The 2024 New Year Enviro Show

Greetings Earthings. Are you ready for a new year that promises to be historic and, quite possibly horrific? Other than the potential of His Malignancy The Mad King's return to power and the end of democracy in 2024 there are any number of other consequential events and situations prepared to confront us. Anne Petermann of the Global Justice Ecology Project returns to the show as we talk about trees as well as  genetically engineered trees, and forests in the New Year. As always, we will also bring you along to meet this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and Those Whose Brains Are Small, not to mention our Quote of the Week and more but first it's time for

Revenge of the Critters! A classic: A Tiger Tracked Down And Killed The Poacher Who Shot It. 

This week's Fool-on-the-Hill is repeat offender and House Speaker Rep. Mike Johnson. Last time we entertained MAGA Mike it was just his words. Here the Union of Concerned Scientists takes a look at some of his climate crimes in action?  "Johnson’s new bill ends rebates for electric appliances, home electrification projects, and training funds for project installation. It eliminates or slashes funding for clean energy and energy efficiency efforts throughout the Department of Energy and defunds a national Climate Corps, modeled after the New Deal era Civilian Conservation Corps. It blocks funding for state net zero programs and tighter building energy codes. It stops the government from factoring in the social cost of greenhouse gases in budgets and environmental reviews." Of course, that's DOA in the Senate but it still backs up what Rachel Maddow always says "Watch what they do, not what they say". 

We would have liked to remind some of the attendees to the recent COP28 conference that "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!". Despite all the glowing reports you may have heard from some quarters that should know better, any get together headed by an oil sheik in a nation known for its oil production should raise red flags. Even The New Republic (not noted for its rad views) had issues with this latest COP-out. "U.S. climate envoy John Kerry has said that companies like Chevron and ExxonMobil “ought to be leading the charge” on the transition to renewable energy, and has expressed consternation at the fact that they aren’t. But there’s no evidence to suggest the Biden administration will do anything to slow or halt their growth plans. In fact, as the U.N. climate talks opened, they were holding an auction for oil and gas drilling rights on 44,000 acres of land in the western U.S." A more critical observation of the event comes from this podcast from Amy Goodman of Democracy Now!  Listen if you dare.

The origin of "Their brains were small and they died" concerns the dinosaurs but, of course, also refers to those among us who aren't, for a family friendly phrase, paying attention. We continue on with the climate emergency theme to a "US ‘university’ [that] spreads climate lies and receives millions from rightwing donors."  The Guardian piece refers to the Prager University Foundation, which is not an accredited education organization, that downplays the horrors of slavery and makes false claims about the climate crisis. "Founded in 2009 by the conservative talk show host Dennis Prager whose online media, PragerU Kids division has become a key tool in spreading false claims to young people with short videos aimed at undercutting widely accepted science that climate crisis disasters are accelerating due, largely, to fossil-fuel usage." In other words, brainwashing impressionable kids with far-right b.s. The Guardian goes on to point out the players: "Among PragerU’s leading financiers are the oil and gas fracking billionaire brothers Farris and Dan Wilks....Other top conservative donors to PragerU, which styles itself as alternative to the “dominant leftwing ideology in culture, media and education”, include the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, the National Christian Charitable Foundation and the Dick and Betsy DeVos Foundation." Betsy DeVos! There a familiar name among the dinosaurs.

We'll be talking with our guest shortly about the Prez's recent announcement regarding our National Forests and climate change. The Guardian's subhead reads the "Move aims to protect millions of old-growth trees, which are better at storing carbon, but its outcome depends on 2024 election."  Tree Huggers Take Notice! We're Abidin' with Biden on this one but what's this about: "The proposal focuses on most old-growth forests, leaving mature forests still vulnerable to logging, which is a middle ground between environmentalists and the timber industry." Middle ground?? "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" Stop Backslidin'!

In The Enviro Show Echo Chamber we rerun a report from Wired about "All the fish we cannot see". Unbeknownst to most of us there lies "a hidden cache of fish [that] might play an unexpected role in our climate’s future. It seems like a bad time for a new fishery." It seems there's "a vast cloud of marine animals, most smaller than a human hand, that moved from the deep ocean to the surface and back every day." They move a LARGE amount of carbon but are threatened by the commercial fishing industry. Same old/same old!

Let's hear this week's Enviro Show Quote of the Week now:

“Acts of creation are ordinarily reserved for gods and poets, but humbler folk may circumvent this restriction if they know how. To plant a pine, for example, one need be neither god nor poet; one need only own a shovel.”

— Aldo Leopold

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

January 10th, January 24th, February 7th, and February 21, 6:30pm. Feeling starved for discourse about climate philosophy? You're in good company! Starting on January 10th, members of XR Boston are leading a Climate Philosophy seminar every-other-Wednesday at the Democracy Center (45 Mt. Auburn St., Cambridge, MA). RSVP at this calendar link for more information and to ensure that we order enough pizza for you! 

Wednesday January 10,  8 to 9:30pm. "Remembering January 6" Virtual event. On January 6, 2021 an attack happened not just on the U.S. Capitol building and the attempt to stop the electoral vote, but also on democracy and the rule of law. It’s been three years since that attack. Join us for this special event to discuss the event, what’s happened since, and what might have happened if it was ultimately successful. Go HERE.  

January 11^th 10am ET // Register here The Biden-Harris Administration is hard at work preparing to launch the first cohort of the American Climate Corps by summer 2024. We’re excited to announce that we’re hosting virtual listening sessions to hear your ideas about how to shape this historic, groundbreaking initiative .  January 16^th 6pm ET // Register here
January 25^th 6pm ET // Register here.   February 1^st 10am ET // Register here

January 18 thru February 1. MA Water & Wetland Regulation Changes events. Proposed wetlands regulations, along with the climate related goals established by the Healey-Driscoll Administration, will help minimize impacts from severe storms in a changing climate.  Additional urgency and coordination will be needed in our continued fight to preserve wetlands, open space, and biological diversity. Go HERE. 

Tuesday January 23, 9:30am.  Fight for your Rights Lobby Day!  We will be meeting with legislators to build support and momentum behind three critical bills for democratic rights. The Voting ACCESS Act (S.410): to implement same day voter registration;   The Sunlight Bill (S.1963): to require all votes made by legislators in committees to be publicly available, and to subject the governor's office to Public Records Law;   Location Shield Act (S.148/H.357): to protect reproductive freedom, LGBTQ+ lives, and freedom of movement. Go HERE. 

 Thursday, January 25, 7-8pm. Online How is our commonwealth battling climate change, and what will it mean for you? Congregation Or Atid is pleased to host Massachusetts Climate Chief Melissa Hoffer as she discusses this and other issues facing us in the era of climate change. This event is free and open to the public.  After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with the zoom link.  Go HERE. 

 Sunday January 28, 3 p.m. Screening of the film "Burned" by Cummington native son, filmmaker Alan Dater and co-filmmaker Lisa Merton. Dater, Merton and Dr. Mary S. Booth will also participate in a round-table discussion at the Cummington Community House, 33 Main Street, Cummington, MA. 

Monday January 29, 6 – 8pm.  Western Mass. Solidarity Roundtable. We'll review the mapping we did together in October, dig into some of the major issues raised, and discuss how to move forward together.  People VS Fossil Fuels.  Contact  Kristen Streahle <kristen@massjwj.net>

Friday, February 2, Groundhog Day Actions will draw on the theme of being stuck in place, making no progress. The Strategy and Action Circle is creating action plans, messaging, templates, and documents, but chapters are encouraged to choose their own time, location, and action specifics. We will be sending out regular updates as plans develop, but in the meantime please contact the Chapter Support and Engagement Working Group at xrus_chapter_engagement@unitedrebellion.com if you have any questions at all! 

