The End of the Year as We Know It Enviro Show

Greetings Earthlings. As 2022 approaches it seems like a good time to reflect back on some of our past shows and see what calls for some reflection, what needs updating and ponder on what might lie ahead. We'll get into all of that as well as bringing you along to meet this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and a year's end reminder that "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" and more but first it's time for.........Revenge of the Critters! 2022 is The Year of the Tiger on the Chinese calendar and a good time to remind everyone that it's not such a good idea for humans to encroach on the big cats traditional habitat. 

Yahoo News tells us about a true Fool-on-the-Hill, "The former White House doctor who raved about [The Mad King's] 'excellent' health to a skeptical public is now claiming that the disturbing new COVID-19 variant omicron is nothing but a midterm election ploy by the Democrats. Dr. Ronny Jackson, now a Republican MAGA congressman from Texas, scoffed at the variant the World Health Organization has deemed 'highly transmissible' and 'concerning.'   'Here comes the ... Midterm Election Variant!' Jackson quipped in a tweet.."  OK, we think that sounds like an old-school fool, no guns, no threats, no blatant fascistic tendencies, just plain foolishness. How refreshing and a good way to start the New Year.

We just did a search on Repugnican Rep. Ronnie's House website for the term "climate change" but no results were found. It seems he's not aware that "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!"  Jeez, even the National Geographic knows about climate change disasters. What kind of doctor is he anyway?? In a recent piece that venerable publication is perfectly comfortable running headlines and subheads like this: "2021's weather disasters brought home the reality of climate change - Heat waves. Floods. Megadroughts. This year’s weather showed us that climate change is here—and deadly."  Also, The New York Times recently began a new series "Postcards From a World On Fire" in which "A team of journalists....has documented one way that climate change is having an impact in each of the 193 United Nations member states....As the video editorial that is at the core of this project says: “Open your eyes: We have failed. The climate crisis is now.”  There it is. And speaking of The Paper of Record" they ran a bit of a shocker in late November titled "Saving History With Sandbags: Climate Change Threatens the Smithsonian - Beneath the National Museum of American History, floodwaters are intruding into collection rooms, a consequence of a warming planet. A fix remains years away."  Even history is threatened by climate chaos. 

In The Enviro Show Echo Chamber the London Review of Books David Wallace-Wells makes the startling observation: "In February 2020, the world began to panic about the novel coronavirus, which killed 2714 people that month. This made the news. In the same month, around 800,000 people died from the effects of air pollution. That didn’t." And this news from The Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature: "In an unprecedented case the Constitutional Court of Ecuador used the constitutional provision on the 'Rights of Nature' to safeguard Los Cedros protected forest from mining concessions. The Court voted 7 in favor and 2 abstentions. With the ruling, the Constitutional Court must develop a binding jurisprudence in which the Rights of Nature, the right to a healthy environment, the right to water, and environmental consultation must be respected."  Score one for Mother Earth. We'll be doing another show on the Rights of Nature in the coming year. Stay tuned!  Sad to report Edward O Wilson has left us. He will be missed but his work lives on! . Finally, here's a 2021 recap of pipeline resistance from Grist, the perfect Holidaze gift for your motor head friends.

Get ready for a long trip in the Wayback Machine for this Enviro Show Quote of the Week: 

"Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true."

- Alfred Lord Tennyson 

 OK, let the show begin! Here's Glen's list of faves from 2021:

1. Old News Department: His Malignancy Lost! The Climate-Denier-In-Chief is Fired! Biden at least talks about the climate crisis, and proposes significant funding to begin to address the looming disaster facing our planet.

