees" at the Amherst Cinema, 28 Amity Street, Amherst, MA.

https://amherstcinema.org/films-and-events/call-forest-forgotten-wisdom-trees

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

That's it for now. Remember, always listen to your Mother. 

The Zero Hour Enviro Show

Greetings Earthlings. We know terms like "Zero Hour" can feel a bit chilling but have no fear, this Zero Hour has to do with everything heating up! It's Zero Hour - The Youth Climate March destined for the belly of the beast in Washington, DC on Saturday, July 21st.  [UPDATE: Here's their platform] These guys are fired up as their website notes: "Enough is enough.We, the youth, believe that #thisisZeroHour to act on climate change. We cannot afford to wait any longer for adults to protect our right to the clean and safe environment, the natural resources we need to not just survive, but flourish. We know that we are the leaders we have been waiting for!" Zero Hour Youth March Organizer, Sohayla Eldeeb calls in with the details. As always, we'll also take you to see this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and to gawk at the latest outrage from The Mad King and his court of crazed climate criminals, as well as peek into The Enviro Show Echo Chamber but first it's time for..........Revenge of the Critters! Rattlesnake attacks from the afterlife! 

[UPDATE] In case you missed our award ceremony for The Enviro Show Big Green Clearcutters Award here it is! This years recipient was the Massachusetts Department of Cut & Run's Commissioner Leo Roy. Congrats to Leo for his massive underachievement.

This week's Fool-on-the-Hill is Texas Repugnican representative Pete Olson who introduced a House bill which "amends the Endangered Species Act so that federal wildlife managers will have to consider economic factors as one of the primary criteria when deciding whether to accept or deny listing a new species or designating critical habitat." Soooooo, how much is your endangered species worth to us anyway, huh?

On to The Mad King. This time we find His Malignancy is repealing an executive order drafted by  President Obama intended to protect the Great Lakes and oceans bordering the United States. Surprise! According to The Hill: "In his own executive order signed late Tuesday, Trump put a new emphasis on industries that use the oceans, particularly oil and natural gas drilling, while also mentioning environmental stewardship." Hey great, The Mad King mentioned Enviro stewardship! Wonder if he knows what that means? How about this recent headline: "Trump Vows to Open Minnesota's Superior National Forest to Mines"? His Malignancy "vowed to keep open large swaths of lands in Minnesota’s remote Superior National Forest to mining, a move that could benefit a copper-nickel project being pursued by Twin Metals Minnesota LLC, a subsidiary of Antofagasta Plc." Yes, of course, he was reversing another Obama effort "to make hundreds of thousands of acres in the national forest off-limits to industrial activity."  Exploitation through privatization, folks! Who needs all that pristine woodlands just sitting there anyway?? The Center for Biological Diversity tells us the Mad King's administration "this week launched the largest rollback in history to the vital protections for air, water and wildlife provided by the National Environmental Policy Act." NEPA is like the gold standard of environmental protections. "The Trump administration is taking a sledgehammer to the review process that allows scientists and the public to have a say on federal projects that harm clean air, water and wildlife,” said Paulo Lopes, public lands policy specialist at the Center for Biological Diversity. “This is the beginning of the largest rollback in the history of the National Environmental Policy Act, and it will yield polluted air, dirty water and devastation for our beautiful public lands.” Meanwhile Lyin' Ryan Zinke over at Interior  "is considering whether to open up more than 30,000 acres of public lands at the northern gateway of America's oldest and most iconic national park, Yellowstone to aggressive gold, silver and other mineral extraction." How long do you think his "consideration" will take, before I finish typing this? The next day? You can try to talk him down by going here if you want. 

In The Enviro Show Echo Chamber we see The Boston Globe discovered "The oil billionaires Charles and David Koch, not content with pushing the United States out of the Paris climate accords or undermining the Affordable Care Act, have trained their sights on local transit projects, from Phoenix to Nashville. Through their front group Americans for Prosperity, they are bankrolling campaigns to kill proposals for light rail or new bus routes, in part because government-controlled transportation runs counter to their deregulatory 'freedom agenda'." Didn't David Koch recently announce he was getting out of the planet trashing business for health reasons? Will he turn down a ride in a government subsidized ambulance if he really starts to tank?  And this: we have word from down south "An estimated 50 to 80 percent of southern wetland forest is now gone. Logging is considered one of the biggest threats to the 35 million acres of remaining wetland forest in the southern U.S., and conservation organizations are saying this threat is coming largely from the wood pellet biomass industry." Guess which forests that rapacious industry would love to go next after clearcutting down south? OK climate activists who have been avoiding any talk of biomass or forest protection, we dare you to read this all the way through!

