A Burning Question Enviro Show

Greetings Earthlings. We have covered recycling issues over the years on this show and mentioned how awful garbage-to-energy incineration is for our health and the environment BUT we never seem to have done a show on that burning issue. Finally, we have. Amy Donovan, Franklin County Waste District's Program Director returns to the show with the details. As always, we will also introduce you to this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and "Those Whose Brains Were Small" as well as a visit to our Doublespeak of the Week, The Enviro Show Echo Chamber, a reminder that "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" and more but first it's time for......Revenge of the Critters! The infamous Gustave the crocodile has a rap sheet.

This week's Fool-on-the-Hill is Congressman Keith Self, Representative of the 3rd District of Texas which must be an.....um....interesting place to live and vote?  "A Republican congressman appalled Democrats at a congressional hearing by quoting infamous Nazi Joseph Goebbels. 'A direct quote from Joseph Goebbels: ‘It is the absolute right of the state to supervise the formation of public opinion,’ and I think that may be what we’re discussing here,” said Texas’ Keith Self.'  "Self, 72, referenced Goebbels’ words during a House subcommittee meeting aimed at determining whether a “censorship industrial complex” existed. The Tuesday hearing was held after Republicans claimed that Biden-era policies aimed to stifle rightwing views."   Not a problem anymore! 

We may as well stick with the damaged ones in our "Their Brains Were Small and They Died" segment. . “Industry cannot stand that their ability to profit is sometimes limited by the need to protect wildlife that has been on earth for millions of years,” Drew Caputo  an attorney with the Earthjustice non-profit said. GOP and industry attacks, including bills that attempted repeals and revisions in recent years, have “failed spectacularly”, he added. But the “God squad” could present the biggest threat so far. “It can behave as god and decide what species exist and which don’t,” Caputo said. Republicans also want economic impact on industry to be factored in to the equation..." Wait, didn't they already do that??

Our Doublespeak of the Week is a golden oldie from back in the day. "The Republican National Committee credited Ronald Reagan for a cost-of-living increase in Social Security that originated from a law that passed before he took office." Of course, that was before the GOP fully embraced fascism. Who ever wished Ronnie Raygun would be back in office? Us?

 We have BREAKING NEWS!  and it is good news for a change  IF it turns out to actually work. Grist reports: "New technologies are helping to regrow Arctic sea ice - but should we use them?"   

Ready for some more good news? Sorry! We have a shortage this week, which brings us to His Malignancy The Mad King. How about this for a headline: 'We'​re Turning Into a Dictatorship': Trump Tariffs Seen as Ploy to Further Consolidate Power" Ya' think? "It's not economic policy, it's not trade policy," Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said in remarks recorded after Trump announced the sweeping tariffs last week. "It's a political weapon designed to collapse our democracy."Still "flooding the zone" with their shit, MAGA fascists continue to tear the nation apart. In terms of the planet and its inhabitants "So far, the EPA has announced that it will pursue a suite of rollbacks of environmental rules, among them a Joe Biden–era update to standards for particulate matter that were meant to be fully in force by 2032 and that the Biden EPA projected would, in that year alone, prevent up to 4,500 premature deaths and 800,000 cases of asthma.... It also plans to reassess a rule limiting the amount of airborne mercury and arsenic that power plants can release." We guess "the zone" includes the air we breathe. How about this one for his War on Nature: "[His Malignancy's] Proposal Called a 'Death Sentence for Plants and Animals on the Brink of Extinction' On a bit of a more positive note, remember The Mad King's logging assault announcement last week on our National Forests? There might be some things to mess with that executive order. "Tariffs making imported wood and timber more expensive could drive up demand for U.S. sources. However, some of the infrastructure that once supported the U.S. timber industry no longer exists... Smaller sawmills were uneconomical and closed. In the short term, we have fixed capacity,” The uncertainty will make it difficult for new mills to be built. “Businesses aren’t going to build out increased capacity for an increase that might only last three or four years.” Another header: "The White House and DOGE have sought to eliminate thousands of jobs from the Forest Service. The wildland firefighting force is one of many targets within the agency." Flood the zone, then burn it down? Who can keep track of "the flood"? How about CNN? Wait, some Breaking News!    " 'This Executive Order is Illegal': Trump Attacks Half-Century of Environmental Protections in One Fell Swoop."  A major assault on enviro protection.  

Had enough? How about a reminder that...."It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!"? We know you know, but did you know "Keystone, 'Safest Pipeline in the World,' Ruptures—Again"? Yes,  "The Keystone pipeline—which carries hundreds of thousands of barrels of crude oil nearly 2,700 miles from the Alberta tar sands to refineries in Illinois and Oklahoma daily—was abruptly shut down Tuesday morning following a rupture in North Dakota, marking yet another accident along what proponents have called the "safest pipeline in the world." A little good news from down south in Bayou country: "A jury in Louisiana has ruled that Chevron must pay a parish government about $745 million to help restore wetlands that the jury said the energy company had harmed for decades. The verdict, which was reached on Friday, is likely to influence similar lawsuits filed by other parishes, or counties, in the state against other energy giants and their possible settlement negotiations." Question: Is The Enviro Show giving you "climate anxiety"? Good news! "[His Malignancy's] Administration Cuts Research Funding, Claiming It Creates ‘Climate Anxiety’."

 In The Enviro Show Echo Chamber we echo  our friends at Amherst Indy who have published a primer titled "What to do if the Insurrection Act is Invoked". Given the rumor His Malignancy The Mad King may do just that on Sunday April 20th it makes sense to, as The Scouts say: "Be Prepared". Stay tuned! Speaking of pushing back, here is an opportunity to do so on ICE and their police state b.s.  

How about an Enviro Show Quote of the Week to take us to our interview with Amy: 

Source Reduction is to garbage what preventive medicine is to health.

     -  William Rathje

After our interview it's onto the Bus Stop Billboard:

Fridays 4:30pm Stop the Coup Standouts on Rt. 2 Gill side of Gill-Turners Falls bridge in WMass grow weekly. Bring your own signs & friends! AND:  The Good Trouble Democracy Brigade is holding protests every Friday from 3 to 4 p.m. at the intersection of Route 116 and Sugarloaf Street in South Deerfield.  

Saturdays 11 to Noon.  Regular Stand Out concerning MAGA government coup & DOGE in Memorial Park in Orange, MA.  25 South Main Street Orange, MA 01364 AND: There is an ongoing NO KINGS!/DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION/DEMOCRACY standout on the Greenfield Town Common, beginning at 9:30am EACH Saturday. 

Tuesdays, 4-6pm  Hold banners, signs and flags, on I-91 overpass to show people that they are not alone - and help give them the courage to join us and take a stand against the Coup & DOGE. Please make signs with very few words and very big and bold letters. Come even if you don't have a sign, we'll have plenty! Here's the link for more info and to register:https://mobilize.us/s/4Gq1hs     We've added this coming Sunday and Thursday, from 4-6 pm, at the same location: the I-91 overpass at Mountain Park Rd, Holyoke.You can sign up for Sunday or Thursday on Mobilize: Sunday 3/23, 3:30pm. - https://www.mobilize.us/indivisiblenorthamptonswingleftwesternma/event/766766/.  Thursday 3/27 - https://www.mobilize.us/indivisiblenorthamptonswingleftwesternma/event/767589/ 

ALSO: Tuesdays 4-5pm. No Kings Weekly Vigil, Park Square, Elm and Main Streets (Route 20) Westfield, MA 01085

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@proton.me        

Friday April 18, 1-2pm.  Join us at our 2025 Urine My Data webinar to learn about gardener practices with urine fertilization, celebrate this often-hidden practice, and amplify diverse perspectives on completing the food nutrient cycle. Go HERE.     

Friday April 18, 4 – 5:30pm.  Hands Off Our Students Standout. Kendrick Park E Pleasant St., Amherst, MA. Amherst, MA 01002. We are peacefully showing up in solidarity with our universities, colleges, and students whose rights have been trampled upon by the Trump administration. Let's show up and show our support for students, staff, faculty, and institutions who are being targeted! We will meet at 4 p.m. at Kendrick Park on East Pleasant Street, Amherst, for a visibility standout. Rain or shine!  Bring relevant signs! This is organized by Indivisible West Quabbin (indivisiblewestquabbin.org)  

Saturday April 19, 9am – 4:30pm.  No Kings / Rehire National Park Rangers @ Minute Man Nat'l Historical Park.  Concord, MA 01742. For the 250th anniversary of the battles of Lexington and Concord, we have the perfect time and place to show our support for fired federal workers and to rehire park rangers as well as to protect national parks and public lands. 100,000 visitors are expected in the park and along the parade routes. Stay tuned, further action details are still in progress. We’re calling for posters/cardboard (suggested size 16” x 12” max), decorate clothing, wear sandwich boards, or attach signs to bicycles. Slogans should be succinct: "No Kings / Rehire Rangers, Illegal Firings" or "Mad King / Preserve History", etc.  Go HERE.  

Saturday April 19, 9am to Noon. Northampton Resists - Our Stories! Pulaski Park, Northampton, MA.  The next National Day of Protest is coming up this Saturday! Let’s do something a bit different this time. For this event, let’s go to Pulaski Park again and instead of speakers from government and local organizations (or in addition to, if they’d like), let’s hear YOUR stories. The attacks by this abominable administration affect real people - UMASS students with visas revoked, less access to the VA for our vets, businesses unsure of their future due to unpredictable tariffs, our trans siblings having their rights and very identities invalidated, our Ukrainian and Palestinian friends outright murdered overseas, and on and on and on. Go HERE.  

Saturday April 19, 11am to 12:30pm. Pittsfield Standout for Freedom. East & West Housatonic and South Streets in Pittsfield, MA. Bring your own sign. ALSO: Save the Date: Thursday, May 1, 12 pm, at the Silvio O. Conte Federal Building, Pittsfield. MAY DAY! MAY DAY!

Saturday April 19, 12 – 1:30pm. Protest the Trump-Musk Destruction of our Constitution and Government for the People. King Street & Main Street Northampton, MA 01060. In America we have no Kings!!! This a local Indivisible event to protest the Trump-Musk Administration’s attempt to dismantle our constitutional rights and our democratic form of government that was created to serve the people. Go HERE.   

Saturday April 19,  12 – 2pm. Seeds of Hope - Cultivating the Resistance. In this time of rising food prices, disappeared farm workers, reduced environmental regulations, tariffed food and fertilizer…Join us for a rally in Ashfield to protest the regime and seed and nourish the resistance. We will share seeds and info on how to find your resistance family. Bring signs and whatever hopeful attitude you can muster! Go HERE.  

Saturday April 19, Noon. Resist Like It's 1938 Germany!  West Capitol Park, Albany, NY. 50 states. 50 protests. 1 Day. National: @50501movement.bsky.social  Albany and NY Capital Region: here! NYC and other locations: @50501newyork.bsky.social

Saturday April 19, 12pm.   Our City Our Fight - Earth Day March. Join us this Earth Day to send a clear message: Our NYC Mayor must stand up to Trump, protect migrants, and fight for our planet. Together, we can build a New York that works for all of us—not for the tech and the Big Oil elite. Go HERE.  

Saturday April 19, 1 to 3pm. Pulaski Park, Northampton, MA Rally for People, Planet & Peace by Western Mass Green-Rainbow Regional and Eliza Dimitra. The Green Party of MA (GRP) western mass chapter hosts a community coalition ecosocialist Earth Day rally event for People, Planet, Peace! From ecocide and war to human rights abuses and the rise of fascism, our country and our planet are in crisis. We gather to hold space and support action for our communities. Join us in coalition to represent important issues we are facing including: environmental and climate justice, human and labor rights. Network with local orgs and communities, learn about actions in the region, join ecosocialists and become an active participant in changing the status quo to an equitable and sustainable future! Want to speak, share your art, or represent your community or organization? Fill out our participation form here: https://forms.gle/kjX2LvQSRFq6wUyo6

Sunday April 20, All Day.  Insurrection Day? Go HERE.  

Monday April 21, Noon to 3pm. Greenfield, MA Earth Day Celebration. Joyful Noise Parade begins at Noon on the Town Common proceeding to the Energy Park for celebration, tables, games, music, presentations, local pols and more. Rain Location: John Zon Senior Center.  

Monday April 21, 1pm. EDT.  Forest Protection Forum.  Sonia Demiray and Chad Hanson will present “Keep It In The Forest - A Campaign to Combat Misinformation" created by the Forest Carbon Coalition. This campaign aims to combat forestry misinformation by providing accurate, data-driven science, up-to-date information, and developed arguments to empower activists in their grassroots efforts. Don't miss this crucial conversation and the chance to stay engaged in the fight at this critical time. Go HERE.  

April 21, 7pm.  Keep it in the Forest #2 hosted by the Sierra Club's Forest Protection Forum.

Keep It In The Forest is a twelve-article series prepared by member organizations of the Forest Carbon Coalition, presenting the scientific and economic case for keeping carbon in forests rather than relying on the wasteful and discredited approach of cutting down trees and storing carbon in wood products. This series also highlights the urgent need to restore carbon-rich forests across the American landscape as an essential strategy for solving the converging crises of rural poverty, climate change, and biodiversity loss. You can explore these topics further on our Keep It In The Forest webpage,

 

 

Tuesday April 22, 12:00 p.m. Earth Day Virtual Town Hall: Trump’s First 100 Days & NRDC’s Strategy to Fight Back. NRDC experts will recap the worst of Trump’s attacks on the environment during his first 100 days and discuss why NRDC is uniquely positioned to fight back at this moment.  Go HERE. 

Tuesday April 22. Starting at 12 noon, XR Boston & You will gather at the General Hooker entrance of the Massachusetts State House (24 Beacon St, Boston, MA 02133). Together, we'll use art, theatre, poetry, and humor to send our No New Fossil Fuel Infrastructure in Massachusetts message to the Governor and legislators.  If you're looking for a way to celebrate Earth Day on the holiday itself, join us at the Birds, Bees, Bugs, and Butterflies Bonanza  

Earth Day Tuesday April 22, 4 pm.   WEBINAR: Bold for Birds: Advocating and Innovating for Birds Across the Americas  Whether through advocacy, conserving habitat and preventing threats to birds in your backyard or community, or supporting ABC's conservation efforts throughout the Western Hemisphere, there are so many ways we can all be Bold for Birds. We invite you to be a part of this movement on Earth Day — and beyond! Go HERE.   

Earth Day, April 22, 6:30 pm. There will be a public showing of Acres of Clams in Greenfield, MA at the Garden Cinemas at. And another showing on May 3, at 2:30 pm, in Belchertown at the Clapp Memorial Library. Check out the film: link to the full video. Come to a showing, bring friends. Or organize one in your town. 

Thursday April 24, 12:45 - 2pm.  Conservation biologist Rick Enser will share the importance of biodiversity, unpack the ways that the term is frequently co-opted and abused, and investigate how misleadingly-named state Wildlife Action Plans are designed to set “biodiversity” conservation priorities that primarily focus on commodity-driven management actions, like logging to create early successional habitats to increase populations of game animals.  Vermont Law and Graduate School Multicultural Center at 164 Chelsea Street,
South Royalton, VT 05068. Online via Zoom webinar and recording. RSVP here to receive the online meeting link and information to join us in person. Go HERE, 

Thursday April 24, 7pm. 350.org  Climate & Fascism Webinar Series Part 1.   Join our exciting line-up of speakers as we discuss the growth of fascism in the U.S. and around the world, and how our climate struggles are intimately connected to the fight for democracy. Go HERE  

Friday April 25, 4:00 - 6:00pm.   I-91 Overpass Day.  FCCPR will be trying to cover 6 locations in Franklin County. Our partners to the south and north will be doing I-91 overpasses to the CT border and into Brattleboro.   ALL ON THE SAME DAY AT THE SAME TIME! How cool is that? Check out The Visibility Brigade for ideas for signs.   To pick your overpass click here and then click on the link in the popup to access the signup form.  

Friday April 25, 6:30pm.  CT River Defenders invites you to a Gathering at the River's Edge, Unity Park, Great Falls (aka.Turners Falls), MA.  On Monday, April 22, Mass DEP is expected to issue a 401 Water Quality Certificate for the Pumped Storage operation at FirstLight’s Northfield Mountain. They have the option to deny or waive the Certificate but we 00anticipate that they will allow the continued desecration of the Connecticut River and its ecosystem by issuing it.  We will continue to work towards the shut-down of NMPS as the relicensing process proceeds to FERC.  Join us and our special guest, Liz Cold Wind Santana Kiser, Tribal Historic Preservation Officer, Chaubunagungamaug Band, Nipmuc Indians on Friday April 25, 6:30 pm. 

Saturday April 26, 9AM-1PM for our 5^th Annual Leverett, MA Earth Day Clean Up. You, your family and/or your neighbors can participate by choosing an area to clean up by signing up at bit.ly/LeverettCleanup.  Choose an area near your home or explore an unfamiliar area in town. A prize will be given to the person(s) who has the most amount of trash. Free snacks will be available at the Transfer Station. The event is a great way to give back to our wonderful town. Hope to see you there!

Saturday April 26, 10 AM - 4 PM.  Amherst, MA Sustainability Festival.  Amherst Town Common. Join us for a day of family fun, education and entertainment. The Sustainability Festival is in its 13th year! There is literally something for everyone with vendors of renewable energy, energy efficiency product suppliers, advocacy groups as well as sustainable crafts and artisans! Go HERE.  

Saturday April 26, 10am to 2pm.  Arlington EcoFest. A key focus of this year’s EcoFest Summit will be to highlight themes from Arlington’s Sustainable Landscaping Handbook and the Net Zero Action Plan. Participants will learn how to implement eco-friendly landscaping practices that promote biodiversity, conserve water, and reduce carbon footprints. Additionally, discussions will center on the Town’s commitment to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, providing insights into how residents can contribute to this ambitious goal through energy-efficient practices and sustainable living. Go HERE.  

 Saturday April 26, 1pm.  Protect the People, Protect the Planet. Boylston St at Dalton St by the Hynes Convention Center, across from the Boston College of Architecture.  As our state and federal governments continue to IGNORE the climate crisis and PANDER to billionaires, join us in the streets to show our love, rage, and strength in numbers! As our democracy crumbles around us, we need mass action, now! March with us to demand protection for our people and our planet - that means no deportations, no genocide, no new fossil fuel infrastructure! RSVP for updates, and plan to bring along 5 more people with you! Rain date: Sunday, April 27. https://xrboston.org/action/2025-earth-day/ .  

Saturday, April 26, 2025 [  Early application deadline is Saturday April 12! ]  Free day long Grassroots Environmental Organizing Summit hosted by community leaders and grassroots organizations, experts, and student leaders. It will be centered around Oceans, Toxics and the harms of Data Centers and Crypto-mines at University of Massachusetts Boston. Go HERE.   

Sunday April 27, 11 am–4pm.  Earth Day Festival 2025. Springfield celebration of clean air, land, and water featuring eco-friendly demonstrations and special exhibits on the Quadrangle Green. A wide array of environmental programs and activities that will get you thinking locally and globally about conservationism; and fun, recreational ways to enjoy the outdoors and learning about the beautiful natural world around us. Go HERE.   

Sunday April 27, 1-4PM, live at Seeds of Solidarity Farm: No-till Gardens and Farms: Healthy Soil, Heal Climate. An experiential learning packed afternoon suitable to farmers or enthusiastic gardeners seeking to learn and use no-till methods that use simple tools, build healthy soil, reduce labor and cost inputs, and promote climate resilience. Sliding scale:  Email deb@seedsofsolidarity.org to register. 

Wednesday April 30th,  8am to 4pm.  Community Climate Leaders Conference, Bentley University, Waltham, MA.  Are you involved in addressing climate change and supporting your community to take action? MassEnergize invites you to our annual Community Climate Leaders Conference where we will be inspired, learn from each other's experiences, and support best practices for engaging our communities in climate action. Go HERE.  

Wednesday March 30, 5p.m.  WMass Wildlands Municipal Team Meeting. The agenda will focus on the Goals and Strategies document. Let me know if you have other agenda items. A reminder with a zoom link will be sentbefore the meeting.  Email HERE. 

Saturday May 3, 11am to 3pm. Planet Fiesta - Youth Living for a Sustainable Future. Games; Booths; Food; Entertainment; Workshops & More.  Longmeadow Green, Longmeadow, MA.  

Saturday, May 3, 7-9pm {doors open 6:30; reservations expire at 6:45}. Voices of Working People’s History, a free program of dramatic readings and lots of songs, with emphasis on Western Mass. voices, telling the origin story of May Day as International Workers’ Day in Chicago with an inspiring introduction to US labor history up to present-day voices of workers rising up ~ inspired by Howard Zinn. Produced by Warren J. Plaut Charitable Trust, Wellspring Cooperatives, and LightHouse Holyoke.Sponsored by the Western Mass. Area Labor Federation and The Enviro Show (list in formation; please reply if you want to sponsor). LightHouse Holyoke, 92 Race Street, Holyoke {on street parking}.  Seating is limited!  Reserve seats by May 1^st here.  There’s no charge.  Donations to cover costs accepted here or send a check to Warren J. Plaut Charitable Trust, 25 High St, Granby MA 01033, memo: Voices.   

Tuesday May 6,  4:00–6:00 p.m. Rally for Clean Air on World Asthma Day: Bremen Street Community Park Amphitheater, 344 Bremen St., Boston, MA 02128. Thank you for taking action to help protect clean air across Massachusetts. We invite you to take the next step and attend an upcoming event organized with the Massachusetts Environmental Justice Table in East Boston. 

Wednesday May 14, 11am  Excited to announce the Fix the Grid Campaign's next big action: ISO-NE Doesn't Play Well With Others -- a rally for reform on the Boston Common!  We've spent a year working with researchers on a detailed report card evaluating every regional electric grid operator in the country on their governance practices. How well do they do on transparency, accessibility, and accountability? How well do they engage with and listen to the public, to the people who foot the bill for the entire system? The grades are in, and our region came in dead last. Join Fix the Grid on Wednesday, May 14th at 11am on the Boston Common to demonstrate that the people want reforms -- it's past time for a passing grade on governance. After a rally on the Common near the statehouse, we'll walk to 100 Cambridge St to deliver the report card to state offices. Be sure to invite your friends to come along! 

Thursday May 15, 7pm.  Free Online Webinar: Microplastics’ Impact on the Brain & Heart. Recent studies have found small fragments of plastics known as  microplastics in the human brain and heart arteries. These studies have also shown a link between the presence of microplastics and adverse health outcomes. How do these tiny bits of plastic enter our bodies and make their way into our brains and our hearts? And what happens when they lodge there?  Register HERE. 

That's it for now folks except to remember to listen to your Mother.