Greetings Earthlings. With the 2010 Elections behind us and a House full of cretins in front of us we welcome Green-Rainbow Party Candidate for Massachusetts State Auditor, Nat Fortune to the show. We'll check-in with Nat about the Party's annual convention at Clark University in Worcester last week and his excellent run for office that put the Green-Rainbow Party on the map for the future. As always we visit The Enviro Show Echo Chamber and our E-Valley-uation and Fool on the Hill segments. We'll also give you our Enviro Show Quote of the Week and if time allows we'll Meet the New Boss once again, but first it's time for....
Revenge of the Critters! Elephants bust out! It's not just the GOP taking out poor farmers.
In our Fool on the Hill segment we find Senator Debbie Stabenow, Michigan Democrat, has concerns that greenhouse gas permitting requirements would dissuade the use of biomass to generate power. Not too worry, Deb, your concerns were addressed by the EPA's, Lisa Jackson who has stated the U.S. EPA will "exercise whatever discretion the Clean Air Act affords" to shield biomass users from the agency's climate rules. Sorry Lisa & Debbie, it's the climate that rules! Of course, there's more than one Fool on THAT Hill: Repugnican Eric Cantor (R-VA), the likely House Majority Leader, calls for House committees to review proposed and existing regulations and issue reports, presumably recommending alteration or repeal of regulations the committees dislike. The document derides regulation, commenting on its cost to businesses without mentioning its benefits to society as a whole. Surprise!
On the same issue some Obamaistas take a hit from the folks at EnergyJustice.Net who "voiced sharp disagreement with Secretary Vilsack’s support for burning America’s forests for electricity, expressed in a USDA Press Release November 10." We're thinkin' those forests might come in handy sequestering carbon, no? Speaking of trees, THIS JUST IN: Wi-Fi Radiation Is Killing Trees. Quick, text your friends!
Speaking of the Biomess, here in our E-Valley-uation segment we introduce you to a new website for the Bennington-Berkshire Citizens Coalition organizing around yet another proposed biomass incinerator (OK, so it's not exactly our valley, but we ARE downwind, right?). This proposed project will also produce those cute little biomess pellets, the ones that used to be trees, right? Trees that sequestered carbon, right? Like the site says: "The wood needed for the Pownal plant will be close to about 600,000 green tons per year, more than the entire annual timber harvest on private and public lands in Massachusetts." What? You think this stuff grows on trees?? And this Enviro Show Blog Bonus: Greenpeace has all the toys! The GP blimp hovers over Vermont Yankee. Also this: the Biomess takes hits in both Greenfield and Springfield!
Our Enviro Show Quote of the Week puts us back into the Wayback Machine in keeping with tonight's theme, where Massachusetts' own John Quincy Adams reminds us: "“Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost.”
In The Enviro Show Echo Chamber we replay Public Citizen's alert: "Time is running out for the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling. The Commission has less than two months to complete its report examining the causes of the Deepwater Horizon disaster and recommending steps to guard against future oil spills. The Commissioners are still waiting for the Senate, to give it subpoena power – a necessary tool to get at the core of the oil spill tragedy. Tell the Senate to stop being lame: Give the oil spill commission the authority to do its job! Also, the New York Times tells us even as we scale back on coal burning mining and exports increase. Finally this: Climate scientists prepare to fight back against climate crisis deniers. Watch out teabaggers, they have all the secret weapons!
After our interview with Nat Fortune it's on to The Bus Stop Billboard:
Thursday, November 25, Tar Sands Conference, University of Alberta, Canada. "Everyone's Downstream" is an annual conference that brings together community members, activists and others fighting the global infrastructure of the tar sands gigaproject. Go to: http://www.everyonesdownstream.org/
Friday, Nov. 26, is International Buy Nothing Day.
Wednesday, December 1, 7pm. the award-winning film, "Scarred Lands/Wounded Lives: The Environmental Footprint of War" The film will be aired in 106 Seelye Hall, Smith College, Northampton.
Wednesday, December 8, 7:00-8:30pm. Second Decommissioning Forum on VT Yankee. Greenfield Community College, Downtown Building, Main Street, Greenfield, MA Refreshments will be served. For more information, contact Deb Katz 413-339-5781
Monday, December 13, 6:30 – 8:30p.m. (Snow Date: Thursday, December 16). DCR Forest Futures Implementation [or who gets clearcut!] Public Workshops. Greenfield Community College, Downtown Center, 270- Main St, Greenfield. There will also be an opportunity to provide written comments. For more information on these workshops or the landscape designation process, please feel free to contact Jessica Rowcroft at 617-626-1380.
Thursday, December 16, 12:30-2pm, WMass Green Economy Working Group. Brown Bag Lunch at Noon, Pioneer Valley AFL-CIO Hall, 640 Page Boulevard, Springfield (732-7970).
OK, so don't forget to vote.....umm...sorry, we already did that. Next time Rev. Billy calls in about the coming Shopocalypse. Until then, remember, listen to your Mother!
