The Old Growth Enviro Show

With the Winter Solstice behind us and the New Year just ahead we thought it wise to check-in with the Valley’s own old-growth guru, Bob Leverett on the state of our rooted senior citizens. Also, maybe John Dingell’s not so great after all AND other news, but first it’s time for....Revenge of the Critters! D.O. is not here tonight but we have one of his blasts from the past Earth First! Radio commentaries on disc. Check this out: it’s "Revenge of the Trees"!

In the news: Looks like the honeymoon definitely IS over w/the Dems. Grist does one ominous interview with John Dingell, the new chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The man from Big Auto seems to think the climate crisis isn’t much of a crisis after all! ALSO, We were wrong: King George really is an environmentalist! (groan). The boy emperor actually signs the New England Wilderness Act. There really IS a Santa Clause...he’s just a little...er...lame? (not to mention out-of-control & dangerous). AND how about some local forest issues, huh? Maybe Glen, Jean & Bob can get into some of that.

Dave Rovics' "Song for the Earth Liberation Front", from the Behind the Barricades disc, will hook you up with the elfs at work (very timely, we must say), and bring us to an extended interview w/Bob.

Then it's on to the Bus Stop Billboard:

Thursday, January 4, the opening day of Congress. World Can't Wait is organizing a rally from 12:00 noon to 1:30 at Upper Senate Park, north of the Capitol. The rally will demand impeachment. The Bush Regime has committed war crimes and crimes against humanity; they have to go. Start the investigations, start the impeachment. Contact: 866-973-4463 ; http://www.worldcantwait.net/

Saturday January 6; SIREN TEST DIE IN; Noon, Brattleboro VT. Sirens to warn people that a serious accident has occurred at Vermont Yankee nuclear reactor are tested in Brattleboro VT the First Saturday of the month at Noon. In the Brattleboro area, activists are participating in a die-in protest whenever possible by freezing in place, standing silent or falling down "dead" when the sirens go off. For the full 3-5 minute test, people commit each month to stop their activities and reflect on what it would mean if this were not a test but the real thing. Info: Citizens Awareness Network 339-5781, mailto:can@nukebusters.org; www.nukebusters.org.

Saturday, January 13-15; Winter Retreat for Earth Lovers; Sliding scale of $150-$250 includes food, lodging, and workshop fee. "In a cozy and rustic setting surrounded by the deep stillness of winter, participants will come together with kindred spirits to laugh, cry, breathe, dance, sing, drum, journey, and play. Skilled facilitators will lead us through processes that invite people to share their stories, release their pain, embrace each others' passion, and heal the separateness from each other and the Earth." [a little woo-woo so you might want to wear yur' activism hat and spread the...um...gospel? -ed]. Registration: E-mail info@sacredearthnetwork.org or call 978.724-0120



Sunday January 14; PETER BARNES: "CAPITALISM 3.0: A GUIDE TO RECLAIMING THE COMMONS"; 3pm, Odyssey Bookshop, 9 College St (Routes 116 at 47), in the Village Commons, S Hadley, 534-7307 or 800-540-7307

That's about it until next year. Until then remember: Listen to your Mother!

That Pesty Enviro Show

It was time to step on the toes of our sister show, Farm to Fork, with an interview with Roberta Spitko of New England Fruit Consultants, an independent agricultural consulting firm. We looked at some of the Toxic Tales of Chemical Agriculture. You all know there’s no real line between the environment and agriculture, right? Given that a sizable portion of some of the best bottomland in the nation has been paved over or turned into suburban barbecue zones here in the Happy Valley it seems sane to protect what little is left, no? Also, the DEP and the EPA: are they just useless acronyms or can they be made to work again? But first.......It was time for Revenge of the Critters! Orca performance slave says: ENOUGH ALREADY!

There’s that theme again! Glen, what’s the countdown? When do Bush & Cheney leave DC and crawl back down to the Underworld? Whenever, the Bush regime is about to discover a holiday gift from We the People: the new chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, John Dingell is no Kris Kringle, but he is gonna’ find out who’s naughty or nice in the White House! Speaking of far-right enemies of the Earth or Fools on The Hill, can we gloat once again over Sen. James M. Inhofe, FORMER chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, emptying out his desk?

Also, the boy emperior's EPA considers getting the lead out.... from the list of air pollutants, that is. They have other really bad ideas down at EPA as well, such as shredding the books! And speaking of bureaucratic b.s., Glen pulled out of his hat: The Massachusetts DEP has for nearly a decade allowed hundreds of industries to discharge 1.4 million gallons of toxic wastewater per day into the Commonwealth's municipal sewage plants. Where do we get these people???

As always, we took a peek at the Bus Stop Billboard before the PVTA takes down all those unsightly fliers:

Saturday, 16 December 2006, 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM. The next monthly planning meeting of Five Rivers Council. Greenfield Community College downtown center, 270 Main St.
Wednesday December 13, 7pm, JOHN NICHOLS: “THE GENIUS OF IMPEACHMENT” Odyssey Bookshop, 9 College St (Routes 116 at 47), in the
Village Commons, S Hadley, 534-7307 or 800-540-7307


Thursday, Dec. 14 & 21, 4-5 pm Weekly Green Energy Vigil. Wells Fountain, Junction of Linden and Main, Brattleboro, VT. We will be here every week until Vermont Yankee is closed. Come join US!! for more info 802-387-4060

Thurs, Dec 21, 5:30-6:30 pm Anti Nuke Caroling, Downtown Greenfield, MA
Start at the Greenfields Market. Come Sing in Joyous Protest
These wonderful, funny, serious anti-nuke lyrics to traditional christmas carols!!

Friday December 15, 5pm, “AMERICA, PRAY FOR WAL-MART TO CHANGE” CANDLELIGHT VIGIL. Wal-Mart parking lot, 337 Russell St (Rt 9), Hadley. Join WakeUp Wal-Mart, Pioneer Valley AFL-CIO, and WMass Jobs with Justice in a candlelight vigil with several religious speakers praying for affordable health insurance for Wal-Mart workers. Info: Tyrone Housey, 732-6209 x17 To which we add a prayer for sustainable consumption,of course!


Week of December 17 “THINK BEFORE YOU BUY” NATIONAL WEEK OF HANDBILLING AT WAL-MART STORES. JwJ needs many to help handbill throughout the week. Please contact Tyrone Housey, 732-6209 x17,or
mailto:thousey@ufcw1459.com.

Friday, Dec. 29, 7pm Advertising and the End of the World, The Northampton Committee Peace and Justice Film Series.
The implications of advertising on sustainability: a presentation by UMass professor and Media Education Foundation executive director Sut Jhally. Media Education Foundation, 60 Masonic Street in Northampton. Enter via Woodstar Cafe, at the front of the building. The venue is accessible.

Next time Bob Leverett, THE old-growth guru of Turtle Island joins us to talk old trees. Happy Solstice!

The Kick-ass Biomass Enviro Show

Our honeymoon's over with the Dems. It’s time we heard some real-world solutions to the climate crisis and on reversing the damage done by the Repugnicians. We have some amazing Indie rock on tap from Vol. 1, "Rock Against Bush". Jana Chicoine from Concerned Citizens of Russell joins us to talk about the proposed biomass plant in their community. And we’ll take a brief look at the slow train wreck from the climate talks in Kenya such as false solutions to global warming, but first... It’s time for Revenge of the Critters! Elephant sick & tired of drunk tourists.

The indie rock tune "We need more time" reminds us to check our schedule and stop this global train wreck! First move: throw the rightwingers from the train!! We watch as the the Kenya agenda goes south. Our guy, Orin from the Global Justice Ecology Project lets go on the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Also, Romney whacks Mass. Budget with a neocon eye toward the White House. We also need more time to implement SMART sustainable energy programs like Brightfield or, get this, windmills at Vail! Ha! Those won’t get burned to the ground!

There’s the theme. Glen, what's the countdown? Darth Cheney's foolish youth sets the pattern for future waste. The arch-enemy of the Earth revealed. The "Biomass Blues", by Joe Mal takes us to our interview with Jana Chicoine.

Then it's time for our Bus Stop Billboard:

Wednesday November 29 PIONEER VALLEY COALITION TO CHANGE & CHALLENGE WAL-MART. 7-9pm, Porter Lounge (3rd Floor) or another room, Converse Hall, Amherst College, Rts 116 & 9, Amherst. Fighting the Wal-Mart in Hadley and maybe in Greenfield, working on Wake-Up Wal-Mart campaigns, giving mutual aid to the coalition members fighting Wal-Mart in many ways. Info: mailto:socialchange@amherst.edu.

Thurs, Nov 30, 5:30- 7:00 pm Tri-state CAN meeting
Room 121, Greenfield Community College Downtown Office, 270 Main St, Greenfield, MA Learn what CAN is up to and how you might get involved. We have ongoing efforts to shutdown Vermont Yankee nuclear reactor (just over the border in Vernon, VT). call 413-339-5871 for more info

Fri, Dec 1, 5:30-8 pm Anti-nuke caroling! Downtown Brattleboro, VT
Come Sing in Joyous Protest These wonderful, funny, serious anti-nuke lyrics to traditional christmas carols!! email cchang@nukebusters.org

Sat, Dec 2, Noon VT Yankee Die-in. Brattleboro, VT
Aside from giving us a false sense of security, sirens located throughout the Brattleboro area are primarily to warn people that a serious accident has occurred at Vt. Yankee. The sirens are always tested on the first Saturday of each month at 12 Noon. At random locations within earshot of the siren testing at noon in Brattleboro, each person agrees to participate in a die-in protest whenever possible by freezing in place, standing silent or falling down "dead". For the full 3-5 minute test, people commit each month to stop their activities and reflect on what it would mean if this were not a test but the real thing.
A group will be meeting at 11 am at the Harmony parking lot to walk through downtown and distribute literature and talk with people about what is going to be happening.
Contact Daniel Sicken 802-387-2798 or email dhsicken@yahoo.com

Sun, Dec 3, 6:30 pm Free Film showing of "Inconvenient Truth" by Al Gore. Sunderland Public Library, Sunderland, MA

December 6th at 10:30 am in Room B2 at the State House. Massachusetts Legislature Parks Caucus. It is critically important that we show strength in numbers and support for our parks. RSVP tom.philbin@tpl.org

Thursday, December 7, 7:30 p.m. An Evening with Starhawk:
"Holding the Vision of Global Justice: Keeping our Spirit and
Courage Alive". $12 admission/$6 student/low-income. Helen Hills Chapel, Smith College,Northampton. Contact: jazzli@crocker.com

That's it. Not sure if we kicked ass, but tomorrow's another day. Let us know what you think of the show by posting a comment on the blog. Got any suggestions or complaints? Talk to our Complaint Department down in the dungeon.