Tuesday February 6 – 8, 2024, All days. Join Bill McKibben, Third Act, frontline leaders, and national allies in three days of nonviolent civil disobedience at the Department of Energy in Washington, DC to push the Secretary Granholm to stop approving new Liquified Natural Gas terminals, including the CP2 project in Southwest Louisiana! Go HERE!  More info HERE.  

OK folks, we'll see you next year. How about a New Year's resolution like Listen to Your Mother?

 

 

The 2023 Winter Solstice Enviro Show

Winter Solstice Greetings Earthings! As we approach December 21 it's a good time to focus on Mother Earth and the turning of the seasons. If we don't honor her and act with respect toward Nature we and all life on the planet will suffer greatly. Laura Wildman-Hanlon returns to the show to help us along the path. Also, we talk with scuba diver Annette Spaulding about her experiences in the CT River, in particular her run-ins with FirstLight's pumped storage monster. As always, we also invite you to meet this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and Those Whose Brains are Small, as well as our ongoing reminder that "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" and more but first it's time for.........Revenge of the Critters! Another listener suggestion: They're called Wildlife for a reason, folks.

Back for another Fool-on-the-Hill drubbing is Repugnican Sen. Ron Johnson, the gift that keeps on giving. This time, during an interview on Faux "News" Johnson was bad mouthing Dems with the usual baseless "alternative facts" stating, “Gasoline is higher because of their war on fossil fuel and their climate change policies, which are a fantasy.” Gas prices are falling now, btw. As for fantasies, the MAGA Death Cult seems to have a lock on that one  and RonJon is all in. 

 Enviro Show listeners know "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" and we've a feeling they may be screaming at their screens as reports are coming in from COP281......um, sorry it's COP28. We must be losing track? We reported months ago on Oil operative Sultan Al Jaber of the UAE becoming the President of this particular COP meeting. There was a failed effort to have him removed but we guess Big Oil and a bunch of assorted corporados had the final word. With that in mind let's rub their faces in Al Jabar's little hissy fit last week when he "claimed there is “no science” indicating that a phase-out of fossil fuels is needed to restrict global heating to 1.5C. Al Jaber also said a phase-out of fossil fuels would not allow sustainable development “unless you want to take the world back into caves”. Sound familiar? While we're are at it let's keep our eye on new buzzwords like "unabated fossil fuels", "emissions that are not "captured" through technological fixes like carbon capture and storage (CCS) before they reach the atmosphere...Analysts warn the technology would actually increase energy consumption by 20%, ultimately increasing the carbon emissions that CCS proponents claim are "abated" by the technology". A few positive agreements have been reported but given the players showing up it starting to look like yet another dog & pony show for business-as-usual. That when "New research shows that carbon dioxide becomes a stronger greenhouse gas as its levels rise, highlighting the critical need for immediate emission reductions."

Sadly, it's hard to be Abidin' with Biden when he hasn't even made a showing at COP28. He sent VP Harris but given that the Climate Emergency is THE greatest threat to life on Mother Earth is second best the way to go? Add to that, an EU "memo suggests the Biden administration is angering allies by undermining strict standards for a new global carbon market." Carbon markets are sketchy anyway, but The Prez is even trying to undermine that? Perhaps as damage control, the Administration announced at COP that the U.S. government would, for the first time, require oil and gas producers to detect and fix leaks of methane. We certainly applaud that, but oil & gas production continues to increase here at home as we find ourselves Backslidin' with Biden. The NY Times reports: "Five days into the two-week conference, known as COP28, the talks have become consumed by an intense debate over the future of fossil fuels." While Reuters notes: "World's largest iceberg breaks free, heads toward Southern Ocean". It's as large as the UK. Surprise! 😒

This episode of "There Brains Were Small and They Died" is focused on India's exporting its toxic legacy to Africa. Grist tell us, "While India introduced its first lead battery rules requiring recycling companies to adopt safe practices in its own country more than 20 years ago, the Republic of Congo, like other countries in Africa, hasn’t done the same. Now, officials in New Delhi are celebrating the charge of Indian operations into Africa, which include battery recycling facilities in at least eight countries. India recently dispatched one of its ambassadors in West Africa to inaugurate a plant that had been stockpiling lead batteries. Indian investments in Africa have grown by more than $20 billion in four years, officials say, and government funding for projects across the continent are on the rise. “The sky is the limit,” Far right Prime Minister  Modi said in August as Africans absorb India's toxins. 

Here's our Enviro Show Winter Solstice Quote of the Week:

“This is the solstice, the still point of the sun, its cusp and midnight, the year’s threshold and unlocking, where the past lets go and becomes the future"

- Margaret Atwood

 

Meanwhile, over in The Enviro Show Echo Chamber the NY Times is telling us those avocados so many of us love are "Killing Mexico's Forests" The market has become so lucrative that gangs are burning down high altitude forests so they can plant avocado trees. Violence and deaths are being reported as well. Can't we just have some nice things? Nah! Also this, PETA informs us they obtained  .."documents showing that a marmoset monkey confined at the University of Massachusetts–Amherst (UMass) escaped and injured another caged, stressed monkey. The monkey was imprisoned in the laboratory of experimenter Agnès Lacreuse, who studies menopause using marmosets—even though the species doesn’t experience it."  Yes, the torture continues at UMass Amherst.  And this from Grist just in time for the Holidaze: "Discarded toys are creating an e-waste disaster.."  

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

Wednesday January 3, 6pm. Climate Defiance New Years benefit joined by Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, Steven Donziger, and Cambridge City Councilor Sumbul Siddiqui. "We do not go along to get along. We do not sit in cubicles circulating petitions and signing coalition letters. We block doors. We crash galas. We shut down speeches at think tanks and hotels and conferences and fundraisers and Congressional office buildings. We act like our very lives are on the line because they are." - Climate Defiance.  Address provided upon RSVP, Somerville, MA 02143 US.  Host Contact Info: info@climatedefiance.org

January 11^th 10am ET // Register here The Biden-Harris Administration is hard at work preparing to launch the first cohort of the American Climate Corps by summer 2024. We’re excited to announce that we’re hosting virtual listening sessions to hear your ideas about how to shape this historic, groundbreaking initiative .  January 16^th 6pm ET // Register here
January 25^th 6pm ET // Register here.   February 1^st 10am ET // Register here

Tuesday January 23, 9:30am.  Fight for your Rights Lobby Day!  We will be meeting with legislators to build support and momentum behind three critical bills for democratic rights. The Voting ACCESS Act (S.410): to implement same day voter registration;   The Sunlight Bill (S.1963): to require all votes made by legislators in committees to be publicly available, and to subject the governor's office to Public Records Law;   Location Shield Act (S.148/H.357): to protect reproductive freedom, LGBTQ+ lives, and freedom of movement. Go HERE. 

OK listeners,    that's all for now  just remember to listen to your Mother.

 

The COP28 & Fate Enviro Show

Greetings Earthlings. The 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference or COP28, will be the 28th United Nations Climate Change conference, held from 30 November until 12 December 2023, at the, are you ready?.... Expo City, in Dubai. Irony aside, we don't expect much (surprise!) Guy McPherson returns to the show to shed some much needed light on that ongoing debacle and more. As always, we also will introduce you to this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and Those Whose Brains Were Small as well as the usual reminder for your MAGA loving uncle that "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" and more but first it's time for...........Revenge of the Critters! ORCA tricksters celebrate Halloween with that sinking feeling.

 This week's Fool-on-the-Hill is yet another Repugnican from Florida, it's Rep. Brian Mast who recently compared all Palestinians to Nazis.That doesn't seem helpful, especially coming from someone that far out on the rightwing. In a hearing on humanitarian aid, Mast showed up in an IDF uniform? saying "It is not a far stretch to say there are very few innocent Palestinian civilians."  Not sure what the costume was about. Did he bring any of his war toys along? 

 We've a hunch Rep. Mast is clueless on the fact that "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!"  Did he read this last week? "The Earth’s temperature briefly rose above a crucial threshold that scientists have been warning for decades could have catastrophic and irreversible impacts on the planet and its ecosystems, data shared by a prominent climate scientist shows." The piece went on to note, "The breach of 2 degrees... came two weeks before the start of the UN COP28 climate conference in Dubai, where countries will take stock of their progress towards the Paris Climate Agreement pledge to limit global warming to 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels, with an ambition of limiting it to 1.5 degrees."  Let's have some context here from Jessica Wildfire: "It's official, red alerts have gone out across the entire country of Brazil as the heat index hits 137F. The high temperature combined with humidity has made it impossible for most people to carry out their normal lives. There's already reports of power outages. People can't work. They can't run errands. They can barely sleep. It's not even summer there yet." And so-called Swifties were passing out left and right, one even died at a Taylor Swift concert down there in that heat. Taylor & company soon flew home on their private jet which, of course, is part of the problem.

 We have some good news about those "Whose Brains Were Small", it seems the world's largest biomass company is "near collapse", proving once again that natural selection works. "This year has been a financial disaster for Enviva, the world’s largest producer of wood pellets for the biomass energy industry. With more than $250 million in losses to date and worsening results expected in the fourth quarter, the once high-flying company’s viability, by its own admission, is in grave doubt." Of course, it's too late to save all those forests in the southeast U.S. that were shipped off to Europe to be misrepresented as "green energy" but hopefully our Northeast forests will be spared from this particular many headed monster. That said, what about out west?  

In The Enviro Show Echo Chamber we replay Common Dreams frightening piece regarding the U.S. Media (with a few notable exceptions) giving His Malignancy a free pass for going full-blown fascist of late. Yes, we've known for years The Mad King was the apprentice for history's worst but now he's saying the quiet part out loud. An example: "During a [recent] rally, Trump pledged to "root out the communist, Marxist, fascist, and the radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country, that lie and steal and cheat on elections and will do anything possible—they'll do anything, whether legally or illegally—to destroy America and to destroy the American dream."  That's straight out of Il Duce's playbook and we're sure The Fuhrer would approve. The mainstream media best get their act together on this one. It's one thing to repeat a news story but it's an entirely different thing to repeat mid-20th century history.  You can tell them that and more HERE. 

 Time for our Enviro Show Quote of the Week:

“We are about to sacrifice our civilization for the opportunity of a very small number of people to continue to make enormous amounts of money. We are about to sacrifice the biosphere so that rich people in countries like mine can live in luxury. But it is the sufferings of the many which pay for the luxuries of the few.” 

- Greta Thunberg 

After our conversation with Guy it's on to the (electric) Bus Stop Billboard:

Saturday December 9, 11am.  Stockbridge Old-Growth Forest Hike: Ice Glen Trail. Join  MA Sierra Club  for a winter outing! The Ice Glen trail is an 1.4 mile round-trip hike. There will be stops along the trail to learn how to “read” an Old Growth Forest and discuss the unique qualities of this special place.  Go HERE.    

 Saturday December 9, 7pm.  Climate Change Theatre Action is a worldwide festival of short plays about the climate crisis, presented biennially to coincide with the United Nations COP meetings. The theme this year, “All Good Things Must Begin,” is inspired by the journal entry of American science fiction writer Octavia Butler. The LAVA Center, 324 Main St, Greenfield, MA. Go HERE.  

Monday, Dec. 11 at 7pm.  A free webinar on the dangers posed by the chemical vinyl chloride and its toll on the health of individuals and communities with Professor David Rosner co-author of the landmark book, Deceit and Denial, and Jess Conard, our Appalachia Director whose East Palestine, Ohio community is still struggling after the mass burning of vinyl chloride there last winter following the Norfolk Southern train derailment disaster. Click here to register now for this free webinar. >> 

Wednesday December 13, 4pm.  2023 in Bird Conservation. What a year it's been for birds, full of highs and lows. Exciting victories – like the habitat we helped to protect for the Bicknell's Thrush – and galvanizing events in ongoing battles, like when more than 1,000 migrating birds died in a mass-collision event with one building in Chicago this past October. You'll learn about a wide range of ABC conservation programs. Go HERE.  

Thursday December 14, 8 pm. Join Free Speech For People and People Power United for a virtual town hall on Thursday, December 14 to learn why Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution prevents Trump from running for and holding public office again. RSVP on BOTH Zoom and our sign-up form

We are done for now but do remember to.....LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER!

An Act for a Livable Planet Enviro Show

Greetings Earthlings. Are you sick & tired of "open-ended executive privilege"?  Zak Porter, Executive Director of Standing Trees returns to the show to discuss the mishandling of our Public Lands by government and industry. We will discuss some clear cut examples during the interview segment. As usual we will also bring you along to meet this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and Those Whose Brains are Small, as well as a reminder that "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" and more but first it's time for........Revenge of the Critters! "Researcher Says Giant Crabs Keep Stealing and Destroying Her Cameras"

This week's Fool-on-the-Hill is none other than the new House Speaker, and noted bible-banger, Representative Mike Johnson (Repug-La.). He’s a climate-science skeptic who has, in his short time as Speaker, helped pass a bill to cut renewables funding from the Inflation Reduction Act and is a major recipient of campaign donations from the oil and gas sector. "John Delgado, a former Baton Rouge Metro council member who was critical of Johnson when he was still a state representative, said Johnson’s climate skepticism is borne out of evangelical “dispensationalist belief”—the idea that the end times herald the second coming of Christ. “There are people who just want to see the world burn because they are waiting for the next one,” Delgado told Sierra. He explained that those who are eager for the Rapture “want it [the world] to end sooner.... And so they’re not going to care about the environment, they’re not going to care about the coastline, they’re not going to care about rising ocean temperatures.When you talk about climate change,” Delgado said, “he [Johnson] truly doesn’t care.” Of course, we don't care for MAGA Mike either. Wait, there's more! Saying he has just given “a seminar … to a bunch of high school kids in Shreveport”, Johnson quotes George Washington and John Adams, saying the first two presidents and other founders “told us that if we didn’t maintain those 18th-century values, that the republic would not stand, and this is the condition we find ourselves in today”. Values from the 1700s?? Think about that one.

On to some other dinosaurs "Whose Brains are Small". "A public statement signed by more than 1,000 scientists in support of meat production and consumption has numerous links to the livestock industry, the Guardian can reveal. The statement has been used to target top EU officials against environmental and health policies and has been endorsed by the EU agriculture commissioner. The “Dublin Declaration of Scientists on the Societal Role of Livestock” says livestock “are too precious to society to become the victim of simplification, reductionism or zealotry” and calls for a “balanced view of the future of animal agriculture”. One of the authors of the declaration is an economist who called veganism an “eating disorder requiring psychological treatment”. We'll ask Glen about his "eating disorder".

One can only wonder if  all 1,000 of those scientists are aware "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" Are any of them aware that 2023 was most likely the hottest in the past 125,000 years.  And this: "During the past year, the needles on the climate dashboard for global ice melt, heatwaves, ocean temperatures, coral die-offs, floods and droughts all tilted far into the red warning zone. In summer and fall, monthly global temperature anomalies spiked beyond most projections, helping to drive those extremes, and they may not level off anytime soon, said James Hansen, lead author of a study published today in the journal Oxford Open Climate Change that projects a big jump in the rate of warming in the next few decades." And yet, "Governments are literally doubling down on fossil fuel production; that spells double trouble for people and planet," said United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres. "We cannot address climate catastrophe without tackling its root cause: fossil fuel dependence." 

Over in The Enviro Show Echo Chamber we repeat WaPo's piece on Earth's Freshwater getting Saltier , care to guess whose fault that is? "Human activities are making the globe saltier, specifically in our soils, fresh water and air, according to a study released Tuesday in the journal Nature Reviews Earth & Environment. The excess salt has already caused serious issues in freshwater supplies in recent decades."  Here in the Northeast with winter approaching you can bet road salt has something to do with that problem. The article goes on to point out, "Over the past 50 years, salt ions have increased in streams and rivers as people have begun using and producing more salts, the study says. The team found that across the globe, about 2.5 billion acres of soil — an area about the size of the United States — have become saltier. Salt lakes are also drying up and sending saline dust into the air." Remember the Roman Legions back in the day spreading salt on their perceived enemies land so crops would fail? Who needs legionaries, we are it. Finally, go HERE for Glen's slide show on that recent tour of Miles Standish State Forest (if you dare!). Finally, our flagship station WXOJ is having its Fall fundrive and they are replacing the transmitter. The little 60-lb box is the heart of the FM signal that blasts the frequency into an FCC-allotted signal range. This is a large cost and one that will keep programmers like yours truly on air. PLEASE contribute, OK? 

Here's an Enviro Show Quote of the Week that addresses what our guest said at the top of the show:

“The truth is that all men having power ought to be mistrusted.” 

― James Madison 

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

 

 November 25, or 26, 1:30 - 3:30pm. Invasive Plant Clipping Parties. Greening Greenfield, MA invites everyone to join them for a ‘clipping party’ to start the process of getting rid of invasive burning bush around Poets Seat Tower and Highland Park. Go HERE.  

Monday November 27, 7 to 8:30pm via Zoom. Climate Action Now Monthly Gathering.  Impact of climate change on workplace health and safety. The climate crisis is already having a major impact on workers in multiple settings. Climate Action Now is committed to building solidarity among climate justice organizers, climate activists and the labor movement so that we can take action together to address this growing risk to workers’ health and well being. Go HERE.   

Tuesday November 28, 6 to 7 pm.  You are invited to a webinar about the proposed expansion of Hanscom private jet service and its disastrous climate effects in Massachusetts. If the proposed expansion goes ahead, private jet emissions from Hanscom alone could cancel up to 70% of the climate benefits from all the solar PV ever installed in Massachusetts. While our cities and towns are trying to drastically decrease our carbon footprint, Massport & Runway Realty are planning to expand theirs at Hanscom. This is chiefly for luxury trips to resort destinations for the privileged few, with enormous cumulative costs to the climate and the vulnerable many. Go HERE.  

Wednesday November 29, Noon.  ENR Hearing on Forest Bill H4150 An Act relative to forest protection.  In person & virtual (see above link for details). H.4150  would give all Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) state-owned lands and watersheds permanent protection as reserves, similar to National Park protection. We had a hearing on October 11th for H.904 - An act relative to increased protection of wildlife management areas - which would  mandate that 30% of all state-owned lands under the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) be given permanent reserve status.  Simple, easy and quick action you can  take:  Please show support for H.4150 and H.904. Support both bills: • Individual Sign-on Letter:    • Organization Sign-on Letter:    

                                                                                                                                 

Wednesday December 6, 6pm.   A community forum about the climate impact of private jet expansion. Massport is planning a massive hangar build-out for private jets at Hanscom Field, which is the largest single development in Hanscom’s history. This will impact our community by increasing greenhouse gas emissions levels and more.  Please join in person at the Concord Free Public Library or on Zoom (Visit lwvcc.org for Zoom registration). 

Saturday December 9, 11am.  Stockbridge Old-Growth Forest Hike: Ice Glen Trail. Join  MA Sierra Club  for a winter outing! The Ice Glen trail is an 1.4 mile round-trip hike. There will be stops along the trail to learn how to “read” an Old Growth Forest and discuss the unique qualities of this special place.  Go HERE.    

We are done for now but do remember to.....LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER!