Greetings Earthlings and Happy Yuletide. The term "Yule" was misappropriated from Germanic Pagans by proselytizing Christians as part of the Christmas observance. Wiccan priestess, Laura Wildman-Hanlon returns to the show to set the record straight on that and to share various Pagan celebrations of the longest night. As always, we will also introduce you to this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and Those Whose Brains were Small as well as news from our Enviro Show Echo Chamber, the Critter of the Week, a reminder that "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" and more but first it's time for......Revenge of the Critters! Rudolf attacked by the real deal. See it to believe it here.
We talked about this fool in a previous show in a different segment but now he is this week's Fool-on-the-Hill. Grist reports: "The [Mad King's] appointment of Lee Zeldin to lead the Environmental Protection Agency has profound implications for fossil fuel production, the clean energy transition, and the nation’s ability to mitigate the impacts of a warming world...During his eight years in Congress, Zeldin regularly voted against progressive climate and environment policies — including the Inflation Reduction Act, which he said “sucks” — earning him a score of just 14 percent from the League of Conservation Voters. Zeldin is a chair at the conservative America First Policy Institute, which has called the Paris Agreement “lopsided” and endorsed opening the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge to drilling." The piece goes on and, sadly it seems this fool may as well.
We have Breaking News! North Adams, MA Chops Forest Plan! We will bring you the full story when the podcast drops on Tuesday.
Can you just imagine Lee Zelden's response when someone says "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!"? The world’s largest conference of climate scientists already know, "Dozens of scientists who spoke with POLITICO and at the conference expressed worry that the second Trump administration could be more antagonistic toward research underpinning federal rules on climate and environmental health. Scientists across the government — from NOAA and NASA to the Energy Department’s network of national laboratories — may soon face political risks that undermine their work, hide their research or leave them unemployed, said people attending the conference." That said, their work has uncovered disturbing discoveries like this: The New York Times reported that nearly half of Alaska’s common murres, four million birds have perished. Scientists believe it is the largest-ever documented die-off of a single species of birds or mammals, victims of a devastating marine heatwave called The Blob. The population is showing zero signs of recovery. In keeping with that disaster, Common Dreams tells us: "Permafrost in the Arctic has stored carbon dioxide for millennia, but the annual Arctic Report Card released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reveals a concerning shift linked to planetary heating and a rising number of wildfires in the icy region: The tundra is now emitting more carbon than it is storing." Adding: "The report card revealed that over the last year, the tundra's temperature rose to its second-highest level on record, causing the frozen soil to melt." Thereby releasing untold amounts of methane, worse for the atmosphere than the growing CO2 emissions. Recall long past Enviro Shows when we warned about this? Sadly, it has come to pass.
Time for some good news In The Enviro Show Echo Chamber. Capt. Paul Watson is a free man. The Danish Ministry of Justice has decided not to fulfill the
request by the authorities of Japan for extradition of Paul Watson. The
decision is based on an overall assessment of the case regarding whale rescue. Also, ABC News reports: "The Food and Drug Administration may finally move to ban artificial red
food dye, the coloring found in beverages, snacks, cereals and candies." Setting aside they should have done this decades ago, we can still celebrate this eventual victory. A similar long-delayed victory was announced last week: "E.P.A. Bans Cancer-Causing Chemicals Used in Dry Cleaning". That would be "Perc and TCE, that cause kidney cancer and other ailments, and have been the subject of years of controversy." And yet another such delayed victory was announced last week: "Defenders of Wildlife.. learned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
intends to announce the monarch butterfly is warranted for Endangered
Species Act listing with a threatened status. This listing decision will
provide critical protections under the ESA, allowing new legal
safeguards and requiring FWS and other agencies to develop and implement
programs for recovery." We don't know about you but d.o. saw exactly one Monarch in flight last summer the eastern hills of Franklin County but noted six or more small Monarch caterpillars on his milkweed plants. Their fate was uncertain. Perhaps the FWS listing should be Endangered? And finally we bid farewell to Waffles the Clown who moved on to The Great Mystery last month after many, many years of clowning around for peace, justice and Mother Earth. We honor his work with this video of one of his many actions, this one clowning around a car show. Waffles the Clown, Josh Dostice presente'
Given it's that time of year how about some Doublespeak of the Week from an alleged devout Christian? His Malignancy's "choice of ambassador to Israel, former Arkansas governor and
evangelical Christian Mike Huckabee.... Huckabee is against a
two-state solution, insists on calling the West Bank by its biblical
Hebrew name – Judea and Samaria – and is adamant that “There’s no such thing as an occupation.” In 2008 he said, “there’s really no such thing as a Palestinian”. So much for reality, The Mad King has a long list of potential appointees who also have.....um...issues? And finally, checkout the sellout as Silicon Valley moguls kiss the ring.