The Climate of Challenge Enviro Show

YES! Mother Earth gets a break from the Repugnicans! (at least for the present). We watched with a certain sense of joy as arch-enemy of the Earth, Congressman Richard Pombo was tossed into the composter. Marni Wasserman and Ashley Maroney of Umass MassPirg joined us to talk about the Campus Climate Challenge. And we didn't do a review of the International Days of Action Against Climate Change (opps!), but first (as always) it was time for.....Revenge of the Critters! Dog bites drunken rapist!!

"Think you gotta be shut down", by The Soviettes (no, not THOSE Soviets) reminded us that last Tuesday was time for some Fall House-cleaning and while we were at it we cleaned out the Senate as well! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha..! Arch-enemy of the Earth, Congressman Richard Pombo, FORMER chair of the House Resources Committee was tossed into the electoral shredder on the Other Coast by a mere novice. Unfortunately, we’re stuck with Senator James Inholfe until ’08, but he's out of a job as the chair of the Senate Committee on the Environment (did we just hear the planet sigh?). Did we fail to mention that tree-hugging Barbara Boxer is taking his place? Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha...! Meanwhile, here in the real world, we had events across the globe for the International Days of Action Against Climate Change. We just forgot to cover them in our crazed excitement over the elections. We did manage to remember to read an excerpt from a piece on the recent occupation of NOAA headquarters. Also, checkout Joe Public Film's Out of Balance in case you’ve forgotten how evil Exxon/Mobil is. And, checkout their fake news STILL trying to debunk the climate crisis. You can do something about it on-line or, better yet, in the real world (use your imagination!).

There’s that theme again! Glen gave us the countdown for the boy-emperor's much longed for exit and we took a body count of all those neo-cons being thrown under the bus by their own ..um...fellow travelers? Plus, we heard about an investigation into the Bush regime's political appointees' having, oh maybe just prevented climate researchers at NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration from conveying their findings to the public (you know: the public who pays their SALARIES!!) Meanwhile, here in the Commonwealth Gov. Mitt, in his infinate wisdom, has slashed $425 mil in state spending on such needless items as, O say ENFORCEMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL REGS! See all the damage here.

"What if you knew" by Dave Rovics took us to our interview with Marni Wasserman and Ashley Maroney of Umass MassPirg. Sadly, we never got to some good news from poor old Brocton out on the eastern end of the Commonwealth.

Finally, it was time to checkout the Bus Stop Billboard (the bus was late 'cuz of all those ...err..bumps in the road?):

Wednesday November 29, 7-9pm PIONEER VALLEY COALITION TO CHANGE & CHALLENGE WAL-MART, Porter Lounge (3rd Floor) or another room, Converse Hall, Amherst College, Rts 116 & 9, Amherst. Fighting the Wal-Mart in Hadley and maybe in Greenfield, working on Wake-Up Wal-Mart campaigns, giving mutual aid to the coalition members fighting Wal-Mart in many ways. Info: mailto:socialchange@amherst.edu.

Tuesday November 14, 7pm. BARRY LOPEZ at Gamble Auditorium, Art Building, Mt Holyoke College, Rt 116, S. Hadley. Mount Holyoke College's Center for the Environment, in collaboration with the Odyssey Bookshop, hosts award-winning essayist and short-story writer Barry Lopez for a speaking engagement and book signing of “Home Ground: Language for an American Landscape”. Lopez writes often about the relationship between human culture and the physical landscape. Info: Odyssey Bookshop, 534-7307 or 800-540-7307; mailto:odysseybks@aol.com; www.odysseybks.com.

Wednesday November 15, 5:30pm. SOUP & SEEDS: RESHAPING OUR ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIPS TO LAND & FOOD. Lyman Hall, First Churches, 129 Main St, Northampton. Presentations from local activist Juanita Nelson & biodynamic CSA farmer Jean Paul Courtens. Hot soup & bread. Info: Equity Trust, 863-9038, mailto:Rebecca@equitytrust.org, www.equitytrust.org.

Friday November 17, 7pm “SWEET MISERY: A POISONED WORLD” Film screening at the NACUL Center, 592 Main St at North Whitney St, Amherst, a half mile east from Amherst center; accessible by bus. Donations gratefully accepted. About the chemical sweetener aspartame that can have multiple neurotoxic, metabolic, allergenic, fetal, and carcinogenic effects and is known to erode intelligence and affect short-term memory. Yet this product remains on grocery shelves remains a multi-million dollar business. Discussion follows. Wide-Angle Films.
256-1760, mailto:lewis.emily@comcast.net,
http://justiceandpeace.net/WideAngleFilms.htm.

Sunday, Nov 19 Tom Neilson & Glen Johnson perform at 10 Harrison Ave., 2nd floor, Greenfield. 5pm potluck, 6:30 concert. RSVP (413)522-5409

Friday November 24, 11am-1pm. BLACK FRIDAY VISIBILITY at Holyoke Crossing - along the main road to the Holyoke Mall at Ingleside in Holyoke. The day after Thanksgiving is "Buy Nothing Day"(http://adbusters.org/metas/eco/bnd) and is also called "Black Friday" because, it’s the day retail businesses supposedly go into the black. The Waronoke Peace Action group invites all like-minded groups and individuals to remind the throngs of holiday shoppers that a needless war and military occupation in Iraq again mar this season of "peace on earth" for another year: “Promote Peace, No War Toys”. [and we here at The Enviro Show remind you that over-consumption SUCKS!] Bring your own sign or share WPA’s. Info: mailto:webmaster@WaronokePeace.org, www.WaronokePeace.org.


Thursdays November 30, 5:30-7:30pm TRI STATE CITIZENS AWARENESS NETWORK (CAN) MEETING, Room 121, Greenfield Community College Downtown Office, 270 Main St, Greenfield. Join our neighbors working to shut down the Vermont Yankee nuclear reactor. Broad public involvement is essential.

All done. Now you tell us, was this past week amazing or what?

The Very Scary Enviro Show

Your Halloween may not have been so happy by the time we finished with you this night! It's very grruuuuesome going, we promise. We had a bit of a masquerade in the studio. Yes, we were pretending to be radio personalities! NO! It was a Halloween party! At least D.O. came in costume. DIDN'T YOU SEE?? He was Darth Chjeney! Tamara, the VFR house witch returned to shed some light on Halloween night and the thin veil tonight between the living and the dead. But first it was time for....Revenge of the Critters! Man eaten by crawly pets! ARRGHHH!

Then it was time for the countdown, Glen? Talk about scary, how about Bush as President for Life! ARRRGGHHHH!

Here’s something else scary: It's Humans as Cancer! You're not going to like this! from Wild Earth, going waaaay back to Winter '92/'93. Adding fuel to the fire: Giant Human Footprint Crushing Planet! AND, continuing the chill: Dead Zones on the rise. Brrr!

Rise up citizens! Don your V for Vendetta masks and get into the streets! Call for Sit-Ins at the White House, Nov. 6-9, We need at least 5000 folks to SURROUND the White House. Think about it, 100 from every state. Now that’s representation. Can you be there? Cindy Sheehan says...be a part of history!

Finally it's time for the Bus Stop Billboard:


Thursday Nov 2nd;4:30 pm - Out of Balance: ExxonMobil's Impact on Climate Change film only; 6:30pm - film & talk back w/Producer: Tom Jackson
Mount Holyoke College
Sponsored by: Center for the Environment, MHC
Contact: 538-3091


Saturday, November 4, 2006 at 1:00 pm; The BOSTON COAL PARTY, a global warming street drama featuring patriots vs. billionaire coal and oil barons in a modern recasting of the Boston Tea Party; Boston Common, Brewer Fountain, near Park Street Station; Brian Thurber, Clean Water Action, 617-338-8131, x209, bthurber@cleanwater.org ; also: http://www.climateusa.org/



Saturday, Nov 4 Noon No-nukes Die-in, Brattleboro, VT
Aside from giving us a false sense of security, sirens located throughout the Brattleboro area are primarily to warn people that a serious accident has occurred at Vt. Yankee. The sirens are always tested on the first Saturday of each month at 12 Noon.
At random locations within earshot of the siren testing at noon in Brattleboro, each person agrees to participate in a die-in protest whenever possible by freezing in place, standing silent or falling down "dead". For the full 3-5 minute test, people commit each month to stop their activities and reflect on what it would mean if this were not a test but the real thing. A group will be meeting at 11 am at the Harmony parking lot to walk through downtown and distribute literature and talk with people about what is going to be happening.
Contact Daniel Sicken 802-387-2798 or email dhsicken@yahoo.com

Nov. 6-9; Call for Sit-Ins at the White House, Cindy Sheehan & others need 5000 folks to SURROUND the White House. Think about it, 100 from every state. Now that is representation. Can you be there? Email: CampCaseyMom@yahoo.com

Thursday, Nov. 9; 5:30- 7:00 pm.;Tri State CAN meeting. Room 121, Greenfield Community College Downtown Office, 270 Main St, Greenfield

Sunday, Nov. 12; Nov 12; 7-8 pm (Every 2nd Sunday of the month)
Let Entergy know we want a green future!!
Let Entergy know we can live without their power!!
Unplug ALL your electrical appliances including the refrigerator for 1 hr from 7 pm - 8 pm, on the 2nd Sunday of each month.

