A 2023 Enviro Show

 

Greetings Earthlings. Another year, another chance to protect the Earth from those who would abuse Her. There are many ways to do that, most legal, some not so much. Journalist and podcaster Leah Sottile joins us to discuss Earth Liberation Front and other direct action groups in her podcast Burn Wild. [UPDATE: Interview HERE] As always, we will also visit with this week's Fool-on-the-Hill (maybe the Fool of the Year too?), come up with an Enviro Show Quote of the Year, remind anyone who has been off planet for awhile that "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!",  throw in a bit of Xmas cheer and more, but first it's time for.........Revenge of the Critters! Another habitat infringement issue, this time with......Reindeer!

This week's Fool-on-the-Hill hasn't even arrived yet newly elected Repugnican George Santos (Repug- NY) has already been outed as a fraud and a liar. According to the NY Times: "Citigroup and Goldman Sachs, the marquee Wall Street firms on Santos’ campaign biography, told The New York Times they had no record of his ever working there. Officials at Baruch College, which Santos has said he graduated from in 2010, could find no record of anyone matching his name and date of birth graduating that year. There was also little evidence that his animal rescue group, Friends of Pets United, was, as Santos claimed, a tax-exempt organization: The Internal Revenue Service could locate no record of a registered charity with that name."  Welcome to the Party, George! 

And now, something completely different: Our Fool-of-the-Year!

 

 

We're quite sure neither of the fools above agree when we inform them "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" but those of us who believe science instead of business-as-usual will never stop trying to clue them in. Here's a headline that should shock them if they weren't so brainwashed: "Giant Methane Leak Tops List of Worst US Climate Disasters in 2022". The Equitrans fracked gas storage well in rural Pennsylvania is the culprit. Are we surprised? Nah!  We don't wish to mess with your Holidaze but you should be aware "global demand for chocolate, not least during the holiday season, has devoured tropical forests where cocoa trees grow." The New York Times' Climate Forward story  cites one example, "According to Trase, which tracks the impact of global commodities on forests, Ivory Coast, the world’s largest cocoa exporter, has lost most of its tropical forests in the last half century. Between 2000 and 2019 alone, 2.4 million hectares of forest were cleared to make room for cocoa plantations." Sorry, revelers but the good news is "You can learn how chocolate makers compare with each other on efforts to address deforestation, farmer incomes and the use of child labor by checking out the Chocolate Scorecard, compiled by advocates and academics."

In The Enviro Show Echo Chamber we find that "Roughly 190 nations, aiming to halt a dangerous decline in biodiversity, agreed [at the COP Biodiversity summit] to preserve 30 percent of the planet’s land and seas. The United States is not officially a participant." The Times tells us: "The agreement comes as biodiversity is declining worldwide at rates never seen before in human history. Researchers have projected that a million plants and animals are at risk of extinction, many within decades. The last extinction event of that magnitude was the one that killed off the dinosaurs 65 million years ago." Care for more bad news to start off the New Year? "With its latest leak of nearly 600,000 gallons in northern Kansas, the sprawling Keystone pipeline system has now spilled more crude oil in the United States than any other pipeline, according to a new analysis by Bloomberg." Perhaps some Enviro Show fans are under the impression high profile groups like The Nature Conservancy are out there making things better? Sorry, some of us think TNC stands for The Nature Conspiracy. Finally, we were very pleased to hear that Maura Healey has tapped a true tree champion, Melissa Hoffer, to be her Climate Chief, a new Cabinet-level position in the Healey Administration. If you don't know who Melissa is, take a look at this video from a presentation that she organized a couple of years ago when she worked in the AG's Office. Also, featuring Melissa is this Enviro Show interview from the same time period.  These two recordings will give you a good sense of who Melissa Hoffer is and explain why we are very excited to know that she will be leading the effort to address the climate emergency in this new Administration.

 

Now it is time for an Enviro Show Quote of the Year. This one wasn't spoken this past year BUT it certainly is one to remember in the coming years:

“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” 

—Albert Einstein 

Time for the last Good Riddance Biomass Baker Countdown Timer of 2022

After Glen tears Baker a new one we move on to our conversation with Leah and then it's on to The Bus Stop Billboard:

 

 

Saturday January 7, 1pm-3pm over zoom. First Massachusetts Youth Climate Coalition (MYCC) Summit. A network of over 30 youth-led organizations across the state with 10 adult supporting organizations. Founded in February 2020, we are committed to centering the voices of Massachusetts’s young people in the climate movement. With our upcoming summit we hope to engage potential and existing MYCC members in interactive and educational conversations and workshops. Go HERE. 

 

 

Wednesday, January 11, 12 to 1pm.  Elders Climate Action Mass Virtual Rally.

We are calling on all climate activists, legislators, and Gov. Healey and her climate team to join a VIRTUAL STATEWIDE RALLY to: Welcome Governor Healey and her new climate team. Acknowledge the hard work of all who contributed to the passage of two climate bills in the last legislative session. Make clear our call for the rapid implementation of the ambitious climate agenda set forth in the bills and the Clean Energy and Climate Plans. 

Contact for details: https://www.eldersclimateaction.org/contact-us/   Rally link HERE.

 

Wednesday, January 11, 6:30pm.  Fix the Grid Campaign Launch on on Zoom!  Join us to get oriented to the campaign strategy, meet others involved in the effort, and then dig in on state-specific plans with fellow advocates from your state. Register here and pass along the word!

Saturday and Sunday January, 14-15, all day. The NOFA winter conference is part in-person, part-online. The fee is sliding scale, $90 to $250 with some scholarships; keynote $15; annual meeting N/C. All workshops on Saturday are hybrid and on Sunday are online only. The workshop schedule is here: https://whova.com/web/Y%40CPTeCKDvOa4eW48r57-r%40ywUDtoWfsoQSdTLlYpso%3D/Agenda/ . They are again using the Whova platform and app.

 

 

 

Thursday January 19, 7:00pm-8:30pm: No Coal No Gas Meets Clamshell Alliance! (Zoom)  Join our monthly No Coal No Gas call to chat with organizers from the Clamshell Alliance about their work! RSVP Here.

 

 

Monday, January 23rd at 6:30pm on Zoom. Mythbusting your rising electric bill: who's getting your money?"  With the help of experts across the region, we'll be digging in on where the money we pay goes, why bills are going up so much this winter, what our grid operator ISO-NE has to do with all of it, and where we go from here to achieve a more affordable, more accessible, and more accountable electric system.REGISTER HERE! 

 

January 26, 11am. Boston Fee Party on Thursday, next to the Boston Children's Museum. Right now, our state leaders have no representation on the Board of Directors for ISO-NE - it's a black box of decision-making that is keeping us hooked on fossil fuels. That over-dependence on fracked gas is what has put us in the situation this winter with skyrocketing electric bills. We can't afford more delays in the transition to clean energy! We're calling on Maura Healey to be a leader in pushing for key governance reforms: no rate elevation without representation!  RSVP here and invite your friends!

Friday January 27 Deadline Comment at: https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/APHIS-2020-0030-8291 Action Alert! We need you to tell the USDA that releasing dangerous, unproven and unmonitored GE trees into our forests is a Massive, Irreversible Risk.The wild American Chestnut is Already Rebounding!  We don’t need the irreversible risks of genetically engineered Chestnut trees!  Background info HERE.

 

 

February 15, 10:00am & 5pm. Virtual Public hearings on 310 CMR 7.74 Reducing CO2 Emissions from Electricity Generating Facilities. On January 4, 2022, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection filed proposed regulation amendments to 310 CMR 7.74 Reducing CO2 Emissions from Electricity Generating Facilities. The proposed amendments address CO2 emissions attributable to the production of useful net thermal energy by facilities regulated under 310 CMR 7.74.   Go HERE.

 

 

That's it for 2022 folks, see you next year and don't forget to.....LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER! 

 

 

Yet Another Winter Solstice Enviro Show

Greetings Earthlings. Happy Winter Solstice. Remember when it usually snowed around the time of Winter Solstice? Now it just seems to rain (we'll see if Mother Nature does something about that by the time this show's run is coming to a close). Whatever the case, Independent journalist, Erica Gies joins us to remind everyone "Water Always Wins"which is to say Water Rules! [UPDATE: Interview HERE] As always we will also bring you along to meet this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and to see if we are Abidin' or Backslidin' with Biden these days. That and more but first it's time for......Revenge of the Critters! Giant python in the pool! 

Rep. Bruce Westerman, (Repug-Ark.) is Congress' only forester so, of course, he will probably lead the House Natural Resources Committee in the next Repugnican Congress. He said he's "always run into opposition from certain more radical environmental groups who don't ever want to cut down a tree." But he said healthy forest management is the key to preventing the types of fires that have been raging in California and billowing massive amounts of carbon into the atmosphere. We're not sure which radical groups "don't ever want to cut down a tree" but we've heard plenty about "healthy forest management" from those who want to cut down far too many trees. Westerman just wants to plant more trees, never mind the ones already capturing CO2 emissions. Maybe he wants us to rake up the leaves in the forest too? 

In the Enviro Show Echo Chamber we want to echo ourselves with this golden oldie from one of our past Winter Solstice shows. So, breakout the hot chocolate, sit back and relax for a blast from the past with Angela McCluskey ! We  also echo Trees as a Public Good Network's letter to Gov. Elect Maura Healey, congratulating her on her electoral victory and reminding her of the campaign promise calling for a one-year moratorium on logging on public lands while a scientific study is undertaken. Would you and/or your group like to sign-on? Go HERE.  

We guess we don't have to tell Frosty the Snowman that "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" but surely somebody (like say Ivanka?) should tell His Malignancy the Former Mad King.  It's no surprise he is still "ridiculing efforts to reduce planet-warming emissions from oil and gas production, which scientists say is necessary to avoid the worst impacts of climate change." But, like one Dem functionary said recently, "Trump is clearly past his expiration date" and will be pretty much history by 2024 if not eating bad food in some lockup for years to come. Let's "act locally/think globally" now: On the local level Sunrise Amherst demanded the town sustain climate action and racial equity priorities in the Town Manager’s goals and denounced a  suggestion by Councilor Hanneke to disregard large sections of these fundamental priorities.

We wish they had also stepped up for the "Merry Maple" as well but.....Go Kids! On to the global with this headline: "Climate migration is about to explode. Cities will bear the brunt.

Surprise! Finally, haven't you always wanted to know who the worst climate polluters in the country are? Look HERE.

Time for the Biomass Baker Good Riddance Countdown Timer....

 

After Glen is done with his bi-weekly roast of the Gov we should checkout the Pre

Sadly, we find it difficult to be Abidin' with Biden when he does Backslidin' like this "As many as 100 million acres of BLM land may qualify for some level of protection that approximates wilderness and qualifies for 30-by-30 [status] But nearly two years after Biden took office, many conservationists worry that the agency, historically tied to industry and hobbled by [His Malignancy], is moving too slowly" to achieve Biden's ambitious goal to conserve 30% of U.S. land and water by 2030. Then there's this: "Biden Administration Quietly Approves Huge Oil Export Project Despite Climate Rhetoric". Ouch!

Let's move on to our Enviro show Quote of the Week, shall we?

“Thousands have lived without love, not one without water.” — W. H. Auden

After our conversation about water with Erica we head over to the Bus Stop Billboard:

Saturday December 17, 11:00 AM – 11:30pm. Winter Solstice Bonfire & Holiday Bazaar. Welcome to our annual Holiday Artisan Craft Bazaar, and Winter Solstice Bonfire, which will be lit at sunset on Saturday, a massive bonfire on the upper field at the Montague Retreat Center. Doors will open at 11am on Saturday. The Bazaar is free and donations are accepted for the bonfire. After the fire burns down enjoy a rousing set by Tender Spot, followed by a closing journey down to our roots with a Winter Solstice meditation with live music. Food will be available by Vibesman's Jerk Shack. Bring a chair and a drum if you like for the bonfire. This event has a suggested sliding scale donation of  $5-$30 per adult. Pay what you can and come regardless. The event is sponsored by the Heartbeat Collective, Inc. a 501c3, Healing and Expressive ARTists for Balance, Ecology, Awareness and Transformation. If you are interested in helping set up for the event or build the bonfire, send a personal message to Jason, your host. Outdoor tree decorating and Edible Ornament Making. Join us at 3 PM a the up the hill in the apple orchard for an outdoor tree decorating ceremony to offer gifts and appreciation to the local birds and other creatures that make our winter beautiful with their year round residency. Bring your own edible or nature made ornaments or come early to the MRC and join the group to string oranges, popcorn, cranberries and edible ornaments. Fun for all ages!

Tuesday, Dec. 21, at 7:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Heavy rain or snow will cancel the gatherings. The public is invited to observe sunrise and sunset on the day of the Winter Solstice among the standing stones of the UMass Amherst Sunwheel. At the hour-long gatherings, UMass Amherst astronomers will discuss the astronomical cause of the solstice. They will explain the seasonal positions of Earth, the sun and moon, and the design of the Sunwheel and other calendar sites around the world. Go HERE.   

Happy Solstice and remember to.....what?   LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER!

The Standing Trees Enviro Show

Greetings Earthlings. News reached us recently that our friends at Standing Trees have taken Vermont to court "to force transparency and accountability in state land decision-making, as required by law". As longtime Enviro Show listeners know, this kind of action has been taken in New Jersey and here in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and elsewhere. The legal option is costly and often disappointing but it is another tool in the toolbox for confronting forest destruction in a time of Climate Crisis and the Sixth Great Extinction. We will talk about this as Zack Porter returns to the show along with plaintiff, Dr. Jamison Ervin and attorney, James Dumont [UPDATE: Interview HERE]. As usual, we will also drag you along kicking & screaming to meet this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and to remind anyone not paying attention that "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" All that and more, but first it's time for............Revenge of the Critters! Stupid old guy tries small wildlife removal trick on a Gator? Spoiler: It doesn't go well.  

This week's Fool-on-the-Hill is not on the Hill and hopefully never will be 'cuz he is as dumb as a post. Georgia Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker actually said this in early November: “What we need to do is keep having those gas-guzzling cars. We got the good emissions under those cars.” 😏

Obviously, Walker is unaware "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" As expected, COP 27 was chock full of corporados and shills for business-as-usual (even some from right here at UMass Amherst).  Also, "Attempts at the climate talks to get all countries to agree to phase out coal, oil, natural gas and all fossil fuel subsidies failed. And countries have done little to strengthen their commitments to cut greenhouse gas emissions in the past year," said Peter Schlosser, a professor of Earth and environmental sciences at Arizona State University.  And this from The Guardian: "Our leaders had a final chance to halt climate breakdown. They failed each and every one of us". Surprise! On the upside, France is soon to require all large parking lots to have solar canopies, something we Yanks should have required long ago. It's not too late to redeem yourselves, developers!  

Now, it's time to once again visit our Good Riddance Biomass Baker Countdown Timer:

Surely Glen will have a few choice words for the outgoing Gov. and perhaps some kind words for the incoming Gov. 😉

In The Enviro Show Echo Chamber we echo an AP story doing the rounds with the headline, "US advances largest dam demolition in history". This is big news! Now we echo The Boston Globe's coverage of that forest rally in the Green Mountain National Forest last week that Glen spoke about. It reads in part: "On Earth Day last April, he issued an executive order to protect mature forests on federal lands. 'We can and must take action to conserve, restore, reforest, and manage our magnificent forests here at home,' Biden wrote in the order. The order requires federal regulators to identify all the nation’s mature and old-growth forests within a year, and 'institutionalize climate-smart management' policies to protect them. There are no existing federal rules to exclusively protect those older forests. But with the US Forest Service now planning to substantially increase logging in the Green Mountain National Forest.... local climate activists have been staging protests, arguing the agency is defying Biden’s executive order and acting hypocritically." And here's some follow-up opinion on the destruction of "The Merry Maple" in Amherst, MA we spoke about on the last show. 

Time for our Enviro Show Quote of the Week:

“I am convinced that most Americans of the new generation have no idea what a decent forest looks like. The only way to tell them is to show them.”   ― Aldo Leopold

 After our conversation with our guests it's on to the Bus Stop Billboard:

Thursday, December 8, 6:30pm.  Massachusetts Pollinator Network presentation in the community room at Forbes Library on West Street in Northampton. The theme of Peggy MacLeod's talk is “Creating local solutions to biodiversity loss”, inspired by the biodiversity conference with a similar theme that I attended recently in Ireland. Here’s a link to a description of the presentation. https://forbeslibrary.libcal.com/event/9833349   

Friday December 9, 12pm. Franklin Parkland /Post Shattuck Hospital Tree Advocacy Updates.  Many of you have been part of our work advocating for the restoration of parkland following the state’s planned demolition of Shattuck Hospital. Some of you attended a previous update on the project, via Zoom or otherwise. I am reaching out on behalf of the Emerald Necklace Conservancy to share recent media coverage and invite you to one of our upcoming Franklin Park/Shattuck Hospital update sessions (via Zoom). An overview of our work on this effort is available here.  Join a Zoom Update and Discuss Next Steps  HERE 

Wednesday December 12, 6pm. Same as above but Zoom Update  HERE.  

Tuesday December 13, 6:30 - 8 pm. Environmental Summit - Saving Boston's Tree Canopy and the Benefits of Natural Grass via Zoom. Go HERE.  

Tuesday, December 13, 2pm. Join us on Tuesday, December 13th at 2pm ET to discover the mental health impacts of climate change, ethical behavior in times of crisis, and psychological tools you can leverage to inspire climate action. This training will be led by PSR board member Lise Van Susteren, MD, who is a general and forensic psychiatrist based in Washington, DC, and an expert on the physical and psychological effects of climate change. To register for the training, sign up here. 

Wednesday December 14, 2:30pm. Forest Carbon Coalition Presents: What are Industrial Forest Practices Costing Us? The Climate and Societal Costs of Logging.  Join renowned economists Dr. John Talberth, Dr. Kate Anderson, and Ernie Niemi for presentations on the climate impacts of industrial forest practices and the economic imperative of moving away from these practices and towards available alternatives. There are hard dollar costs from logging, but there are also climate and societal costs impacting us all. What are they specifically and what can we do about it? Come find out! Webinar Registration Required

Wednesday December 14, 3pm.  High efficiency heat pumps - often called Cold Climate heat pumps are a key technology in helping individuals and communities move towards rapid electrification and decarbonization no matter where they are located. Because they are designed to maximize heating efficiency, they are able to keep houses warm in cold climates where temperatures fall well below zero. Our panelists from two of the leading heat pump suppliers, Mitsubishi and Daikin, will share the latest research and updates on cold climate heat pumps.   Go HERE.

Wednesday December 14, 6pm.  Speak out against the proposed Eversource-Longmeadow Pipeline!  Eversource Gas has filed with the Energy Facilities Siting Board (EFSB) for approval to build its proposed “Western Massachusetts Gas Reliability Project”. Eversource wants to build  a new meter station in Longmeadow, a new 16” 200 psi pipeline beneath the streets of Longmeadow into Springfield and an upgraded meter station going through Environmental Justice communities and downtown Springfield.  Go HERE. 

OK folks, that's  it for now but  please remember to.....what?   LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER!

                                                                          

The #KickBigPollutersOut Enviro Show

Greetings Earthlings. It's the waning days of 2022 so this must be COP 27?? Yes, it's the 27th Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 27) and doesn't it feel like Ground Hog Day!  Same thoughts & prayers/Same outrage & anger/Same promises and bullshit. Blaa, blaa, blaa!   Haven't all these world leaders and assorted corporados been told many, many times that "Our House is On Fire!!"  OK? Speaking of same old/same old, it's also Valley Free Radio's annual Fall Fund Drive when we ask you to please pay the piper and support the show and our flagship radio station. Simply go HERE and give what ever you can afford to keep this ship afloat. We thank you in advance. We still run the blog even though you won't be hearing much of it on-air, which means you can laugh at our Fool-on-the-Hill, see the Biomass Baker Good Riddance Countdown Timer, as well as be reminded (as if you needed to be) that "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" but first it's time for...........Revenge of the Critters! Another snake on a flight  story.

How about meeting this week's Fool-on-the-Hill? That would be Rep. Greg Murphy (Repug-NC) who joins some of his fellow Repugnicans from the "Conservative Climate Caucus" in a junket to Egypt for COP 27. The fool made this foolish statement: “House Republicans have a common sense all-of-the-above energy plan to reduce emissions and keep our economy strong..” All of the above? We guess that must include energy sources like fracked gas and coal that are actually part of the problem. 

Since we're talking about conservatives we may as well head over to our Biomass Baker Countdown Timer....

 

We are pleased to note that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts now has a Governor Elect who will, thankfully, lead us away from most of the climate blunders Biomass Baker has bestowed upon us. Good riddance Charlie Baker. 

The Enviro Show Echo Chamber features an update on the recent action by CT River Defenders at FirstLight's intake site on the river in Northfield, MA, the deadly point at which all life in the river is sucked up into the pipe and its massive pump and killed before heading up to the reservoir on top of Northfield Mountain.  Listen and lament.....then move into action at the Defenders' site HERE. 

We're not sure there are that many people who are unaware but just in case, during yet another COP meeting, let us just say "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!"  And just in time for COP 27 we have this headline from the New York Times: Draft Report Offers Starkest View Yet of U.S. Climate Threats  Starkest view yet? We guess they haven't been listening to this show. OK Enviro Show readers, click on the link.....if you dare. Not to be outdone of course, the folks over at Common Dreams came up with this shocker: " 'Worst Possible News': Scientists Urge Immediate Action as Greenhouse Gas Levels Hit All-Time High" And speaking of awfully stupid stuff how about Amherst cutting down the "Merry Maple" tree just in time for the Holidays?? 

 

Time for your Enviro Show Quote of the Week (even though we'll be quoting from The World Scientists' Warning of a Climate Emergency on-air this week) This one has a dim ray of hope!

When written in Chinese, the word 'crisis' is composed of two characters. One represents danger and the other represents opportunity.

- John F. Kennedy

OK, we head over to the Bus Stop Billboard now:  

Monday November 28, 8:30am.  Rally to call attention to loss of farmland to solar development , and ratepayer funding for “dual use” solar. 9am court hearing Superior Court Room, Franklin County Court House, 425 Main St. Greenfield. MA.  Summary Judgment arguments about a special permit for solar arrays in Northfield on Pine Meadow Road. Three arrays totaling 76 acres have been permitted by the Northfield Planning Board. This project is right near the Connecticut River in the "Northfield Farms" area, referred to as some of the richest farmland in the world. It has been continuously used for farming for thousands of years. This proposal is being funded by the MA solar SMART program.Should we be paying for industrial scale solar on prime farmland ?  Please attend, bring signs, spread the word.  Reply to this email for more information if needed.

Monday November 28, 5pm.  Halt Holtec/Protect Cape Cod Bay Rally. Plymouth Town Hall Green. 6:30 Speak Out. SaveOurBayMA.com    

Monday November 28, 7 to 8:30pm.   Climate Action Now  Monthly Gathering on Zoom.  Look at our latest newsletter – the best way to know about upcoming events, actions, webinars, etc.  Register HERE. 

Monday November 28, 8:30pm. Join Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) for a LIVE organizing call on Monday to stop the Dirty Deal once and for all. The Dirty Deal would sacrifice lives, lock communities into more pollution, silence local voices, and sabotage our climate goals. We must work in solidarity to amplify strong congressional and frontline opposition. Go HERE. 

Thursday, December 1, 7pm.  A webinar by Doug Tallamy, PhD, for the Endangered Species Coalition. To join us for this free, virtual opportunity, please register here. Doug Tallamy is the T. A. Baker Professor of Agriculture in the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware, where he has authored 111 research publications and has taught insect related courses for 41 years. He is the author of Nature's Best Hope, a New York Times Best Seller, and the 2021 cofounder (with Michelle Alfandari) of Homegrown National Park. 

Thursday, December 8, 6:30pm.  Massachusetts Pollinator Network presentation in the community room at Forbes Library on West Street in Northampton. The theme of Peggy MacLeod's talk is “Creating local solutions to biodiversity loss”, inspired by the biodiversity conference with a similar theme that I attended recently in Ireland. Here’s a link to a description of the presentation. https://forbeslibrary.libcal.com/event/9833349

 

Tuesday December 13, 6:30 - 8 pm. Environmental Summit - Saving Boston's Tree Canopy and the Benefits of Natural Grass via Zoom. Go HERE.  

Wednesday December 14, 3pm.  High efficiency heat pumps - often called Cold Climate heat pumps are a key technology in helping individuals and communities move towards rapid electrification and decarbonization no matter where they are located. Because they are designed to maximize heating efficiency, they are able to keep houses warm in cold climates where temperatures fall well below zero. Our panelists from two of the leading heat pump suppliers, Mitsubishi and Daikin, will share the latest research and updates on cold climate heat pumps.   Go HERE.

That's a wrap fror this show but please remember to listen to your Mother!

 

 

 

When written in Chinese, the word 'crisis' is composed of two characters. One represents danger and the other represents opportunity. Share this Quote John F. Kennedy
Read more at https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/crisis-quote

The Day of The Dead Enviro Show

Greetings Earthlings. How do you honor your dead? Some folks visit the grave sites of their dearly departed, others have their photos on the wall or on the mantel. This time we invite you to join us in another exploration of ways to memorialize loved ones and contemplate plans for your own journey beyond this mortal coil. State Representative Natalie Higgins and Representative Jack Lewis join us to discuss H.4036 An Act Relative to burial alternatives that protect the environment. Also, Candace Currie, Clerk & Director of Green Burial Massachusetts returns to talk about going green after death. [UPDATE: Interviews HERE]  As always, we will bring you along to meet this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and to see if "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!", among other things but first it's time for.........Revenge of the Critters! Just in time for one last Halloween trick; those tiny invisible COVID viruses are taking out more of the MAGA Death Cult than ever. Are you listening Stuart Rhodes?

It's a return performance for this week's Fool-on-the-Hill, Texas Repugnican Senator Ted Cruz. This time he made a fool of himself at Yankee Stadium getting a posh $2,500 seat behind home plate as Yankee fans cursed and booed him for daring to show up in New York. His security detail must get combat pay. One can only wonder how this fool even gets up every morning. How does he live with himself. How do his wife and kids live with him?? 

We can't help but wonder if any Yankee fan yelled "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" to the senator from Texas? Speaking of which, here in WMass some of us have the opportunity to vote with that in mind. The ballot question reads: "Carbon Cash-Back Public Policy Question. Shall the representative from this district be instructed to introduce and vote for legislation that puts a fee on the carbon content of fossil fuels to compensate for their environmental damage and returns most of the proceeds in equitable ways to individuals as a cash-back dividend?"  It is on the November 8^th ballot as Queston 5 in the 1^st Hampshire state rep. district (Lindsay Sabadosa's) and the 1^st Franklin (Natalie Blais'), except in Shelburne, where it is Question 6.  It is also on the ballot in the 5^th Worcester district. The idea is to amplify the concept for a 2024 election effort. Your vote counts!  And now, this: Did you know the Mississippi River is drying up? Watch THIS.  Finally this: "During the United Nations' COP26 climate summit last November, 145 nations signed the Glasgow Leaders' Declaration "to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation" by the end of the decade. One year later, "not a single global indicator is on track to meet these 2030 goals of stopping forest loss and degradation and restoring 350 million hectares of forest landscape," according to the annual Forest Declaration Assessment.

 

Time for our Good Riddance Biomass Baker Countdown Timer!

Glen will surely have a few words to say about Charlie Biomass Baker.

 

It's into the Wayback Machine for a long trip in our Enviro Show Quote of the Week:

What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments but what is woven into the lives of others.

—Thucydides

 

In The Enviro Show Echo Chamber we have the sorry and sordid tale of plastics recycling (such as it is).   Grist tells us "According to a new report released on Monday by Greenpeace USA, no plastic product meets a common industry standard for recyclability, even though they bear the familiar “chasing arrows” recycling symbol." On the upside, Harvard's Crimson reports: "Roughly 30 Harvard and MIT students interrupted an ExxonMobil recruiting event at MIT last Wednesday in protest against big oil companies’ contributions to climate change." Meanwhile, here in the Valley, another 30+ demonstrators showed up in front of Eversourse's HQ on Rt.9 in Hadley to express their ire about the utility's plans to clearcut hundreds of acres of forest to expand their powerline corridors and run a new fracked gas pipeline into the climate justice community of Springfield. That was a Trees as a Public Good Network action and full disclosure, yours trulys participated in the event.

After out conversation with the guests we go to the Bus Stop Billboard:

 

 

Saturday, November 12,  Noon.  New England Rally for Climate Forests. It’s time to RALLY! Join in solidarity with climate and forest activists around the US calling for an end to logging mature and old-growth forests on federal public lands like the Green Mountain National Forest. The proposed Telephone Gap project on the GMNF could cut nearly 11,000-acres critical for carbon storage, biodiversity, and water quality protection. This rally is one of many planned around the US (Oregon, Alaska, Montana, Georgia. West Virginia, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, California, and Vermont). Together we can send a loud and clear message from New England to Washington, DC: "Hands-off our climate forests!" WHEN: Gather at NOON for the rally; optional visit to recent clearcuts at 1pm. WHERE: GMNF Rochester Ranger Station  RSVP: For more info and carpool options Wear orange or bright colors!

Tuesday November 15,  12 - 2pm. The Department of Energy Resources ("DOER") will hold an additional, regionally-focused virtual workshop as an opportunity for the public to engage in the ongoing Technical Potential of Solar Study. Regionally-focused breakout discussions will offer attendees the chance to share unique perspectives and concerns related to solar siting from different geographic regions of the Commonwealth.  via Zoom (Register here). While advance registration is not required to attend, it will help DOER ensure adequate resources to facilitate an engaging and meaningful event. More details can be found on the Study website.

Wednesday, November 16,  6:30pm. Myth Busters: What the US Forest Service doesn’t want you to know about the impacts of logging. Presenters: Bill Stubblefield, PhD, Bart Bouricius, and Cheryl Joy Lipton  Join us for a presentation covering the 11 most common myths the timber industry uses to excuse logging. Research backing the presentation will be included so we can help you demystify the timber industry’s propaganda. Discussion and Q+A to follow the presentation. This is a virtual event.  Click here to register.  

Thursday, November 17, 6:30 PM.  XR Boston: A Degrowth Primer. I will discuss what degrowth is, why it's necessary, and how it can supplement our current Green New Deal discourse. Sign-up here! 

Friday November 18,  7 to 8:30pm.  Ants, Plants & Birds. an exploration of the symbiotic relationships of various species of ants with plants and a great variety of insects. In the case of army ants, many bird species depend on army ant swarms. Find out how this dependance influences both temperate and tropical ecosystems. Register HERE 

Monday, November 21, 6pm. Not Sleeping? Anxious?Depressed? Who knew --it could  be the radiation from your wireless devices...IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO ATTEND BUT WOULD LIKE TO JOIN ANOTHER CONVERSATION, OR PERHAPS HOST ONE OF YOUR OWN, CONTACT: MA4SAFETECH@GMAIL.COM.

That's a wrap fror this show but please remember to listen to your Mother!