The Root for the Trees Enviro Show

Greetings Earthlings. Watershed advisory councils giving bad advice, our trees being clearcut and hauled away to Canada, junk science run amok in the forests, who isn't seeing the forest for the trees in the Commonwealth? Chris Matera of Mass Forest Watch returns to help us clear the air. Did we say air? In the E-Valley-uatiuon segment we note that all those trees being cut down used to be busy cleaning the air! We'll also be checking in with this week's Fool-on-the-Hill, as well as a trip to the Enviro Show Echo Chamber, but first it's time for....Revenge of the Critters! Zoo enthusiast and lame Repugnican presidential candidate, Newt Gingrich attacked by penguin!


Let's start off with some serious E-Valley-uation, shall we? The Enviro Show was proud to be one of the sponsors of that SAGE Alliance anti-nuke rally in Brattleboro last Saturday. We were also glad to be there to here Bernie Sanders read the riot act to the corporados at Entergy. Here's his speech. Checkout WHMP's "VT Yankee: Power Struggle debate here. And this op-ed from the NY Times reminds us that all those trees being clearcut from the Quabbin watershed are actually better left standing! Who knew!!



Another past fool returns to this week's Fool-on-the-Hill. Once again Darrell Issa, House Oversight Committee Chairman, and former car thief turned congressman, mounts the Hill to proclaim that the federal loan guarantee program that helps fund solar energy development discourages solar energy development. Actually the solar energy sector grew enormously in 2011 compared to 2010, more than doubling in the U.S. Two major factors drove this surge in U.S. investment. One was the 1603 grant program, which replaced tax credits, thus making it easier and cheaper to finance projects. The other was the loan guarantee program. Maybe that was an oversight on Darrell's part.


In the Enviro Show Echo Chamber this just in: Greg Palast blows the cover off BP's OTHER disastrous blowout! And this: the Prez makes the point that Wall Street speculators are one of the big reasons you're paying so much at the pump for gas. Of course we've been saying that for months, even as high-profile enviro reporters like Elizabeth Kolbert and others seem oblivious. And this: biomass blaze in the UK sheds light on what one might call the Kalfka clause! Remember the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? Well, if you order now you can get it free with Japanese radiation!


Speaking of radiation, while on one hand we applaud the New Boss for his slamming greedy speculators on inflated gas prices, on the other hand the Boss seems to think nukes are renewables!


Our Enviro Show Quote of the Week is spot on for the show's theme. It was Massachusetts' favorite son, Henry David Thoreau said:

"I come home to my solitary woodland walk as the homesick go home. I thus dispose of the superfluous and see things as they are, grand and beautiful."

O, by the way, last week's Guess the Quote? That was President Bill Clinton.



After hanging out with Chris we'll wander over to the Bus Stop Billboard:

Wednesday April 25, Noon to 1:30pm. GREENWORK ROUNDTABLE. Pioneer Valley AFL-CIO Hall, 640 Page Boulevard, Springfield. GreenWork (the Western Mass Green Economy Working Group) consists of advocates for a Green Economy which serves local communities; guarantees workers' rights to organize; and promotes community-owned sustainable projects. Contact: Mary Vogel, 413-565-2381

Friday, April 27, 10:30 am. Greenfield Middle School, 195 Federal Street..Arbor Day will be celebrated by planting a disease-resistant elm tree at the Greenfield Middle School, 195 Federal Street. Superintendent Dr. Susan Hollins, Greenfield Middle School students and teachers will participate – all are invited. “It is hard to imagine our town without our beloved trees,” says Cindy Pomeroy, Greenfield Tree Committee member and organizer of Arbor Day. “We are healthier in body and spirit because of them.” For more information call 774-5667.

Saturday, April 28, 10am & 2pm. Unwanted Drug Collection. Ensure that unused drugs are disposed of safely by bringing them to a Saturday collection at Wildwood Elementary School, 813 N Pleasant St (enter off Strong Street) in Amherst. Antibiotics, Vitamins, prescription, non-prescription & veterinary meds are welcome. No liquids will be accepted.

Tuesday, May 1 A Day Without the 99%: May Day 2012. On May 1st we will take the streets to reclaim our jobs, our communities, our lives. Occupy Wall Street stands in solidarity with the calls for a General Strike, a Day Without the 99%, and more! There will be actions throughout the day, including a 4 p.m. rally at Union Square that culminates with a march to Wall Street at 5:30 p.m. Contact: mayday@nycga.net

April 30-May 5, 2012. Climate Impacts Action Week: We need volunteers! Action on the Coolidge Bridge. Rush-hour (8 to 9am & 5 to 6pm) groups of 10 or more people will stand on the sidewalk of the Coolidge Bridge between Hadley and Northampton. Main Event: Saturday, May 5, 8-9:00am, 5-6pm. Show your support for a world without fossil fuels. Sign up now:
 johnpberk@gmail.com, or 413-625-6374

Tuesday, May 8. 6p.m. Organic Lawn Care” lecture at Better Life Whole Foods, 1492 Allen St, Springfield. Registration call: (413)783-9424

Tuesday May 15, 7pm, Northampton UU Meetinghouse. Why ending Corporate Personhood at the local level is the right place to do the work. 150 communities in seven states are doing just that, banning harmful corporate activities in their own back yards. Paul Cienfuegos , known for his advocacy of "rights-based organizing," will speak, sponsored by the Occupy Affinity group of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship.


