Another Winter Solstice Enviro Show...only better

Greetings Earthlings. Happy Winter Solstice to you and yours! Yes, it's old-time religion time; not the far-right's "War on Christmas" blather so much as a look at the very real ongoing War on Paganism! Laura Wildman, Priestess and Third Degree, Gardnerian Witch joins us along with our old friend and Mass Earth First!er, Penny Novack to celebrate The Winter Solstice. Sorry, we'll probably be fully clothed and bonfires are not allowed in the studio, but we'll do our best to do justice to all things pagan. As always, we checkout The Enviro Show Echo Chamber, the Meet the New Boss segment and E-Valley-uation, but first it's time for....Revenge of the Critters! Penguin attack!. That'll teach you humans to warm the globe!

Topping off The Enviro Show Echo Chamber: a brief review of the Saturday, December 12 Mass march at the COP-15 UN Climate Summit in Copenhagen outside and inside out! Then on Wednesday, December 16 the Reclaim Power Action made their long way to the Bella Center where the summit is taking place. Checkout this slideshow and the Guardian's coverage. Also, this must-read from George Minbiot.

Our E-Valley-uation news comes from the Biomess struggle. The Manomet greenwash....err...we mean white paper on so-called biomass "sustainability" had its coming out party last Thursday in Holyoke. Glen gives us the report-back.

Then it's time to Meet the New Boss once again (yes, we know, the same as the old boss...almost). The news is: EPA's Secret Plan to Raise Public Radiation Exposure Levels Challenged. That would be Obama's EPA . How about this headline: "Salazar Approves Arctic Oil Drilling Plan as He Prepares Keynote at Copenhagen"? It gets worse: read Obama's Big Sellout in the new Rolling Stone.

Turtle's "We all come from the Goddess" takes us to our conversation & Solstice celebration with Laura & Penny. Then it's on to the Bus Stop Billboard:

January 2-13.“Step It Up to Shut it Down” A Winter’s Walk From Brattleboro to Montpelier to tell the Vermont Legislature to “Retire Vermont Yankee!” and Replace it with Safe, Renewable Power Sources. Sponsored by the Safe & Green Campaign. Call: (802) 254-9098 or email: safeandgreenwalk@gmail.com. More information is available at www.safeandgreencampaign.org.

Friday, January 15, 7:30PM. Charlie King, Karen Brandow and Kim and Reggie Harris will rock Greenfield's St. James Church (8 Church Street) to celebrate and benefit the work of organizations such as National Priorities Project, Traprock Peace Center, AFSC, Arise for Social Justice and Jobs with Justice. Concert information: NPP, 413.584.9556, jo@nationalpriorities.org and www.nationalpriorities.org.

Fridays, January 8-February 12. NATURE DISCOVERY PRESCHOOL: WINTER WONDERS (Ages 3-5). Each day will include a combination of hands-on activities, songs, stories, games, movement and crafts. This program is designed for children ages 3-5 accompanied by an adult. The group will go outside for a short exploration each day unless temperatures are extreme. Space is limited. Pre-registration is required; please call (413) 256-6006. Partial scholarships may be available. Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 525 South Pleasant Street, Amherst.

We are done for '09. Next year it's Living Simply with Jonathan & Susan. Until then remember: listen to your Mother....ok? We'll go out with "The Old Ways" by Loreena McKennitt. HAPPY WINTER SOLSTICE!!

The Sanitized Biomess Enviro Show

Greetings Earthlings. Sick & tired of dirty old biomass incineration? Looking for a cleaner image? New terms? How about biomass pellets? Meg Sheehan calls in once more to cast more sunlight on the Biomess. In our E-Valley-uation segment local liberal pols climb in bed with the developers! We'll check-in with The Enviro Show Echo Chamber and "Meet the new Boss", but first it's time for...Revenge of the Critters! Humboldt squid swim-in!

It's a Foursome in our E-Valley-uation Segment. The Montague Reporter informs us that the former Montague dump site once considered for a toxic ash dump may now be utilized as a solar energy site. Talk about best use! Also this: as reported in The Valley Advocate, some unlikely local reps seem to be greasing the skids for extermination of endangered species. We brought up this attack on the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act months ago but would anyone listen to a bunch of pagan dirt-worshippers like us? Hrrumph! Finally, can Co-op Power really pull-off a "sustainable" biomass pellet operation in Greenfield? Checkout the pitch here (scroll down a few paragraphs). We guess you can register your thoughts on their survey too, no? Hopefully we'll be getting a short call from Rev. Billy about the Shopocalypse and his gig in Greenfield on the 19th.

In The Enviro Show Echo Chamber a bookish guy goes rogue on Palin(she of the wolf slaughter and countless other bad ideas). Also this: remember "The Story of Stuff" we linked to awhile back? Now it's The Story of Crap & Trade!

Our Meet the New Boss moment takes a brief look at what could well be Obama's Waterloo. Did you catch the West Point speech on Afghanistan? The U.S. isn't interested in other nation's resources?? Who knew!

Tom Neilson's Biomess song (which we can't play enough) takes us to our interview with Meg. Then it's on to the Bus Stop Billboard:

Wednesday, December 9th, 7:30 – 9:00 p.m. Transition Towns. Northampton Friends Meeting, 43 Center St., Suite 202. Transition Towns is a rapidly growing model for pulling a community together toward sustainable, joyous living. The goal is to get everyone involved in building a life that where we meet local needs locally, phase out the use of fossil fuels and other technologies that threaten the environment, and break through the isolation and separation that modern society have brought about.
For more information call 582-6700

Friday, December 11, from 4:30 to 5:30 PM on the Amherst Town Common: Candlelight Vigil on Climate Change. See: http://amherst350.org

December 12th: Global Day of Action - demonstrations in 106 countries on climate change. Go HERE.

Saturday, December 12, 1-2pm. All about snow! What is snow and why is it important to so many living things? Have you ever wondered about the beautiful patterns of snowflakes? Come learn the answers to all of these questions. Great Falls Discovery Center, Avenue A, Turners Falls. Ph 413.863.3221

Saturday, December 19, 2:00pm. Mass. Christmas Revival with Rev. Billy! Greenfield All Souls Church, 399 Main Street, Corner of Hope and Main, Greenfield

Monday, December 21, 12:47pm.: Winter Solstice!

Saturday, December 19, 1-2pm. How to identify trees. Come learn how to identify a tree without its leaves. You will learn about tree shape, bark, and buds of our local trees. This presentation is geared towards folks 12 years of age and older. Great Falls Discovery Center, Avenue A, Turners Falls. Ph 413.863.3221


January 2-13. “Step It Up to Shut it Down” A Winter’s Walk From Brattleboro to Montpelier to tell the Vermont Legislature to “Retire Vermont Yankee!” and Replace it with Safe, Renewable Power Sources. Sponsored by the Safe & Green Campaign. Call: (802) 254-9098.

That'll hold you 'til next time, yes? Hopefully our Winter Solstice Show won't leave you cold (groan). Until then, remember: listen to yur' Mother!