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"
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 11th 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 16th 6pm ET
// Register
here
January 25th 6pm ET
// Register
here. February 1st 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.
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