After our conversation with Sohaylak Eldeeb we head over to the Bus Stop billboard:

Saturday, July 14, 10 - 11am. Candidates Pledge for a Nuclear Free Future. Northampton City Hall, Northampton, MA. U.S. Representative Jim McGovern will be signing a pledge to support the abolition of nuclear weapons. He is the first voting member of Congress to take this pledge - a step that nearly 1,000 parliamentarians from 30 countries have taken - and he will be joined by a number of State Senate and House candidates! Contact The Resistance Center for Peace and Justice  http://theresistancecenter.org

Sunday, July 15, 4-5pm, System Change Not Climate Change. 20-minute video report from the 2017 World Climate Conference in Bonn, Germany, by Anna Gyorgy with Janet Masucci, for the Women & Life on Earth internet project/Traprock Center for Peace & Justice. Wendell Free Library, 
7 Wendell Depot Road, Wendell, MA

Wednesday, July 18, 6-8pm. Berkshires 350 Mass Node Meeting, Unitarian Universalist (UU) Church, 175 Wendell Ave, Pittsfield

Thursday, July 19 - 1:00pm. The Department of Energy Resources is hosting stakeholder meetings that will feature a presentation of the Comprehensive Enenergy Plan’s initial analysis, with topics including data on future demand across transportation, thermal conditioning, and power sectors and will highlight the trends and challenges through 2030. Westfield State University Loughman Living Room, Scanlon Hall, 77 Western Avenue Westfield, MA 01086  Go to: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/comprehensive-energy-plan-stakeholder-meeting-july-19-westfield-tickets-47671281085

Monday, July 23, 7 - 9pm. Climate Action Now MA Monthly Gathering. We come together once a month to meet each other, plan, and imagine how to contribute, in our corner of the world, to the urgent fight against climate change . We love to meet newcomers, whether you are brand new to activism or have been doing this a long time. We do not have a membership or dues. People give of their time and talent when they see fit. You are welcome to join us!  Unitarian Universalist Society of Amherst (UUSA), 121 N. Pleasant Street, P.O. Box 502, Amherst, Massachusetts.  Go to: http://climateactionnowma.org/ 

Wednesday July 25. 6:00 to 7:00pm. Saving Massachusetts Forests for Climate, Nature and People, a presentation by Michael Kellett, Executive Director, RESTORE The North Woods. Bascom Lodge at the top of Mt Greylock. Free and Open to the Public. Presented on the porch. Optional : Sunset Beverage Hour starts at 4:00 PM      Dinner at 7:00 PM  Reservations requested   413-743-1591 or MAIL@BASCOMLODGE.NET

Monday, August 6, 7 PM.  "Call of the Forest: The Forgotten Wisdom of Trees" at the Amherst Cinema, 28 Amity Street, Amherst, MA.

https://amherstcinema.org/films-and-events/call-forest-forgotten-wisdom-trees

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

OK, that's all folks. Remember to.....what? Listen to your Mother, OK?

Summer Solstice 2018 Enviro Show

Greetings Earthlings. Summer Solstice is nearly upon us, what shall we do to honor that which sustains us? The Good Green Witch returns to help us on that one and  Lisa Merton, co- creator of the film "Burned" calls-in to talk about "a film for anyone who cares about forests". Like always we will take you along to meet this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and to mock His Malignancy The Mad King and his den of demons, as well as present to you our Quote of the Week, but first it's time for............Revenge of the Critters! Maybe doing baptisms in a Croc infested lake wasn't such a good idea?

Our Fool-on-the-Hill this week is up for reelection so let's remind everyone Repugnican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, yes, another member of the House "Science" Committee, is a vocal skeptic of the link between human emissions and climate change, and has called the campaign to rein in climate-altering emissions "a tangible threat to our freedom, and to our prosperity as a people." As if all those climate-altering emissions aren't THE greatest threat of all? 