2. Underestimating the Challenges of Avoiding a Gastly Future- https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcosc.2020.615419/full 

3. Older White Pine Trees and Stands Accumulate Carbon for Many Decades and Maximize Cumulative Carbon- https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/ffgc.2021.620450/full 

4. Wild Carbon Supplement 1.1- link here

5. 2021 IPCC Report and "Code Red for Humanity" various media reports

6. The Failure of COP26 -Climate Disaster is Already Here- https://www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2021/oct/14/climate-change-happening-now-stats-graphs-maps-cop26

7. The Millions of Tons of Carbon Emissions That Don't Officially Exist- https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-a-warming-planet/the-millions-of-tons-of-carbon-emissions-that-dont-officially-exist

 

8. World Scientists' Warnings into Action, Local to Global- https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/00368504211056290

 

And here are links to some of d.o.'s:

*October 1, 2021 An Animal Experimentation Enviro Show

https://archive.org/details/an-animal-experimentation-enviro-show-interview-with-neuroscientist-katherine-roe

*April 30, 2021  The Dirty Zombie Biomass Enviro Show

https://archive.org/details/dirty-zombie-biomass-5-4-21-enviro-sho*February 28, 2021  Jean's Enviro Show

https://archive.org/details/the-jean-grossholtz-enviro-show

And finally, the last Bus Stop Billboard of the year:

Monday January 10, 4:00 - 5:30 pm.  EarthTalks: Michael Mann to discuss COP26 and path to net zero emissions.  World leaders and diplomats from nearly 200 countries attended the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, to set new targets for cutting global greenhouse gas emissions. Penn State attendee Michael E. Mann, distinguished professor of atmospheric sciences, will share his impressions about which efforts succeeded and which did not, along with his thoughts about the best path forward to net zero emissions, during a talk that will take place in 112 Walker Building and be streamed via Zoom.  

Tuesday January 11, 11:30am.  The Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy will be holding a public hearing on the below consumer protection,  environmental justice, public safety, security systems, siting, towing and late-file bills. You can view the legislation here. One of the bills, S.2596 allows municipalities to regulate the siting of non-residential solar systems for purposes of preserving forested lands, wetlands, lands in agricultural use or to ensure compatibility with municipal zoning. Testimony on bills in this hearing should be addressed to the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy Co-Chairs Senator Michael Barrett and Representative Jeffrey Roy. Individuals who wish to testify virtually may register to do so by filling out this form by 11:00 a.m. on Monday, January 10. After you register, you will receive a Teams invitation and further instructions on how to participate virtually a day or two before the hearing. Constituents planning to testify are encouraged to alert Sen. Comerford by emailing jo.comerford@masenate.gov.  

Tuesday January 11, 6:30pm. XR Non-Violent Direct Action Training. Learn how to take part in XR actions at this non-violent direct action training! This training is for people who are interested in potentially doing civil disobedience as well as people who want to play support roles for our actions. You will learn how to engage in non-violent civil disobedience. We will cover some theory behind direct actions, discuss the logistics of arrest and potential legal implications, and talk about the many different roles (beyond risking arrest) that are crucial to successful actions. You will get to talk to a few people who have gone through the arrest process and ask questions you might have. Location: Zoom, register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/.../tZMsdeqoqTMrHdW2Zvu... Run Time: 6:30 to 8:30 pm (we may end early, and are still finalizing timing). We recommend that you attend an 'Heading for Extinction' talk and an XR orientation before you attend our NVDA training. You can find these events on our calendar: https://xrmass.org/action/     

 

Friday, January 14, 12:00-2:00pm.  The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) is developing the Clean Energy and Climate Plan for 2025 and 2030 that will incorporate new statutory requirements and public feedback.  We invite you to a public meeting to discuss goals and policies for forest protection, management, and restoration.  The meeting will be virtual with a presentation, followed by discussion.  The presentation will be recorded and posted on www.mass.gov/2030CECP.  Webinar and call-in information will be emailed and posted on www.mass.gov/gwsa-meetings on the morning of January 12, 2022.

 

Tuesday  January 18, 7:00 pm. An evening with Terry Gibson, organizer with Neighbor to Neighbor and co-coordinator of Dwight Street Garden in Holyoke as he presents Gardening the Resistance. The corporate food system is broken in many ways. The contributions to our climate emergency through fossil fuel consumption, waste and pollution are clear at every stage of the system from farm to consumer. The other thing running through every stage is inequity, exploitation and racism. The Regenerative Farming, Forests and Food Systems (Rf3), and Racism, White Supremacy, Climate Justice working groups of Climate Action Now, Western Mass, in collaboration with Grow Food Northampton plan to shed light on the situation by continuing our Food Sovereignty Series this winter on Zoom. Go to: Climateactionnowma.org  

Tuesday, January 25, 7pm. A conversation with Daniel Bullen around his new book: Daniel Shays's Honorable Rebellion: An American Story. This date is the 235th anniversary of the beginning of the rebellion. Register Here

January events relating to  Forests & Solar can be found HERE. 

