The Enviro Show: December 2023

Friday, December 22, 2023

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?

Friday, December 08, 2023

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