On to His Malignancy The Mad King! Have you seen his new crown? No, neither have we but he certainly seems to think he's got one given all his delusions about divine rights of kings. We keep pushing the LOL button on Facebook like lab mice repeatedly hitting the treat bar every time The Mad King juts his jaw out and struts around like Benito Mussolini. Thanks Central Casting, you guys have really outdone yourselves this time! Of course, while all that farce is entertaining the reality (not the "reality show") is quite the opposite. His Malignancy and his court of climate criminals continue to tear down environmental protections daily, so much so that it's hard to keep track of all the damage. Last Monday The Mad King's National Marine Fisheries Service, a division within the Commerce Department run by cranky old billionaire Wilbur Ross, sent a rule on marine protection for whales and sea turtles caught in fishing nets off the West Coast down the memory hole. The rule change was made despite the fishing industry's having proposed the measures in the first place, according to the Associated Press. Recently we also learned His Malignancy has proposed a 103% cut to America’s most successful conservation program, the Land and Water Conservation Fund. For over 50 years, the program has protected more than two million acres of land and supported more than 40,000 state and local park projects. And, the Fund doesn't cost taxpayers a thing because it's funded entirely by royalties from the offshore oil and gas industry. O wait, what does THAT tell us! Speaking of corruption, our friends at Grist ask: "Environmental Protection Agency head Scott Pruitt already faces at least 12 federal inquiries from the EPA’s Inspector General, Government Accountability Office, and House Oversight committee. Could a criminal probe be next?" Excellent question, we've wanted to probe The Dark Prince of the EPA for months now. Finally, with the new 2018 hurricane season upon us we can't help but wonder if The Mad King will do as miserable job as he did last year with the devastation to Puerto Rico and the islands in the wake of Hurricane Maria. The island's power grid remains a horror show of it's own and the no bid repair contract went to that fishy Whitefish operation based in the tiny hometown of Interior Secretary  Lyin' Ryan Zinke, who knows the CEO. The Mad King and his creepy court are like a revolving always restocked gaudy smorgasbord of greed and corruption. Are you full yet? 

Our Enviro Show Quote of the Week concerns The Mad King but you will have to jump into the Wayback Machine with us to get there:

"The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress." 

                                                                                                      - Frederick Douglas


After our conversations and celebration with The Good Green Witch we head on over to the Bus Stop Billboard:

Thursday June 28, 6:30-8:00pm. Public viewing of the film "The River Cried, 'Mni W'Coni!" at the 

Leverett Public Library, Leverett, Mass. About the water protectors at Standing Rock Reservation in 2016. 

Thursday, June 28,  6-9pm. Vermont Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens Advisory Panel in the multipurpose room at Brattleboro Area Middle School.  The agenda will include a discussion with staff representing Vermont's congressional delegation, along with a presentation on spent fuel storage by a representative from the US Department of Energy. For more articles about Vermont Yankee's sale and decommissioning, go to:

http://www.safeandgreencampaign.org/resources/decomissioning-resources 

Thursday July 5, 7 PM.  "Call of the Forest: The Forgotten Wisdom of Trees" at the Amherst Cinema, 28 Amity Street, Amherst, MA.

https://amherstcinema.org/films-and-events/call-forest-forgotten-wisdom-trees

Saturday, July 7, 1 - 3pm. Giant Puppet Parade & Circle Up for the Earth. The third annual Interdependence Day Celebration! Giant Puppets! Music and Song! community "Circle Up" for the Earth, and direct action with Climate Action Now, will be held July 7th at 1PM at Pulaski Park in Northampton, Massachusetts. The community is encouraged to contribute to the parade and the Circle Up by arriving with flowers in hand at 12:30pm.  More details at: https://www.facebook.com/events/210011913126855/ 

Saturday & Sunday July 7-8th , 9-5pm. Street Medic Training @ Open Way farm in east Montpelier (10 Minute drive from downtown Montpelier, VT). This class will cover the fundamentals of how to provide emergency care, basic first aid and DIY healthcare at protest and actions. This is a class for activists, community organizers and ANYONE who wants to empower themselves to learn to provide medical support to those in need in times of need! Cost: Sliding Scale. For registration and/or questions contact Mo:phone/txt 802-279-3833  email-mstanwor@gmail.com 

OK, Happy Summer Solstice and remember: Listen to your Mother!