 OK, see you next year and remember to listen to your Mother!

 

Winter Solstice 2021 Enviro Show

Greetings Earthlings. Happy Solstice to you all. This year we are joined on the show by  Chris LaFond, a Pagan Animist Witch and Coordinator of Western MA Pagan Pride Day and member of the Earth Spirit Community here in the Valley and beyond. Chris will takes us deep into some of the aspects of the Solstice you may not have encountered before. Also Daniel Bullen, author of "Daniel Shays's Honorable Rebellion" returns to the show now that his years long journey has come to fruition. You will encounter the Winter Solstice and the other celestial observances of the year among the Massachusetts yeomen and their families in Dan's book, as they were closer to the seasons and the natural world than many of us are these days, as well as being a bit closer to direct action in the face of oppression by the ruling class. As always, we will also bring you along to meet this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and, with good will to all, we'll be Abidin' with Biden as he stands up for democracy, but first it's time for........Revenge of the Critters! We don't really want to be too much like the Grinch this time of year but there may be some Felines out there who have had it with all the consumerism. Watch THIS! 

This Fool-on-the-Hill might qualify as our Christmas wish for a plain old-school fool who isn't trying to trash democracy and install outright fascism into government........or not. U.S. Repugnican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky posted a Christmas picture of himself and what appeared to be his family, smiling and posing with an assortment of guns, just days after four teenagers were killed in a shooting at a Michigan high school. "Merry Christmas! ps. Santa, please bring ammo," U.S. Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky wrote on Twitter. OK, so not old-school, right? Not to be outdone, the truly dangerous Fool-on-the-Hill, assault weapons fanatic Repugnican Lauren Boebert of Colorado did likewise, adding her and the kids have no spare ammo to give away for the Holidaze. So much for "Peace on Earth"!

As much as we are Abidin' with Biden for the spirit in his Democracy Summit we are also wondering why he isn't being a lot more engaged in overcoming growing fascistic anti-democratic forces among the Repugnicans here at home. “You can’t try to export and defend democracy globally when you can’t protect it domestically,” said Cliff Albright, a co-founder and executive director of the Black Voters Matter Fund, a progressive nonprofit group in Atlanta. “You can’t be the global fireman when your house is on fire.”  Bi-partisanship, with a few exceptions, is gasping for breath in the ICU and yet The Prez keeps doing the same thing over and over, hoping for some goodness from bad people. We follow the playbook of the Weimar Republic at our own risk, people! 

In the Enviro Show Echo Chamber the Scientific American may be throwing cold water on your Holidaze with a headline like this: "Humans Are Doomed to Go Extinct". Strangely, the Climate Crisis isn't even mentioned. Clever humans can do themselves in even without trashing the atmosphere. 

Whomever came up with the part of the Kyoto Protocol sector claiming dirty woody biomass was renewable needs to be reminded "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" One can only wonder if they, like New Yorker writer Sarah Miller, ever paid a visit to the gigantic Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire, UK. "In essence, Drax is a gigantic woodstove. In 2019, Drax emitted more than fifteen million tons of CO₂, which is roughly equivalent to the greenhouse-gas emissions produced by three million typical passenger vehicles in one year. Of those emissions, Drax reported that 12.8 million tons were “biologically sequestered carbon” from biomass (wood). In 2020, the numbers increased: 16.5 million tons.."  BTW, much of that wood comes from forests here in the U.S., mostly from down south. That said, you can bet the lumber corporados have their eyes set on our precious northern forests next.

Time for The Enviro Show Quote of the Week and for another trip in the Wayback Machine:

“How many lessons of faith and beauty we should lose if there was no winter in our year.”                                          

              — Thomas Higginson, correspondent and literary mentor to Emily Dickinson. 

