The Endgame Enviro Show

Greetings Earthlings. In keeping with our notoriety for gobs of gloom & doom here on The Enviro Show we get a call from Derrick Jensen, writer, activist, alarm-sounder and all around tree-hugging dirt-worshiper (hey! not unlike yours trulys!). We'll be talking about some of his latest tomes like "What We Leave Behind" & "Endgame". What? Not happy-clappy enough? Also, we delve into the latest enviro news in the old Echo Chamber, as well as in our E-Valley-uation segment; checkout The Enviro Show Quote of the Week; and visit the Bus Stop Billboard, but first it's time for....Revenge of the Critters! You guessed it: captive Killer Whale lives up to its' name. So why is it a captive again?

In our E-Valley-uation segment the BIG news is Vermont's Senate voting not to extend VT Yankee's funky old nuke an operating license beyond 2012. Don't think for one minute that old leaky nuke doesn't concern you here in the Valley. You are downwind and downstream and speaking of down: SHUT IT DOWN! Remember the thwarted Nestle assault on the Montague Plain? Checkout a very funny clip for Bottled Water Free Day here. BREAKING NEWS: Whole Foods "organic" from China? We don't think so! The store in Hadley needs to hear from all of us......LOUDLY!

The Enviro Show Quote of the Week concerns nukes as well:

"So, in essence, a nuclear reactor is just a very sophisticated and dangerous way to boil water—analogous to cutting a pound of butter with a chain saw."
- Helen Caldicott

In the Enviro Show Echo Chamber we hear from the Flat-Earth crew on Snowmaggedon vs. the Climate Crisis. Who needs science when you have Sen. Jim DeMint or James Inhofe! And this: Extra! Extra! The Climate Movement is Dead, Long Live the Climate Movement! Also, some good news! WMECO to go solar in the Berks. Did we say solar? Checkout the solar initiative Bernie Sanders introduced in congress here.

In our "Meet the New Boss" seg: an Enviro Show Blog Bonus: Take Action against the resumption of....are you ready?....WHALING! Here's the quote from Greenpeace: "Mr. President, we are deeply concerned about reports that some in your administration are championing a deal that would undermine the moratorium and secure the future of commercial whaling." Talk about "change"! Yes, we can!!

"The End of the World" (Whoa! right on theme) by Marie Mason from "Not for Profit" takes us to our interview with Derrick. He was just named Press Action's Person of the Year. Checkout the kudos: ""The recipient of this award was never in doubt. Derrick Jensen's "Endgame", released in late spring, was the best work of nonfiction in 2006. Given the significance of its subject matter and the urgency of Jensen's message, Endgame is the most important book of the decade and could stand as the must-read book of our lifetimes. But be careful. The book is likely to send you into periods of despondency over the bleak future of the planet. But Jensen explains that if enough of us stand up and work together to fight the fascists, the crash won't be as devastating. And the long struggle will eventually result in an explosive renewal of all forms of life on the planet."

Finally, it's on to the Bus Stop Billboard:

Saturday, March 6, 10-4 pm. Moms against VY. Hope for the Future. Come and make some art with Vermont's energy future in mind. Tables will be set up w/ supplies including clay, paint, mixed media. Performances will take place throughout the day. Winter Fare, River Garden, Main Street. Brattleboro, VT At 2:00 pm, all Women and Children Opposed the the re-licensing of VY should come to Pliny park, across the street (with signs) for a powerful photo op.

Saturday March 6, 9 pm, Burrito Rojo in Turners Falls. Tom Neilson's new CD release gig. Call (413)863-3111

Thursday, March 11. All Day it's Bottled Water Free Day! Checkout http://www.bottledwaterfreeday.ca

Saturday, March 13 at 9am. Mountain Justice Spring Break 2010. "Stand in solidarity with communities impacted by dirty coal!"Southwest Virginia. Email: mdriggs[at]gmail[dot]com or call (508)361-0136

March 15 there will be a drawing for five FREE trees for Greenfield residents! To apply call Janine at the DWP at 772-1528 x 106 or just stop by the Greenfield Town Hall. The FREE trees are made possible by the Memorial Tree Fund.

Thursday, March 18, 7-8:30pm. The Meaning of Wilderness. Doug Seale will lead us through an exploration of how the meaning of wilderness has changed over time and how these various attitudes shape our interactions with nature, with special attention to Thoreau, Emerson, Muir, Marsh, T. Roosevelt, Leopold, and a few others. Great Falls Discovery Center, 2 Avenue A., Turners Falls, MA 01376, Ph 413.863.3221

Saturday, March 20, 7:30 pm. Dave Lippman aka. Wild Bill Bailout will be at the Echo Lake Coffeehouse, Leverett Town Hall, Leverett Center. Call 413-548-9394

We are over & out. Tune-in next time for another visit with our in-house pagans. It'll be SPRING!

