[ Listen to our ad-free podcast anytime HERE ]
Greetings Earthlings. It's time to return to The River, our beloved Connecticut River still being subjected to all sorts of abuse by FirstLight corporados, even to the point of running her backwards while pumping out all the contents (live or otherwise) at the Northfield Pump Storage facility or, as we often call it here, the Shad-o-matic Fish Blender. Karl Meyer returns to the show to talk about that and the FirstLight 401 Water Quality Certification Application process hearing on Wednesday February 19 at the Cohn Family Dining Commons, Greenfield Community College, One College Drive, Greenfield, MA at 6pm with a Standout at 5pm we hope you'll join. As always, we will also bring you along to meet this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and Those Whose Brains Were Small, as well as checkout the latest b.s. from His Malignancy The Mad King and his minions and, of course, a reminder that "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" and more but first it's time for.....Revenge of the Critters! Do Not Step on a Giant Python.
There's a backstory to week's Fool-on-the-Hill: "As the head of the [fake] Department of Government Efficiency Elon Musk is exploring major cuts to the Department of Education and.. to shut down USAID.. His team has also been granted access to the Treasury Department’s payments system. But unlike much of the country, some Senate Republicans couldn’t be bothered...One major source of distress among experts is that Musk is rejecting appropriations laws passed by Congress -- in other words, taking authority over funding. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said these actions are indeed unconstitutional, but he is not concerned, saying: “Nobody should bellyache about that. That runs afoul of the Constitution in the strictest sense,” Tillis said. But “it’s not uncommon for presidents to flex a little bit on where they can spend and where they can stop spending.” How can they "Drain the Swamp" if they "Flood the Zone"??
Speaking of which, His Malignancy and his freak show MAGA minions, they better run for the life jackets 'cuz the "Swamp" is near full. That being the case, how about we take a deep dive into it! Not enough time? Try this short audio from Timothy Snyder, author of "On Tyranny". Who needs public education or ethics when you have full-blown fascism? We are in deep shit folks, but hey this is The Enviro Show, let's just stick to what His Malignancy is doing to the planet, OK? Of course, he'd love to control the weather but let's see what The Mad King is actually doing, like gutting the EPA and halting EV charging stations and Cutting NOAA grants ( on again/off again) dealing with climate and putting more than 160 EPA workers who tackle pollution in overburdened communities on leave or telling more than 1,000 they could be fired ‘immediately’. Also, [freezing] "federal grants for everything from battery factories to electric school buses and issued executive orders that have halted federal approvals for wind and solar projects." Wait, did we forget "Drill, Baby Drill"? Yes, there's more but this linkfest is getting out of hand. But wait, there's more! A "A video from a [Donald T, Jr.] ...hunting trip reportedly shows him posing with the lifeless body of the rare ruddy Shelduck bird, in violation of Italian and EU laws that criminally prohibit its killing. Yet Trump Jr., an avid trophy hunter, treated its death as nothing more than a spectacle". Spectacle indeed. This is what you get when a B level psycho game show host and convicted felon scams his way into high places. Enough.
Ready for our Doublespeak of the Week? "Reporting on the rally, Newsweek noted that "Trump has pushed back on the narrative that the popular [Social Security] benefits will be slashed, saying when asked if there are limits on what Musk can examine, 'Social Security will not be touched, it will only be strengthened.'" We hope that's not doublespeak but......
Once again it's time to remind everyone "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" It seems like some leader types didn't get the memo: "Nearly 200 nations faced a Monday deadline to file what the United Nations’ climate chief calls 'among the most important policy documents governments will produce this century' — their plans on how they will cut emissions of heat-trapping gasses. Most will not make the deadline. The UN says that is OK as long as they are working on them." 😏 The NY Times reports: "The first full draft of the assessment, on the state of America’s land, water and wildlife, was weeks from completion....But [the] President ended the effort, started under the Biden administration, by executive order. So, on Jan. 30, the project’s director, an environmental scientist named Phil Levin, sent an email telling members of his team that their work had been discontinued. But it wasn’t the only email he sent that day. 'This work is too important to die,' Dr. Levin wrote in a separate email to the reports’ authors, this one from his personal account. “The country needs what we are producing.” Thankfully, some push back. Some more good news, "Major Victory: Procter & Gamble has CUT TIES with a palm oil supplier responsible for illegal land grabbing, deforestation, and human rights abuses....For years, P&G has manufactured consumer goods using palm oil sourced from Astra Agro Lestari (AAL) – an Indonesian company infamous for covering up its rampant land grabbing, environmental destruction, and human rights abuses." Friends of the Earth goes on to report, "This is a massive blow to AAL’s business model that will force them to reconsider their destructive actions – and it’s the DIRECT result of our Forest Defense Team and support from members like you."
On to "Their Brains Were Small and They Died" where the Fossil Fools have a distinct advantage: "The Senate confirmed Chris Wright to lead the U.S. Department of Energy on Monday, putting the former oil executive in a key position to help shape [the] President's energy policies. Mr. Wright [is] the founder and chief executive of Liberty Energy, a fracking firm..At his confirmation hearing, Mr. Wright said his top priority was to “unleash” domestic energy production, including liquefied natural gas and nuclear power... Mr. Wright said he would “work tirelessly” to support Mr. Trump’s “bold” energy agenda." Another dinosaur advocating for extinction!
Our Critter of the Week finds bunnies back from the brink in Mexico: "If we're being honest, the Omiltemi cottontail rabbit (Sylvilagus insonus)
is not much to look at. It's a fairly conventional bunny: long ears,
strong hind legs, short tail, a little chubby. Except that this
particular rabbit had not been seen by scientists for more than 120
years – until now.
A five-year-long expedition led by José Alberto Almazán-Catalán... turned up conclusive camera-trap evidence that
the elusive lagomorphs are still hiding out in the conifer forests of
Mexico's Sierra Madre del Sur mountains."
Our Enviro Show Echo Chamber replays much of what our guest, Karl Meyer will be talking about, FirstLight 401 Water Quality Certification Application process hearing on Wednesday February 19 at the Cohn Family Dining Commons, Greenfield Community College, One College Drive, Greenfield, MA at 6pm with a special Standout at 5pm. We'll be there. You? And this, some of the best writing out there about the present Moral Panic comes from Jessica Wildfire. Finally this: "As Congress moves to “fast track” large-scale budget proposals, they are looking to take food assistance and health care from millions via cuts to SNAP and Medicaid in order to fund Trump’s tax cuts for the rich as well as his mass deportation program." Stand Up/Fight Back!
Let's close with an apt Enviro Show Quote of the Week:
"Right now, the current administration is operating in outright defiance of our federal courts and declaring them powerless. By all marks, we’ve entered the early stages of full-blown fascism. And if there’s one thing we know about fascism, it’s that wars on the vulnerable keep them fired up. You’re already seeing so many pundits and opinion columnists scratching their heads, wondering how we got here. When you look at the history of this country, there’s not much of a difference between 17th-century puritanical America and fascism. We didn’t “get” anywhere. We were always like this."
- Jessica Wildfire
After our talk with Karl it's on to the Bus Stop Billboard:
Weekly on Tuesdays & Thursdays. The MA State House Stand Out is back in a new incarnation! This historic climate action lasted for 14 months and engaged hundreds of volunteers from across the climate movement. Volunteers are needed!The new version, lovingly referred to as Stand Out Two, happens at the Massachusetts State House between 10 am and 2 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
This is a great way to participate in the climate movement with no risk
of arrest! Volunteers normally sign up for a 2 hour “shift." If you have questions about the Stand Out or would like to get a link to the sign-up sheet please contact organizers at fossilfuels.standout.ma@
Wednesday, February 19 through Wednesday, April 2, we'll meet from 7:00-9:00 PM ET via Zoom to delve into almost every aspect of the plastic pollution crisis and, most importantly, what we can do to help fix it. Beyond Plastic Pollution, my seven-week, very popular, virtual class taught via Zoom that's offered through Bennington College. Click here to learn more and register n
Friday February 28, All Day. National Economic Blackout! Buy only Local. No corporados s, No Amazon, No Target, No Walmart, Nada! Do not use Credit or Debit Cards for non essential spending. Only
buy essentials of absolutely necessary (Food, Medicine, Emergency
Supplies). If you must spend, ONLY support small, local businesses. Go HERE. Join Us Friday, February 28 4-6pm on the Greenfield Common to Celebrate the 24 hour boycott
Join Us Friday, February 28 from 4-6 at Memorial Park (By Peace Statue) in Orange to Celebrate the 24 hour boycott.
Sunday March 3, 11:30 AM - 1 PM on Zoom. Climate Action Now Western Mass Wildlands Campaign - First meeting of the Municipal Lands team. Researching pathways for municipal Wildlands, and creating a
guide for those wishing to advocate for Wildlands in their
community; Reviewing model ordinances or example Wildland intents; Identifying existing municipal Wildlands to add to the map
and to use as examples; Identifying and advocating for potential Wildlands; Supporting individuals, organizations, and communities as
they work for Wildlands in their towns and cities ; And more! Bring your ideas about what this team will do, and
how its work might be organized. Go HERE.
Monday March 3, Noon. MBTA & Climate. In September 2024, the MBTA released its Climate Assessment, taking stock of its climate commitments and work undertaken to date and articulating a vision for sustainability and resilience at the MBTA. The report identifies next steps for the Authority as it prepares the regional transit system to be sustainable and resilient in the face of escalating climate change while also playing a critical role in helping local municipalities and the Commonwealth in meeting climate goals by providing reliable low-carbon public transportation. The MBTA, like other transit authorities across the state, is also working to balance climate, safety, accessibility and other goals within significant funding constraints. Go HERE.
Tuesday, March 4 at 6:30 p.m. Virtual webinar for the second installment of our 2025 Speaker Series. Panthera's Dr. Mark Elbroch will give a presentation on the key role large carnivores, particularly wild cats, play in healthy ecosystems, and share other insights from his decades of research into mountain lion ecology. Mark and Shelby Perry, Wildlands Ecology Director at Northeast Wilderness Trust, will then discuss the most pressing obstacles to the restoration of North America's large carnivores while exploring avenues of potential conservation progress. Registration HERE.
Wednesday,March 5, 7-8 pm. Force Multiplier invites you to a free virtual Community Conversation with Tim Snyder, author, On Tyranny and On Freedom and Deana El-Mallawany of Protect Democracy Tim Snyder is a prominent scholar of the history of Central Europe, Ukraine, the Soviet Union, the Holocaust, and author or editor of twenty books. He can be read on Substack. Deana Kim El-Mallawany, Counsel and a Director at Protect Democracy. Prior to that she served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. Go HERE.
Wednesday March 5, 8 – 9pm. Join us for "Rapid Response for Our Freedoms: Stop Project 2025", a powerful virtual event where we stand united to protect our rights, freedoms, rule of law, and democracy. Are you concerned about the direction our country is headed and the far-right agenda threatening our future? Now is the time to stand up and take action! Your voice and participation are critical in this fight. Go HERE.
Saturday March 8, 10 am to 4 pm. Climate Communications Workshop. Do you need support processing your emotions and anxiety about the future of our planet? Are you interested in using social media as a tool for social change? This is a free workshop for everyone who wants to learn how to better speak, write, and/or post about the climate crisis and about the climate activism movement! We invite participants from all backgrounds and walks of life. In this daylong workshop, we will explore our own understanding of the situation in which we find ourselves - as a planet, species, and community. No prior preparation is necessary. A vegan lunch will be provided! We encourage participants to bring a notebook, pen, water bottle, and a mug for tea. Community Church of Boston, 565 Boylston St., Boston, MA.
March 9th & 10th in Houston, TX is Resist CERA Week. We will take action to demonstrate our opposition to the oil and gas CEOs profiting from our destruction and build power together through movement-building training, workshops, and events. There are roles and events for everyone. Go HERE.
Sunday March 9, Noon to 2pm. Northampton Resists Together! We have the next rally set! There was so much energy and so many speakers at the last event that we are doing it again. Several incredible speakers are in the works, and those confirmed include State Representative Lindsay Sabadosa and State Senator Jo Comerford! Let's all come together again and show that we are stronger, united, and each commit to taking concrete actions to resist the tyranny of this current administration. Go HERE.
Monday March 10, 6:30 Berries for Birds workshop at Second Congregational Church, Court Square, Greenfield, MA. RIT Professor Susan Smith Pagano will share research indicating that native shrubs, not invasives, truly meet migrating birds’ nutritional needs.
Tuesday March 11, 6pm. You are invited to join ESC for a collaborative art workshop with eco-artist Xavier Cortada on March 11th, 2025. This free, interactive virtual art session is part of ESC’s Collaborating for Biodiversity
project, a call to youth artists grades K-12 to submit collaboratively
created artworks featuring US wildlife and plants protected by the
Endangered Species Act.
Go HERE.
Wednesday March 12, 7:00 - 8:30 pm. Wildlands Campaign meeting. We’ll be focusing on the recently filed bills to protect state-owned land as wildlands/reserves. Michael Kellett of Restore: The North Woods and Janet Sinclair of Save Massachusetts Forests, the authors, will explain the bills and offer guidance on how to support their passage. This will be followed by a Q&A. If you haven’t already, sign up for the Climate Action Now Western Mass newsletter HERE, and the Regenerative Farming, Forests and Food System group (RF3) google group HERE, to stay in the loop on upcoming events, actions, and campaign information.
Saturday March 15, All Day. Total Shutdown! The movement, Shutdown 315, is calling for Americans to stop making purchases from major corporations, end social media use and even not come to work on March 15 as a way to "fight back" against a "broken system." Go to The Peoples Union.
Sunday March 16, 2pm. Make Polluters Pay. MA. Coming soon…save the date! #makepolluterspay
Monday, April 7, 8pm. Online rally, Break Big Biomass: A National Call to Action! If
you’ve been taking action with us in recent years, you know that the
biomass industry is burning trees for electricity and falsely calling it
a clean energy solution. We’ve joined with organizations in the U.S. to bring you a 1.5 hour
rally with powerful speakers, interactive discussion, and actions to
join the fight against big biomass! Register HERE.
OK, Enviro Show listeners we'll see you tomorrow at GCC & remember to listen to your Mother!
