Another Scary Halloween Enviro Show

Greetings Earthlings. What could be more scary this Halloween than the sociopathic narcissist in the White House? Maybe all the freaks that gather around him? The Good Green Witch calls in to commiserate and dig down into the season. Would you care to join us for some trick or treating in The Enviro Show Echo Chamber? How about we mercilessly taunt this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and play some tricks on The Mad King? However, before we get into all that it's time for...........Revenge of the Critters!  Horrific spider attack.....at 20,000 feet?

When it comes to monsters you have to go a ways to top His Malignancy The Mad King. We're not sure if he ever drowned any innocent children or strangled some random villager, but he sure has done his share of monstrous things. We're guessing threatening nuclear holocaust should be somewhere on top of the list but denying the reality of climate chaos and doing everything in his power to reverse climate policy as historic hurricanes ravage the planet and polar ice slips away is a holocaust as well. His Malignancy's callous comments regarding hurricane survivors in Puerto Rico, to grieving widows of murdered U.S. service men, or about women in general are The Mad King's stock and trade. Of course, his sorry-ass minions are busy carrying out horror shows as well. While some were caught trying to spin the failed hurricane relief in PR others had been plotting for months to ditch the Clean Power Plan. Add to that, His Malignancy's pick of  to head the White House Council on Environmental Quality (or lack thereof) is yet another Climate Crisis denier. Meanwhile, over at the alleged Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt is planning on purging scientists who aren't fossil fools.

This week's Fool-on-the-Hill is Repugnican Rep. Rob Bishop of Utah who says the Antiquities Act that protects thousands of acres of scenic and historic sites in the nation is "a menace to constitutional government". Trick or treat? It's that old far-right bait 'n switch trick by the actual menaces to constitutional government! Don't be fooled by this guy's costume, folks. There's another monster inside that thousand dollar suit.

Our Enviro Show Quote of the Week requires another trip in the Wayback Machine to get you all the way back to............HERE.

Step this way into the Echo Chamber, please. There's nothing much to be afraid of unless losing 75% of the insects in Germany (and who knows where else) is disturbing to you. What? you don't like insects anyway? OK, but you "need insects to pollinate many of the fruits, vegetables, and nuts that we eat daily". Here's a scary Halloween story from The Guardian for you: Global pollution kills 9 million people a year and threatens the survival of human societies.  And here's our Enviro Show Blog Action link. Finally some good news: The Roadless Rule victories won by Earth Justice.

After our conversation with the Good Green Witch we sneak over to the Bus Stop Billboard:

Thursday, October 26, 10am. Pipeline tax hearing. At the Massachusetts State House hearing room A-2. As we prepare for the hearing, we need you to call your rep! Our champions in the legislature, Representatives Stephen Kulik and Kenneth Gordon, have drafted joint testimony about the pipeline tax and Department of Public Utilities (DPU) reform bills. They need as many of their fellow House representatives as possible to sign on. Go to: https://www.facebook.com/events/1462686040466237/ 

Sunday October 29, 1-5pm. “Mending the Web of Life - A workshop of inspirational exploration to move toward action” at Temple Israel, Greenfield. Sarah Pirtle and Emily Koester are facilitators of the Work That Reconnects. What do you want to do in service to life on earth? How are you called -- and what stops you? A sliding scale of $10 - $40 is suggested. Snacks and tea will be provided. Contact Sarah Pirtle  (pirtle22@hotmail.com)

Sunday October 29,  5 - 7:30pm. Benefit Concert: Protecting Indigenous Sacred Stone Sites, Shea Theatre arts Centre 71 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA. A benefit concert will be held to raise funds for the protection of Indigenous sacred stone landscapes. Joe Graveline, musician and long-time Indigenous activist, has gathered fellow musicians to perform. Tickets:  $15 online at Sheatheater.org; $18 at the door. For more information or to make online contributions, go to tinyurl.com/protectsacredstones. 

Wednesday November 1, 8:00 - 9:30pm Eastern. You are invited to NIRS’s next national telebriefing, Trump’s Nuclear and Coal Revival Plan: What It Means for our Energy Future, featuring world-renowned energy expert Amory Lovins, Last month, the Trump administration unveiled a radical plan to promote nuclear power and coal with a massive national bailout. The plan has far-reaching implications for energy and the environment. And it will cost the public over $100 billion in higher energy bills! The telebriefing is free, but registration is required.

Sunday, November 5, 5:30pm. A climate march with candles and banners from Northampton High School on Elm Street to City Hall. This is a replay of our hopeful march 2 years ago when we demanded that President Obama stand up for the future of the world in Paris at the 2015 UN Climate Conference. We will rally with people young and old, elected officials and religious leaders and demand that that hopeful future be reclaimed. Contact: <martygjf@comcast.net> 

Monday, November 6, 12:15 to 12:45pm. A  stand out in front of Charlie Baker’s Office at Dwight Street in Springfield. We will demand that he Stand Up to Reclaiming Our Future. We will deliver a list of demands to make Massachusetts a fossil fuel-free model for the country and ask him to meet with us. Contact: <martygjf@comcast.net> 

That's it for now. Have a Happy Halloween and remember to listen to your Mother, OK?

The Not Really Renewable Enviro Show

Greetings Earthlings. You may have heard there's movement afoot for Massachusetts to go 100% renewable energy, yes? What you should also know is the Gov, the wood pellet and chip industry, various odd politicians and even some climate activists want large-scale wood biomass included as "renewable energy". We don't think so! Carol Oldham, Executive Director of Massachusetts Climate Action Network calls in to talk about the issues. [UPDATE: Go here] Also, Michael Kellett from Restore The North Woods gives us a call with an update on the latest machinations from the biomess crowd. Once again we'll also take you see our Fool-on-the-Hill and to mock His Malignancy's latest tweets, as well as another journey into The Enviro Show Echo Chamber, but first it's time for.........Revenge of the Critters! Wild turkey gets into the car chase scene......with a cop, of course.

Another cameo appearance for this week's Fool-on-the-Hill. It's far-right Climate chaos denying House Science and Technology Committee Chairman Lamar Smith again.  This time our favorite nut job Texan is demanding Facebook turn over info on anti-fracking ads, ostensibly bought by the Ruskies (but more likely in an effort to track down all you tree hugging solar moles who may have clicked on such ads). So Lamar, what other ways do you have to waste taxpayers money anyway?

On to His Malignancy, The Mad King. Where to begin with the "gift" that keeps giving?? How about His Malignancy's own Katrina! His woefully ongoing inadequate and down right mean responses to the climate disaster in Puerto Rico is actually classic Mad King and his clueless dishonest comments during a visit to that devastated island were more of the same. Under His malignancy's watch the richest nation on Earth was days late and dollars short with emergency response. The Mad King and his court lied and continue to lie in a lame effort to cover up their sins. Given the present occupants of the White House and their lackeys are all about "alternative facts" should we be surprised they also want to change the definition of "waters of the United States" too? Nah! And this: if you're stumped about what to dress up as for Halloween this year how about a Trump Swamp Monster? It looks like his promise to "drain the swamp" in DC went south on His Malignancy, in fact it seems to have dragged him under! Elsewhere in the swamp we find The Mad King's guy in the Environmental "Protection" Agency, Scotty spreading the slime around at taxpayer's expense.

We have Breaking News!  “The war on coal is over,” [EPA head Pruitt said]. “Tomorrow in Washington, D.C., I will be signing a proposed rule to roll back the Clean Power Plan. No better place to make that announcement than Hazard, Kentucky.” We always knew Pruitt was a hazard, now he’s actually proving it.

In The Enviro Show Echo Chamber we rerun Common Dreams' Jessica Corbett getting into the face of Big Oil here. And this from The Globe and Mail in Canada: "TransCanada kills controversial Energy East Pipeline project".  Note that "the related Eastern Mainline, a natural gas pipeline that complemented the crude-carrying Energy East.." was also canceled. Remember all our talk about carbon sequestration in the soil? It turns out the folks over at Harvard Forest have been on the case for years. Read about it here.

Our Enviro Show Quote of the Week comes from Peter Wohlleben, author of The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate:

“If we want to use forests as a weapon in the fight against climate change, then we must allow them to grow old, which is exactly what large conservation groups are asking us to do.” 

(OK, not most large conservation groups but hey, we're working on that)

After our conversation with Carol we move over to the Bus Stop Billboard:

Monday October 16, 4pm. Hearts in Action: Creative Responses to Climate Change, UMass Science and Engineering Library, 3rd floor conference room. Go to: https://www.facebook.com/TalkingTruthUMass/

Monday, October 16, 5:30pm. Greening Greenfield will hold a public panel discussion at the John Olver Transit Station at the intersection of Bank Row and Olive streets, to report on a study they had done in the summer of 2016 to assess the number of gas leaks in Greenfield’s aging distribution system.  The panel is free, and refreshments will be served.

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Saturday October 21, 1:30pm. 46^th Annual Meeting of the New England Coalition on Nuclear Pollution. 118 Elliot Street, Brattleboro, VT. Bring a friend! The public is encouraged to attend.  Go to: http://necnp.org/

Saturday October 21, 7:30pm. Colleen Kattau & Martin Espada. Come enjoy an Evening of Music and Poetry  and support hurricane relief aid to Puerto Rico. Mount Toby Meeting 194 Long Plain Rd. (Rt. 63), Leverett, MA. For reservations call 413-336-2589. Suggested donation: $10 to $30

Sunday October 22, 3 to 7pm. House Concert with Tom Neilson, Lynn Waldron & friends at 729 Colrain Rd Greenfield . Reserve with check to Tom Neilsonand mail to Lisa Turowsky, 729 Colrain Rd Greenfield 01301. Donation $10-20

Monday October 23, 7:00 - 9:00pm. Climate Action Now Monthly Gathering, Unitarian Society of Northampton and Florence, 220 Main St. Northampton, MA. Go to: http://climateactionnowma.org/ 

Sunday October 29, 1-5pm. “Mending the Web of Life - A workshop of inspirational exploration to move toward action” at Temple Israel, Greenfield. Sarah Pirtle and Emily Koester are facilitators of the Work That Reconnects. What do you want to do in service to life on earth? How are you called -- and what stops you? A sliding scale of $10 - $40 is suggested. Snacks and tea will be provided. Contact Sarah Pirtle  (pirtle22@hotmail.com)

Sunday October 29,  5 - 7:30pm. Benefit Concert: Protecting Indigenous Sacred Stone Sites, Shea Theatre arts Centre 71 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA. A benefit concert will be held to raise funds for the protection of Indigenous sacred stone landscapes. Joe Graveline, musician and long-time Indigenous activist, has gathered fellow musicians to perform. Tickets:  $15 online at Sheatheater.org; $18 at the door. For more information or to make online contributions, go to tinyurl.com/protectsacredstones. 

That's it until our pre-Halloween show on October 24. Do not be afraid BUT listen to your Mother.