Our Critter of the Week for the Winter Solstice are Puffins. Sadly "The EU is putting puffins on the brink of extinction by challenging the UK’s lifesaving ban on sandeel fishing in the North Sea. This reckless legal battle prioritises industrial fishing profits over the survival of one of Europe’s most iconic seabirds", reports Ekō a community of people from around the world committed to curbing the growing power of corporations. You can take action HERE in defense of these critters.
We received this message that encouraged us to add another candidate for "Their Brains Were Small and They Died". This goes out to the UK biomass proponent dinosaurs at Drax. The "British power company Drax..said..it
had reached an agreement on the terms of a multi-year supply
deal of biomass pellets for Pathway Energy's proposed
sustainable aviation fuel project in the United States. Under the deal, Drax will supply more than 1 million tonnes a
year of sustainable biomass pellets to the plant on the U.S.
Gulf Coast." Presumably those pellets were once trees from the Southeast U.S. The Drax dinos are still trying to convince us that biomass isn't a biomess and that it is "sustainable"(what ever that means). We guess either they didn't get the memo or they recycled it? O wait, maybe we should have selected King Coal for this week? Check the headline: "Coal Use To Reach New Peak – and Remain at Near-Record Levels for Years" 😠
How about an Enviro Show Quote of the Week to take us to our interview?
"The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom." - Isaac Asimov
After our conversation with Laura it's off to the Bus Stop Billboard:
Saturday December 21, 7 am & 3:30pm. Astronomers mark the start of winter as the moment the sun reaches its southernmost apparent position relative to the stars, which this year occurs at 4:20 a.m. EST on Dec. 21. On this date the sun rises and sets at its most southerly spot along the horizon, over the southeasterly and southwesterly stones in the Sunwheel, respectively. After that moment, the sun begins moving northward, and the days start getting longer. On the date of the winter solstice daylight hours are shortest in the Northern Hemisphere — just nine hours and four-and-a-half minutes in Amherst. At the approximately hour-long gatherings, UMass Amherst, MA astronomer Stephen Schneider will discuss the astronomical cause of the solstice. He will explain the seasonal positions of Earth, the sun and moon, and the design of the Sunwheel and other calendar sites such as the Temple of Karnak in Egypt and at Chankillo in Peru. Go HERE.
Saturday December 21, 7 to 9pm. (Doors open 6:30). Come Celebrate the turning of the Wheel. Yule Ritual &
Gathering. Spill the Tea Sis Apothecary, 183 Main Street, Northampton,
MA. Bring your favorite seasonal treat for our Winter Celebration.
Sliding scale. Go HERE.
Sunday December 22, 11-12:30pm: JVP Hadley Mall Holiday Standoutt! Gather at bus stop on Rte. 9 in front of Trader Joe’s, 375 Russell St. Hadley) Tell Shoppers: Give to Gaza this Holiday Season! Peace on Earth – Stop Arming Israel! We’ll hold holiday-themed signs & banners & leaflet shoppers with info about BDS & how to donate $ to Gaza. Signs provided, but bring your own if you can! Park in the Target/ Dicks lot & walk through Trader Joe’s parking lot then over the grassy area to get to the bus stop. Expect lots of mall traffic; come early! More info HERE
Sunday December 22, 1pm. Join XR Boston at 22 JFK Street, Cambridge MA and sing to Harvard Square shoppers. We are not skilled musicians and we don't expect you to be either. We'll provide song sheets, but feel free to review our cheeky Christmas Carols beforehand if you wish. We encourage you to dress in holiday clothing (green and red, Santa or elf hats, stockings, etc.). Go HERE.
Sunday December 22, 1- 3pm. Living Experience Outdoors: We Gather to Honor the Trees. White Stadium, Franklin Park, 450 Walnut Ave., Boston. We call Her Elder Mother Tree.
She stands as a symbol
of resistance and resilience, teaching us the importance of life and
connection. Yet, this healthy tree, along with many others in Franklin
Park, faces the threat of removal as part of a development plan to
renovate White Stadium. Join us in raising our collective energy,
celebrating the spirits of nature, and protecting these precious trees.
Through songs, poetry, art, and the exchange of ideas, we’ll come
together in community to safeguard this sacred space.
Tuesday December 31, 5:30 – 7:30pm. Trump Guilty Verdict Rapid Response Event. Virtual event Join from anywhere. We are posting these events for December 31, 2024 and will update the events to be the day of the verdict when the verdict is issued. The events will only occur if there is a "Guilty" verdict. If there is a "Guilty" verdict in Trump's New York 2016 election interference trial where we will hold signs around the country emphasizing that "Nobody Is Above the Law" and "Guilty" to emphasize the seriousness of the charges and Trump's conviction. This case is about election interference. Donald Trump is on trial in New York for falsifying his company's business records to conceal information from voters that he knew would harm his 2016 election. Go HERE.
Wednesday January 8, 7- 8 pm. The Science of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs): Types of SAFs, their stages of development, their promise and limitations. Webinar for Policymakers and the Public: Much of the research and policy conversation about the future of “sustainable aviation fuels” has been funded by the aviation industry.This webinar features independent researchers who receive no aviation industry support. Go HERE
Wednesday, January 15, 2pm. Harnessing Urban Forests for Natural Disaster Resilience. Join us for an insightful webinar on the crucial role urban forests play in mitigating the growing impacts of natural disasters, including record-breaking heatwaves, devastating floods, catastrophic wildfires, and more. Urban forests act as natural shields against extreme heat, enhance water absorption to prevent flooding, and help reduce air pollution. Go HERE.
Saturday January 18, 12:15 to 3pm. Our Projects for 2025 - Envisioning the World We Want, Second Congregational Church, 16 Court Square, Greenfield, MA. Following the weekly Peace Vigil on the Greenfield Common, 11am-noon, our January 18 program will bring together local civil society groups, speakers, musicians and the public, invited to share hopes and plans for the coming year. The program, now in planning, will include space to share information and meet with those interested, and a simple lunch provided by participating groups.
January 18, 2025 All Day. People's March in Washington, DC, and across the country. Tens of thousands of people will march to demand and defend our freedoms against fascism and the attacks on our communities. Go HERE.
Sunday January 26, 7 - 9pm. Honoring Randy Kehler’s Activism and Impact. A virtual memorial. Many of us were not able to attend Randy’s memorial service on August 23rd in Greenfield MA. Therefore, on Sunday, January 26 from 7 - 9pm ET,
we’ll provide an opportunity for people nationwide to honor and reflect
on Randy’s activism as inspiration to continue the fight for a more
just and peaceful world, notably one week after Donald Trump’s
inauguration. We’ll hear from family members and people who
worked with Randy, from his draft resistance, Traprock Peace Center and
Nuclear Freeze days to more recent campaigns, including climate justice. Register HERE.
Happy Solstice & Seasons Greetings all & do remember to listen to your Mother