Following our interviews we move over to the Bus Stop Billboard:

 

Wednesday, December 29,  8:00 to 9:00pm. Climate Emergency Watch Party. This compelling and accessible one-hour film features several Woodwell Climate scientists addressing the critically important issues of climate feedback loops. Host a watch party with friends and family. We’ll send you a host kit (sign up by 12/20 to receive before 12/29). Share a photo of your party to be entered to win Woodwell Climate goodies.  Event URL: https://woodwellclimate.org 

Wednesday, January 5, 7:30-9:00pm.  Extinction Rebellion WMass Zoom General Meeting. Mark your calendars for our next general meeting to start planning a new year of actions! Go to: https://www.facebook.com/XRwmass/     

Thursday, January 6, 2022, 12 – 1pm.  We the People: J 6 Day of Remembrance & Action. January 6 was a violent and deadly attack against all Americans – against our country, our democracy, and our freedom as voters to choose the leaders that represent us so that we have a government of, by, and for the people. One year later, the same faction that attacked our country on January 6th is hard at work silencing our voices by restricting our freedom to vote, attacking fair voting districts, and quietly preparing future attempts to sabotage free and fair elections and with it our democracy. Coming together, we can prevent another January 6th attack and realize the promise of democracy for all of us - no matter our color, zip code, or income - so we all have an equal say in the decisions that shape our daily lives and futures. Go HERE. 

Tuesday January 11, 6:30pm. XR Non-Violent Direct Action Training.

Learn how to take part in XR actions at this non-violent direct action training! This training is for people who are interested in potentially doing civil disobedience as well as people who want to play support roles for our actions. You will learn how to engage in non-violent civil disobedience. We will cover some theory behind direct actions, discuss the logistics of arrest and potential legal implications, and talk about the many different roles (beyond risking arrest) that are crucial to successful actions. You will get to talk to a few people who have gone through the arrest process and ask questions you might have. Location: Zoom, register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/.../tZMsdeqoqTMrHdW2Zvu... Run Time: 6:30 to 8:30 pm (we may end early, and are still finalizing timing). We recommend that you attend an 'Heading for Extinction' talk and an XR orientation before you attend our NVDA training. You can find these events on our calendar: https://xrmass.org/action/

 That's all for now folks, but do remember to listen to your Mother!

 

 

Another Biomass is a Biomess Enviro Show

Greetings Earthlings. On our last show we had a look at some forest related bills on Beacon Hill. This week we drill down into some biomass bills like S.2197/H.3333  "An Act to prevent biomass energy to protect the air we breathe" and S.2186/H.3362  "An Act ensuring a healthy future for environmental justice communities".  James McCaffrey, New England Legislative Director of The Partnership for Policy Integrity joins us. Jay leads PFPI’s activities in the MA legislature to remove biomass from the Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard and the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard. As always we will also take you along to meet this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and to see if we are still Backslidin' with Biden, as well as giving you our Enviro Show Quote of the week and more, but first it's time for.........Revenge of the Critters! Predatory arachnids unleashed by climate chaos!

She's baaaaack! Yahoo news reports: "Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) on Saturday slapped down colleague Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), reminding her that federal infrastructure funds she called “communist” built the nation’s highway system. Greene viciously slammed the 13 House Republicans (including Kinzinger) who voted to pass the Biden administration’s $1.2 trillion Infrastructure and Jobs Act on Friday. She claimed in a tweet late Friday after the vote that they “handed over their voting cards ... to pass Joe Biden’s Communist takeover of America via infrastructure.”   😏

 While Backslidin' with Biden we gladly give you this report: "A federal court on Wednesday rejected the Biden administration’s effort to dismiss a lawsuit aimed at protecting critically endangered right whales from being run over and killed by ships and boats in U.S. waters." But can anyone tell us why on Earth Biden's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is on the wrong side of history here? Recently scientists announced that the Right Whale population had dropped to only 336 individuals in 2020 — an 8% decline from 2019 and the lowest population number for the species in nearly 20 years. “At this juncture, the fact NMFS hasn’t already addressed deaths due to vessel collisions is beyond incomprehensible,” said Erica Fuller, a senior attorney at Conservation Law Foundation. “We hope this [ruling] will force the agency to take emergency action rather than wait until next spring to start a new rule-making process. That kind of delay does little to protect the [whales] traveling up and down the coast now.”  However, on the bright side: "After the Center for Biological Diversity and our allies went to court, some of the world’s rarest whales have been granted a reprieve from the torment of getting tangled up — and often killed — in fishing gear. A judge has reinstated federal restrictions on lobstering in 997 square miles of the Gulf of Maine to save North Atlantic Right Whales from buoy lines."

