A Northeast State and Federal Forests Enviro Show

 

 [ The podcast for this show is HERE ]

Greetings Earthlings. Happy Summer Solstice. It's the 21st century, burn technologies no longer make sense in a Climate Crisis and the losers' War Against Nature must end ASAP. That's how we see it and we've invited Zack Porter  co-founder of Standing Trees and passionate advocate for America's public lands back to make the case for permanently protecting State and Federal forest lands in the Northeast. Also, new nukes in MA? We don't think so! As usual, we will also introduce you to our Fool-on-the-Hill, Whoever Left the Door Open, those Whose Brains Were small and more, but first it's time for...... Revenge of the Critters! Another listener suggestion: Some bugs can be a bother, others......not so much.

 

Our Fool-on-the-Hill is a repeat offender. "MAGA Rep. Andy Ogles kicked off Pride Month 2026 by declaring, 'Homosexuality has no place in America.' With LGBTQ+ Americans under siege by MAGA bigotry, we're fighting back. It's Cedar Key Progress, working to FIRE anti-LGBTQ+ Republicans in Congress." They say they are, "gearing up to run billboards and TV ads against Republicans that are:attacking transgender kids; banning Pride flags; and censoring LGBTQ+ voices in schools and libraries."  Sorry Andy, it's the 21st century. Check your calendar, fool. 

 

On the last show we took a look at PFAS which got us thinking about the 20th century corporados who came up with slogans like "Better Living Through Chemistry" while they proceeded to poison us with any number of products. The blog and podcast had already dropped when Glen came across one of those who make us wonder.....Who Left the Door Open? Thomas Midgley Jr., an American mechanical and chemical engineer who played a major role in developing leaded gasoline and some of the first chlorofluorocarbons. Both were later banned due to their disastrous impact on health and the environment. If you happen to believe in karma you'll be interested to learn "Midgley contracted polio in 1940 and was left disabled; in 1944, he was found strangled to death by a device he devised to allow him to get out of bed unassisted." 

 

While we're on the subject of thoughtlessness and lack of foresight guess who returns to remind us Their Brains Were Small and They Died (even though they've yet to)?  The National Campaign for Justice informs us: "The New World screwworm, that the United States wiped out nearly 60 years ago, is back in Texas and New Mexico. This flesh-eating parasite’s larvae burrow into the living tissue of cattle, pets, wildlife, and, in rare cases, people. This never would’ve happened if Elon Musk’s DOGE hadn’t cut funding for the USDA, fired the people responsible for monitoring this threat and destroyed the early warning system that could’ve stopped it."  

 

Wait, more thoughtlessness and lack of foresight served with a side of Doublespeak of the Week. MAGA freakshow, "Rep. Paul Gosar has introduced legislation that would strip away federal protections as the Mexican gray wolf remains highly vulnerable. Gosar’s cynically named Enhancing Safety for Animals Act would do the exact opposite of what its title suggests. Instead of enhancing safety, it would dismantle the very safeguards that kept lobo from vanishing forever. The bill threatens to undo decades of painstaking conservation work and push this fragile population back toward extinction. The Mexican gray wolf’s story is already one of catastrophic loss. It has survived only due to Endangered Species Act protections and captive breeding programs. Today’s entire wild population descends from only a handful of wolves, leaving the species with perilously low genetic diversity that threatens reproduction and survival."  Email your representative and tell them to support conservation and oppose Representative Gosar’s bullshit H.R. 4255.

 

All these freak show fascists staking their claim to infamy and yet His Malignancy still manages to outdo them with his own personal brand of idiocy. Take your pick. Of course there's his bizarre fixation destroying Wilderness, on monument degradation from trashing the White House, the Reflecting swamp on the National Mall, putting up Soviet style banners of his glowering mug all over DC, or his Nazi inspired victory arch. Further afield The Mad King (#NoKings) has threatened Greenland,  Canada and of course Cuba.  His War on Nature also continues, though with mixed signals when it comes to wind power. The Administration continues to pay off wind power developers for leases they have secured to the tune of $2.5 Billion of your taxpayer dollars while at the same time we find conflicting news: "The... administration has abandoned its effort to halt wind energy projects across the United States and dropped its challenge to the court ruling that tossed [the] President’s order freezing federal permitting and leasing for wind projects." Regardless, His Malignancy & his lot is still enabling the corporados endangering workers and the public. "Despite legislation passed in 2016 requiring certain federal agencies to raise their penalties every year to track the inflation rate, the... administration has decided to  give lawbreaking companies a break by cancelling this year’s OSHA and MSHA penalty increases, as well as penalties issued by other federal enforcement agency such as agencies such as EPA and the Department of Transportation." 

 

An interesting turn of events reminds us that even respected allies may have overlooked the fact that "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" On our last show we referenced a story about "The...administration.... dismantling a $368 million deep-ocean observation system that was put in place a decade ago to monitor coastal environments, marine ecosystems and powerful currents that affect the global climate." His Malignancy's attempts to toss anything with the term "climate" in it down the Memory Hole leads to such mindless actions, not just as censorship but also to actual danger to health and safety. The good news however, announced on The Rachel Maddow Show and elsewhere, is they have reversed the "decision to dismantle a $368m deep-sea observation system following an following an outcry from lawmakers and ocean experts." That said, as Rachel went into some detail on yet another White House fail she failed to mention the reason the system was deployed in the first place......"It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!".  

 

In The Enviro Show Echo Chamber we recently received word of a special event. It's called the Francis Crowe & Paki Weiland Memorial Peace Walk 4th of July Peace Witness. That's a long title but we're talking about some longtime peace & social justice activists. Here's some insight that was shared among some march organizers from Traprock Peace Center and elsewhere:  "The darkness of the world is requiring the Light within us to respond. It is in times like this, when we would have looked to Frances to help guide our actions, that we respond in her memory. During the Vietnam draft, Frances used to cruise Rt 9 looking for young men hitchhikers to pick up so she could do impromptu draft counseling, “I would drive slow and talk fast” she would often recall, with a sly grin. When we started planning the walk, we invited Paki to come and say a few words. When Paki passed [away] it seemed only right to also remember that they lived together and were partners in Peace work."  Indeed, and their spirit lives on Saturday July 4, 8:30am.  4th of July Peace Walk honoring Paki Weiland & Francis Crowe. Gather at the Amherst Common, 8:30am. Step off at 9am. Walk along Rt. 9 with peace messages. Water stations, rests & ride support along the 9 mile route. Come for any or all! Potluck at Northampton Friends at the end of the Walk, 1pm.Email: 2026july4peace@proton.me  And This: AMHERST — With a $500,000 grant from the Healey administration, researchers at the Massachusetts Geological Survey at University of Massachusetts Amherst plan to measure how the state’s wetland store and release carbon. Researchers hope this information can be used by state and town conservation commissions, land trusts and any who want guidance about managing or restoring wetlands.

 

Our Critter of the Week this time is the fascinating Wolverine. "Typically weighing less than 35 pounds, the wolverine is the largest terrestrial member of the weasel family, Mustelidae. They are powerfully built and have short legs with wide feet for traveling across the snow. Wolverines require deep snow to dig dens for their young. As highly effective scavengers of carrion, these animals are a vital part of their ecosystem.  The species is rare and faces significant challenges to its future in the continental United States. Due to their limited numbers, huge individual territories and remote locations, it is difficult to gather data on wolverines. This poses a challenge to scientists, agencies and others trying to understand wolverines’ habitat requirements, threats to their survival and pathways to recovery.  One thing, however, is clear: as a species dependent on deep snowpack for denning and foraging, the survival of wolverines in the Lower 48 is very much at risk due to the foreseeable effects of human-caused climate change. After 23 years of advocacy, wolverines were listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 2023."  Checkout this short video of a Wolverine on the trail. 

 

How about a Quote of the Week as we imagine the Wolverine out in the Wild:

“Devoted though we must be to the conservation cause, I do not believe that any of us should give it all of our time or effort or heart. Give what you can, but do not burn yourselves out -- or break your hearts. Let us save at least half of our lives for the enjoyment of this wonderful world which still exists. Leave your dens, abandon your cars and walk out into the great mountains, the deserts, the forests, the seashores. Those treasures still belong to all of us. Enjoy them to the full, stretch your legs, expand your lungs, enliven your hearts.."   

  - Edward Abbey

 

After our talk with Zack it's on to the Bus stop Billboard:

 

First Here's Indivisible Northampton — Swing Left Western Mass's complete daily listing of all the pro-democracy events in WMass:  https://in-slwm.org/wp-content/uploads/Calendar/cal.html.  If you're looking for an easy weekday way to jump into the climate movement, you'll love the State House Stand Out! We gather at the Massachusetts State House in Boston between 10 am and 2 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Volunteers stand together for 2-hour "shifts," either outside or inside depending on weather, and talk with visitors and State House staff about the Climate Crisis. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 3 – 4pm.:  Indivisible's What's the Plan with Leah and Ezra. Go HERE. Fridays, 1:30 to 3pm: De-ICE Hanscom Airfield Stand Outs, Hanscom Rotary, Lincoln, MA. Go HERE. ALSO:

 12 to 1pm. Send Citizens Bank a clear message: financing private prison and immigration detention facility operators The GEO Group and CoreCivic is bad for business. We'll stand out on the public sidewalks on King Street Northampton, MA in front of Stop and Shop Plaza (Citizens Bank has a branch inside Stop and Shop).  Saturdays, 11am to 1pm: No Fear w/Street Theatre, Burlington ICE Facility, Burlington Mall Rd. @ District Ave., Burlington, MA Go HERE .

 

 

Friday June 26, 4-5:30 pm.  Bigger Than Dobbs: Stop the MAGA War on Women” is a statewide week of action organized by IMC’s Feminist Action Team to mark the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision and to highlight broader threats to women’s rights beyond abortion access. Valley Action at Christian lane overpass over Rt. 91 in Whately, MA. Activists across Massachusetts are encouraged to attend local rallies between June 20 and 28, create signs, and recruit friends. We need to sound the alarm, because the war on women is a war on all of us!  Have an action you’d like the CAN Team to consider? Suggest it HERE.

Sunday June 28, 10-11:30am.  Stormwater and Sewer Safari. This is a family friendly event where we will learn more about Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) and how the sewage pollution from CSOs affects the Alewife Brook as well as people and wildlife. We will meet at Thorndike Field in Arlington and walk along the Alewife Brook to see one of these active CSOs as well as visiting the Alewife Stormwater Wetlands to see how nature based solutions can help reduce CSOs to the river. There will be a family friendly tour with a scavenger hunt, an art activity, and snacks as well as a tour geared towards adults. Please RSVP HERE. 

 

 

Saturday July 4, 8:30am.  4th of July Peace Walk honoring Paki Weiland & Francis Crowe. Gather at the Amherst Common, 8:30am. Step off at 9am. Walk along Rt. 9 with peace messages. Water stations, rests & ride support along the 9 mile route. Come for any or all! Potluck at Northampton Friends at end, 1pm. Email: 2026july4peace@proton.me  

 

July 15 all Noon-3pm. Massachusetts Roadmap for Advanced Nuclear and Fusion Energy, discussion series sponsored by Governor Healey & Umass Lowell. They are seeking "stakeholder engagment" on their push for nukes - let's give it to them! More info and registration here   

 

 

 

Sunday July 19, 11am – 2pm.  Good Trouble Lives On - Votercade.  Parking lot of Levi Heywood Memorial Library, 55 W Lynde St., Gardner, MA 01440.  The fight to protect voting rights never ends, and right now, we’re witnessing a Jim-Crow-era effort from politicians and their billionaire friends to restrict our freedoms, silence our voices, and consolidate power.  But in America, we choose our leaders. We will decide our future. The same spirit that fueled Selma, Montgomery, and the March on Washington lives on in our unified action.  Go HERE.  

 

OK, we are out of here 'til next time but do remember to listen to your Mother!

 

 

 

An Inescapable Enviro Show

 

 [The podcast for this show is HERE ]

Greetings Earthlings. We reported on this show in the past words to the effect that "Invisible and nearly indestructible, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have seeped into the blood of almost every American and permeated the natural world." That's the tagline for the recent book "Inescapable - Facing Up to Forever Chemicals". The author, F. Marina Schauffler joins Glen for the interview. As always, we will also introduce you to this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and Those Whose Brains Were small, along with Who Left the Door Open, and way more but first it's time for.......Revenge of the Critters! Another tiny creature strikes again.