Friday, Nov. 17; 7pm. “Sweet Misery: A Poisoned World”, a film about aspartame at Wide-angle Films, the Nacul Center, 592 Main St., Amherst Call (413)256-1760

That's it. Was it a trick or a treat? Don't forget: if you're out on your bike at night wear white and DON'T take any poison apples.

The Genetically Engineered Enviro Show

Good news: Glen’s been recently rewired so he’ll be good for many more future shows. It was Jean on genes this time around. She shared her extensive knowledge of biotech, biopiracy and biodevastation. Also, we got a phone-in from our friend Orin Langelle of the Global Justice Ecology Project about the threat of genetically engineered trees and some direct action that’s been taking place in South Carolina during an industry conference organized by the International Union of Forest Research Organizations and co-sponsored by Summerville, SC-based ArborGen.(read: biotech corporados). But first...
It was time for Revenge of the Critters! Canadian geese go after the corporados!

Then we heard D.O.'s Open Letter to Deval Patrick and Patrick's response. There’s the theme, how about the countdown? Yes, it was time to trash Darth Cheney, the boy-king, and all the Bush regime neo-cons! This week: Bush Administration Maintains Its Cozy Relationship with Biotech Bully Monsanto. We never got to the corporate cronies in the National Park Service have a scheme for bio-prospecting in our national parks; hopefully we'll check up on them in a future show. Also, we never got to the strange crop circles appearing on three continents (no, not THOSE crop circles).

Laura Simon’s "GMO" from her "The future’s in our hands" disc took us to the interview with Orin. Here's one for extra points: how about trying for a dramatic reading of The Death of Organic Food at home?

Finally, it was time for the Bus Stop Billboard:

Tuesday October 17 TENTATIVE
HADLEY WAL-MART SUPERCENTER SITE FIGHT CONTINUES
7:30pm, Senior Center, 46 Middle St, Hadley. Wal-Mart may return to
the Hadley Planning Board to unveil new plans for a Supercenter. www.hadleyneighbors.org. help mobilize against Wal-Mart:
Pioneer Valley Coalition to Change & Challenge Wal-Mart,
mailto:socialchange@amherst.edu.

Wednesday October 25
PIONEER VALLEY COALITION TO CHANGE & CHALLENGE WAL-MART
6:30-7:45pm, Porter Lounge (3rd Floor), Converse Hall, Amherst
College, Rts 116 & 9, Amherst. Fighting the Wal-Mart in Hadley and maybe in Greenfield, working on Wake-Up Wal-Mart campaigns, giving mutual aid to the coalition members fighting Wal-Mart in many ways. Info: mailto:socialchange@amherst.edu.

Thursday October 26
RACE, GENDER AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
4pm, 83 College St (Rt 116), S Hadley. Giovanna Di Chiro, Mount
Holyoke College Earth and Environment Dept, explores the "politics of
articulation" linking environmental and feminist theories forged by
environmental justice activists Info: www.fivecolleges.edu/sites/fcwsrc.

Thursday October 26
WHAT IS HAPPENING IN NEW ORLEANS ONE YEAR AFTER KATRINA?
7pm, First Churches, Main & Center Sts, Northampton. Malik Rahim, a lifelong resident of New Orleans, former Black Panther, and Green Party member (former candidate for public office)and co-founder of COMMON GROUND RELIEF. Over the past year Common Ground has distributed food, water, clothing, and other necessities to poor people in the Ninth and Lower Ninth Wards of New Orleans. Malik will speak of the history and plans for the future - a future that we can participate in. See http://www.commongroundrelief.org. Info:
Rick Last, mailto:r.last@comcast.net.

SOLAR ENERGY: OWN A PIECE OF THE SUN
Chris Vreeland, Energy consultant
Wednesday, October 18, 7 - 9 p.m.
(6:30 registration and refreshments)
Location: Florence Civic Center, Park Street, Florence, MA
Learn how solar energy can work for you to produce electricity or heat water, and get information on siting and sizing a system, financing options, and locating an installer. For more information, visit www.cetonline.org.

SMALL SCALE WIND
Chris Vreeland, Energy consultant
Monday, October 23, 7 - 9 p.m.
(6:30 registration and refreshments)
Location: Shutesbury Elementary School, 23 West Pelham Road, Shutesbury, MA
Learn the “nuts and bolts” of small scale wind and find out how it can work for you. For more information, visit www.cetonline.org/

HIKING THE RANGE
Ted Watt, HCE Naturalist
Saturday, October 21, 9 a.m. - noon
meet in the parking lot at the Notch Visitor’s Center and take off on the trails that lead along the Holyoke Range for an easy-to-moderate hike. Bring binoculars and field guides, and enthusiasm for learning about what is out there. Pre-registration is requested so we know how many people to keep track of. CALL: (413) 256-6006

That's it. Next time: scary halloween! :O

Open letter to Deval Patrick

Dear Deval,

As one of the co-hosts to The Enviro Show on Valley Free Radio, WXOJ-LP in Northampton I want to take this opportunity to ask that you reconsider your stand on the proposed Cape Wind project in Nantucket Sound. As I'm sure you are aware, Nantucket Sound is a special place in the Commonwealth and held near and dear to a great many residents from all over Massachusetts. As part of the commons, it is up to all citizens of the state to protect Nantucket Sound from development that would spoil its relatively pristine character. We on The Enviro Show feel that the proposed industrial development that is Cape Wind would violate the sanctity of the Sound and endanger the wildlife that lives or passes through the area.

I am asking you to reconsider your position with regard to your support for Cape Wind and that you help the corporate backers of the project to work toward a more ecologically sound installation inland at a place that is already developed.

If you would like to read more of my concerns over Cape Wind you will find them here:

http://concertobi.blogspot.com/2006/04/windpower-advocates-tunnelvision-on.html

and here:

http://envirosho.blogspot.com/2006/04/sea-shepherd-opposes-cape-wind-project.html

I look forward to hearing from you with regard to this matter.

Sincerely,

D.O.
The Enviro Show
WXOJ-LP, 103.3fm

The Composting the Corporados Enviro Show

It was time for another look at the usual suspects in the corporate line-up: it's Big Oil in the White House and Big Kilowatt in your house!. Our friend Paki Weiland joined us live this time to talk about Entergy and its hold on the Big Easy. Also, Deb Katz of the Citizens Awareness Network returned to let us know about the looming Entergy threat to us here in WMass. But first, as always, it was time for.....Revenge of the Critters! Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Dog shoots man!

There's the theme! Time to trash Darth Cheney and do some good-hearted neo-con bashing. We started w/the Bush Regime countdown, then had a peek at Darth Cheney's scary record on the environment. Then, it was time to see what that other little devil in the White House is up to. Hmmmm, about that sulpher smell: Methane levels to rise again!. Can't blame that on King George, or can we? THIS we can: Emails show Bush Administration micromanaged scientific interviews. SURPRIZE!!

AND, more bad moves from the Bushites atNOAA (our own Rachel Maddow's favorite government agency, no less! Give us a break!) ALSO, Union leaders say Bush EPA bends to political pressure, AND, EPA not conducting environmental-justice reviews. Can you believe that? Yes? Another surprize!!

Then we roasted Mark Rey. This little weenie, former timber lobbyist, now Bush Ubersecretary for Natural Resources and Environment, actually had the gall to come to Northampton last Friday to "listen" to the people about our concerns on the environment! HA! All he did was doodle! Did anyone actually USE the little B.S.-Rey Sickness Bags someone was passing out? O, did we forget the ecological disaster that is Iraq? WE DON'T THINK SO!

Then it was on to the Bus Stop Billboard:

Tuesday October 3
Electronic Blockade Against Duke Energy'’s new Cliffside Coal Power Plant
Oct 3rd 9am-5pm EST; http://wmass.indymedia.org/newswire/display/1037/index.php

Tuesday October 10
HADLEY WAL-MART SUPERCENTER SITE FIGHT CONTINUES
8pm, Senior Center, 46 Middle St, Hadley. Wal-Mart returns to the Hadley Conservation Commission to unveil new plans for a Supercenter. mailto:socialchange@amherst.edu.

Saturday October 7
2ND ANNUAL AMHERST RENEWABLE ENERGY FAIR,10am-4pm, Town Common, Amherst. Info: 259-3249, mailto:powersm@amherstma.gov.
Saturday October 7
DOES OUR LIFE DEPEND ON OIL?
10am-6pm, Agape Community, 2062 Greenwich Road, Ware. Agape
CommunityÂ’s Annual St Francis Day Celebration. A day of learning about
Simple Sustainable Living. Info: 967-9369, mailto:peace@agapecommunity.org.


Saturday October 7
SIREN TEST DIE IN
Noon, Brattleboro VT. Sirens to warn people that a serious accident has occurred at Vermont Yankee nuclear reactor are tested. In the Brattleboro area, activists are participating in a die-in protest whenever possible by freezing in place, standing silent or falling down "dead" when the sirens go off. For the full 3-5 minute test, people commit each month to stop their activities and reflect on what it would mean if this were not a test but the real thing. Info: (CAN), 339-5781, mailto:can@nukebusters.org; www.nukebusters.org.

Sunday October 8 (Second Sundays)
UNPLUG VERMONT YANKEE
7-8pm, your home. Unplug all electrical appliances (including
refrigerator) for 1 hour on the second Sunday of each month. Called by
Citizens Awareness Network (CAN) to protest relicensing Vermont Yankee
nuclear power plant and let its owner, Entergy, know we want a green future.

Thursday October 12
TRI STATE CITIZENS AWARENESS NETWORK (CAN) MEETING
5:30-7:30pm, Room 121, Greenfield Community College Downtown Office, 270 Main St, Greenfield. Join our neighbors working to shut down the Vermont Yankee nuclear reactor. Broad public involvement is essential.

Saturday October 14
FIVE RIVERS COUNCIL INAUGURAL GATHERING
1–7pm, Four Rivers Charter School, 248 Colrain Road, Greenfield. The Five Rivers Council is organizing regular gatherings for the greater Greenfield area based on a shared vision of what is needed to create a Healthy, Equitable, and Sustainable Community. Info: 367-9673,
mailto:contact@fiveriverscouncil.org, www.fiveriverscouncil.org.

Monday October 16
REVOKE THE OPERATING LICENSE OF THE VT YANKEE NUCLEAR REACTOR
Noon, Entergy Headquarters, Old Ferry Road, N Brattleboro VT. Bread and Puppet parade through Brattleboro starts at the Brattleboro Memorial Hospital at 9am (exit 1 off I-91). Walk through town to Entergy headquarters(exit 3 off I-91). Bread and Puppet Band and performance at 11:30am at Entergy headquarters. There will be civil disobedience. Those wishing to join the civil disobedience action must receive non-violent CD training and join an affinity group - for civil disobedience training session in Mass, call 339-5781.

Hopefully, we;ll go out with the classic "Seabrook Song", by Tex & Pat LaMountain, but it's on vinyl that D.O. pulled out of the dump. Keep yur' fingers crossed (and your heads low 'cuz it's the Bush Era :O )

Architect of George Bush's Rollback of Environmental Laws to Hold “Listening Session” in Northampton

When George W. Bush entered office, he appointed chief timber industry lobbyist Mark Rey to oversee our nation's National Forest and gut our nation's environmental laws.

Mark Rey has been instrumental in opening the last 60 million acres of intact wild forests on our national forest system to logging and road construction

As a part of a national initiative to weaken our nations environmental laws, Undersecretary of Agriculture Mark Rey is hosting "listening sessions" to promote legislation that would roll back our nation's environmental laws like the endangered species act and clean water act.

In their place the administration would create “cooperative conservation legislation” which would allow industry to create their own voluntary regulations and tax incentives.

Undersecretary Rey will host a "listening session" in Northampton at 1 pm, Friday, September 29th at the Hotel Northampton. Be there. Give the Bush adminsitration something to listen to.

The Pioneer Valley Forest Council will host gather the night before to plan for the meeting. Please attend. Even if you can't - come to the "listening session" and speak out for our nations environmental laws!

Tell them that you support strong environmental laws, including the Endangered Species Act, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and forest protection laws and that you do not want to see them weakened or replaced by voluntary programs.

Come to our planning meeting the night before at:
7pm Thursday, September 28 at 181 Main Street, Northampton, Suite 2
(to the right of Haymarket).


Sponsored by The Pioneer Valley Forest Coalition and
The Heritage Forests Campaign
For more information go to:
http://www.4d4s.org/pvfc
or call 268-2016
pvfc@24d4s.org

The Our Communities, Our Water Enviro Show

It was time for us to be all wet yet again on The Enviro Show. No, no, no, not dead air and endless bloopers, water! It’s THE issue of the 21st Century and the corporados want to own it. We don’t think so!! Doug Renick joined us once again to bring us all up to date on the "Our Communities,Our Water" conference at Umass starting Friday, September 22 at the Campus Center. The Enviro Show is one of the proud endorsers of the conference and we'll be there broadcasting....sort of.

Also, our favorite resident witch, Tamara was here to clue us in on the Autumnal festivities associated with the Equinox, Mabon,the Holy Month, time of the Harvest Queen. But first, it was time for.. Revenge of the Critters! Cute Little kitty goes ballistict!

The world has a finite supply of potable water. Issues of quality and supply and privatization make it clear that we must act now to secure water for our children and future generations. We picked out some special sounds for the show that lend power to these critical matters. We heard all about this from Doug and film maker Liz Miller who called into the show.

On the Bus Stop Billboard we have:

Thursday September 28
PIONEER VALLEY COALITION TO CHANGE & CHALLENGE WAL-MART
7pm, Porter Lounge (3rd Floor), Converse Hall, Amherst College, Rts 116 & 9, Amherst. Fighting the Wal-Mart in Hadley and maybe in Greenfield, working on Wake-Up Wal-Mart campaigns, giving mutual aid to the coalition members fighting Wal-Mart in many ways. Info:
mailto:socialchange@amherst.edu.

Friday September 29
2006 WORLD INSURRECTION CIRCUS
6pm, on the lawn behind Hampshire College's Red Barn, Rt 116,
Amherst (in case of rain or cold: inside the Red Barn). Free (donations and volunteers welcome!). Puppeteers from the world renowned Bread & Puppet Theater join local community members to present the 2006 World Insurrection Circus. AFSC, 584-8975, mailto:bhh04@hampshire.edu,

Monday, October 16, Noon, Entergy HQ, Brattleboro, VT. We The People Revoke the Operating License of VT Yankee! Civil Disobedience action.
Call 413-339-5781 Non-violence trainings prior to action on Saturday, Oct.7, 11am-5pm. 2nd Cong. Church, Court Sq. , Greenfield. Register in advance: Call 413-863-9026

We'll go out with the same band we always come in with: REM and their "Find the River", from the "Automatic for the People" collection.

September 12 is Climate Crisis Day at Camp Democracy

On Tuesday, September 5, not far from the Washington Monument on the National Mall in Washington, DC, Rainforest Action Network, Code Pink, AfterDowningStreet.org, the Green Party of the United States, Vets for Peace, and a long list of other groups from all walks of life will participate in Camp Democracy [http://www.campdemocracy.org]. The political, social and environmental situation in the U.S. under the Bush regime has become a crisis of major proportions. All standard avenues of redress have been exhausted. With that in mind, the organizers of Camp Democracy along with the Rainforest Action Network have declared Tuesday, September 12 Climate Crisis Day at Camp Democracy.

The founders of Camp Democracy clearly make the case for this action: "Can you name the one country on earth where the government can steal elections, strip away basic rights, spy on citizens, and launch wars based on lies, but where the people do not take over the nation's capital in protest? If you said the United States, you'll be wrong on September fifth when Camp Democracy begins on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. At long last, Americans are preparing to say "Enough is enough," and to do what Ukrainians, Mexicans, or any other people not drugged into acquiescence would do when things got this bad: occupy the capital city to demand peace, justice, environmental sanity, and accountability."

We’ve seen actions similar to Camp Democracy bring change in European states (think Velvet Revolution; think Orange Revolution) and we’re seeing it ongoing in Mexico as we speak. Are the citizens of the United States any less committed? How much more damage can the planet and its climate take from the destructive environmental policies of the Bush White House and its supporters in Congress? The legacy of democratic change and resistance toward the arrogance of power needs only to be revived. Camp Democracy provides that spark.

Please join us on Tuesday, September 12 at Camp Democracy for Climate Crisis Day. Please spread the word to your friends, family and co-workers. [ If your group would like to participate in Climate Crisis Day at Camp Democracy contact us at david@davidswanson.org ]

Like its’ organizers say: "Camp Democracy will be held on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., from September 5 to 21. This will be a camp for peace, democracy, environmental sanity and the restoration of the rule of law....Camp Democracy is a grassroots effort and will only succeed with the help of many, many people contributing the small amounts (of time and money) they can afford. This is our opportunity to do what the citizens of the Ukraine, of Mexico, and of other countries do when their democracies are taken from them. This is our chance to say, "Enough is enough!"

The Climate of Crisis Enviro Show

Whoa! The anniversary of Katrina just behind us, the anniversary of 9/11 just ahead (be very afraid: vote Repugnican!) and the start of Camp Democracy TODAY! Our glass of woes and resistance runneth over. Our friend Paki joined us...sort of, to tell of her very recent experience running a donated truck down to the Big Easy. We had a call-in from Camp Democracy in DC, but first.....It's time for Revenge of the Critters! Yes! Yellow jacket nests as big as a Volkswagon!

Then Tom Neilson joined us for a radio debut of his yet to be recrded tune "Greenland's melting to the sea", which reminds us that we called this the Climate of Crisis Enviro Show 'cuz not only is the planet's climate in chaos due to industrial civilization, but the civilization itself is a crisis, much of due to the fearful destructive policies of the Bush regime. We had just a few examples (who can take more than a few??):

1) Did you think the crisis in Lebanon was over? ERRRR! There's the buzzer! Sorry, wrong again! The ecological disaster resulting from the Israel bombing of a Lebanese power plant, spilling 10,000 to 15,000 tons of heavy fuel oil into the Mediterranean Sea, continues. This from Grist.

2) Soooo, there was too much water in New Orleans last year, and too much in the Northeast this year, but guess what: there's nooooo water in the plains.

3) Closer to home where we have a potential nuke crisis hanging over our heads: Vermont Yankee gets some bad news for a change.

4) Now, for some good news: in response to butt-ugly U.S. kar kulture students at MIT are Breaking the Gas Ceiling! AND, more good news from the Other Coast....kind of.

Then we moved on to our report on the situation down in New Orleans from one of our favorite Raging Grannies, Paki Weiland. It's a crisis of governmental imcompetence down there friends, in the richest nation on Earth. Through the magic of the ancient cassette recorder Paki gave us her impressions while she's actually in another state! Then we heard from David Swanson at Camp Democracy

Bus Stop Billboard:

Saturday, September 9, Noon - 4pm Peace & Sustainability Fair, Unitarian Society, 220 Main St. in Northampton. Local peace and social justice groups interested in participating or tabling at this event should contact us by emailing amrusso@email.smith.edu
URL: gandhisnonviolent911.org

Tuesday, September 12, All Day. Climate Crisis Day at Camp Democracy on the National Mall in Washington, DC. Go to www.campdemocracy.org


Thursday, Sept14,5:30-7:30pm.Tri-state CAN meeting
Downstairs Meeting Room, Greenfield Community College Downtown Office, 270 Main St, Greenfield, MA. Learn what CAN is up to and how you might get involved. We have ongoing efforts to shutdown Vermont Yankee nuclear reactor (just over the border in Vernon, VT). There is much going on! Broader public involvement is essential!

Thursdays 9/7,14,21,28, 4-5pm, Brattleboro, VT. Weekly Green Energy Vigil: Wells Fountain, Junction of Linden and Main, Brattleboro, VT. Every week until Vermont Yankee is closed. For more info 802-387-4060.


September 22-24, University of Massachusetts, Campus Center
"Our Communities, Our Water", Water Privatization: Global and Local Issues in the 21st Century. Keynote speaker Francis Moore Lappe
Call:617-338-9966,www.massglobalaction.org

The Enviro Birthday Show

There is sooooooo much going on. It’s our one-year anniversary here at the Enviro Show. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! Our B-Day present from Glen? PODCAST!! Yes, now you can listen to us drone on ANYTIME! Checkout the link in a few weeks for all the past shows. Jeff Lacy of the Shutesbury Planning Board joined us as we took a look at forest preservation efforts locally. We heard from Thom Hartman on Camp Democracy that begins September 5th in DC. We’re also closing in on a not-so-happy anniversary, that being Hurricane Katrina’s landfall on the Gulf Coast. We had a look at lessons learned (or not learned) from that disaster, but first....

It was Revenge of the Critters time! Rare egg thief discovers the laws of physics! Then: It’s one year since Hurricane Katrina slammed into New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. The aftermath not only left countless people dead, wounded or homeless, it also left a toxic legacy that haunts them still. Getting back to homeless in the Big Easy: Katrina has created the first massive movement of previously predicted climate refugees.

Closer to home, Governor Mitt finally comes up with a plan! Where does he get the energy! Also, one that got D.O. in a lather: Greenpeace stages pro-corporate privatization tour!

"The Trees", by Rush from their live "Different Stages" disc took us to our interview with Jeff Lacy on forest preservation. Then it was on to the....

Bus Stop Billboard:

Tuesday August 22 7 PM , Arms Library, Shelburne Falls, Reel World Film Series’ "PEACEABLE KINGDOM" At a time when the public is more concerned than ever about the health and environmental problems associated with large-scale factory farming, Peaceable Kingdom explores another angle of this unfolding story: the interconnected life journeys of farm animals , former farmers, and animal rescuers struggling against an out of control industrial system

Tuesday August 29 7 PM, "THIRST"
Thirst is an important and timely film vividly illustrating the human costs of commodifying a most basic human right - water. Explores how power, politics and money all contribute to the raging international debate about water policy. Thirst tells a powerful and vital story of resistance and survival.

Thursday, August 24, 4pm. Weekly Green Energy Vigil; at the Wells Fountain in Brattleboro, VT at Junction of Linden and Main St. Call 802-387-4060

Friday, August 25, Anniversary of Katrina. Critical Mass Bike Ride for Climate Action. Check http://www.risingtidenorthamerica.org/katrina/ for rides near you.

Saturday August 26, Noon - 3pm. Protest and Rally Demanding Climate Justice and Truth Telling from the NOAA Leadership. NOAA headquarters, 1305 East-West Hwy, Silver Spring, MD. Contact: U.S. Climate Emergency Council, www.climateemergency.org, usajointheworld@igc.org, 973-338-5398

And, of course, Camp Democracy starts Tuesday, September 5th on the National Mall in DC. Save yourselves! Save the planet! Drive the neocons out of Washington!!

Finally, Friday September 8, 7 PM; House Party, RSVP, Meet the Green-Rainbow candidate for governor: Grace Ross. No matter your gubernatorial choice, this candidate is worth hearing. Her voice is the voice of healthy environments and sustainable economy, health care, small business and so much more that we care about. Call 413-256-1760

We went out with "The End of Summer" (hmmm...) by Dar Williams. That's right campers, summer '06 is almost history. Quick, go swimming!

CAMP DEMOCRACY

WHEN IN DOUBT.....CAMP OUT! OCCUPY THE CAPITOL IN SEPTEMBER
THROW OUT THE ENEMIES OF THE EARTH! BRING THE TROOPS HOME!

Our Communities, Our Water

Connecting the Local & the Global
September 22 - 24, 2006
Campus Center
University of Massachusetts, Amherst


Keynote speaker: Frances Moore-Lappé

Conference Goals
* To connect grassroots activists and water utility workers to share information on work strategies and activism struggles against municipal water privatization, bottled water campaigns, and bulk exports
* To create understanding of how the links work between local, national & international water privatization.
* To build an understanding of how and where to frame / organize / coordinate around municipal water privatization- given differing international, national, state and local legislations.
* Map out clear action plans for future collaborations and build a regional support network

Visit Mass Global Action for complete details. Do not miss this event.

Bee's rock the car culture with new graphic!

Yes! Car Culture reaps the whirlwind. Here's the word from our friends at the Beehive Design Collective:

"Arf! We've just completed the first, in what we plan to be many,
illustrations on the theme of Climate Change as the beginning of our
collaboration with Rising Tide North America. www.risingtidenorthamerica.org
The image was created as the first of two for use in outreach materials
for the upcoming international Call for Critical Mass rides in
solidarity with the Hurricane Katrina Anniversary on August 25th. It's a Car Culture Hurricane.
All Beehive Graphics are anti-copyright for non-profit use only, if
you'd like to use the image in your work, go right ahead, that's what
it's for! We super appreciate copies of reprints, credit to the
collective, and stories of their use. Please tell us what you think!
pollinators (at) beehivecollective.org

The links below will take you to the image:

SMALL (just for looking at) [JPEG file - 272 KB * 96 DPI]
http://www.beehivecollective.org/special/smallCriticalMass-Katrina.jpg

LARGER (for layout/press) [JPEG file - 2.1 MB * 300 DPI]
http://www.beehivecollective.org/special/CriticalMass-Katrina.jpg

The Dog Days Enviro Show

We had the elves pry Glen off whatever tree he was hugging up in Maine and return here to the dungeon for more enviro hi-jinx. We fired up the Terra-ist noise machine and burned up some of you far-right lurkers out there with news on so-called "global warming", but first....
We visited The Revenge of the Critters! This one rocked. In fact, it was a summer fishermen’s special: Big Fish Impales Angler! Sorry Charlie, Ian only wants tuna that doesn’t STAB YOU!

In the News: we started out with some positive notes before we completely bummed you out with yet more climate crisis info. Since it’s very clearly summer we talked briefly about summer camp. We’ve been hearing about summer camp vs. wired kids, often leading to what’s been called Nature Deficiet Disorder. We’ll be doing a whole show on that topic soon, but since camp’s still in session now seems a good time to evaluate kids' camp experience and plan for next year. If you know kids who are going to camp with their game-boys, cellphones, i-pods or whatever you might want to tell their parents for next year there are still camps operating in the REAL WORLD (you know, like in the woods!). Checkout local options like http://www.earthworkprograms.com/ or the Hitchcock Center in Amherst.

In terms of good news on the climate front (hmm..),a majority of Massachusetts state senators and reps have signed on to the so-calledGlobal Warming Bill, the end run around our Repugnician gov. The bad news is it died in committee (groan). Hey, it’s Massachusetts, SURPRIZE! Ok, ok, so I said good news: how about this: "Clinton foundation to work to reduce greenhouse gases"? or "Abundant Power from Universal Geothermal Energy"? or "Bio Town aims to run on renewable energy"??. Or, how about taking over Washington in September!! Now, isn’t that better?

"Reap the Whilrwind" by The Reagan Babies, from their Collateral Damage CD took us to the Bad News! Were you thinking the Israeli attack on Lebanon was just about innocent civilians being bombed into oblivion? No! They’re trashing the environment too! Also, You thought (maybe just a teenie-weenie little bit?) that nukes might help in the struggle with the climate crisis? Errrrr! Sorry, there’s the buzzer. the heat wave in Europe is shutting down nuclear power plants!. This could happen to you, USA! There’s more! The Senate votes for more drilling for oil in the Gulf of Mexico. Sorry, no funds for conservation. What? You think these guys are CONSERVATIVES!

On the Bus Stop Billboard:

Thursday, August 10 to 13, 32nd ANNUAL NOFA SUMMER CONFERENCE
Hampshire College, Rt 116, Amherst. Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) annual conference focusing on organic food and farming . Sister Miriam Therese MacGillis is the keynote speaker - in 1980, she founded Genesis Farm, a learning center where people gather to search for more authentic ways to live in harmony with the natural world and each other.
info: Julie Rawson, 978-355-2853, nofa@nofamass.org
NOFA's website is at: http://www.nofamass.org


Sun, August 13, 7-8 pm , Unplug Vermont Yankee Every 2nd Sunday of the month. Let Entergy know we want a green future!!
Let Entergy know we can live without their power!!
Unplug ALL your electrical appliances including the refrigerator for 1 hr from 7 pm -8 pm, on the 2nd Sunday of each month.
call for more info: Frances Crowe 413-586-4950

Thursday, August 17, 5:00- 7:00 pm Tri State CAN meeting
Meeting Room, Greenfield's Market, Greenfield, MA

Friday, September 22-24th, 2006 – Umass/Amherst, "Our Communities, Our Water" www.massglobalaction.org/home/ocow , Please contact us at 978-683-3967, or 12water@massglobalaction.org

Next time: Birthday Party!! Don't forget the silly hats! Hey, have you noticed all the Monarch Butterflies lately? THAT is a good thing considering what a beating they're taking in their winter home south of the border. We went out with "Butterfly" by Finish muscian Miriam Stockley, from her "Second Nature" CD.

The Enviro Towering Thoughts Show, Part II

Hmmm, maybe we should've called this the "No-show Enviro Show", 'cuz Sam Lovejoy was nowhere to be seen, at least from this studio. In any case, Glen’s away in the Maine woods tree-hugging. Eric, part of the glue that keeps Valley Free Radio on the air, was on the board to keep us from presenting you with an abundance of dead air. Jean and D.O. got into more talk of direct action (or the lack thereof) and the state of resistance against The Machine. Remember: only you can prevent forest fires AND GLOBAL MELTDOWN!

In the news: There were direct actions across the globe as part of the July 15 Climate Justice Day. Down east the Maine Toxic Avengers dropped off some building debris in the governor’s driveway as a graphic reminder of his trash-burning program (hey! hold on! Isn't Glen in Maine?). We went back in time this week to 1997 for a classic Revenge of the Critters moment: The Chase is on!
Also, Climate activists occupied Didcot power station in UK (hello?? Mt. Tom?); and D.O. gave us a summer heat wave special.

Dave Rovics’ Resistance" from the "Return" album provided some blessed relief from D.O.'s constant drone of scary news. Jean got into some of the much needed response to the climate crisis. She recommends the site for the Post Carbon Institute. Their motto "Reduce consumption - Produce locally" says it all. Jean also reminded us about our late friend Karl Davies, a tireless voice for sustainable forestry and energy awareness. You can still read his work at http://www.daviesand.com/.

Once again, we tried opening the phones for any relavent questions or comments you may have had, but since you're all laying on the beach somewhere reading a book, or like Glen out hugging trees in the woods, the phones remained silent. Helloooooo?

Then it was on to the Bus Stop Billboard:

Thursday, July 27, 4-5 pm. Weekly Green Energy Vigil
Wells Fountain, Junction of Linden and Main, Brattleboro, VT
We will be here every week until Vermont Yankee is closed.
Come join US!! for more info 802-387-4060

Thursday, July 27, 5:00- 7:00 pm Tri State CAN meeting
Meeting Room, Greenfields Market Coop, Greenfield, MA
Learn what CAN is up to and how you might get involved. We have ongoing efforts to shutdown Vermont Yankee nuclear reactor (just over the border in Vernon, VT). There is much going on! Broader public involvement is essential!

Saturday, July 29, 8pm. All Souls Unitarian Church, Benjamin Steinhardt piano concert fundraiser for CAN. Call Beth for details: (413)522-7505 or (413)230-3138 or eadams@earthtone.com

Friday, August 4, 7:00 pm The Doctor, The Depleted Uranium, and the Dying Children
WIDE-ANGLE FILMS SUMMER SERIES
NACUL CENTER, 592 MAIN ST., AMHERST
corner of No. Whitney St.; 1/2 mile east from downtown Amherst

August 6- 9 Walk for a Nuclear Free Future
Rutland, Montpelier and Burlington, VT
CAN and Nipponzan Myohoji are sponsoring a walk remembering the nuclear bombs the U. S. dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki 61 years ago, the catastrophic disaster of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986 and the accident at the Three-Mile-island nuclear plant in 1976. For info call 978-249-6224 or checkout www.wmass.indymedia.org

We also heard "We gotta do what we gotta do", from Laura Simon's "The Future’s in our hands" CD. The message is clear, dear. Let's go!

The Enviro Towering Thoughts Show

This time we really meant it: JEAN'S BACK!! Our own Sam Lovejoy joined us to talk about direct action and other such towering concepts. We opened the lines for that one, but no one called in except Francis Crowe, are one loyal listener (gee, maybe we should just do the show at her house). But first it was on to…. Revenge of the Critters! The mouse returns from the grave…sort of…and bites back.

In the news: Earth First! confronts ol' King Coal. Shut it down! Towers indeed! How about a whole slew of wind towers in Nantucket Sound? We don’t think so! Also, U.S. Emits Half of Car-Caused Greenhouse Gas, Study Says (checkout http://www.climateimc.org/ for this and other climate crisis info); Then it was time for some traditional Bush bashing for THE WORST PRESIDENT EVER: “Bush admin weakens water-pollution rules after oil exec intervenes”. Big Oil greases the wheels of government again. Surprize! And more...

"Declaration of War" by Ethan Miller & Kate Boverman, from their album, "If all the land would rise" took us to our interview w/Sam. We had a lively conversation about direct action and the kind of chemistry needed to make such action effective. One of the actions we touched on was the upcoming Camp Democracy planned for DC by Cindy Sheehan, Code Pink, and our own Traprock Peace Center. We closed the interview with the Reagan Babies' "Resistance".

Bus Stop Billboard:

*Al Gore's "Inconvenient Truth" is still playing at the Academy of Music on Main Street in Northampton. If you haven't seen it yet the gods and goddesses will not be pleased.

*Saturday July 15
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF DIRECT ACTION FOR CLIMATE JUSTICE July 15 will be an International Day of Action Against Climate Change - autonomous, decentralized actions. reclaimthecommons.net

*Thursday, July 13 Tri State CAN meeting, 5:00- 7:00 pm Greenfields Market Coop, Greenfield, MA

*Thursday, July 13, 20, 27, 4-5 pm Weekly Green Energy Vigil
Wells Fountain, Junction of Linden and Main, Brattleboro, VT
We will be here every week until Vermont Yankee is closed.
Come join US!! for more info 802-387-4060

*Tuesday, July 25 is the deadline for applications to join a team of traveling to Nicaragua August 26--September 4, 2006, to assist with a water restoration and reforestation project that is part of a campaign supported by the Nicaragua Network called "Let the Rivers Run". To receive an application for the reforestation brigade and see: www.nicanet.org

*Unplug Vermont Yankee, Let Entergy know we want a green future! Let Entergy know we can live without their power.Unplug ALL your electrical applicances including therefridgerator for 1 hr from 7 pm - 8 pm, on the 2nd Sunday of each month

Next time Jean & D.O. go it alone while Glen wanders off into the wilderness. Ed Russell returns to the board to keep us from bringing you untold minutes of dead air. Stay tuned!

Glen's Solo Enviro Show

It was all Glen, all the time this week 'cuz D.O. was off to the shoreline for his annual sanity reinforcement pilgrimage and Jean was...well....who knows where she's gone too! Glen had some reactions from viewers coming out of the Academy of Music in Noho after seeing Al Gore's film, "Inconvenient Truth". It was a sort of exit poll on the end of the world as we know it (hmmm, sounds like a song title, huh?) Then our favorite inhouse witch, Tamara was scheduled to sit-in and clue us in to the Summer Solstice. Like they say: it's a long day.

Music from the Reagan Babies, Meat Puppets, and Steve Earle. Glen gets to play some music that might otherwise get the big VETO, and it is not gender balanced. The EnviroShow will return to normal...whatever THAT means... next time.

Then a long phone interview with Mickey Novak from the Cronin Salmon Station in Sunderland (413-548-9010). It turns out you can successfully raise salmon (and other fish) with out having to be serial murderer.

Also, Glen was speaking with Joanne Montgomery, a local committed advocate for the environment and wildlife, who witnessed the recent arraignment in Springfield federal court for the proceedings against Zak and Lloyd, the serial Sunderland bird murderers.

On the Bus Stop Billboard:

* June 29, 2006 at 4:00 PM, Weekly Green Energy Vigil, Wells Fountain in Brattleboro, VT at Junction of Linden and Main St.for more info 802-387-4060

* July 3 - 10, Earth First! Round River Rendezvous, Jefferson National Forest, southwestern Virginia. www.katuahearthfirst.org; Email: katuahef@wildmail.com
Or call the toll free 1-866-411-8016


* July 06, 2006 at 05:30 PM, Tri-state CAN meeting, Green Fields Market, Main Street, Greenfield, upstairs meeting room. Info: 413-339-5781; can@nukebusters.org

* July 15, International Day of Direct Action for Climate Justice, efclimatecaucus@wildmail.com, www.reclaimthecommons.net

* July 29 Earth Sisters Rising! A Gathering of Women Who Love The Earth
For Empowerment and Renewal, 10 am to 4 pm at Starseed Healing Sanctuary, Savoy, MA. Cost: $65-$100 sliding scale. Pre-registration requested. Contact Cathy at 978-855-0688

Next time we REALLY will have Sam Lovejoy on (sorry bout that, got a little ahead of ourselves there) for some towering thoughts.

The Enviro Filthy War Machine Show, Part II

Jean’s back....really!....BUT she lost her voice :(
When will we finally get to hear about her adventures in Portugal? How about that wave farm over there? (no, they don't grow waves....what were you thinking??) David Keith, president of Valley Citizens for a Safe Environment and Community co-chair of Westover Air Reserve Base's Restoration Advisory Board, and Herbert Bernstein of the Institute for Science and Interdisciplinary Studies over at Hampshire College joined us to continue the discussion on the Filthy War Machine, specifically our local version at Westover air base in Chicopee. We opened the phones for that. But first...It was Revenge of the Critters time!

Following that: an announcement about the G8 Eight Days of Resistance on Climate Justice in DC, July 9 – 16. We put that right up front. (It simply couldn't wait to catch the bus at the end of the show). Also, Al Gore’s "Inconvenient Truth" meets the Competitive Enterprise Institute's Load of Bull! Then it was time for some good old-fashioned Bush bashing: King George’s energy plan whacks conservation.

We set-up the interview with Keith and Herb with another of the Reagan Babies' hits, "Mein Nieke", followed by a segment of former President Eisenhower's famous Farewell Address. It's all about the military-industrial complex folks. Ike warned us and here we are 43 years later. Go figure.

Then it was time to get on to the Bus Stop Billboard:

Father’s and Other's Day Walk and Rally
Sunday, June 18
10 am Vermont Yankee Nuclear Reactor, Vernon, VT
12:30 Brattleboro Common, Brattleboro, VT
2 pm Entergy Headquarters, Old Ferry Rd, Brattleboro, VT

Fathers and Others are protecting their families and others by showing
the way from danger! Starting at VY, we will be walking away from the
reactor north on Rt 142, 6.5 miles into Brattleboro. There we will meet
more walkers at the town Common and continue north on Rt 5, 3.5 miles to Entergy Headquarters on old Ferry Rd. Bring signs, food, water, good
shoes and positive thinking!!

We will shut it down!!

Call 413-863-8952 or 413 339-5781 for more details or to help organize.
********************

Tri State CAN meeting
Thursday, June 22
5:30- 7:30 pm
Meeting Room, Greenfields Market Coop, Greenfield, MA

Learn what CAN is up to and how you might get involved. We have ongoing
efforts to shutdown Vermont Yankee nuclear reactor (just over the border
in Vernon, VT). There is much going on! Broader public involvement is
essential!
*********************

Freedom From Oil Action Camp (July 8 -14 in Southern Indiana) a 5-day summit of 150 to 200 young organizers working to break America's oil addiction. It is cosponsored by The Ruckus Society, Rainforest Action Network, Global Exchange, Energy Action, and Oil Change International.
By day, participants will learn hard skills to build strategic and synergistic campaigns. By night, visionary thinkers will posit what our society can and will look like when we have moved beyond oil. Important alliance building will take place to move forward on election year strategies, corporate markets campaigns, campus organizing, and alternatives advocacy.
Email: FreedomFromOil@ruckus.org for more information.

Next time Sam Lovejoy joins us for some towering thoughts on nukes, wildlife corridors, and whatever else comes up.....like direct action maybe? Checkout our sister show, Farm to Fork at this time next week.

The Enviro Back to the Pleistocene Show

One of our favorite local wildlife biologists, Jennifer Seavey, returned to talk about....well, bringing back the mastodons! We checked out the latest from the usual suspects at Wild Earth and their plans to re-wild Turtle Island (never heard of that place? YOUR LIVING ON IT!...unless you're reading this from somewhere other than the U.S.). Also, wildlife overpasses! Not many U.S. flags hanging from them.....we hope.

It’s Revenge of the Critters once again. This week: Bambi Attacks! Then we had a listen to another of Neil Young's latest whacks at the present occupants in the White House and their neocon goons, "After the Garden is Gone". That set us up nicely for our traditional Bush bashing. It’s the Neocon Crash & Burn Watch! We love it! Some folks make maps of other peoples oil fields,like Iraq's for instance, when Darth Cheney’s Energy Task Force divided up the spoils back in March 2001 waaaaay BEFORE 9/11...hmmmmm, interesting timing, no?. Others make bioregional maps, but we’ll get to that shortly.

Also, A study commissioned by the Bush regime concluded that the lower atmosphere was indeed growing warmer and that there was "clear evidence of human influences on the climate system". What? No rewrite?? The enemies of the Earth in the White House took some other hits too. We had a gloat-in.

"They had small brains" by Dana Lyons brought us Back to the Pleistocene! Hang on to your...um..bear skin? This was the retro part of the show.

Then it was on to our Bus Stop Billboard:

THE REACH OF CHERNOBYOL and THREE MILE ISLAND REVISITED
Reel World Film Series
May 31, 2006, 7-9 pm
Arms Library, Shelburne Falls, MA
Information: (413) 625-9543

Clamshell Alliance Meeting
June 4, 3 – 6 pm
Cathedral of the Pines, Rindge, NH (outside of Keene)
The Clams are coming back to work on shutting down the Vermont Yankee Nuclear reactor. Join them in their efforts to organize NH.
For more info call Chris Nord (603)382-8153

Tack Back the Public Meeting!!
NRC Environmental Scoping Meetings on Vermont Yankee
June 6, 2-8 pm
Quality Inn, 1380 Putney Rd, Brattleboro, VT
Informal open house to provide information about the environmental
review process.

June 7, 1:30-4:30 pm, 7-10 pm
Lathchis Theatre, Brattleboro, VT
Request an opportunity to participate in the scoping process.
Contact Richard Emch by phone at 1-800-368-5642
or email at RLE@nrc.gov no later than May 31, 2006.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is conducting Public
Participation meetings for the Scoping process of the Generic
Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS) for the Relicensing Application of the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Reactor for an additional 20 yr

CAN Meeting
Thursday, June 8, 5:30- 7:30 pm
Meeting Room, Greenfields Market Coop, Greenfield, MA
Learn what CAN is up to and how you might get involved. We have ongoing efforts to shutdown Vermont Yankee nuclear reactor (just over the border in Vernon, VT). There is much going on! Broader public involvement is essential!

Friday, June 9, 7pm. Media Education Foundation, 60 Masonic Street in downtown Northampton NORTHAMPTON COMMITTEE FRIDAY NIGHT FILM SERIES
"The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil"
As the world faces the end of affordable oil, it can look
to Cuba, for whom cheap oil ended 15 years ago when the
Soviet Union collapsed. The country survived through a
rigorous crash program of community-based organic agriculture.

Next time: The Enviro Filthy War Machine Show, Part II
That's it. Don't forget: listen to your Mother! AND: Boycott Exxon/Mobil!!

The Enviro Blowin' in the Wind Show

Jean’s away in Portugal hugging trees and who knows what all. We opened the show with a few short riffs on news of the planet. In the Revenge of the Critters Dept. this week: Bug smasher blows himself up!

Elenor Tillinghast of Green Berkshires rejoined us along with Tina Clarke of Clean Water Action for our continuing discussion of industrial windpower. This civilized debate took up most of the show. Let us reason together. We set the scene with Para Noise's "Private Power".

"Spit on the ground", by the Commonwealth's own Reagan Babies will brought us up to the Bus Stop Billboard:

·Friday, May 19, 7pm Activism, Deep Ecology, and the Gaian Era:
A Panel Discussion, A Wisdom Council With Stephen Buhner, Lynn Margulis, & John Seed Moderated by Larry Buell of Earthlands at Stirn Auditorium, Amherst College, Preregistration is not required. Seating will begin at 6:30pm. For more info, email John jcryan@earthlands.org or call (978) 724-3428

·Monday, the May 22, in Agawam the Friends of Robinson Park are hosting a forum regarding the pending timber sale of both sick and healthy trees within a 130 acre section of Robinson State Park. Contact Owen at: owen.broadhurst@gmail.com

·Friday, May 19, 7pm, “Lovejoys’ Nuclear War”, Media Education Foundation, 60 Masonic street. Northampton

·Monday, May 22, 4:30pm Regional strategy session to replace Vernon nuke with sustainable energy. Kellogg Hubbard Library in the East Montpelier room (in the basement), Montpelier, VT. CAN at 413-339-5781

*Saturday, May 27 thru Monday 5/29 University of the Wild - Series III - Permaculture: Hands on Training for Creating Sustainable Culture. Earthlands, Pertersham, MA. Contact: Jono Neiger (413)367-2304; jononeiger@earthlink.net

*Sunday, May 28, 1pm, The Stories of the Forest. Meet at the Village Co-op, Rattlesnake Gutter Rd., North Leverett. Join Mark Gamble to stroll the woods and discover the tales recorded in the manuscript of the land.

*Wednesday, May 31, 7pm. Films: The Reach of Chernobyol & Three Mile Island Revisited. Arms Library, Shelburne falls, MA. Contact: (413)625-9543



We went out with Gina Citoli's "Breakdown of imagination". D.O. wants to dedicate that one to the good citizens of Leverett who voted to loosen septic regulations. That stinks!

Speaking of D.O., he still wants to bend your ear some more about Cape Wind: the right project in the wrong place. Maybe next time. For now you'll have to be satisfied with the anti-cape wind screeds he's plastered below and in thr links.

Next week: The BIG VFR fund drive. Time to pay the piper folks. You won't find this stuff on National Public Relations....errr..Radio.

Cape Wind proponents in bed with the enemies of the Earth

Proponents of the Cape Wind project, the industrial windfarm proposed for public waters in Nantucket Sound off the coast of Massachusetts, are now supported by the far-right anti-environment Bush regime. Why? Could it have something to do with future placement of offshore oil-drilling? Duh!

Here's the story from the Boston Globe:

>>US official opposes Cape Wind measure
Calls it unwise to give state veto
By Stephanie Ebbert, Globe Staff | May 6, 2006

The Bush administration weighed in on behalf of the wind farm project proposed off the Cape and Islands yesterday, urging Congress to drop a measure that would allow the governor of Massachusetts to block the controversial project.

In a strongly worded letter dated Thursday, Under Secretary of Energy David K. Garman called the measure backed by US Senator Edward M. Kennedy unwise and said it could threaten future renewable energy projects that the administration hopes to foster.

"More broadly, singling out wind generation in this manner could have a chilling impact on the continued investment and growth of this promising renewable energy resource," Garman wrote to the House and Senate chairmen of the committees involved with the legislation.

The statement put the Bush administration at odds with Kennedy and Governor Mitt Romney, who oppose the offshore wind farm, which would be the first in the nation.

Under the measure backed by Kennedy, the governor would be given the authority to block the project, even though it would be built in federal waters.<<

So, forget about State control over future oil rigs off the Massachusetts coast in PUBLIC WATERS (remember the theft of the commons?). If Cape Wind and its supporters have their way, future oil rigs off the Massachusetts coast may be a shoe-in.

If Cape Wind proponents think they have just had some sort of victory, think again! Their pyrrhic victory will come back to bite them in the ass as the proposals for renewed offshore oil drilling continue to increase. Big Oil just LOVES Big Wind!

The Enviro Beltane Show

It’s an ill wind that blows for the Bush regime and their friends in Big Oil these days, but there’s also some ill wind blowing in the realm of alternative energy. Eleanor Tillinghast from the group Green Berkshires joined us to talk about the problems with industrial windpower. Also we looked a bit at the Cape Wind project proposed for Nantucket Sound and the controversy within the ranks of environmentalists, present company included! Centralized energy? Windfarms as the answer to climate change? We don’t think so!

But first Gina Citoli set the stage with her blues tune, "Natural order of things", followed by Tamara, our resident witch, who joined us to clue everyone in on Beltane, the celebration that came waaaay before Easter, Passover or International Workers Day. We didn't erect a maypole in the studio....umm...hmm..not much room for that and we guessed the traditional bonfire was REALLY out of the question!

Speaking of May Day, d.o. couldn't resist sounding-off about his hometown's move toward total build-out. His commentary Leverett residents celebrate May Day by trashing the town" gave us the impression that all those raised septic mounds really do stink!

Then it was on to our regular Bush bashing (they give us so much to work with!) We checked-out King George and the court’s latest attacks on the planet and You! Of course, their neocon friends on the Hill weren't spared either: witness the House Repugnicans handing over $5 billion in tax breaks to Big Oil even as they make record profits and YOU empty out yur' piggybank to fill-up at the pump. And hey, checkout these clowns: talking fuel economy and driving around DC in their SUVs!

On the Bus Stop Billboard this week:

The Bees are here! Checkout the tour
Wednesday,May 3rd at Williams College Central Courtyard at 4:15pm in Williamstown.
Thursday, May 4th at Simmons College, Main College Building 3rd
Floor, 300 The Fenway, Boston at 6:00 pm

Sunday, May 7, 2006, 7 pm. at First Churches, Northampton, MA. Our own Harvey Wasserman on SOLARTOPIA: WHY WE CAN'T WAIT! Closing Nuclear Power Plants & Opening the Door to Renewables

Sunday, MAY 14, 2006 NOON TO 2 PM. MOTHER'S DAY FOR MOTHER EARTH
Come to the annual Mothers Day Peace & Justice March
A WORLD FOR THE CHILDREN - PEACE JUSTICE TRUE DEMOCRACY
JUST/ SUSTAINABLE ECONOMY DIVERSITY ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
11:45 AM meet at the Bridge Street School in Northampton
12 NOON, march downtown for a speakout of prose, poems & song.

Next time around: Eleanor rejoins us to go head-to-head with Tina Clarke of Clean Water Action on the industrial windpower issue. Also a looooong set by Para Noise with a reasonable request concerning the King.

The Enviro Water Show, Part 2

It was Part 2 of our ongoing coverage of water, THE issue of the 21st century. We had a look at privatization issues around water with Jean and with Jonathan Leavitt of Mass Global Action. Also, local film-maker/videographer Liz Miller called in about her soon to be released work "Water Warriors". First off though we had a peek at what the enemies of the Earth in the Bush regime are up to recently and then we failed to move on to some of the threats industrial civilization is throwing at the ocean. Also: more ticket giveaways! We had three pairs of tickets to "Marx in Soho", a CAN fundraiser in Shelburne Falls on April 22 but the phone was busy w/the interview!

We listened to "Get out the Bushes, Get out the Theives" by Stephanie Lee before we engaged in our traditional Bush-bashing. The Bush regime declares wet land are wetlands! Also, King George and the Court of Big Oil are licking their greasey lips over new coastal oil drilling plans. Things looking dim at home? How about a new war!

we were listening up to "Veolia" by Tom Neilson from the "Only Outlaws will be Free" album which set us up for a conversation with Jean, Liz, Glen, d.o. and Jonathan Leavitt on privatization of water. That went on and on and on. Soooo many people, sooooooo many thoughts, so little time.

Then it was on to Bus Stop billboard:

>April 17 – 21, Tent State UMass, UMass Amherst Student Union Lawn

>Thursday, April 20, 2006 NRC Meeting on Vermont Yankee, 2pm Brattleboro Quality Inn,Brattleboro, VT . Let NRC know what you think about how Entergy is doing.

>Saturday, April 22, 2006, 8pm, Memorial Hall, Shelburne Falls, MA. "Marx in Soho" by Howard Zinn . Join us for a great evening with Jerry Levy, who will present this one man play written by Howard Zinn about Karl Marx and his return to earth for one day. This is a benefit for CAN!! $15/$10 students, retired or unemployed
Tickets are available at World Eye bookshop and Boswell's books.

> Sunday April 23rd, 10 – 5pm. Amherst Earth Day on the Amherst Common.
Environmental organizations offering information on the Amherst Common. Come to hear Deb Katz and others speak of the latest developments regarding our aging Vermont Yankee reactor. There will be a tribute and annual Amherst Earth Day award given to CAN, Deb and Fred at 12:40. 11 - 12 Interfaith Prayer Circle including Sacred Circle Dances with Rowan. All kinds of wonderful music from 12 - 5 including local folk singers Annie Hassett, Molly Scott, with Sarah Benson - country bluegrass - accoustic raggae - blues - alternative indie rock - folk pop. Please join us. 413 549 5503.

> Tuesday, April 25-26 Brattleboro, VT Chernobyl Action and Rally
check the website for more info as it develops. www.nukebusters.org

Hattie Nestel is initiating a three-day water only fast. She will be in
front of the Wells Fountain on Main St. in Brattleboro, which is less than 10 miles from Vermont Yankee on April 25, 26 and 27 from 10:00 A.M. until 4:00 P.M. and invites anyone to join her. Info: hattieshalom@verizon.net

This is the twentieth anniversary of the catastrophic accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Northern Ukraine.

>Friday, April 28, Arbor Day, from 3 to 7 pm on Skinner Green, Mt. Holyoke College, The First Annual MHC Roots of Community Festival. The festival will bring the Five College community together with local businesses and organizations working towards sustainability. Everyone is invited to join for an afternoon of community exhibits, music and entertainment, local sustainable businesses and community organizations, outdoor games, a "Green Parade" put on by the Environmental Action Coalition, and a May Pageant. email: rootsofcommunity@gmail.com.

NEXT TIME: Back to the Pleistocene! Sweep out that cave, industrial civilization (such as it is) is headed down the tubes. Hang on!

Sea Shepherd opposes Cape Wind project

Add to the growing list of opponents to Cape Wind's proposed windmill farm on Horseshoe Shoal in Nantucket Sound the no-compromise direct action organization Sea Shepherd. Captain Paul Watson, founder and president of Sea Shepherd and once co-founder of Greenpeace International, told this reporter that "this project is a threat to seabirds and as a marine wildlife conservation organization, we represent our clients, marine wildlife and this Cape Wind project is not in their interest".

Back in December, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. came out against the project in an op-ed piece in the New York Times. Kennedy, a seasoned and highly respected environmentalist, wrote "Environmental groups have been enticed by Cape Wind, but they should be wary of lending support to energy companies that are trying to privatize the commons". In the article Kennedy went on to point out the ecological drawbacks of the project point by point in a reasonable and respectful tone. Important questions of the projects potential air and sea traffic safety have also been raised. Almost before the ink was dry on the page however, a storm of controversy arose and it has been brewing ever since.

Some backers of Cape Wind took the low road, attacking Kennedy and using some of the same corporate tactics and name-calling they themselves have been subjected to in the past. It hasn’t been very pretty. Others, like John Passacantando, Executive Director of Greenpeace USA, cast doubt on the integrity of Cape Wind opponents with statements such as "The opponents of Cape Wind would have you believe that to protect the environment, we need to oppose the wind farm", as if their efforts were contrived and their motives of concern for the environment were less than genuine.

Paul Watson says, “The position of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society on Cape Wind is that we are in full support of Bobbi Kennedy Jr.’s position. We also agree with Mike Roselle". Roselle, one of the founders of Earth First! also sided with Kennedy and took his attackers to task on his website. It makes for strange bedfellows given that Kennedy is very much a product of establishment politics, a lawyer and NRDC stalwart, while Watson and Roselle are leading voices in the radical direct action segment of the environmental movement. In addition, while most working class fisher organizations oppose Cape Wind's plan, as do many area residents, some of the members of the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound are millionaire yachtsmen. Perhaps even stranger is the fact that Massachusetts Republican governor Mitt Romney also opposes Cape Wind's plans, though more likely for reasons having to do with his presidential aspirations rather than any concern for Nantucket Sound and those who dwell there.

Regardless of the strange alliance of opponents, what seems lost in the ongoing argument brings us back to Kennedy's statement about privatizing the commons. While it may seem odd coming from a nominal patrician, the fact is that Cape Wind, the combined corporate entity of Energy Management Inc. and Wind Management LLP, intends to errect their industrial operation in public space, and not just any public space. Nantucket Sound, like the adjoining National Seashore where Thoreau walked the "Great Beach", is a national treasure. The question begs to be asked: would Cape Wind and its supporters propose errecting its derricks on the edge of the Grand Canyon? Maybe the Grand Tetons? Yellowstone? We think not, but proposing a windfarm or ANY industrial facility to be built in Nantucket Sound seems just as absurd when other already developed sites exist. In fact, given the growing intensity of storms in this day and age, one wonders why anyone would wish to build on the ocean at all.

Yes, climate disruption driven by a collapsing industrial civilization is a critical issue for the health and wellbieng, indeed the very survuval of the biosphere. Alternative energy facilities like windmills and solar voltaics, along with REAL energy conservation efforts, can help ease the increasing CO2 loading of Earth's atmosphere if they actually replace fossil fuel power plants (not anywhere near the needed attention is being paid to on-site power production for individual homes and businesses). But the question remains: just what are we going to sacrafice in order to stem the tide of global climate change? Will our grandchildren inherit a world of ruined land and seascapes developed for the maintainence of contemporary consumer lifestyles? Do we cast aside ecological integrity, the lives of countless other creatures and indeed unparralelled natural beauty so that we can continue shopping for the next big thing? We don't need to trash our natural biogems to "save the planet", we need to trash our unsustainable lifestyles, our deadly mindsets.

- d.o.