 

It looks like it's time to remind The Prez that "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!"  Professor William Moomaw and colleagues remind us: "The UN climate summit in Glasgow ended with more words than actions as global emissions are the second-highest on record and the world is on track for an increase of another 16 percent by 2030. Alarmingly, global deforestation is occurring at a rate of 27 football fields every minute of each day. Recognizing this loss, President Biden pledged that the United States will “help the world halt natural forest loss and restore at least an additional 494 million acres by the year 2030.” As it stands, the Biden administration’s climate plans say nothing about ending forest losses right here at home by protecting climate-saving older forests and trees on federal lands. It’s a glaring omission that needs to be fixed. As scientists who have been studying forests and the climate for, collectively, more than a century, we urge Biden to safeguard mature and old-growth forests on federal lands as part of the United States’ commitment to tackling the climate crisis." 

How about another visit to The Enviro Show Echo Chamber?  This week Mongabay caught our attention with this headline: "New meteorological theory argues that the world’s forests are rainmakers" wherein we are told,  "..the still little-known biotic pump theory postulates that forests are the driving force behind precipitation over land masses." Perhaps that seems intuitive but according to the article "it has faced stiff resistance from some meteorologists and journals. " Here's is a short video from The Dogwood Alliance you might want to share with anyone who thinks industrial logging is a good thing.   

 

Time for our Enviro Show Quote of the Week:

“Cutting down forests to burn to generate electricity is not in any way ‘green’ or carbon neutral – and in fact, creates a large amount of air pollution. Even if the trees are replanted, not all survive – and those that do will take decades or centuries to grow to the same size, and therefore the same carbon dioxide absorbing potential of the trees that were eliminated.”

-  Patrick Anderson, co-author of  “Dirty Deception."

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

December. Phone calls make a difference. Officials pay special attention because phone calls indicate commitment by their constituents. Call the Chairs and Vice Chairs of ENRA and say (to a staff person or in a voice message):  "I’m a MA resident and I’ve written my state legislators to let them know I support H.912 and H.1002. These bills will protect MA forests and help reduce climate change. I’m calling to urge you to report these bills favorably out of your ENRA joint committee."

• Becca Rausch, Senate Chair: (617) 722-1555         @BeccaRauschMA
• Jamie Eldridge, Senate Vice Chair:  (617) 722-1120         @JamieEldridgeMA
• Carolyn Dykema, House Chair: (617) 722-2680         @CarolynDykema
• Mindy Domb, House Vice Chair:  (617) 722-2400         @MindyForMA

Friday December 10,  2:30 to 3:30pm. Springfield Standout “No” to proposed Eversource pipeline.  A brand new gas pipeline Right under our street? Oh come on, Eversource,

Gas is so obsolete!  NO PIPELINE!  Parking directions here. Contact Verne for more info: 413-439-3324   vernemca@gmail.com

Sunday December 12,  7:15pm.  Protecting Shutesbury Land & Water While Building Solar. Trees & Solar, We Need Both! Forum on Shutesbury Industrial Solar . Register HERE.  

Monday, December 13, 11am.  Please sign up for a district lobbying meeting to help remove biomass from Massachusetts' ratepayer funded clean energy programs!  If you live in Springfield, Chicopee, or Longmeadow, please join a strategy meeting to discuss upcoming district meetings with your legislators. Email katyeiseman@gmail.com for a Zoom link.

Tuesday December 14, 2 to 3pm MA Demands EIS for Line 3!U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 696 Virginia Road, Concord, MA 01742. Host Contact Info: Noteaparty@gmail.com   The fight continues to Stop Line 3! On December 14th, marking the 1-year anniversary of the start of construction and direct actions to stop it, we are renewing our calls to the US Army Corps of Engineers to order a federal Environmental Impact Statement. 

