#EndLoggingOnPublicLand Enviro Show

 [ The entire  show is available  HERE ] Greetings Earthlings. You may have seen the hashtag above on X or elsewhere. We've been using it for a few years now and recently the Massachusetts Sierra Club's Forest Protection Team added the phrase to a new campaign they are rolling out as we speak. Lynne Man, Bill Stubblefield & Bart Bouricius from the Team join us for the latest on that. As always we will also intro you to this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and "Those whose Brains Were small" as well as our constant reminder that "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" and more but first it's time for.......Revenge of the Critters! Another in our series of poachers getting their due.

This week's Fool-on-the-Hill is U.S. Rep. Mike Collins (Repug.- GA), perhaps running a close second in Obnoxious behind MTG. “Joe Biden sent the orders,” Rep. Mike Collins wrote on X, formerly Twitter, minutes after the shooting [of His Malignancy]. There is, of course, zero evidence to support this accusation. Actually, Boebert and Sen. J.D. Vance followed-up with their own baseless allegations referencing Biden's use of the term "bullseye" in a speech. These are the repugs who historically direct violent bellicose statements at the Dems or threat pose with collections of automatic weapons. Repugnant terrorist fools in our midst. 

Those fools, and their fellow travelers, are also climate deniers who refuse to acknowledge "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" even though their loved ones (assuming they are capable of love) are endangered by THE existential threat of climate chaos. And yet the MAGA "Platform Doesn’t Mention the Word 'Climate' Once — Even After Hottest Year on Record." Those fools may not give a damn about future generations but we're thinking You do, so here'a a  new interactive map one of our listeners sent along.  The Future Urban Climates, allows you to explore how your home's climate will be impacted (hopefully even if it isn't urban?). Greedy corporados (who actually know better)  aren't the only reason food prices remain high. A new study titled "Global warming and heat extremes to enhance inflationary pressures" looks into the vast increase in extreme weather events that impact all aspects of agriculture and food distribution. Of course, we can't move on without talking about the MA climate bill on Beacon Hill. One of our longtime listeners summed it up this way: "Where the hell were our local lawmakers." As of this writing a few members of both the House & Senate will try to reconcile the differences between the two bills. The Senate bill, while lacking, is the....um.....better? of the two on Beacon Hill "Where good legislation goes to die" (our quote). The legislative session ends on July 31, we assume this will be on a fast track. Finally this: "DOER published the SMART Straw Proposal on July 10, 2024 for stakeholder feedback. On July 22 and 23, DOER hosted in-person technical sessions to collect input, and a virtual technical session will be held on July 29. Stakeholders who are unable to attend any of the technical sessions may submit their feedback on the Straw Proposal through this form.  The deadline to submit feedback will be Friday, August 2nd.

In The Enviro Show Echo Chamber we replay a call to action by a certain treesitter in the Lincoln Forest trying, with others to stop clearcutting in the service of both Enbridge & Kinder Morgan. Those fossil fools want to trash paradise and put in a temporary parking lot? It's business-as-usual in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Speaking of direct action, the Connecticut River Defenders and yours truly occupied the bridge not far from FirstLight's shad-o-matic fish blender in Northfield, MA recently. As you may know, we've covered the issue over the years. Learn what YOU can do HERE. And this, proof that keeping on a seemingly endless campaign is often worth the time & effort: "Mass. denies request to dump radioactive wastewater into Cape Cod Bay."  It's the final word on the nuke's plans to dump radioactive waste into Cape Cod Bay. "And now, THIS. " 

Now it's time for our Critter of the Week and we quote directly from a MUST SEE NewYork Times in-depth feature on microbes. "In the middle of North America, there is a portal to the deep recesses of Earth’s rocky interior. The portal’s mouth — a furrowed pit about half a mile wide — spirals 1,250 feet into the ground..... a few biologists also venture into the underground labyrinth, typically seeking its dankest and dirtiest corners — places where obscure creatures extrude metal and transfigure rock. Every time they return, they encounter enigmatic microbes that have never been successfully grown in a labo­ratory and species that have not yet been named.  Earth’s interior is not barren. In fact, a majority of the planet’s microbes, perhaps more than 90 percent, may live deep un­derground."  Sounds like critically important critters from here.

OK, are we Abidin' with Biden this week? YES, now that he deigned to rest on his laurels and stepped aside into a well deserved retirement. How about our Veep becoming the first woman President of these here United States? Just sayin'. The Prez has pulled off some moves he should get credit for like Common Dreams reports, "In the wake of rulings that have significantly weakened the regulatory authority of federal agencies, backed the criminalization of homelessness, and granted U.S. presidents sweeping immunity from criminal prosecution, President Joe Biden is reportedly preparing to endorse reforms that would establish term limits and a binding code of ethics for the nation's Supreme Court justices." However, "The specifics of Biden's plan are unclear. Legislation introduced by House Democrats would impose 18-year term limits on Supreme Court justices."  Not if MAGA Reps have anything to say about it. That said, Biden has announced more than a $15 million investment to build climate resilience, address climate change impacts, and restore healthy lands and waters at national parks and in surrounding communities across the nation.  Also, this: "Biden administration moves to add protections against drilling in Alaska petroleum reserve". The Prez has also made some recent moves regarding extreme weather events. You know, climate chaos. 

Our "Brains Were Small & They Died" segment takes us to AOC's site where we read: "...Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) introduced articles of impeachment against United States Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito. “The unchecked corruption crisis on the Supreme Court has now spiraled into a Constitutional crisis threatening American democracy writ large. Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito’s pattern of refusal to recuse from consequential matters before the court in which they hold widely documented financial and personal entanglements constitutes a grave threat to American rule of law, the integrity of our democracy, and one of the clearest cases for which the tool of impeachment was designed."  She didn't say they were dinosaurs but hey, it is what it is.

Time for The Enviro Show Quote of the Week:

"Let us… seek peace… near the inland murmur of streams, and the gracious waving of trees, the beauteous vesture of earth, and sublime pageantry of the skies. Let us leave 'life', that we may live."  

          - Mary Shelley

On to the Bus Stop Billboard:

Wednesday August 14, 1–2:30pm. Join us for a zoom webinar as renowned home electrification expert Sean Armstrong of Redwood Energy describes how to select from many alternatives, in any climate, an electric heat pump for heating and cooling your home. Sean will demonstrate how heat pumps are free of greenhouse gas emission and explain how they can even heat your water and clean and dry your clothes. Suggested donation. Go HERE.  

Wednesday August  14, 3pm.  Unraveling the Climate-Fire Nexus. Speakers: Dr. Dominick DellaSala, Chief Scientist of Wild Heritage and Dr. Chad Hanson, Principal Ecologist &Director of the John Muir Project. Join us for the launch of our exciting  new webinar series celebrating the release of the second edition of Nature’s Phoenix. Authored by Dr. Dominick DellaSala of Wild Heritage and Dr. Chad Hanson of the John Muir Project, with contributions from renowned field experts, this series will delve into various chapters of the book, each exploring different facets of fire science, policy, biodiversity, and ecological impacts. In this first installment, we focus on Chapter 8: “What’s Driving the Recent Increase in Wildfires?” co-authored by Dominick A. DellaSala and Chad T. Hanson. Register HERE.  

Wednesday August 14, 4 - 5pm. Standout at Plymouth Reception with Governor Maura Healey. Plymouth Yacht Club, 34 Union St, Plymouth, MA 02360. Stop the Sand Wars! Stop clearcutting in rare Southeastern MA Pine Barrens!

Wednesday August, 14, 6:30 pm.   Valley Action June Meeting.  Via Zoom and in person - email gdifulvio1@gmail.com for Zoom link or address Actions to win in November including discussion of Project 2025 and how to educate voters about its implications. Feel free to email us at valleyaction@gmail.com with any questions.  

 Monday August 19, 5pm.  A webinar, "Unveiling the Truth About Carbon Capture: In the Gulf South," where we will delve into critical issues surrounding the Gulf South. Our expert panelists will share their extensive knowledge and insights on the environmental, health, and economic impacts of Carbon Capture, as well as explore sustainable alternatives. This is a unique opportunity to hear from thought leaders and activists dedicated to advocating for environmental justice and meaningful climate action. Registration: Register Here  

Tuesday August 20, 11am The Community Land and Water Coalition will be delivering petitions to Governor Healey asking for a moratorium on the industrial strip mining of sand deposits in Southeastern Mass. Please join the rally on the steps of the State House if you can, send letters to the Editor of your local newspaper, and contact your elected State Officials to help support this effort at protecting the globally rare pine barrens ecosystem in Southeast Mass. Please sign the moratorium petition at this link. 

Saturday Aug 24, 10am - 3:30 pm.  Please join the Sierra Club Massachusetts Chapter, RESTORE: The North Woods, and Save Massachusetts Forests on an educational 2 mile walk through an undisturbed forest and a recent logging site on the Quabbin Watershed public lands. After the walk, we will be offering an option to take a 3 - 5 mi hike through a beautiful northern hardwood forest with stunning views of the Quabbin Reservoir. We will be discussing at the event the Quabbin Reservoir, its history, the watershed public lands, their benefits, as well as floral, fauna and climate action. We will also be speaking about the MA Chapter Forest Protection team’s campaign to end logging on the state lands of the Quabbin, Ware, and Wachusett watersheds. Sign the petition here.      RSVP Here. 

Tuesday August 27, 7pm.  Climate Action Now Summer Gathering via zoom. Vote for the Climate and a Livable Future:  Mobilizing for the 2024 Elections. The 2024 election will determine the fate of our climate, our democracy and our lives. How can we fully engage our networks to act strategically at this pivotal moment? Go HERE.    

Wednesday August 28, 3pm. Rethinking Fire Management - Beyond Backcountry Logging
Speakers: Dr. Dominick DellaSala and Luke Ruediger, Conservation Director of Klamath Forest Alliance.  Register HERE.  

Monday September 2, 6 pm to 7:30 pm. XR Boston's next online Non-Violent Direct Action training  You will learn how to engage in non-violent civil disobedience. We'll cover some theory behind direct actions, discuss the logistics of arrest and potential legal implications, and talk about the many different roles (beyond risking arrest) that are crucial to successful actions. You will get to talk to a few people who have gone through the arrest process and ask questions you might have. Register here for your Zoom info.

Saturday 21 September 2024.  Global Protest, Mothers Rebellion for Climate Justice. The climate crisis is not slowing down! Mothers* Rebellion is planning our next global protest, save the date and check in our social media outlets and here for updates. Go HERE.

All that's left to say other than farewell is remember to listen to your Mother!

 

 

An Experimental Enviro Show

Greetings Earthlings. Did you read our headline last week? "SCOTUS  decrees USA as kingdom! Down with the Kingmakers!" Yes, the democratic experiment known as the United States of America is monarchy controlled once again. The experiment is over.....unless we impeach certain members of the Supreme Court or King Biden packs the Court with justices who are not fascists. Hopefully His Malignancy won't get another term (unless the threat of AS prevails!) and the Dems retake both the House & the Senate in big numbers come November but that won't happen unless YOU VOTE! Speaking of failed experiments, remember PETA's efforts to end animal torture at UMass Amherst? Dr. Katherine Roe returns to discuss the "nightmarish test coordinated by University of Massachusetts–Amherst experimenter Agnès Lacreuse" that was pulled after only one day. Here is an Action Link regarding such atrocities. As always, we will also bring you along to meet our Fool-on-the-Hill and "Those whose brains were small" and way more, but first it's time for......Revenge of the Critters! Poacher gets poached.

It's difficult to choose which MAGA Fool to quote from regarding the majority Supreme Court decision to turn the USA into a kingdom but this one works: "Sen. John Barrasso (Repug -Wyo.), the chair of the Senate GOP and the highest-ranking Republican to comment on the decision..... called the opinion “another victory for democracy and the rule of law against Democrat lawlessness,” accusing Democrats and Biden of “weaponizing the justice system” against Trump."  Victory for democracy?? More like Great Moments in Hypocrisy. We have an Enviro Show Action Link on this. 

Since we're going on about our broken SCOTUS let's devote the Enviro Show Echo Chamber to more of that damage. The NY Times tells us "The Supreme Court temporarily put on hold on...an Environmental Protection Agency plan to curtail air pollution that drifts across state lines, dealing another blow to the Biden administration’s efforts to protect the environment. The ruling followed recent decisions chipping away at the agency’s authority to address climate change and water pollution. Grist informs us soon after that "The Supreme Court ....threw into question the future of climate and environmental regulation in the United States, scrapping a decades-old legal precedent that gave federal agencies leeway to interpret laws according to their expertise and scientific evidence. The impact of the decision to scrap the so-called Chevron deference will take years to become clear.." One thing is already clear, we need to abort the court. BTW, did you "Breakup with Fireworks" this year?

On to our "There Brains Were Small and They Died"  segment where we cover a lot of ground in a rather short time. This week in honor of our Independence (and in opposition to its trashing by SCOTUS) we lump the entire MAGA Death Cult into one twisted hot mess and bestow this curse upon them all.  OK, enough fun. How about an actual sober look at the situation? 

Of course, the MAGA Death Cult would have you all believe that it's a hoax but we can't help but persist saying: "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!"  So, The Prez "Calls Climate Denial ‘Dumb,’[and] Announces New Heat Protections for Workers", something so many bosses and their corporate masters oppose in our overheating climate as they huncker down in their air-conditioned boardrooms. Meanwhile, out in the real world enviros are pushing back on geoengineering wet dreams like dumping 60K gallons of sodium hydroxide into the waters off Cape Cod. "The geoengineering approach puts Earth's systems at risk in a faulty and false bid toward solving the climate crisis. It is what we call a false solution," said one campaigner. And this (like we've been saying all along): "Burning trees for energy really does heat the climate" Surprise! "The report from Princeton researcher Timothy Searchinger and Yale economist Steve Berry cuts against the idea at the core of the growing wood pellet industry: that burning trees for fuel actually drives emissions down." Speaking of science, here's something that might sober up any head-in-the-clouds futurists you may know: "Climate scientist Michael E. Mann warned it would essentially be “game over” for the fight against global warming should [His Malignancy] win back the White House in the 2024 election." Finally, here's is an Enviro Show Action Link you can use to pushback on business-as-usual. 

It's time for our Critter of the Week. "Sharks, rays, and their relatives—encompassing over a thousand species—are vital for healthy ocean ecosystems. But their slow growth and low reproductive rates make them vulnerable to rapid population declines, and they’re often the first to be affected by unsustainable fisheries." Learn more from this Wild Audio ink!

Sharks naturally are obviously prime candidates for Revenge of the Critters! but our guest this week will be speaking about far gentile critters which brings us to our Quote of the Week:

"Our task must be to free ourselves by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty"        - Albert Einstein

After our conversation with  Katherine we go to the Bus Stop Billboard:

Thursday July 25, 4 -  5pm.  Beyond the Horizon: Going the Distance for Seabirds Webinar. Seabirds are one of the most endangered groups of birds. Their populations have dropped a staggering 70 percent globally over the past 60 years due to factors such as invasive species, unsustainable fisheries, and marine trash. American Bird Conservancy's Marine Program is working tirelessly with partners to safeguard the most vulnerable species both while at sea, and on land where they nest. Go HERE.   

Friday July 26 - Sunday July 28, beginning 7:30pm.  Clamshell Alliance Reunion Gathering at World Fellowship Center in Albany, NH. If you haven't reserved your room, you can reserve at https://worldfellowship.org/book-now/, email reservations@worldfellowship.org, or call (603) 447-2280  

Saturday July 27, 11am.  Shut Down Wall Street: Mass action to end fossil fuels. Citi’s HQ, 388 Greenwich St, New York, 10013. The world is on fire. It’s so hot people are literally dying. Ecosystems are collapsing. Hundreds of thousands are being displaced from their homes. And Wall Street is to blame. We will rally at Citibank’s global headquarters. From there, we will march to the Citi CEOs home where we will stage a raucous noise protest (whistles, vuvuzelas, and noise makers will be provided), before we march to Wall Street itself to shut it down and demand an end to fossil fuels. Go HERE.

Monday July 29, 9:30am.  DOER will host a virtual technical session for stakeholders who are unable to attend the in-person sessions. The same content will be covered at both the in-person and virtual sessions, so attendance is only necessary at one. Interested attendees can register for the virtual technical session here. The deadline to register will be July 24th.

 Wednesday July 31,  11am.  Last Boston XR et al Standout of the Season! The State House Stand-Out for No New Fossil Fuel Infrastructure kicked off on June 5, 2024. Since then, volunteers have gathered at the Massachusetts State House every business day to engage with the public and put pressure on lawmakers to take immediate action on the climate. We are preparing for our first break at the end of the legislative session, to allow planners and volunteers to rest and recharge for the next stage of the fight. Join us at the State House anytime between 11 am and 3 pm on Wednesday July 31 and jam along with an activist brass band, along with our own guitarist. Organizers will thank participants while we write our last postcards for Governor Healey for this session. We'll also share ideas about the next version of the Stand Out! If you haven't gotten a chance to take a Stand Out shift yet, this is your last chance for a while! Email: fossilfuels.standout.ma@proton.me  with any questions.

 

Sunday August 11, 1  to 4pm. Fossil Free Future Festival.   Come celebrate the end of coal in New England with us! Merrimack Station in Bow is closing their coal operations and transitioning to clean energy and battery storage. So we're getting together to celebrate this just transition and imagine what our future could look like if all the fossil fuel peaker plants in the region transitioned to clean energy. Join us for an afternoon of action, music, boating on the Merrimack River, and moving towards a fossil free future! Go HERE. 

Saturday 21 September 2024.  Global Protest, Mothers Rebellion for Climate Justice. The climate crisis is not slowing down! Mothers* Rebellion is planning our next global protest, save the date and check in our social media outlets and here for updates. Go HERE.

And now it's time to go BUT one thing: Listen to your Mother, OK?