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.