Another Protecting Public Lands Enviro Show

Greetings Earthlings. We are sorry to report (once again) that the Massachusetts Department of Cut and Run (DCR) have yet to figure out what that Climate Crisis thing has to do with our public forests.  DCR also seems rather clueless about preservation even though that term has been around forever! Wendell residents Jonathan von Ranson, Dan Leahy and Jim Thornley join us to scrutinize DCR's absurd plans to cut 110 year-old oaks from the Brook Road or Wickett Pond section of Wendell State Forest. Many residents from Wendell and surrounding towns want the "forest as a living, wild and natural asset, not to be "managed" and turned into dead logs for the biomass and wood pellet industry" as stated in a recent petition. Also we take you to see this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and to check out His Malignancy The Mad King and his evil enablers, but first it's time for..........Revenge of the Critters! More selfie obsessed humans off to that great photoshoot in the sky by critters who just wanted to be left alone.

This week's Fool-on-the-Hill hails from Texas, where common sense goes to die home on the range. Repugnican Rep. John Abney Culberson, who according to the Pacific Standard is "a classic climate skeptic. He's questioned the integrity of climate research, voted almost exclusively against environmentally friendly legislation, and, in 2013, the congressman introduced a measure to block the EPA from using a social cost of carbon measure in its cost-benefit analyses of environmental regulations." And it seems as of last month Culberson "voted in line with...Trump's position in 98.6% of the votes" so now we really know he is......a fool!

If we're going to follow Rachel Maddow's advice "Watch what he does, not what he says" then it makes sense to bring up the image of Melania nudging His Malignancy to place his hand on his heart during the National Anthem rather than listen to The Mad King blather on about how Americans should be forced to perform those public rituals. Even for a pathological narcissistic liar, His Malignancy has been especially active this past month torturing reality but now even some of his enablers can no longer see the Emperor's new clothes? (sorry about that image). Of course, the Mad King's Dark Prince over at the EPA is still onboard and nearly as toxic to stuff like truthfulness or ethical behavior.  As an example, Truthout tells us: "Trump's EPA is moving to shake the foundations of protections for American drinking water supplies from contamination by oil and gas waste, opening the doors for the industry to sell its wastewater as a product instead of paying for its disposal." Great moments in rebranding! Not enough sleeze for you? Send for a corrupt Cardinal from Central Casting to assist The Dark Prince in trashing "God's Creation".

In The Enviro Show Echo Chamber the Guardian informs us "The world’s 7.6 billion people represent just 0.01% of all living things, according to [a new] study. Yet since the dawn of civilization, humanity has caused the loss of 83% of all wild mammals and half of plants..." We've touched on this Sixth Mass Extinction during the show over the past few years but now researchers calculated global biomass estimates using data from hundreds of existing studies. But we have some good news! Earth Justice tells us Hawaii is the first state in the Union to ban the toxic pesticide chlorpyrifos, which is better than nothing, right? It's not like they don't have their hands full in the midst of volcanic eruptions. 

After our conversation about DCR's proposed assault on Wendell State Forest we go to the Bus Stop Billboard:

Friday June 8, 9:30am. Walk the Talk on Climate. On Thursday June 7, Boston Mayor Walsh will hold an International Mayors Climate Summit. The following day, on June 8th, he will kick off the US Conference of Mayors Annual Meeting. Join the rally Friday morning to call on Mayor Walsh and all US mayors to turn their climate promises into climate action! They must 'walk the talk' on climate. Call 617-971-8568 with any questions.

Wednesday Jun 20, 6-8 pm. 350 Mass Node Meeting, Unitarian Universalist (UU) Church, 175 Wendell Ave, Pittsfield, MA.

Monday, June 25, 7:00 - 9:00pm. Climate Action Now Monthly Gathering. pin First Churches of Northampton, Massachusetts, 129 Main St, Northampton, MA. Go to: https://climateactionnowma.org/ 

OK, that's all for now. Remember to listen your Mother, OK?

The Climate Crisis & the Media

Greetings Earthlings. When was the last time you saw or read a story about climate chaos in the mainstream media? Is it all Trump and trash or bleeding leads? Lisa Hymas director of the climate and energy program at Media Matters joins us to test the waters. Of course, here on The Enviro Show we're all over the Climate Crisis like an invasive species without any natural predators. Speaking of which, we'll also take you to see The Mad King and some of his crazed court of climate criminals, as well as a side trip to have a good laugh about this week's Fool-on-the-Hill. All that and more (as they say), but first it's time for....................Revenge of the Critters! You may not be surprised to learn there's "vermin problem at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave" and not just in the Oval Office!

