Nature's Dangerous Decline Enviro Show

Greetings Earthlings. The news last week concerning the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Global Assessment was grim but nothing all that surprising to Enviro Show listeners. It was back in 2014 when we had Elizabeth Kolbert on the show talking about her book "The Sixth Extinction". Of course, the news hasn't improved 5 years on. The IPBES informs us “The health of ecosystems on which we and all other species depend is deteriorating more rapidly than ever. We are eroding the very foundations of our economies, livelihoods, food security, health and quality of life worldwide.” Kierán Suckling, Executive Director and co-founder of the Center for Biological Diversity returns to the show to delve into that disaster and more. As always, we will bring you along to meet this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and to witness the latest outrages from His Malignancy The Mad King and his creepy enablers, but first it's time for...........Revenge of the Critters! Gustave the very hungry.....Croc!

This week's Fool-on-the-Hill was one of last March's Fools too. Yes, it's Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah) who said at a news conference held with other GOP House members in Washington: “For many people who live in the West, but also in rural and urban areas, the ideas behind the Green New Deal are tantamount to genocide......That may be an overstatement, but not by a whole lot.” Given all the genocide that went down at the hands of the cowboys' ancestors out West, we guess their offspring are a bit confused about oppression? 

How about His Malignancy The Mad King? Is he a piece of work or what?? Checkout this: “[The Mad King's] not just a problem because of his policies in Washington. He’s a problem because his buildings are among the biggest polluters in New York City,” said NYC Mayor de Blasio, who has confronted the president time and again over issues ranging from global warming to immigration. We love New York. Grist goes on to point out His Malignancy "has often undermined the science of global warming, including reports issued by his own administration. He’s also said he intends to take the U.S. out of the Paris climate agreement — a promise House Democrats symbolically attempted to block by passing a doomed pro-climate bill earlier this month." And now this from The Center for Biological Diversity: "The Center filed four lawsuits against multiple federal agencies for failing to release a trove of documents on regulating dangerous pesticides, especially as they relate to endangered species.'While the Trump appointees running these agencies scurry to do the bidding of the pesticide industry, endangered species like the San Joaquin kit fox are heading toward extinction,' said the Center's Lori Ann Burd. 'You can bet that when we finally get these documents, they'll reveal exactly why Team Trump worked so feverishly to hide them from public view' ." Don't forget His Malignancy's not-so hidden plan to remove gray wolves in the Lower 48 states from federal Endangered Species Act protections. And The only jaguar thought to exist in the U.S. lives right where The  Mad King's administration just approved a new copper mine. Truth be told, His Malignancy is working "to dismantle the most powerful legal tool we have for protecting imperiled wildlife in the United States: the Endangered Species Act. The rollbacks, first proposed by Interior Secretary David Bernhardt last summer, would weaken protections that shield the biodiversity the report warns is critical to the survival of all life on earth"

Finally, how about a Quote of the week in keeping with te theme of this show: 

"No matter what we call it, poison is still poison, death is still death, and industrial civilization is still causing the greatest mass extinction in the history of the planet."   - Derrick Jensen


O wait, did we mention It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid?  And yet some lawmakers in the Lone Star State seem to think protesting fossil fuel pipelines is "...on par with Attempted Murder"? Whoa! We thought building more fossil fuel infrastructure was on par with attempted murder.  Get it right, Texas!  How about this for another way to confront the Climate Crisis: float a whole lot of non-toxic reflectors in the Beaufort Gyre. That got us thinking about the Cool Roof projects from years back; some of that is still happening.

After we speak with Kieran we move on to the Bus Stop Billboard:

Wednesday June 5 , 6:30 to 8:30pm. DOER Hearing on  Biomass Rule Changing. URGENT! Many of us in the clean energy advocacy community are concerned that the proposed changes to these Massachusetts regulations amount to loosening of the definitions for qualifying biomass, and other weakening of restrictions, that will be environmentally detrimental. John J. Duggan Academy Auditorium, 1015 Wilbraham Road,
Springfield, MA 01109 



Saturday, June 1, 9:30am to 12:30pm. Langstroth Bee Fest. A fun and educational community event-it is all about the bees! How to attract them, keep them healthy and give you honey. Activities for kids and adults. New this year-installation of 6 large fiberglass bees in downtown! Second Congo Church, Franklin and Church Streets, Greenfield, MA. Go to: https://www.facebook.com/events/285311642187149/ 


Wednesday June 12, 6:30 to 8pm. Gardening for Pollinators. 1st Congregational Church, 43 Silver St, Greenfield, MA    Refreshments will be served. This talk is the third in Greening Greenfield’s campaign called, Planting for Pollinators! Let’s build biodiversity and beauty in Greenfield. To find out more about their campaign go to their web site at www.GreeningGreenfieldMA.org or call 774-5667. 


Friday June 14, 4 to 8pm. Personal Change Through Climate Change. An evening of presentations and discussion on personal impacts of climate change and motivations for environmental activism, with host and moderator Kathy Campbell of the Amherst League of Women Voters. Tabling by local environmental groups, green energy providers and agencies. Amherst Regional Middle School, 170 Chestnut St Ste 1, Amherst, Massachusetts 01002. Go to: https://www.facebook.com/events/427015168091979/

That's it for now folks. Remember when you're out there to listen to your Mother!

The 2019 Spring Fund Drive Enviro Show

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Greetings Earthlings. It's that time of year again when the flowers bloom, the critters move about, the pollinators start their work and the trees leaf out. It's also when we hope Enviro Show listeners will help us by shelling out what they can afford to keep us on the air and in The Mad King's hair.....O no, sorry...we meant that metaphorically, of course. We'll take a brief call from Laura Haight again, U.S. Policy Director for the Partnership for Policy Integrity (PPI), to update us on the Gov and his enablers at DOER's "upcoming hearings on prioritizing biomass plants for subsides under the new Clean Peak Energy Standard the state is developing to provide incentives for clean energy supplies during seasonal peak demand periods. In addition, the state offers generous incentives for installing residential and commercial wood heating systems through the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. ["Clean biomass??] The forestry industry is vigorously lobbying to extend the program for another ten years" says Dr. Mary Booth of PPI. "We need the public to weigh in on these programs NOW – because bottom line, we all know it’s never been more urgent to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect forests, even if the Baker administration doesn’t. Their rule changes will increase forest harvesting, increase CO₂ emissions, and trample on the hard-won science-based agreement that was made in 2012." And, in the studio with us during fund drive week will be Kirstin Beatty, Last Tree Laws Director to talk about electronic pollution and the 5G Crisis. They'll be in Northampton at City Hall at Noon on May 15. Naturally, we'll also find time to ask you to support The Enviro Show and community radio (and please note  you're pledging your support for the show) even as we take you meet this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and to discover the latest sins of His Malignancy The Mad King and his court of creepy climate criminals, but first it's time for...........Revenge of the Critters! Food fight! 

Our latest Fool-on-the-Hill attacked the Green New Deal resolution as an elitist plan he claimed had been created by out-of-touch “rich liberals from New York or California.” Grist goes on to quote: “I think we should not focus on the rich, wealthy elites who will look at this and go ‘I love it, cause I’ve got big money in the bank. Everyone should do this!’” Rep. Sean Duffy (R- Wisconsin) said. “It’s kind of like saying ‘I’ll sign onto the Green New Deal but I’ll take a private jet from D.C. to California — a private jet — or I’ll take my Uber SUV, I won’t take the train, or I’ll go to Davos and fly my private jet,’” he continued.  Fascinating talk coming from the party of the filthy rich, huh? Rep.Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez denounced the overall Republican strategy to portray climate change concerns as an issue of privilege.  “This is not an elitist issue, this is a quality of life issue,” AOC responded, her voice rising in exasperation. “You want to tell people that their concern and their desire for clean air and clean water is elitist? Tell that to the kids in the south Bronx which are suffering from the highest rates of childhood asthma in the country. Tell that to the families in Flint.”

On to His Malignancy The Mad King who appears to be right on the Repugnican playbook's page for trashing the Endangered Species Act. You can bet our guest will have a few things to say about THAT!  His Malignancy also appears to be unleashing a "Fracking Frenzy" on our public lands. Surprise! Not content with destroying public property His Malignancy is working at blowing up parts of your home town by allowing liquid fracked gas by rail. Here comes the Bomb Train, all aboard! We guess Dylan was right when he wrote: "you don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows" and The Mad King's choice to run NOAA, the federal agency in charge of weather forecasting, former CEO of Accuweather Barry Meyers, is the perfect candidate given he "waged a decades-long war on the National Weather Service, often arguing that weather forecasts should mostly be left up to the private sector", according to the Tampa Bay Times. Maybe Barry will privatize the weather! Here's a classic move for His Malignancy: it was announced he planned to visit Crosby, Texas (where a deadly explosion took place last week at an oil industry chemical plant) in order to sign an executive order that would restrict protections against the hazards of fossil fuel infrastructure. Sound about right to you?

Or, does it sound stupid because..........It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid! But don't take our word for it, James Anderson, a Harvard University professor of atmospheric chemistry best known for establishing that chlorofluorocarbons were damaging the Ozone Layer, reported recently the level of carbon now in the atmosphere hasn't been seen in 12 million year and this pollution is rapidly pushing the climate back to its state in the Eocene Epoch, more than 33 million years ago, when there was no ice on either pole. "The chance that there will be any permanent ice left in the Arctic after 2022 is essentially zero.....can we lose 75-80 percent of permanent ice and recover? The answer is no." 


 Time for an Enviro Show Quote of the Week?  Sure thing:

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“There is little in the architecture of a city that is more beautifully designed than a tree.”

                                                              -  Jaime Lerner

There is little in the architecture of a city that is more beautifully designed than a tree. Jaime Lerner
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/jaime_lerner_560358?src=t_tre 

There is little in the architecture of a city that is more beautifully designed than a tree. Jaime Lerner
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/jaime_lerner_560358?src=t_tree

Let's move on to the Bus Stop Billboard where you can find out what to do about it:

Saturday May 25, 1-4pm. No-till, Yes Life! intensive for gardeners and small farmers. Spaces are still available-- contact us soon to sign up! You will leave inspired with can-do skills for several methods that result in rich soil, abundant crops, and low maintenance gardens that mitigate the impact of climate change. That same morning we hold a tour of our site at 10am and all are welcome.


Monday May 27, 7 to 9pm. Monthly Climate Action Now! Gathering. Amherst gatherings take place at the Unitarian Meetinghouse on N. Pleasant St (downtown). Go to: http://climateactionnowma.org/ 

Wednesday May 29, 6:30 to 8:30pm. DOER Hearing on  Biomass Rule Changing. URGENT! Many of us in the clean energy advocacy community are concerned that the proposed changes to these Massachusetts regulations amount to loosening of the definitions for qualifying biomass, and other weakening of restrictions, that will be environmentally detrimental. UMass Center at Springfield, Classroom 14, 1500 Main Street, Springfield, MA 01115

That's about it EXCEPT for YOUR much appreciated pledge to keep The Enviro Show going and supporting community radio.....O, and remember to listen to your Mother.