This week's Fool-on-the-Hill is another repeat offender. Louisiana Senator John Kennedy returns to showcase his extreme racist stupidity and his phony folksy oratory in an attack on Mexico which he says we need to.......invade? “Without the people of America, Mexico, figuratively speaking, would be eating cat food out of a can and living in a tent behind an Outback”, said the Senator in an addled complaint about drugs entering the U.S.
Now it's time for a deep dive into The Enviro Show Echo Chamber where PFAS and plastics are making an alarming showing. First off, Extremetech informs us,"Plastic Recycling Process Just Produces More Microplastics, Study Finds". The study out of Scotland found "By processing 22,680 metric tons of plastic waste per year, this facility alone was found to discharge anywhere from 59 to 1,184 metric tons of microplastics annually." A disturbing side note here: "The fact that the facility was brand-new also means that it was probably more effective at processing microplastic byproducts than most facilities, which might use older machinery or processing methods." There are efforts, however at addressing the depressing. Inside Climate News tells us "As the benefits of recycling are called into question, the United Nations Environment Program counts 13,000 chemicals in plastic, many of them toxic, and offers a challenging, multifaceted action plan to sharply reduce plastic waste by 2040." Feel better?........Nah! And this, plastic manufacturers may not have to be concerned about dumping their micro-plastic waste into the closest swamp now that the renegade Supremes have trashed the Clean Water Act. Also this and totally in keeping with our guest's scary tale: Cornell calls for a permanent ban on sludge farming in 1981! Finally, in also in keeping with our guest's PFAS story you can go to this Enviro Show Action Link HERE.
All the above might lead you to think "Their Brains Were Small & They Died" like the dinosaurs but alas, many of these people remain to endanger us. Take, for instance, investment experts James Altucher and Douglas Sease who cleverly came up with the scheme ten years ago, "that the end of the world is a profitable opportunity for those who know how to “fade the fear”, as everyone else panics". Sound familiar? Yes, it's business-as-usual yet again. Perhaps by now Jim & Doug have retired to their survivalist fortresses with all their investments in fossil fuels still pouring into their offshore accounts. Who knows? Who cares?? Hopefully they built their fortresses close to the shoreline.
OK, so Jim & Doug don't seem to care "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" and apparently neither does the Tennessee Valley Authority because, as Grist asks in this story, "Replace fossil fuels — with more fossil fuels? That’s one major utility’s plan" Right, so the TVA is getting rid of those dirty old coal burners and going for.....Fracked gas? We'll spare you the dated hype on this one but it sounds a lot like Jim & Doug's game plan all over again. Well, some might say, what about the fossil fools doing carbon offsets? Glad you asked: "Research published [recently] reveals that nearly all of the carbon offsets Chevron relies on to "cancel out" its planet-heating emissions are likely "worthless," rendering the oil giant's so-called "net zero aspiration" a masterclass in greenwashing that threatens to exacerbate the fossil fuel-driven climate crisis." Since we're on the subject of bad players and climate chaos let's see what J6 fascist sedition conspirator, Stuart Rhodes was up to before his well deserved 18 year extended vacation in prison. According to Grist, "For nearly a decade, the Oath Keepers have responded to disasters like hurricanes and floods by administering rescue operations, serving hot meals, and doing construction work. Disasters provide the Oath Keepers with opportunities to fund raise and gain the trust of people who might not otherwise be sympathetic to their anti-government cause. By arriving to crisis zones before federal agencies do, the Oath Keepers take advantage of bureaucratic weaknesses, holding a hand out to people in desperate circumstances." Just showing the love, no doubt.
Time now for our Enviro Show Quote of the Week:
“There is no such thing as ‘away’. When we throw anything away, it must go somewhere.”
– Annie Leonard, executive director of Greenpeace USA.
After our conversation with our guest we move to the Bus Stop Billboard:in August. Please pre-register HERE to help planners to prepare for this special event.
Starting Monday, June 5, 2023 and
lasting until the governor publicly commits to no new fossil fuel
infrastructure, or the legislature passes a law that would ban new
fossil fuel infrastructure. Each business day, there will be 2+
climate activists peacefully and determinedly stationed outside the
State House with art, such as signs, flags, or banners. Activists
will sign up for shifts of 2, 4, or 8 hours, with the goal of complete
coverage 9 - 5 for all business days Monday - Friday. On Thursday June 1, at 8 pm, we'll have an online informational session for interested activists. Sign up at the Zoom registration link: https://us02web.zoom.us/
Saturday June 10, 9am. Join the Sierra Club Massachusetts Chapter on June 10th for an outing in
celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act! The
walk will be about 4 miles long through Breakheart Reservation to the
Northeast Metro Tech (NEMT) forest. This forest is at risk of being
clear-cut based on the planned site of the new school building. We will
discuss some of the biodiversity documented at this site by Friends of
Wakefield’s NEMT Forest. (Read below about a recent victory for this
forest!) Go HERE.
Wednesday June 14, 11am to 3pm. End-of-Life Options MA Coalition Lobby Day. MA State House, Nurses Hall., 24 Beacon St, Boston, MA. RSVP: Register here, and let Sara Elkins know which of the training dates leading up to the event you can attend. You can also write to her at: selkins@candcactionnetwork.org
Thursday & Friday June 15 and 16. Save the Dates and join us to welcome the Veterans for Peace Golden Rule peace boat to Plymouth, MA June 15 and 16! They come to join us in our efforts to halt Holtec's planned dump of radioactive water into Cape Cod Bay. There will also be a welcome dinner on the 15th at 6:30 PM at Tavern on the Wharf for $50 pp. If you would like to attend, please go to www.saveourbayma.com to sign up.
Thursday June 15, 8pm. Kickoff Call for the ‘March to End Fossil Fuels’. This September, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will host a historic global climate ambition summit in New York City. This is an unprecedented call for global leaders to end the era of fossil fuels. If Biden wants the U.S. to have a legitimate place at this summit–and avert the growing climate emergency–he must commit to stop approving all new oil and gas projects and launch a just transition to move us off fossil fuels. In September, we will take action in New York City and across the world to demand Biden take bold steps to end the era of fossil fuels. Join us in the streets this September! Go HERE.
Tuesday June 20, 10am and 6pm. MassDEP Clean Heat Standard (CHS) Stakeholder
MassDEP will hold the first CHS Virtual Community Meetings on Tuesday June 20 at 10AM and 6PM. Participants must register prior to the meetings. Registration links are now available on MassDEP’s CHS webpage. The meetings will focus on providing background and updates on the Massachusetts CHS program development process, and on MassDEP’s plans for further stakeholder engagement. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions and provide comment.
Tuesday June 20, 10am to 1pm. The solar siting bills H3230 and S2164 hearing. The deadline for requesting to provide testimony is Fri. June 16 at 5pm. Fill out this form if you are interested. People can also submit written testimony. See details for instructions. People can also watch the hearing as well - both in-person and online. Support in numbers is important! More details here.
Saturday, June 24,m 10am. H2wOw! Connecting Climate, Water and Community. David Abel, Filmmaker and Climate Reporter for the Boston Globe will present 'A Journalist's Perspective on Climate Change.' Abel will conduct a live interview with Massachusetts' first-ever Climate Chief Mellissa Hoffer. The
results of a two-year study of Plymouth's hydrogeology and the town's
vulnerability to saltwater intrusion will be presented by UMass Professor Dr. David Boutt, PhD. Stay after for an opportunity to meet our guests and socialize with your neighbors and town staff. Tickets HERE.
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