Blog Archive

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

The Autumn Fun Drive Enviro Show


Greetings Earthlings. It's time to pay the piper again. Remember, Valley Free Radio runs on YOUR donations, not on corporate largess that dictates the content. VFR is independent community radio and The Enviro Show is just one of many locally produced shows that VFR makes possible. Now we are asking you to help keep the show on the air during our annual Autumn Fund Drive (i know we said "fun drive" and it will be lots of fun IF you do YOUR share and support The Enviro Show....otherwise we'll sulk and whine and who wants THAT!). Soooo, even though we'll be constantly reminding you of how much we need your support, we may still have time for a brief visit to The Enviro Show Echo Chamber, the Quote of The Week and our E-Valley-uation segment, but first it's time for...Revenge of the Critters! Sea lion snot into showtime. See the video here.



In The Enviro Show Echo Chamber we scope out the Invasion of the Frankenfish! Maybe we should've saved that one for our Halloween show, but hey, there's plenty more horror stories courtesy of the corporados, right? O, and speaking of corporados and the water check this out: Greenpeace USA activists stop Chevron offshore drilling project. Yes!.....finally!! And this: there's the energy crisis and there's the water crisis. What? There's some connection? Who knew! Here's our Enviro Show Blog Bonus: The National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling needs to hear YOUR comments NOW! Finally, this from Grist, it doesn't get much more ironic: Maryland Green Party Senate candidate killed by SUV while cycling.



Johnny Cash's "Don't go near the water" takes us to our E-Valley-uation segment where Biomess industry flaks get their panties all up in a knot over Patrick administration rules restricting tax credits for biomass energy, aimed at curbing greenhouse gas emissions. Jeez! Sorry to get in the way of your cash cow guys! And this: Shut it Down affinity group is at it again. This time they're nailed for tagging Vermont Yankee! Go grannies, go!!




Our Enviro Show Quote of the Week states: “The idea of wilderness needs no defense, it only needs defenders.” - Ed Abbey



Hey, did we mention it's our annual Autumn Fund Drive? Isn't it time you stepped up to the plate and helped support VFR and The Enviro Show? Did you know you can do it right NOW, right HERE? Thanks, we needed that!



Then it's on to the Bus Stop Billboard:

Thursday, Sept. 30, 6 pm. Meeting of Stop Toxic Incineration in Springfield at the Arise office. Call: (413) 455-3829 or 734-4948

Saturday, October 2, 2010.--Source-to-Sea Cleanup: 9 a.m. to 12 noon--Hauling: volunteers with trucks or ATV's needed from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. or any portion of that time. In Gill, Montague, East Deerfield, and Erving. Call Beth Bazler at Northfield Mountain Recreation and Environmental Center, (800) 859-2960, or email amy@franklincountywastedistrict.org. Elsewhere in the watershed (VT, NH, MA and CT), see a map at http://www.imrivers.org/crwc/, call Connecticut River Watershed Council (413) 772-2020 x201 or email: cleanup@ctriver.org.

Saturday, October 9, 10:00am. Big Tree Walk. Mohawk Trail State Forest is home to the tallest trees in New England. No other public property in our region has so many champions of height which included the 170.1 foot-tall Chief Jake Swamp white pine. Join Bob Leverett as he points out significant trees and groves of trees and discusses the history and ecology of the species represented in Mohawk Trail State Forest. Call (413) 339-5504

Sunday, October 10, 11:15am. 350.org's 10/10/10 events. First Congregational Church in Amherst will have a worship service at 10:30 AM themed around care for the Earth followed by a congregation-wide work party starting around 11:15 AM. We'll have lunch together at 1:00 PM to celebrate the conclusion of our activities.

Sunday October 10, 5:00am - 8:00am. 350.org 10/10/10 event. Winter Moon Farm Photovoltaic turn-on!. We hope to turn on a new 34.3 KW system for 10-10-10. 156 Solar panels are already on the roof! Pot Luck dinner and music. Please bring an instrument if you can! 17 Lawrence Plain Rd. Hadley.

Sunday, October 10, Noon - 2pm. 10/10/10 Global Climate Crisis Work Party. Help us Plant 100 Trees on 10/10! To kick off our restoration of a floodplain forest at Land of Providence in Holyoke, a project funded in part by the Massachusetts Environmental Trust, join us in planting 100 trees along the riverfront. 413.532.1631 x13

Tuesday, October 12, 2010: Change the system, not the climate!Call for a global day of direct action for climate justice The disaster that was the climate summit in Copenhagen highlighted one thing above all: That we cannot expect UN-negotiations to solve the climate crisis for us. Governments and corporations are unable (even if they were willing) to deliver real climate justice. Only powerful, global climate justice movements can achieve the structural changes that are necessary. To get involved please email info@climate-justice-action.org

October, 14-16. Beginning Thursday morning Forum (C building) Holyoke Community College at 9:30am. The Forest Summit. HCC in association with the Eastern Native Tree Society is hosting a long term lecture series to focus on the history, current status, and the future of the Forests of the Northeast and beyond. Go to: http://www.hcc.edu/forest/


Saturday,October 16, 9am. 350.org's 10/10/10 events. Grace Episcopal Church in Amherst will organize a parish-wide work party on the Saturday after 10/10/10 that will focus on implementing the recommendations from our top-to-bottom energy audit.




OK, so you made your pledge (right?) and you're ready to listen to your Mother, OK? In that case we'll shut-up and go out with a "Big Oilmance" by Jamie of SomaCow

Friday, September 10, 2010

The Forest Forensics Enviro Show


Greetings Earthlings. We know Enviro Show listeners are concerned about the health and well-being of the forests around us, but what about the history of those forests? Tom Wessels, ecologist and founding director of the master’s degree program in Conservation Biology at Antioch calls-in to talk with Glen about his new book "Forest Forensics". And yes, we said "talk with Glen" 'cuz Jean & D.O. are both away, leaving poor Glen to deal with the end of the world as we know it. Maybe he will spare you D.O.'s usual endless recitations from The Enviro Show Echo Chamber or our E-Valley-uation segment, but he certainly won't blow off our....Revenge of the Critters! Man attacked by tree while tweeting!



In the Enviro Show Echo Chamber forest activists in Russia need help in efforts to halt the construction of a highway through the Khimki forest. Moving over to Pakistan: about that horrendous flooding? Would you be surprised to learn that illegal logging was a big part of the problem? And speaking of actions here on the blog: We invite you to sign on to commit to action against a fossil fuel pipeline and pumping project (”Trailbreaker”) that may bring tar sands bitumen through infrastructure across several American states and Canadian provinces. You can sign the pledge here. Finally, Jill Stein, the only Green candidate for Gov. in the so-called Commonwealth is being excluded from the big debate!



In our E-Valley-uation segment we return to the Biomess! As you may recall, folks in Western Mass were instrumental in exposing the bullshit being put out by the biomass industry. Now the movement's gone national (international actually) and it's time for YOU to tell the EPA that emissions from biomass should not be ignored. Send your comments here. OK, so how can we talk about forest issues without talking about clearcutting by the Quabbin? We can't! Also, the proposed incinerator in Springfield reminds us to sign the petition to Governor Deval Patrick asking him to walk the walk for a real Zero Waste plan. For that go here



After Glen's interview with Tom Wessels it's off to the Bus Stop Billboard:

Friday, Sept. 17, 7pm. “Anthrax War”: Documentary examining the 2001 anthrax attacks and the secret and dangerous world of germ weapons. Local activist and attorney John Bonifaz will speak after the film at the Media Education Foundation’s Frances Crowe Community Room, 60 Masonic Street, behind Woodstar Café, in downtown Northampton. Call 413-584-3158

Saturday, September 18, 10:00am. Mohawk Trail State Forest is home to about 450 acres of old growth forest through which passes a 1.25-mile stretch of the original Mohawk Trail. This historic foot path was once used by Native Americans as a trade route between the Connecticut and Hudson River valleys. Join Bob Leverett as he takes us to the top of Todd Mountain along the historic foot trail for a look at its old growth forests and wealth of champion trees. Bob discusses the story of the Mohawk Trail, past and present, including modern Native Americans who continue to find meaning in this place. The hike is strenuous. Be sure to use good footwear and bring a snack/lunch, and water. Call (413) 339-5504

Wednesday September 22, 12:30-2pm, Brown Bag Lunch at Noon. GREENWORK: THE WESTERN MASS GREEN ECONOMY WORKING GROUP. Pioneer Valley AFL-CIO Hall, 640 Page
Boulevard, Springfield (732-7970).

September 25-27. Appalachia Rising in Washington DC. A national response to the poisoning of America’s water supply, the destruction of Appalachia's mountains, head water source streams, and communities through mountaintop removal coal mining. Email: Massachusetts Contact: Rana Xavier at shoot.rana.x@gmail.com or appalachiarising092710@gmail.com. Go to: http://appalachiarising.org/

Saturday, October 9, 10:00am. Big Tree Walk. Mohawk Trail State Forest is home to the tallest trees in New England. No other public property in our region has so many champions of height which included the 170.1 foot-tall Chief Jake Swamp white pine. Join Bob Leverett as he points out significant trees and groves of trees and discusses the history and ecology of the species represented in Mohawk Trail State Forest. Call (413) 339-5504

Sunday, October 10, 11:15am. 350.org's 10/10/10 events. First Congregational Church in Amherst will have a worship service at 10:30 AM themed around care for the Earth followed by a congregation-wide work party starting around 11:15 AM. We'll have lunch together at 1:00 PM to celebrate the conclusion of our activities.

Sunday October 10, 5:00am - 8:00am. 350.org 10/10/10 event. Winter Moon Farm Photovoltaic turn-on!. We hope to turn on a new 34.3 KW system for 10-10-10. 156 Solar panels are already on the roof! Pot Luck dinner and music. Please bring an instrument if you can! 17 Lawrence Plain Rd. Hadley.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010: Change the system, not the climate!Call for a global day of direct action for climate justice The disaster that was the climate summit in Copenhagen highlighted one thing above all: That we cannot expect UN-negotiations to solve the climate crisis for us. Governments and corporations are unable (even if they were willing) to deliver real climate justice. Only powerful, global climate justice movements can achieve the structural changes that are necessary. To get involved please email info@climate-justice-action.org

October, 14--16, 2010 The Eastern Native Tree Society Conference in the Forest Summit Lecture Series October 14-15 at Holyoke Community College. The Conference is still in the planning stage. More details and the agenda will come soon, so please SAVE THE DATE and check here: http://www.nativetreesociety.org/

Saturday,October 16, 9am. 350.org's 10/10/10 events. Grace Episcopal Church in Amherst will organize a parish-wide work party on the Saturday after 10/10/10 that will focus on implementing the recommendations from our top-to-bottom energy audit.



That's all folks! Next time it's the On-air Pledge drive at VFR, but why wait! You can donate right now and support The Enviro Show! Until then, remember: listen to your Mother.