So much for the little creepy crawlers, on to the bigger specimens like His Malignancy The Mad King and his entourage of vermin like, for instance, Ryan Zinke crazed cowperson of the Department of the Inferior whose long list of scandals and ethical shortfalls was tallied up by none other than our guest's organization, Media Matters. But Lyin' Ryan is a piker compared to The Dark Prince over at the EPA. Politico reports, Scott Pruitt’s EPA and You-Know-Who’s White House teamed up in an attempt to block a report on water contamination by PFAS chemicals after one White House staffer warned that the report would be a “public relations nightmare.” What?? The public relations nightmare has been in progress for over a year. Why the sudden concern?  Meanwhile over at NASA, whose incoming administrator has zero experience with science, the program that tracks greenhouse gas emissions is being cancelled. Surprise! O wait, the same Yahoo News report notes : "Trump has proposed cancelling another Earth science mission, the Orbiting Carbon Observatory 3 (OCO-3)" as well. Maybe he'll use the savings for his fantasy about space cadets? Don't those cadets need a livable planet to return to? Stay tuned.

This week's Fool-on-the-Hill may have rocks in his head. Repugnican Rep. Morris Jackson Brooks Jr.  is vice chair of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology but like sooooo many Repugs on this sorry-ass committee Brooks is clueless on the subject of science. Last Wednesday during a hearing on “Using Technology to Address Climate Change” the congressman came up with a new theory on rising sea levels. Never mind the vast store of peer reviewed climate science identifying man-made CO2 and methane emissions warming the planet, Morris Brooks says: "Every time you have that soil or rock deposited into the seas, that causes the sea level to rise, because now you’ve got less space in those oceans, because the bottom is moving up.”  It's rocks. Who knew!

On to our Enviro Show Quote of the Week and this one fits our focus for this show:

"The U.S. news media have a critical role to play in educating the public about climate change." 

                                                                                              - Amy Goodman

In The Enviro Show Echo Chamber we rerun the New York Times' piece on the disappearing "old ice" up in the Arctic. Just like us senior citizens, pesky old ice seems to stick around forever.....until now. And this: our friends at the Center for Biological Diversity are sounding the alarm about all the pesticides being sprayed on our National Wildlife Refuges? Is there no refuge??

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

Saturday June 2, 7:30 to 10pm. Screening of the film "Burned", at Memorial Hall in Shelburne Falls, MA. Shelburne Falls Memorial Hall, 51 Bridge St, Shelburne Falls, MA

Monday, June 4, Press Conference at 1pm, rally at 2pm, Poor People's Campaign-Rally on Ecological Devastation and Health at Springfield City Hall, Springfield MA. This is a prime moment to show our solidarity. Please show up in Springfield if you are able! Go to: http://racialjusticerising.org/news-on-week-4/

JUNE 5, 7:00pm. Climate Action Now and the League of Women Voters have partnered to bring you three candidate forum on Climate & Energy.  JFK Middle School, 100 Bridge Rd, Florence. With Candidates for 1st Hampshire District (Consisting of Hatfield; Northampton; Southampton; Westhampton; Montgomery [Hampden Co.])

Friday June 8, 9:30am. Walk the Talk on Climate. On Thursday June 7, Boston Mayor Walsh will hold an International Mayors Climate Summit. The following day, on June 8th, he will kick off the US Conference of Mayors Annual Meeting. Join the rally Friday morning to call on Mayor Walsh and all US mayors to turn their climate promises into climate action! They must 'walk the talk' on climate. Call 617-971-8568 with any questions.

That's all folks BUT remember: Listen to your Mother, OK?

A Fracked Gas Attack Enviro Show

Greetings Earthlings. It's Springtime and so much comes to back into the light. Take for instance all the machinations by the fracked gas industry and their many enablers! Rosemary Wessel of No Fracked Gas in Mass returns to update us on all things fracked gas including actions you can take. As usual, we take you to see the Fool-on-the-Hill and His Malignancy The Mad King (not to mention his court of creepy climate criminals). Also, a special Enviro Show Quote of the Week right on target for this week's theme, all that and more but first it's time for.............Revenge of the Critters! Lone-star ticks coming for you meat eaters.....in pacts!

The week's Fool-on-the-Hill is another twofer and a regional one at that. Sadly, some of our representatives in The Belly of the Beast are not representing our best interests or those of the planet we share with all beings. U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) introduced the "Community Wood Energy Innovation Act of 2018" last week in an ill-conceived effort to "encourage the deployment of biomass-fueled energy systems and spur markets for low-grade, low-value wood" which is timberspeak for turning our forests into pellet or chip plantations for the lucrative export market while destroying the massive carbon sink that is our New England forests. How's THAT for innovation? We guess the addled Sen. Collins wasn't satisfied with just voting to make far-right Mike Pompeo the U.S. Secretary of State and thus placing us on the path to war with Iran, then she decided to inject new energy into The War on Nature! Wait, aren't women supposed to be nurturing?? Watch this space for future pushback! 

And, speaking of His Malignancy The Mad King, the guy who signed that recent edict trashing the nation's air quality now "signed House Joint Resolution 69 (HJR 69) into law. The legislation rescinds the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) 2016 Alaska National Wildlife Refuges Rule. The Refuge Rule was enacted to protect native carnivores on Alaska’s refuges from the state’s Board of Game predator management program, which allows practices such as the killing of bears with cubs and wolves with pups, as well as the hunting of animals from aircraft, among other things." Who knows, maybe this week he'll go after cuddly stuffed children's toys? Not satisfied with killing critters, His Malignancy seems to want to keep all that nasty plastic in our National Parks so America can continue to be great, we guess? O, and eliminate the White House bikeshare station in case someone using it gets the mistaken impression His Malignancy might support ANYTHING environmentally smart. And this: We hope his enablers are fooled into believing having The Mad King's arrogant mug carved into a glacier would be some kind of honor, 'cuz it truly is not.  On to The Mad King's Prince of Darkness, Scott Pruitt, the gift that keeps on giving in terms of scandal and....well......ecological disaster. The man who garners this scathing critique from The Paper of Record: "Despite stiff competition, Scott Pruitt, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, is by common consensus the worst of the ideologues and mediocrities President Trump chose to populate his cabinet." The worst of the worst; welcome to the era of The Mad King! But hey, why stop there? Last week The Dark Prince may have outdone himself by proclaiming (drumroll please)..."that tree burning was inherently a carbon-neutral way to produce electricity". This was refuted by Bill Moomaw and others soon enough. We guess Scotty is thinking ahead centuries as if there was no CLIMATE CRISIS! But fact-challenged as he is, Pruitt is just inherently criminally evil and deserving of all the truly bad press history will give him and all his relations. Finally yet another scandal, it looks like filthy rich Big Oil will be getting a "financial hardship waiver" from The Dark Prince.

Time for The Enviro Show Quote of the Week which, like most of the above, is also from the Land of Stupid. Casting environmentalists and groups like Conservation Law Foundation as anti-technology Luddites, opposed to gas, wind and hydro, corporate attorney Michael Blazer stated:

“What are we left with? Marching backwards to burn whale oil?” 

Given that Blazer was speaking on behalf of the billion dollar fossil fuel energy company, Invenergy that wants to build a fracked gas and diesel oil burning power plant nightmare in the middle of the pristine forests of north-west Rhode Island, just who is marching backwards??

On to The Enviro Show Echo Chamber for some potential good news! (isn't THAT refreshing?). A recent piece in the New York Times caught our attention regarding direct-air capture of CO2 in the atmosphere by rock formations. Read all about it HERE. And now a word from your Massachusetts Attorney General: "These commonsense limits on tailpipe pollution have done more than any other measure to improve air quality, reduce carbon emissions, increase miles per gallon fuel economy and save drivers money on gas,” said Bay State Attorney General Maura Healey. “Scott Pruitt has once again illegally handed EPA decision-making over to fossil-fuel lobbyists, while sticking the American people with dirtier air and higher prices at the pump. Since the public can no longer depend on the EPA to protect their interests, we are fighting to defend the standards."

After our conversation with Rosemary it's off to the Bus Stop Billboard:

May 15 to June 13 All Days. Water is Life Walk 2018. Houstonic River Source to Sea. Go to: http://waterislifewalk.org/ 

May 18, 2018 - May 20, 2018. Ralph Nader: Trump, Empire, the Military Budget, the Draining of America, and What You Can Do About It ‑‑ Now!  To Register: www.rowecenter.org, 413-339-4954



Saturda May 19, 9:30 am – 5pm GG’s EcoLiving workshops at Just Roots Spring Farm Fest featuring local food & beer, farm tours, live music, spring starts for sale, square dance and more! 

Just Roots Farm Fest: 34 Glenbrook Drive, off Leyden Rd, Greenfield, MA.

Saturday May 19, 10am to 4pm. Day of Remembrance Commemoration of the Anniversary of the Great Falls Massacre. Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A, Turners Falls,MA . Call: 413-773-9818

Saturday, May 19, 1pm: Rally with speakers at Park Street, 2:30pm: March. 2018 Boston March Against Monsanto - Rally for World Food Justice.  Shut Down Monsanto!  No to GMOs! Ban Genetically Engineered Crops & Foods! Ban Glyphosate/Roundup! Stop Poisoning the People of the World! Go to: https://www.facebook.com/events/1673284626101086/

Climate Action Now and the League of Women Voters have partnered to bring you three candidate forums on Climate & Energy:
MAY 20, 7:00PM
Unitarian Universalist Society
121 N. Pleasant St, Amherst
with Candidates for 3rd Hampshire District
(Consisting of Amherst; Granby: Precinct 1; Pelham)

MAY 23, 7:00PM
Frontier Regional School
113 N. Main St, S. Deefield
with Candidates for 1st Franklin District
(Consisting of Ashfield; Buckland; Conway; Deerfield; Leverett; Montague; Shelburne; Shutesbury; Sunderland; Whately; Chester [Hampden Co.]; Chesterfield [Hampshire Co.]; Cummington (Hampshire Co); Goshen (Hampshire Co); Huntington (Hampshire Co.); Middlefield (Hampshire Co); Plainfield (Hampshire Co.); Williamsburg (Hampshire Co.); Worthington (Hampshire Co.))

JUNE 5, 7:00PM
JFK Middle School
100 Bridge Rd, Florence
with Candidates for 1st Hampshire District
(Consisting of Hatfield; Northampton; Southampton; Westhampton; Montgomery [Hampden Co.])

Monday, May 28, 7 to 9pm. Climate Action Now MA monthly gathering. Unitarian Society of Amherst, South Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA. Go to: http://climateactionnowma.org/

Thursday, May 31, 6 - 8pm. An Evening With the Conservation Law Foundation. You’re invited to an evening with Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) at the Hitchcock Center on West Street in Amherst, MA.  CLF, a New England-wide environmental advocacy organization, forges lasting solutions for the region’s most critical environmental challenges. Go to: https://www.facebook.com/events/104328837079712/ 

Saturday June 2, 7:30pm. Screening of the film "Burned", at Memorial Hall in Shelburne Falls, MA. More info soon. 

Friday June 8, 9:30am. Walk the Talk on Climate. On Thursday June 7, Boston Mayor Walsh will hold an International Mayors Climate Summit. The following day, on June 8th, he will kick off the US Conference of Mayors Annual Meeting.

Join the rally Friday morning to call on Mayor Walsh and all US mayors to turn their climate promises into climate action! They must 'walk the talk' on climate. Call 617-971-8568 with any questions.

OK, that's it for now. Remember to listen to your Mother
 

The 2018 Earth Day Show

Greetings Earthlings. It's been 48 years since the first Earth Day, how is the planet doing since then? Gary Menin Mass rep for Raptors Are the Solution joins us to talk poisons, rats and raptors. We'll get into that and other matters over the years, as well as drag you along to meet our Fool-on-the-Hill and The Mad King and his crazed court of climate criminals. Also it's the Valley Free Radio Spring Fund Drive so here's your op to keep the signal flowing, OK?  Be sure to note your much appreciated donation goes to The Enviro Show. After you help to support the show and VFR it's time for.........Revenge of the Critters! Whales were the token critter during early Earth Days, but sometimes it seems like some whales aren't appreciative!

President Richard Nixon, a Republican who actually signed on to the founding of the EPA, was in office during the first few Earth Days but, as you no doubt know, he was a crook and eventually resigned. The present occupant of the White House is what we now refer to as a Repugnican and potentially a traitor to our country. We also refer to him as The Mad King 'cuz........well.....he just acts like it! More disturbing than his probable conspiracy with Russia and others to undermine our democracy are the efforts he and his court of climate criminals are making to DESTROY THE FUCKING PLANET!! As usual, we report the latest in that ongoing assault. Let's start with this headline from HuffPo: "With little notice, President Donald Trump ordered the Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday to dramatically overhaul national clean air standards and make it easier for industry to pollute in areas where it’s already dangerous to breathe." Hey, if you loved the 1950s you'll just love The Mad King! The good news is the New York AG got a judge to block the move....for now.  And this from the Washington Post: "The Trump administration made it clear this week that it is sapping the strength of a century-old law to protect birds, issuing guidance that the law would not be used as it has been to hold people or companies accountable for killing the animals." Whoa! Now we're headed back to the turn of the LAST century? Let's get back to His Malignancy's Dark Prince at the EPA. As noted on our last show, little Scotty seems he can't do enough to trash the planet. The Editorial Board at The New York Times agrees with us (they just say it nicer). In fact, so many people hate Scott Pruitt he now seems to think he needs Kevlar seat covers?

Moving on to the other end of the National Mall, our Fool-on-the-Hill this week is another repeat offender, Representative Rob Bishop of Utah, leader of the House Committee on (Extracting All Possible) Natural Resources and the Repugnicans answer to that age-old question: "Can Satan really walk on Earth?" You can click on the link above and immerse your self in his sins or simply take our word for it; the guy is evil, OK?

Sooooo, the Valley Free Radio Spring Fund Drive will pretty much preempt the rest of the segments but we still want to inform you of a few issues and upcoming events here on The Enviro Show blog. Let's start with this sobering news we can only blame The Mad King partially for: "The warming of the Earth over the past several decades is throwing Mother Nature's food chain out of whack and leaving many species struggling to survive, according to new research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences." Of course, His Malignancy and the enablers will make matters worse by trying to rollback every regulation in sight, right?  On the bright side, Patagonia is suing The Mad King for stealing your land (public lands that is). 


OK, time to  move on to the Bus Stop Billboard:  

Tuesday May 8, 4pm. DCR Post and Pre-Harvest Tour. Wendell State Forest.  Meet at the Wendell State Forest Headquarters, 392 Wendell Road, Millers Falls. The tour will be conducted “rain or shine”.  Attendees are encouraged to dress for the weather and to wear sturdy shoes.  For additional information about the tours and DCR forest management on state forests, parks, and reservations, please contact William Hill, Management Forestry Program Supervisor, at 413-545-3891.

Tuesday May 8, 2018, 5:30– 7:30pm.  “Deep Green Your Meetings & Events” Location: Nueva Esperanza, 401 Main Street, Conference Room, Holyoke, MA Trainers: Deb Habib, Ed.D. 

Free, more information and registration required here

Tuesday May 8, 6:00-8:00pm. Carbon Pricing in MA – A Key To Solving A Warming Climate. Dever Auditorium, Parenzo Hall, Westfield State University, Westfield. WSU’s Dept. of Chemical and Physical Sciences and the Dept. of Environmental Science will co-host this public educational forum which will: provide a brief overview of the current science on climate change; describe bills by State Rep. Benson & State Sen. Barrett proposing state-wide carbon fee and rebate legislation, and an omnibus bill by State Sen. Pacheco that would also institute carbon pricing; and lay out the ethical and moral dimensions for addressing a warming climate. Attendees will learn how each of these MA carbon pricing bills is economically designed to create jobs, improve the health of MA residents and fairly protect vulnerable populations and businesses while lowering state-wide carbon emissions. Click here for more information  

Wednesday, May 9, 9:30am. Join members of the Animal Cruelty Task Force, legislators, and animal protection organizations, and together let's put an end to animal cruelty in Massachusetts!

Registration closes at 5pm on Thursday, May 3. However, space is limited and registration may close early. Massachusetts State House, Room 428, 24 Beacon St, Boston, MA 02133

                          

Thursday May 10, Noon to 4pm,  March for Science Lobby Day. Massachusetts State House. With the help of our allies in Mass Power Forward, we will continue to push our leaders to respond to our demands concerning clean energy and environmental justice.  We are still working out the precise details for the event, so exact times are subject to change. RSVP now so that we can ensure that a meeting with your legislators and/or their staff is scheduled in advance. If you have any questions, please contact Andrew Gordon,  350 Mass Legislative Manager (andrew@betterfutureproject.org) 

May 18, 2018 - May 20, 2018. Ralph Nader: Trump, Empire, the Military Budget, the Draining of America, and What You Can Do About It ‑‑ Now!  To Register: www.rowecenter.org, 413-339-4954


Monday, May 28, 7 to 9pm. Climate Action Now MA monthly gathering. Unitarian Society of Amherst, South Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA. Go to: http://climateactionnowma.org/

Happy Earth Day everyone and remember to listen to your Mother Earth!