It's the Year of the Tiger.........do something!

Your friends on The Enviro Show are big fans of all critters, but big cats hold a special place in our hearts. Sadly, the cats are in deep trouble with only thousands left on Earth. Checkout this screed from The Center for Biological Diversity then take action on the links below. Thanks for listening!



The Year of the Tiger began on Feb. 14, which should mean good things for the world. In Chinese astrology, tigers are known as bold and independent, good luck against fire and thieves.

But if the Year of the Tiger ends up being anything like every other year over the past few decades, it won't be very good for tigers themselves. The princely animals are among the most endangered species on the planet. In the wild, they number fewer than 3,000; their habitat, which once stretched in Asia from the Pacific Ocean to the Caspian Sea, has shrunk by more than 90% over the past century, and it's shrinking still. "We once had more than 100,000 of these animals," says Sybille Klenzendorf, the director of the World Wildlife Fund's U.S. Species Conservation Program. "There's a real chance that we will lose this animal in our own lifetime."

Tigers are what is known as charismatic megafauna — the sort of big, well-known animal that tends to be good marker of a jungle's ecological health — and green groups are taking advantage of the Chinese new year to press for better protection. They face a battle on many fronts: tigers are threatened by deforestation, hunting and the illegal trade of their bones and other parts, which are used in some forms of traditional Chinese medicine, mostly for consumers in Asia.

But one of the most unexpected threats to the tiger comes here in the U.S., where there are more tigers kept in private captivity then there are surviving wild animals left in the world. Few laws oversee the private ownership of tigers in the U.S., and conservationists worry that captive tigers could too easily end up fueling the illegal global wildlife trade. "There are significant loopholes in U.S. laws that can allow tigers to be exploited," says Crawford Allan, the director of TRAFFIC North America, which tracks the wildlife trade. "We don't know what's happening to them."

In truth, conservationists aren't even sure exactly how many captive tigers there are in the U.S., although their estimate exceeds 5,000. That includes not just tigers in zoos and private wildlife reserves, but animals kept by private owners as pets, sometimes in terrible conditions. In 2003, a 31-year-old man in New York City was arrested after police discovered he was keeping an adult tiger (and an alligator) as pets in his Harlem apartment. Worse, in 2001, three tigers were found caged in the backyard of a Texas mobile home — authorities discovered the animals only after one escaped and killed a three-year-old boy. "There could be a tiger across the street from you and no one would know until something happened," says Allan.

But the greater danger of captivity is to the animals themselves. Tiger cubs that are bought as pets — it can be done online, legally — are often abandoned once they get bigger and considerably less cute. Reserves and sanctuaries can take some of the unwanted tigers, but many refuges have been overwhelmed by demand.

There are also real concerns among conservationists that some private parks in the U.S. are raising tigers specifically for the global wildlife trade. Along with bones, tiger skins are coveted as ceremonial garb in some cultures, or as decoration. (Although the international trade in tigers and tiger parts is illegal, few countries have taken steps to actually enforce the ban.) "Unless we can crack down on the illegal trade and on poachers in the wild, tigers have very little chance of survival," says Keshav Varma, the program director of the World Bank's global tiger initiative.

Although laws in 26 states in the U.S. ban the private ownership of tigers, conservationists would prefer stronger regulations that would allow the government to track the population of tigers kept in captivity and ensure they are being treated humanely and not being farmed for parts. Most of all, the regulations would actually need to be enforced; in Texas, for example, there are some laws governing the private ownership of tigers, but they're rarely used, and conservationists believe there are more than 3,000 captive tigers in the Lone Star state alone. "The government should be able to track the captive population better, to ensure they're not being put into the illegal wildlife trade," says Allan.

Protecting tigers in captivity is one thing, but the bigger challenge is restoring their numbers in the wild. Deforestation and the ballooning human populations in Asia have chased tigers out of their native habitat. Yet the health of the tiger means the health of the planet. "If there is a tiger in the forest, it's a sign that the forest and the other animals in it are healthy," says Varma. "Tigers are the face of biodiversity." Hopefully, then, 2010 will truly be the tiger's year.

© 2010 Time Inc.

Links:

Tiger forum.

What you can do

Indian Tiger Welfare

Help protect tigers from illegal trade

The Dept. of Consternation & Reprobation Enviro Show

Greetings Earthlings. Do you trust the Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation (DCR) to care for your forests? What do you think of clear-cuts in the Quabbin? Licensed forester, Dave Gafney calls in to bring us up to date on the state of forestry in the Commonwealth. We'll have a look at their present DCR "Vision" thing while we're at it. Like on near every show, we'll give you some of the latest news in our Echo Chamber, have a look at local enviro situations in our E-Valley-uation segment, give you The Enviro Show Quote of the Week and checkout the Bus Stop Billboard, but first it's time for....Revenge of the Critters! Fox.......Run!

In The Enviro Show Echo chamber we visit the ever entertaining state of Texas and their resistance to.....clean air! And speaking of clean air, wouldn't it be excellent to have municipal utilities that are more accountable to the community for air quality? Sign the petition here. Did you hear about our new ally in the struggle against the climate crisis? It's Osama!.......or maybe the Ghost of Osama, depending on who you want to believe on that account.

In our E-Valley-uation segment we re-run last week's Forest Revision....er..Vision thing in Amherst and chat about clearcuts at the Quabbin and on our public lands (where do we get these people??). Also, the Greenfield Distort....err...Recorder steps away from the world of journalism with their frontpage piece on spewing sewage into our atmosphere. And, our own Harvey Wasserman takes a dim view of that tritium leak at the Vermont Yankee nuke.

In our infamous "Meet the New Boss" segment it's time to address the Obama Administrations embrace of GMOs. In December, the USDA released its review of Monsanto's GE alfalfa seed and determined that Monsanto's alfalfa met the Obama Administration's standards, despite the risk of organic contamination. This conclusion came despite the acknowledgment by USDA researchers that GE alfalfa is virtually certain to "contaminate" normal seeds. You guess it: Franken Hay!

The Enviro Show Quote of the Week is a re-run from FDR and appropriate to our theme:

"A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people."

"The Tree" sung by Marie Mason from her "Not fror Profit" disc takes us to our interview with Dave, then it's on to the Bus Stop Billboard:

Wednesday, February 17, 12 PM - 1 PM. Brown Bag Lunch, not Tea Bags! Join us as we keep vigil in front of Rep. Richard Neal's office to stop the escalation and funding for war. 300 State Street, Springfield, MA. If you have questions about this vigil, please contact Tim Carpenter at tim@pdamerica.org.

Saturday February 20, 2pm. Students of the so-called Leadership Campaign are coming from all over the state to hold a Sleep-out this weekend on the Amherst Common (see: http://www.westernmassafsc.org/calendar/LCsleepout.htm) the idea being to avoid sleeping in houses heated with non-renewable fuels......at least for a few days we guess (hey, why not wait 'til summer??....kidding!). Contact Kaia Zimmerman, zimgurl@comcast.net, who is a local high school student and one of the organizers.


Monday, February 22 at 7:00pm. Climate 350 Campaign invites you to an organizing meeting at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 245 Porter Lake Drive, Springfield. Contact: M.A.Swedlund@pvclimate.org


Thursday, February 25, 7 to 9 p.m. Spotted Salamanders & the Tunnels. As many of us know, the first amphibian tunnels in North America were installed on Henry Street in Amherst in 1987. The history of the tunnels is a fascinating glimpse into the workings of international conservation and the interface with local species preservation efforts. Hitchcock Center for the Environment, S. Pleasant St., Amherst. Pre-registration is required; please call (413) 256-6006.

Saturday March 6, 9 pm, Burrito Rojo in Turners. Tom Neilson's new CD release gig.

Thursday, March 11. All Day it's Bottled Water Free Day! Checkout http://www.bottledwaterfreeday.ca

Saturday, March 13 at 9am. Mountain Justice Spring Break 2010. "Stand in solidarity with communities impacted by dirty coal!"Southwest Virginia. Email: mdriggs[at]gmail[dot]com or call (508)361-0136

March 15 there will be a drawing for five FREE trees for Greenfield residents! To apply call Janine at the DWP at 772-1528 x 106 or just stop by the Greenfield Town Hall. The FREE trees are made possible by the Memorial Tree Fund.

That is all. Tune in next time for our visit with Derrick Jensen. Until then remember: listen to your Mother!

Help stop the Massachusetts Chainsaw Massacre!

Public forum on logging the Quabbin & MA public lands to be held
Tuesday, February 9, 2010, TWO SESSIONS: 5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
 & 7 - 8:30pm.
Amherst Regional Middle School Cafeteria, Chestnut St., Amherst
.


Please come and help defend our woodlands from clear-cutting & bad forestry practices!

AND please spread the word!

d.o.
***************


The MA Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) formed the Forest
Futures Visioning Process (FFVP) to make recommendations on the future

management of Massachusetts' state forests because many of you found
logging practices on state land unacceptable. The process comprised
two groups: the Technical Steering Committee (TSC), a group of
“experts”; and the Advisory Group of Stakeholders (AGS), a group
representing public interests. The TSC has prepared a draft of its
recommendations for public review.

For the past 10 months, Massachusetts Forest and Park Friends Network
representatives on the AGS have repeatedly presented the TSC with the concerns that led to the formation of the FFVP in the first place. While the TSC's
recommendations answer some of our concerns, many remain. The Friends
Network wants you to know where we think more work is needed if we are
truly to develop a new vision for the management of our forests.



**********************************************************************
1. No more clear-cuts on state lands.
**********************************************************************
The TSC supports clear-cuts up to 5 acres (5 football fields).

Clear-cutting is the most destructive form of forestry and has no
place on public lands.


See Massachusetts Forest Watch for information on clear-cuts.
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?MAForestandParkFrien/2b32e46553/cb29832e08/16018068bb


**********************************************************************
2. No to "early successional habitat" as an excuse for clear-cutting.
**********************************************************************

The TSC proposes clear-cutting 30,000 acres to “create early
successional habitat”, but we think this is used as an excuse for
clear-cutting timberland. Clear-cutting to create wildlife habitat
only has the desired effect for 3-5 years, after which time saplings
take over and wildlife moves on. Heidi Ricci, Mass Audubon’s Senior
Policy Analyst and a member of the AGS said, “On early successional,
its not just whether DCR should do such management at all but how and
where. Many people question whether rather random holes in the forest
are the right way to do this, vs. targeted management of overground
fields, expansion of existing open areas, etc.” We prefer a
compromise, whereby wildlife habitat is managed on a small subset of
lands—4,500 acres on a continual 15 year rotation (300 acres/year cut
every 15 years). Let’s maintain meadows and ensure forest rotation
that really benefits wildlife.

Find out what other AGS members had to say about early successional
management and other topics at the AGS Google Group.

http://cts.vresp.com/c/?MAForestandParkFrien/2b32e46553/cb29832e08/8afe1ba584/start=

**********************************************************************

3. Strengthen language that protects parklands from commercial timber
extraction.
**********************************************************************
Creating a new land zoning system (parklands, working woodlands, and
reserves) is a good idea. Parklands zoning will be managed primarily
for recreation, much like the urban park system, with cutting only for
hazard trees, to maintain views, etc. Because they are unique, please
join us in asking that Bradley Palmer, Boxford State Forest,
Cleaveland Farms, Georgetown Rowley, Harold Parker and Willowdale
become designated parklands.

To find out if your forest is targeted for logging go to Friends
Network "Forestry Concerns Page". Scroll down to "Which

forests are to be used for timber? Is your favorite on the
list?".
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?MAForestandParkFrien/2b32e46553/cb29832e08/a78b33629e


**********************************************************************
4. Set aside 7% of Massachusetts lands in reserves and parklands.
**********************************************************************

Private lands can supply timber, but they cannot provide recreation,
biodiversity, wildlife corridors, and carbon sequestration like public
lands can. William Moomaw, Professor of International Environmental
Policy at The Fletcher School, Tufts University, and a TSC member who
wants more land in reserve than the TSC recommendations allow, said,
“Many developing countries are trying to protect 10-25% of their
forests (Surinam and Guyana are over 80%), while we are at the 1-2%
level for reserves in Massachusetts. The TSC proposed increase brings
us up to 3-4% of statewide lands.” Audubon and Sierra Club are also
advocating for more protected lands than the TSC. The AGS wants 80%
parklands and reserves and 20% working woodlands; only ~ 7% of MA
protected from logging. Is that really too much to ask for?


To see what the TSC has to say, see Forest Futures Technical Steering
Committee GoogleGroup.
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?MAForestandParkFrien/2b32e46553/cb29832e08/5d075ade8d


**********************************************************************
5. Demand site-specific resource management plans for each state
forest and park.
**********************************************************************

Improved planning processes for our forests include ecology,
recreation, wildlife, historic resources and other important land
values. The TSC did not address the fact that the law governing
forestry states, "The commissioner of conservation and recreation
shall submit management plans to the stewardship council for the
council’s adoption with respect to all reservations, parks, and
forests under the management of the department, regardless of whether
such reservations, parks, or forests lie within the urban parks
district or outside the urban parks district. "The plans are to
"provide for the protection and stewardship of natural and cultural
resources." Please join us in insisting that DCR create Resource
Management Plans for each forest and park, starting with the state
forests open to commercial timber harvesting.



**********************************************************************
6. Say no to creating a Commissioner of Forest Stewardship.

**********************************************************************
TSC wants to create a new position, the Commissioner Forest
Stewardship, within the bureaucracy of the Office of Energy and
Environment Affairs (EOEEA). Instead, of hiring another
timber-interest bureaucrat, please ask for a forest ecologist or a
conservation biologist to advise existing state agencies on how to
best protect and preserve public forests. Let’s keep Forestry under
DCR management to better balance all values of state land.




**********************************************************************
7. Don’t allow our public lands to be used to promote timber and
biomass extraction for private industry, subsidized by taxpayers.

**********************************************************************
The TSC recommends using our forests for “demonstration” logging
projects across 100,000-150,000 acres of state parks and forests to
benefit logging interests. Keep state public lands off limits to
product marketing for private industry and propaganda for biomass
plants.

For more information see MASSACHUSETTS FORESTS AT THE CROSSROADS
Forests, Parks, Landscapes, Environment, Quality of Life, Communities
and Economy Threatened by Industrial Scale Logging & Biomass Power
Deerfield River, Mohawk Trail Windsor State
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?MAForestandParkFrien/2b32e46553/cb29832e08/6a58efc2fa


**********************************************************************
8. No thanks to FSC Certification of state forests.

**********************************************************************
The TSC is promoting the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
certification program, which they say protects our forests. But it
took citizens pointing out gross violations that caused the state to
loose certification. FSC is a distant international organization, is
costly, promotes clear-cutting, and has proven ineffective for

protecting public forests. We recommend stronger regulations and local
oversight to protect forests.

To learn more about problems with FSC see fsc-watch.org.
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?MAForestandParkFrien/2b32e46553/cb29832e08/f891db766b


**********************************************************************
9. Support real public forums.
**********************************************************************
The FFVP public forums have been designed to limit democratic
discussion and input. Two of the meetings have been scheduled to start
at 5:00 p.m. How can working people attend?

At the forum, you will be shunted into small groups where a
“facilitator” will write down your comments. We believe everyone who
attends the forums should have the right to make comments directly to
state officials and be heard by everyone else in the room. Please
support the Friends Network at the forums when we stand up and ask for
a true democratic exchange!


The TSC draft recommendations. Please read and decide if this is the
vision you expected.
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?MAForestandParkFrien/2b32e46553/cb29832e08/14ae240261


**********************************************************************
The FFVP comment period closes February 22. Please submit written
comments via email to: MODRDCRFFVP@umb.edu or attend a public forum.

**********************************************************************
Upcoming public forums will be at the following dates, times, and
locations:



Saturday, February 6, 2010, 10 a.m.– Noon (Snow date: Saturday,
February 13)
 North Adams Public Library, 74 Church Street, North
Adams
.

Saturday, February 6, 2010, 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. (Snow date: Saturday,
February 13)
 Berkshire Community College – Melville Hall Room 201,
1350 West Street, Pittsfield
. 


Tuesday, February 9, 2010, 5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
 & 7 - 8:30pm.
Amherst Regional Middle School Cafeteria, Chestnut St., Amherst
.


Thursday, February 11, 2010, 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. (Snow date: Thursday,
February 18)
 Taunton Public Library, 12 Pleasant Street, Taunton.


See DCR information on FFVP public meetings here.
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?MAForestandParkFrien/2b32e46553/cb29832e08/f0d6389452


**********************************************************************
Thank you for caring about the future of Massachusetts' forests,

Your friends in the Massachusetts Forest and Park Friends Network

************************************

[This from Mass Forest watch]:

For background regarding commenting on the "Forest Future Vision" recommendations,

please see: www.maforests.org/Handout.pdf


Please be sure to submit written comments regarding protecting public forests,
watersheds and parks by February 22, 2010 by sending an email to: MODRDCRFFVP@umb.edu

Written comments are essential to ensure your
comments are included in the record.



For a reminder of why your voice is needed see:

www.maforests.org/QUABBIN.pdf and www.maforests.org/