So much for that. Next time it's the Valley Free Radio on-air fund drive. That's the part where YOU come in. We can't do this without your support. It's as simple as that. How about sending your donation right now? Just go here and click on the blue "donate" button near the top of the page. Thanks for that and remember, listen to your Mother!

Rally Saturday! - Shutdown VT Yankee Nuke/Suppport VT

U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
VT Governor Peter Shumlin
Vermont Attorney General William Sorrell

to speak at
RALLY TO SUPPORT VERMONT

Citizens from Vermont and surrounding states show support for the democratic will of the people and Vermont elected officials and learn why and how we must act now to decommission Vermont Yankee rather than extend its original 40-year license.
Saturday, April 14, 2012, Noon to 2:00 pm
Brattleboro Common, Brattleboro, Vermont 05301


Also Statements issued from

Former Governor Madeline Kunin
and other elected officials

Special Musical Guest:
Fenibo (a rousing 12-piece Afro-beat ensemble)



The rally will:

• Acknowledge the state’s work to replace Vermont Yankee with sustainable energy solutions and prevent further radioactive contamination of the soil, air, and water surrounding the reactor.
• Support Vermont’s resolve to stand up to the Entergy Corporation’s arrogance and intimidation.
• Recognize Vermont Yankee’s impact on neighboring states and growing national momentum to close 24 antiquated Fukushima-type reactors like VY nationally.
• Demand Entergy Corporation stop using courts to delay fulfilling its agreement with the state to begin, as of March 21, 2012, a responsible, jobs-creating decommissioning of the reactor and clean-up the site.

• Inform the community of the urgent need to work together now to secure the funds needed (while they still exist) to get the job done.



Rally sponsors include: Citizens Awareness Network (CAN), Safe & Green Campaign, Vermont Public Interest Research Group (VPIRG), Nuclear Free Vermont, Vermont Yankee Decommissioning Alliance, New England Coalition on Nuclear Pollution (NEC), Beyond Nuclear, Greenpeace, SAGE Alliance, Vermont Citizen Action Network, Vermont Toxics Action Center, The Enviro Show, Clamshell Alliance, the Sierra Club, Nuclear Information and Resource Service (NIRS) and Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR -- representing 1,180 Vermont companies).

The Seeing Redd Enviro Show

Greetings Earthling. Time once again to check the spin cycle on the old greenwashing machine. Jeff Conant, Communications Director for our friends at the Global Justice Ecology Project joins us to look into Reduce Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation or REDD. While being hyped as oh so green such programs will have serious negative impacts and will not mitigate climate change. Also on the show: the Fool-on-the-Hill, our E-Valley-uation segment, The Enviro Show Quote of the Week, and a trip to the Echo chamber, but first it's time for......Revenge of the Critters! Fox mugs large human for groceries!

House Budget Committee chairman Repugnican Paul Ryan once again wins the prize: the biggest Fool-on-the-Hill. Ryan rode his stupid Trojan Horse up the Hill to a sort of pyrrhic victory with the expected passage of his draconian budget in the Repugnican dominated House. Obama called it "a prescription for decline". We call it a steaming pile of toxic waste (and that's just for when we're on the air in mixed company).

This time our Enviro Show Quote of the Week is actually a Guess the Quote. Who said:

"First, I worry about climate change. It's the only thing that I believe has the power to fundamentally end the march of civilization as we know it, and make a lot of the other efforts that we're making irrelevant and impossible".

We have a special prize for anyone who guesses correctly.

"Judi Bari"by Dave Rovics takes us to the Echo Chamber where we find the ghost of Judi Bari back in the news. Also this interesting piece in HuffPo. So, protect the atmosphere, right? How about protecting it from this Total disaster? A six mile long plume of gas, maybe going on for months in the North sea? Did someone say BP-like blowout 2.0? In our Dept. of Useless Humans we have the meth-head who burned down a 3,500-year old tree while taking pictures of it with her cellphone. And this: cowboys & corporados are fixin' to close the door forever on Navajo and Hopi food and water sovereignty, security and self-reliance. You can do something about it here. And speaking of doing something, how about pledging to protect Bluefin Tuna here?

Good news in the E-Valley-uation segment: Occupy Holyoke Community College General Assembly passed a proposal to endorse the movement to Shut Down Vermont Yankee - As Scheduled In 2012 ! More and more Occupiers are becoming aware of the radioactive threat the corporados at Entergy are laying on us. Also this: recent letters in the Valley Advocate in favor of continued clearcutting in the Quabbin watershed have generated some push back. With that in mind, we announce this year's winner of the Enviro Show Big Green Clearcutter's Award !

After our visit with Jeff we take a peek at the Bus Stop Billboard:

Wednesday, April 11, 7:30 to 8:30pm. Panel on Oil. Michael Klare & Michael Lynch debate "Can the U.S. rely on oil as a source of energy in the future? Smith College Campus Center, Carroll Room. Email: nh10@hampshire.edu

Saturday, April 14, Noon. Rally to Support Vermont Shut Down Vermont Yankee. Brattleboro, VT Town Common. Keynote speaker: U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders with Special Musical Guests, including the 12-piece Afro-beat ensemble, Fenibo. Please join us for a rally to support the democratic will of the people and elected officials of Vermont to shut down the dangerous Vermont Yankee nuke rather than permit it to operate beyond its original 40-year license. Go to: http://sagealliance.net

Sunday, April 15, 9:30am 99% Spring Training - Pioneeer Valley Central Labor Council., 640 Page Boulevard, Springfield. Call: (413) 732-7970

Friday, April 20, 21, 27, 28, at 8 PM, and April 22, 29, at 2 PM, in Shea Theater, 71 Avenue A, Turners Falls. Based on real events, Radium Girls tells the story of young American women who went to work painting watch dials for the U.S. Radium Corporation in 1917. Decent and good paying jobs for women were hard to come by. U.S. Radium paid top dollar and thousands of women went to work painting watch dials with a glow-in-the dark radium-based paint. Numerous women became sick with a crippling illness and died. The corporation blamed the victims and practiced a cover-up. But the “Radium Girls”, in the face of death, refused to go quietly. Called “a genuine theatrical gift” by the Chicago Stage Review, Radium Girls is a compelling drama. Tickets are available at the door, can be purchased at the World Eye Bookshop, Greenfield, and the Jones Library, Amherst. Contact: Robert Freedman, 413-586-6095, http://www.arenacivictheatre.org/.

Saturday April 21, 10:00 AM - 4:00pm. The 3rd Annual Amherst Sustainability Festival on the Amherst Town Common. Bring unwanted clean & dry clothing, rags & household textiles to benefit the Amherst Survival Center & Fisher Home Hospice Shop. Tree identification activities and games led by Jim Terruso, Mt Tom Park Ranger. Participate in the Eco-Hero Hunt and win great prizes! Learn about home energy savings, renewable energy options, tree care, waste footprint reduction, sustainable energy, tree planting demonstration. Support local businesses, local artisans, environmental organizations, and the environment.

Saturday, April 21, 2:00pm – 5:00pm. Would you support a food co-op in downtown Amherst? Meeting at Food for Thought Bookstore, 106 N. Pleasant St., Amherst, MA. We invite you to attend a community interest meeting about the Amherst Community Market, a food cooperative for our town. A cooperative business is one that is owned and operated by and for the community it serves.

Sunday, April 22, 1:00pm - 6:00pm. Earth Day Festival 2012. Library Lawn, UMass Amherst Campus. Join over 35 student organizations at the sustainability fair to learn about how students are making UMass Amherst the greenest campus! Contact: Ezra Small, esmall@facil.umass.edu (413) 545-0799

Sunday, Apr 22, 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM. Occupy Earth Day. BP Gas Station, 300 Lafayette St., New York City. Occupy Earth Day begins with a second line funeral march for the Gulf Coast commemorating the anniversary of the BP Deep Water Horizon oil spill in 2010. We will march from the BP station to Union Square for a rally reclaiming Earth Day from corporate greenwashers and bringing it back to its radical roots. Email: owseswg@gmail.com

Monday, April 23, 10:00am - 1:00pm. Ignite is an energizing, geek event hosted in over 100 cities worldwide. At the event, UMass Amherst student and alumni presenters will be given the exciting opportunity to share their ideas about sustainability to an audience of colleagues, friends, professors, and students via 20 slides that auto-advance every 15 seconds for a total of five minutes. Student Union, UMass, Amherst.

Saturday, April 28, 10am & 2pm. Unwanted Drug Collection. Ensure that unused drugs are disposed of safely by bringing them to a Saturday collection at Wildwood Elementary School, 813 N Pleasant St (enter off Strong Street) in Amherst. Antibiotics, Vitamins, prescription, non-prescription & veterinary meds are welcome. No liquids will be accepted.

Next time we drag Chris Matera into the studio for a few rounds of whack-a-mole...err...we mean clearcutter. They keep popping up! Until then remember: listen to your Mother!

The Next Big Thing......