Let's start with some actual good news concerning His Malignancy The Mad King. It seems his offshore oil drilling scheme is a bit of a belly flop. Only 1% of the leases have been sold so it's kind of "successful" as say Trump Airlines? Trump Steaks? Whatever. On to the dark side: turns out His Malignancy's pick for that stolen seat on the Supreme Court, Brett Kavanaugh has a sorry record on wildlife. "The Center for Biological Diversity's Bill Snape analyzed Kavanaugh's 12 years on the U.S. District Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., and found he ruled against wildlife and endangered species 96 percent of the time." That probably didn't come up in the recent hearings but it did here, OK? The Mad King's new Dark Prince at the EPA, Andrew Wheeler, a former coal lobbyist will decide soon to press ahead with a proposed rule that could block EPA's use of some scientific studies, including research on health and pollution. Science? Science! We don't need no stinking science! And this, speaking of "science": The Mad King is trying to sneak a Dow Chemical executive in as chief scientist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). You can oppose Scott Hutchins nomination HERE. Finally, it's reported that His Malignancy wants to frack the Petrified Forest: "The Bureau of Land Management plans to auction off 4,200 acres of public land for oil and gas leases in northern Arizona near Petrified Forest National Park and two rivers. Parcels that do not receive bids will be available for noncompetitive leasing for two years."
Another return trip for this week's Fool-on-the-Hill. From the Courier Journal herrrrrrre's Mitch! "In remarks on the Senate floor [late last month] Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., applauded the end of regulations around which former President Barack Obama’s “war on coal” was centered. “The Obama Administration’s so-called ‘Clean Power Plan’ offered a typical story from that era,” McConnell said. “An innocent-seeming name. A pleasant-sounding objective. But underneath, an intrusive regulatory regime — built not on effective policy, but on far-left ideology. That’s why I am so grateful that, today, the Trump administration is unveiling its plan to pare back this unfair, unworkable, and likely illegal policy.” Far-left ideology??
In the Enviro Show Echo Chamber the group Environment Massachusetts informed us on August 28 "the state Assembly approved a plan to require 100 percent clean electricity in California by 2045. This bill will make California the second state in the country, after Hawaii, to commit to getting all of its electricity from clean sources. Now, the bill is awaiting approval by the California Senate, which passed similar legislation in 2017, before heading to the Governor's desk for his signature. This is a big deal. California is the world's fifth largest economy. And history has shown that when California leads the way, other states tend to follow." We trust by specifying "clean energy" they've excluded dirty biomass?
After our conversations with Tom and Michael we take over to the Bus Stop Billboard:
Saturdays, 11am to Noon. Stand Out Against Logging the Wendell State Forest! This logging project cannot be justified for ecological or forest health purposes, and has minimal if any financial benefits for the public. Freight House Antiques, 11 East Main St./Route 2, Erving, MA. Go to: savemassforests.com
Saturday October 6, 10:30 - 11:30 am. Leaf Peeping Bike Path B-I-N-G-O. Kids – grab your parents and we’ll go exploring! All ages are welcome as we practice examining the natural world with field guides, binoculars, and a fun game to see just how much you can see! For this special edition of bike path bingo, we focus on the amazing New England fall color right outside our doors. Meet at the main entrance to the Great Falls Discovery Center, Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA. Please bring water and wear layers and sturdy shoes. Call: 413-743-1591
Sunday October 7, 3pm. A Gathering: Honor Our Trees in Brook Rd. Forest. Join us to honor the trees of Brook Road in Wendell, MA. with our love, gratitude and respect, for the abundant gifts they have provided to the Life of Our Planet for the past 110 years. The trees are now threatened by the Massachusetts DCR. Please sign our online petition, and share it with friends:
https://tinyurl.com/savebrookrdforest . For directions go to: https://www.facebook.com/events/683207012059036/
Saturday October 13, 12:30pm. Old Growth Hike with Bob Leverett. Mohawk Trail State Park, Campground Headquarters - Cold River Road, past the Town of Charlemont- Rte. 2
"This hike will explore older “Second Growth” trees and identify some Old Growth located at a distance on the ridges." (Bob Leverett-co-founder, Native Trees Society & tree measurement expert and... founder of the Bob and Monica Leverett "Forever Wild" Fund at Kestrel Land Trust.) Space for 20- Must register-Email: massforestrescue@gmail.com
Sunday October 14, 3 to 5pm. Back from the Brink: A conversation with Dr. Ira Helfand about preventing nuclear war. An interfaith discussion about building the Back from the Brink Campaign in Western Massachusetts. Jewish Community of Amherst, 742 Main St, Amherst, MA
Thursday, October 18, 6 to 8pm. "Saving Massachusetts Forests for Climate, Nature, and People"
Mohawk Trail Regional High School, Rt. 112, Buckland, MA. Massachusetts forests are vital in storing carbon to fight climate change, providing critical habitat for native plants and wildlife, preserving historic and sacred sites, and offering opportunities for nature-based recreation. Yet, almost all of our forests are currently open to resource extraction, which is undermining these values. We need to take action now to protect our forests, before it is too late. Speaker Michael Kellett is cofounder and executive director of RESTORE: The North Woods, a Massachusetts-based conservation organization. Free and open to the public. Email: restore@restore.org
Monday, October 27, 7 to 9pm. Climate Action Now Monthly Gathering. Please join us. Everyone is warmly welcomed! Feel the warmth of community and the strength of collective action as we move forward together at this critical moment in history. Accessible/on bus line, First Churches,Main St, Northampton, MA. Go to: http://climateactionnowma.org
That's it for now but remember to listen to your Mother, yes?