Wednesday  December 15, 7-7:45pm. Climate Caroling. Rehearsal on December 15th ~ 7-7:45PM ~ Zoom.  Event on December 31st ~ 5:30-6:45PM ~ Northampton.  As we work for a better future in the new year, let's take to the streets and fill the air with our climate caroling voices! We'll spread cheer the only way we know how: enlightening people to the climate crisis with fun and flash. We'll meet at Pulaski Park in Northampton where people will be gathering to see the fireworks that start at 6:15. (Bring a blanket if you'd like to stay to watch them!) Please sign up here so we know how many folks are coming. If you want to practice beforehand, we'll be having a rehearsal over Zoom on 12/15, and you can check out the song sheets here in advance.

Thursday, December 16, 7:00pm.  No Coal/No Gas Mass Call. We’ll be talking about action planning and wrapping up 2021 together!  Go HERE.   

Wednesday, January 5, 7:30-9:00pm.  Extinction Rebellion WMass Zoom General Meeting. Mark your calendars for our next general meeting to start planning a new year of actions! Go to: https://www.facebook.com/XRwmass/ 

Until next time remember.........Listen to your Mother, OK? 

 

The Trees on Beacon Hill Enviro Show

Greetings Earthlings. The official Tour of the Massachusetts State House only mentions "a line of poplars was planted along the west property line", all the rest of the site is only devoted to statues, plaques and the building itself. There may be some other internet site or brochure out there that deals with the landscaping of Beacon Hill but what about the business of legislating in relation to trees? There are a host of bills that address just that. Massachusetts forest protection bill H.912  "... would designate all 412,000 acres of park, forest, and watershed lands administered by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation as parks or reserves", while H.1002 "..would expand and make permanent the existing system of reserves on public Wildlife Management Areas administered by the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife."  Also, with regard to dirty biomass H.3333 An Act to prevent biomass energy to protect the air we breathe. Janet Sinclair of Save Massachusetts Forests & David Meshoulam, Executive Director & Co-Founder of Speak for the Trees Boston  supporting H.905 /S. 504 An Act establishing the municipal reforestation program join us to see the forest for the trees. [UPDATE! Interviews HERE] As always, we will also take you to witness this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and to remind everyone "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!". Also, it's that time of year again for Valley Free Radio's Fall Fund Drive, that important moment when Enviro Show fans step up and support the show. Sooooo, Go HERE and THANKS very much! Now it's time for..........Revenge of the Critters!  Turkeys know about Thanksgiving and they are not pleased.

Another dangerous Fool-on-the-Hill this week because....well, Repugnicans we guess. We've had Repugnican Rep. and well known bobble head, Paul Gosar on before but this time he has stepped way over the line and was foolish enough to send up an animae of himself killing AOC and threatening The Prez? HuffPo reports: "In the video, Gosar is depicted fighting the animation’s “Titans” with far-right Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.). In one scene, Ocasio-Cortez’s face is superimposed on one of the Titans. Gosar slashes its neck and kills it. In another scene, Gosar swings two swords at an enemy with Biden’s face edited onto it."  Child's play or terrorism against a federal official? You decide! 

Apparently, more than a few attendees to the recent COP 26 Climate Meeting are actually unaware that "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!"  While more than 100 countries pledged to halt deforestation by 2030, as part of an agreement at COP26, the United Nations climate summit that took place in Glasgow, Scotland, there's no enforcement to back it up and it has a fatal flaw. That lack of accountability is one of the many complaints lodged at the summit as an estimated 100,000 protesters took to the streets in Glasgow to demand world leaders  take stronger action to curb the global crisis. Maybe those protesters are upset that attendees only came up with  a draft agreement late Wednesday that countries will use as a template for a global agreement on stronger action against global warming at some unspecified time in the future? Ya' think?? And this: "After nearly two weeks of negotiations, the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland was expected to extend into the weekend Friday as policymakers missed the evening deadline for finalizing their deal on how countries will combat the climate crisis—with leaders unable to come to an agreement thus far regarding financial support for the Global South, fossil fuel subsidies, and other key issues" reports Common Dreams. Late Saturday the Globe reported: "Government negotiators from nearly 200 countries have adopted a new deal on climate action after a last-minute intervention by India to water down the language on cutting emissions from coal. Several countries including small island states said they were deeply disappointed by the move to “phase down,” rather than “phase out” coal power, the single biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions." And this from XR: " After all the fanfare, COP26 has failed. Not one of the G20 nations, the richest and most culpable for this crisis, will cut emissions to keep global heating even close to 1.5C. Global South nations have not been given the promised funds to rebuild from and defend against the extreme weather that already devastates their lands and people. Fossil fuel infrastructure will continue to expand and governments will continue to rig markets to encourage it. On all fronts, yet again, the can has been kicked down the road."  There will be, of course, some rosier takes on the end of COP-26. We will post them if they aren't just more Blaa Blaa Blaa.  

We guess we'll be Backslidin' with Biden on Wednesday when "The Biden administration will be holding the oil and gas lease auction on Nov. 17, 2021. On Aug. 31, Earthjustice filed a lawsuit in federal court in the District of Columbia against Interior and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management on behalf of Healthy Gulf, Sierra Club, Friends of the Earth, and the Center for Biological Diversity challenging Interior’s decision to hold lease sale 257. The lawsuit argues that the 2017 environmental analysis the Biden administration is relying on to hold the sale is outdated. Among other things, it ignores new information showing the rising dangers from pipeline leaks." That from Earth Justice.   And here's an update from Politico : "Since leaving the U.N. climate summit, Biden has jawboned OPEC to boost oil production, a plea that was rebuffed. He’s considering tapping the nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve. He’s calculating whether closing a Michigan oil pipeline would lead to fuel price shocks. And on Nov. 17, just days after the COP26 summit wraps up, his administration will hold a court-ordered sale of oil and gas leases in the Gulf of Mexico, an auction that environmental groups say he has the power to delay or even stop."  Will he? Stay tuned! 

In The Enviro Show Echo Chamber the The Partnership for Policy Integrity has created a sign-up form for joining a new statewide listserv to focus on ending Massachusetts subsidies for woody biomass energy and protecting our forests. And this: An Enviro Show Action Link to end offshore drilling  

Our Enviro Show Quote of the Week calls for a brief hop in the Wayback Machine:

"Revolution is about the need to re-evolve political, economic and social justice and power back into the hands of the people, preferably through legislation and policies that make human sense. That's what revolution is about. Revolution is not about shootouts."

 Bobby Seale

 After our guests have had their say it's on to The Bus stop Billboard: 

December 4 & 5, All Day.Massachusetts progressives are well aware of the crises we face. Climate catastrophes and COVID-19 ravage communities across the country, Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and the poor always suffering most. The risk of nuclear war is as close as we have ever been.  In Massachusetts, the growing incidence of the diseases of despair; addiction, ODs, and suicide reflect the worsening misery of much of our population while Trumpism threatens our political will to make change happen.Come to our online Fall 2021 conference, Coming Together: Building Progressive Political Power, on Dec 4-5, where we will explore how we can move our programs forward with maximum impact, strategizing how to engage, unite and build the power needed to reverse the destructive policies of our current governmental structures. We acknowledge the urgency to center those whose lived experiences of resistance to oppression and injustice form the scaffold for our agenda. Go HERE.  

Wednesday December 8, 2:30-4pm. Stop the Money Pipeline action co-sponsored by XR WMass, CAN, Mothers Out Front, and ARHS Sunrise! STMP aims targets banks financing pipelines, like Line 3, demanding that they stop funding fossil fuel projects that destroy our planet. We'll be delivering letters to the mangers of TD Bank and Bank of America and voicing our demands loud and clear outside, with a festive march from TD Bank to BoA in-between. It's a half-day for Amherst schools so the high schoolers can make it! 

Please spread the word and hope to see you there!  Check out Climate Action Now's new "Stop the Money Pipeline" group.  Email Sue at susalson@gmail.com  for details.

Sunday December 12,  7:15pm.  Protecting Shutesbury Land & Water While Building Solar. Trees & Solar, We Need Both! Forum on Shutesbury Industrial Solar . Register HERE.   

That's all for now folks but do remember to.......LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER!