The 2018 New Start Enviro Show

New Years Greetings Earthlings! Given how awful 2017 has been we look forward to new possibilities in the new year. Massachusetts gubernatorial candidate Setti Warren joins us to talk about it in the days leading up to a candidates forum in Greenfield on January 6. As always, we will also take you to see The Mad King at The White House of Lies and our 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! Usually docile Sea Lion seems to have had enough of human swimmers.

His Malignancy The Mad King and his court of crazed climate criminals closed out 2017 by opening up the Arctic Wildlife Refuge for their friends at Big Oil to trash. Yes, it was the sweetener in the recent Repugnican tax scam that got this week's Fool-on-the-Hill, Sen. Murkowski's vote to make the filthy rich richer and screw the rest of us. Speaking of wasteful energy, His Malignancy's Energy Department has decided to ignore the legal mandate to update energy efficiency of appliances. According to ThinkProgress "The standards have historically enjoyed strong bipartisan support and demonstrated clear results" but it's still the era of The Mad King, right? We are happy to report that the smug-ass filthy rich Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and his obnoxious wife received a beautifully wrapped box of horseshit for the Holidaze! And here's a list of His Malignancy's regulatory rollbacks from 2017, just in case you're counting. BUT, given who he is more rollbacks keep coming like on offshore safety drilling standards (think Deep Sea Horizon!) and for fracking standards and for migratory bird protection from industry. On the subject of 2017, surely you remember The Mad King's lie about the Repugnican tax scam being hard on the 1%? Turns out he said the exact opposite while hanging out with them at the Florida White House of Lies.

Our Quote of the Week seems fitting as a follow-up to The Mad King segment:

"The main problem in any democracy is that crowd-pleasers are generally brainless swine who can go out on a stage & whup their supporters into an orgiastic frenzy—then go back to the office and sell every one of the poor bastards down the tube for a nickel apiece."   

                                                                                                    - Hunter S Thompson

This week's Fool-on-the-Hill, as promised, is Repugnican Sen. Lisa Murkowski who sold out Alaska's wildlife for a few pieces of gold to her friends at Big Oil. An op-ed in The Hill makes the case many have already put forward: "Murkowski knows drilling the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is unpopular. That’s why she slipped it into tax law, with the bogus promise that it will send $1 billion to U.S. Treasury, helping cover tax cut costs. It’s a preposterous claim, first because no one knows how much oil lies beneath the refuge, and second because $1 billion is only a sliver of the $1.5 trillion tax cut." We might add the tax SCAM is a cut mostly for the filthy rich. You commoners get to pay for it in the future with less entitlements and higher taxes thanks in part to this fool. 

In The Enviro Show Echo Chamber we go to The Washington Post for that disturbing new study on how us humans have changed the planet that Glen talked about on the last show. May as well get sober for the New Year! And since we're getting all serious here, how about this from tech crunch.com: "The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued a warning against the hazards of cellphone radiation this week. Yes, the thing we are all addicted to and can’t seem to put down is leaking electromagnetic radiation and now California has some guidance to safeguard the public." One point was do not keep the phone right next to your body. Finally some good news! This from 350.org: "After more than five years of inspiring and creative campaigning from the climate movement, the New York City and State pensions are moving forward to freeze new investments in fossil fuels and divest. This victory is huge. Combined, the city and state pension funds are worth a whopping $390 billion, making this the largest coal, oil and gas divestment in THE WORLD." Finally, Grist reports what we've known.....forever? Macho guys think Green is girly!  Listen up, Joeys, real men save the planet! 

After our conversation with Setti Warren we head over to the Bus Stop Billboard:

Join the “if Trump fires Mueller” Rapid Response Team – Sign up to join our local MoveOn.org's "Mueller Firing Rapid Response" campaign. It's at 50 State St (Springfield MA U.S. District Court Building) in Springfield. This is one of 350 events planned nationwide if Trump fires Mueller. But, it's not just a reactive plan—our efforts are already making news, helping show that there will be an immediate backlash if Trump fires Mueller.  RSVP here to join. 

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10, NOON. STAND OUT!  CALL FOR THE SHUTDOWN OF THE CONNECTICUT EXPANSION PIPELINE! TENNESEE GAS HEADQUARTERS 

1615 Suffield St, Agawam, MA. Meet at the abandoned 2 Silos Mall on Rt. 57 in Agawam (just down the road from the Tennessee Gas Co headquarters) at 11:30 a.m. We will shuttle to the driveway due to snow.

Thursday, January 11. Tell the Governor we want Pilgrim nuke closed now.  We will gather at 1:00 in Rep. Peake's office and then at the Governor's Office at 2:00.  Come with a 2 minute statement to express your concerns.  For carpooling and more information, contact me at 508.776.3132/Elaine 508.246.4563/Susan 774.268.1695/Mary 508.237.4147

January 16, 7 pm. Screening of “Chasing Coral”. Unitarian Universalist Society of Amherst, 

 121 North Pleasant St., Amherst. Chasing Coral is a beautiful and informative film about climate change. Coral reefs are an integral part of the ocean's ecosystem, and are dying at an unprecedented rate due to warming oceans. The filming includes gorgeous underwater photography and stories of scientists gathering real data in the ocean. A discussion will follow the film.

Saturday January 20, 2018 11am to 1pm. Northampton Women’s March - Year One. We will march to reaffirm our commitment to building a positive and just future for all, and to celebrate the spirit of resistance efforts over the past year. The march will once again begin at Sheldon Fields and culminate at Northampton City Hall, where we will rally with a inspiring speakers and performers. This is a peaceful, family-friendly event. Go to: https://www.facebook.com/events/200256233873115

Monday January 22, 7 to 9pm. Climate Action Now! Western MA monthly meeting at the Unitarian Meetinghouse on North Pleasant St. downtown Amherst. Go to: climateactionnowma.org

Wednesday January 27, 2018, 1:30pm - Workshop, Pollinator Habitat Design for All Seasons, W. Mass Poll. Networks at Hadley Garden Center, Rt. 9, Hadley, MA.


Saturday, January 27, All Day. 350MA  Summit.  Looking to carry the momentum into 2018 by developing new and emerging leaders in the movement. That's why we are hosting a statewide summit in MetroWest. The day will be spent on learning new organizing techniques and building new action plans for 2018. If you are interested in attending, please reach out to Andy Gordon.  

That's it for now. Remember, when you're out there be sure to listen to your Mother, OK?

The 2017 Winter Solstice Enviro Show

Greetings Earthlings. Once again it's that time of year when we welcome back the Light and celebrate what the Earth provides. We have a question to ask our guest, The Good Green Witch when she calls in; If "The War on Christmas" is pretty much over where's all the peace?? As always, we will also take you to visit the Fool-on-the-Hill and his Malignancy The Mad King so you can wish them a Happy Holidaze. Also a trip to The Enviro Show Echo Chamber may be in order since we took the time to deck the hall for the season. However, first it's time for............Revenge of the Critters! You might want to send the kids out of the room for this one 'cus yes, we can't help but rerun that video of Santa's reindeer attacking him  (even if it's rumored to be a reenactment).

We're wondering if His Malignancy The Mad King might consider doing an appearance as Ebenezer Scrooge for the Holidaze since that mean old miser hated kids and His Malignancy's lawyers are presently hard at work dissing Our Children's Trust who are suing the U.S. government for willfully infringing on their constitutional right to a stable climate. According to Grist: "Trump administration lawyers are trying to get the case thrown out on a technicality, alleging that the act of sifting through decades of documents in preparation for trial would cause the government “irreparable harm.” Given the historic irreparable harm of climate chaos enabled by the likes of His Malignancy and his minions we've got a hunch there's some confusion going on there. We imagine The Mad King is wondering why these pesky kids are cluttering up the courtrooms. "If they are to die, then let them die, and reduce the surplus population!". We guess His Malignancy isn't much into older grad students either 'cuz the tax scam he and his Repugnican friends are trying to ram through congress before Christmas taxes them (not to mention most of us) mightily. See more of the Mad King's nefarious dealings below as he and his court of crazies attempt to sell off some of our national treasures to the corporate climate criminals.  Also  His Malignancy is threatening the Mueller investigation and the FBI which are one of the few hopes we have to rid the world of The Mad King. Be prepared!  And THIS JUST IN! His Malignancy will reportedly announce today that the Climate Crisis  is no longer a global security risk. Aren't you relieved??

This week's Fool-on-the-Hill is Utah Repugnican Chris Stewart and others in the House Natural Resources Committee who recently defamed our friends at Patagonia claiming their attempts to save Bear's Ears and Grand-Staircase Escalante National Monument was just  “hijacking the public lands debate” in an attempt to sell more products."  Of course, hijacking the public lands themselves is just what fools like Stewart are up to in congress. They just can't resist incriminating themselves! Who does THAT remind you of?

The Enviro Show Quote of the Week is all sorts of seasonal: “The Christians stole the winter solstice from the pagans, and capitalism stole it from the Christians.”

                                                                                                  - George Monbiot

In The Enviro Show Echo Chamber we find this headline in the Guardian: "EU must not burn the world's forests for 'renewable' energy"  There it is! And speaking of burning, recall all those forest fires out West? Grist passes on info from a science study noting 1/3 of those forests aren't regenerating. Renewable takes another hit from climate chaos. And this: A new study published in Nature finds the warming in the Arctic could put a dent in wind energy. Finally, here's our Enviro Show Blog Action Link Stop felling Canada’s centuries-old forest giants for lumber!

After we hang out with the Good Green Witch and listen to some Solstice Holiday tunes we move on to the Bus Stop Billboard:

Join the “if Trump fires Mueller” Rapid Response Team – Sign up to join our local MoveOn.org's "Mueller Firing Rapid Response" campaign. It's at 50 State St (Springfield MA U.S. District Court Building) in Springfield. This is one of 350 events planned nationwide if Trump fires Mueller. But, it's not just a reactive plan—our efforts are already making news, helping show that there will be an immediate backlash if Trump fires Mueller.  RSVP here to join. 

Saturday January 6, 10 am to 3:30 pm. Arrive 9:30 to start on time. Connecting Ages, Changing Ageism Conference. What do you want to share with someone of a different age engaged in progressive work? Northampton Quaker Meetinghouse, 43 Center Street, second floor, near bus stops on Route 9, center of town.  We encourage everyone attending to register in advance, and people walking in last minute are also welcome. If the event needs to be postponed due to a snow storm, we will contact people who have registered.  Email Larkin Christie at larkmc@comcast.net or phone Sarah Pirtle at (413) 625-2355. 

Monday, January 22, 7 to 9pm. Climate Action Now! Western MA monthly meeting at the Unitarian Meetinghouse on North Pleasant St. downtown Amherst. Go to: climateactionnowma.org

January 27, 2018, 1:30pm - Workshop, Pollinator Habitat Design for All Seasons, W. Mass Poll. Networks at Hadley Garden Center, Rt. 9, Hadley, MA.

Have a Happy Winter Solstice and remember to listen to your Mother, OK?

Another Not Really Renewable Enviro Show

Greetings Earthlings. Just in case you are thinking us crazed tree huggers are the only ones going on and on about the critical need to protect and preserve as many trees as possible in these times of climate chaos and that wood pellet and chip produced energy is not really renewable, we have invited Sasha Stashwick , Senior Advocate for Energy, Transportation and Food and Agriculture Programs at  the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) to join us this week. [UPDATE: INTERVIEW HERE] Given that NRDC "combines the power of more than three million members and activists with the expertise of some 500 scientists, lawyers, and policy advocates across the globe to ensure the rights of all people to the air, the water, and the wild" maybe you'll give us dirt worshipping tree huggers a bit more cred on this issue? We hope so. As always, we'll also take you to visit this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and to see His Malignancy The Mad King, as well as a trip to The Enviro Show Echo Chamber, but first it's time for...........Revenge of the Critters! It's deer hunting season once again here in WMass so it seems a good time to once again run a piece about the hunted turning the tables on the hunter.

Our Fool-on-the-Hill this time is none other than the Senate Majority leader who garnered this recent headline: "Mitch McConnell says his top goal as Senate leader is to remake the judiciary, a higher priority even than tax reform." Of course his idea of "remake" is what we used to call packing the court, in this case with unqualified reactionary far-right ideologues. It's party over country with these guys and, if they have their way, you can kiss the biosphere and your constitutional rights goodbye.

His Majesty The Mad King is next in line for our.......admonitions? We may not be big on buying in to the term "consumers" but unlike some of His Malignancy's recent picks for agencies meant to protect folks who might call themselves by that dehumanizing moniker we're not trying to shaft them.   The most prominant of these is longtime Repugnican operative, Mick Mulvaney who is trying to upend the Consumer Finance Protection Agency our senator Liz Warren created to go after Wall Street. Another protector of so-called consumers is the Consumer Product Safety Commission that The Mad King wants pro-corporate litigator Dana Baiocco to drive off the cliff.  Over at what we used to call the Environmental Protection Agency [inset hysterical laughter here] His Malignancy's troll continues to hack away at the branch. We have a Blog Action Link HERE calling for an investigation. O, and the Repugs in the Senate confirmed The Mad King's pick for head of the Mine Health and Safety Administration, of course he slithered out from under one of those violation prone mining corps. How about having a lawyer who was "most recently at the Hunton & Williams law firm, whose client list includes the American Petroleum Institute, American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, the American Chemistry Council and the National Association of Manufacturers" head the EPA Office of Air and Radiation?  What could go wrong! Finally, the White House Council on Environmental Quality garners this headline: "More Than 300 Scientists Pen Letter Opposing Trump's Pick for Top Climate Post, but Senate Committee Confirms Her Anyway" That would be Kathleen Harnett White, she of little knowledge.

How about a video Quote of the Week this time? Checkout our "Silent Friends" 

In The Enviro Show Echo Chamber we rerun The Guardian's report on how our recent hurricanes have influenced people's thinking about the Climate Crisis. "About 54% said that climate change worsened the extreme heat waves, wildfires, and hurricanes that pummeled the country in 2017." Maybe 46% weren't watching TV or are Flat-Earth enthusiasts? And this from HuffPo: Leonard Higgins found guilty of shutting down tar sands pipeline after being barred from mentioning climate chaos in court!  The Berkshire Eagle, that's been doing excellent coverage of the Otis State Forest vs. Kinder Morgan issue all this time, has an eye-opener concerning the toxic water KM/TGP has created in our state forest. Read all about it!


After our conversation with Sasha we head on over to the Bus Stop Billboard:



Tuesday December 19th at 11am 350MA will be traveling with great cheer around the Massachusetts State House to deliver  actual holiday wish lists to their offices. PLEASE SIGN your name onto the list headed to your legislators by filling out this form. If you are available, come help us deliver them!


Wednesday December 20, 6 to 7:30pm. Celebrate the Winter Solstice! Silvio O. Conte National Fish & Wildlife Refuge, Hadley, MA. RSVP: Required online  The Winter Solstice, and the longest night of the year, is fast approaching. Solstice means “sun stands still,” giving us a moment to pay homage to the stillness of this seasonal turning point, the stillness of the natural world, and our own inner stillness through the practice of mindfulness.

Join the “if Trump fires Mueller” Rapid Response Team – Sign up to join our local MoveOn.org's "Mueller Firing Rapid Response" campaign. It's at 50 State St (Springfield MA U.S. District Court Building) in Springfield. This is one of 350 events planned nationwide if Trump fires Mueller. But, it's not just a reactive plan—our efforts are already making news, helping show that there will be an immediate backlash if Trump fires Mueller.  RSVP here to join.     

That's all  folks! Until next time remember: Listen to your Mother, OK?