 

This week's Fool-on-the-Hill made some news last week: "A Republican Virginia lawmaker is facing calls to resign after she agreed with a wildly racist statement about Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Representative Jen Kiggans appeared on Richmond-based radio commentator Rich Herrera’s show Monday to discuss the state’s hotly contested congressional maps. But the since-deleted interview flew off the rails when Kiggans emphatically concurred with Herrera after he referred to Jeffries as a slave."  As the Repugs continue trying to....um..whitewash? reality & history we continue to call them out. Enviro show listeners, send us your fave Fools-on-the-Hill at   enviroshow@valleyfreeradio.org

 

Our Doublespeak of the Week came with a dash of Kafka when Speaking at an event in Arizona, MAGA freak USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins.....celebrated that millions of people have lost federal nutrition assistance under the second Trump administration, declaring that families who have seen their modest aid disappear are closer to realizing “the American dream.”  ?  

 

As many of the greedy media moguls get richer and clueless it seems, like the dinosaurs of old whose  "Brains Were Small and They Died". "Last year, [His Malignancy] cleared the way for Paramount’s merger with Ellison’s Skydance Media after Paramount paid a $16 million lawsuit filed by [The Prez] against Paramount’s CBS News. Now Paramount Skydance is on the verge of acquiring an even larger legacy media giant, Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns CNN. One family, the right-wing-aligned Ellisons, will soon control: TikTok, CBS, CNN, HBO, Discovery Channel, BET, Cartoon Network, Comedy Central, DC Studios, Fandango, Miramax, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount, PlutoTV, Showtime, TBS, The CW, TNT, Warner Bros., and more,” U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders warned last week. 'This is oligarchy.” The growth of the Ellison father-son empire is based on refashioning the American press — or what’s left of it — into the palm of [His Malignancy]’s tiny hand".  Is a giant meteor the only thing that can stop them? Stay tuned! 

 

Did someone say dinosaurs? In The Enviro Show Echo Chamber we replay past coverage of the beleaguered Horseshoe Crabs, a species that's been with us since before the days of the dinosaurs. We have talked about their plight on the show numerous time over the years. Please join with us and come to their defense HERE.  And this: "Our forests are under attack. President Trump recently issued two executive orders that seek to expedite rampant logging on federal forests, treating them as little more than tree farms. And, to make matters worse, Trump’s orders would restrict the public’s right to know about logging projects. Your members of Congress need to hear from YOU. Tell them to take a stand and stop attacks on our federal forests. Why stop there? Go HERE to Block Trump's authoritarian, AI-powered spying on almost everyone bill!

 

Of course, there's another sort of giant meteor that could take out low-life corporados mentioned above but "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" and it's slowish. Yet, how would we know how slow when "The...administration is dismantling a $368 million deep-ocean observation system that was put in place a decade ago to monitor coastal environments, marine ecosystems and powerful currents that affect the global climate. The National Science Foundation said it would send ships in June to begin removing more than 900 deep-sea instruments anchored off Oregon, Washington State, Alaska, North Carolina, and an area between Greenland and Iceland." On the other hand, "Since [his] return to power, we've been talking more and more about data centers as a point of linkage between big tech, fossil fuels, and fascism. And we've been warning that fossil fueled AI is not a neutral tech – it's increasingly being used as a tool of state sponsored terror, war, and surveillance. "War" Secretary Pete Hegseth has pledged to create an "AI-first" fighting force, supercharging an already AI-powered war machine." Push back HERE. O wait, please don't forget "The His Malignancy’s U.S. Department of Agriculture wants to gut the Roadless Area Conservation Rule. Their scheme would open up tens of millions of acres of our national forests to destructive logging, drilling, and road building — including iconic public lands." All at the expense of an untold amount of natural carbon capture & storage. More push back HERE. And this, in keeping with our guest's PFAS focus: "The administration moves to roll back limits on forever chemicals in drinking water".  Really?  Nah!

  

Who Left the Door Open?? Last Friday we received this from Friends of the Earth: "In the spirit of World Environment Day – a day for climate change awareness and action – we need to talk to you about vulnerable polar bears bearing the brunt of climate change. The Arctic is in a DIRE situation, and polar bear families are FALLING APART. Ice is melting. Cubs are drowning. Dens are collapsing. At a time when we should be doing everything possible to protect the Arctic and vulnerable polar bears, the...administration is moving forward with plans to reverse protections for MILLIONS of acres of Alaskan lands. That means these lands could soon be opened to Big Polluters and exposed to reckless drilling and mining projects. And the proposed drilling area is CRITICAL to the survival of endangered polar bears and their cubs!"

 

Apparently, voters in the USA were the ones who left the door open and the Mad King (#NoKings) and other present occupants of the White House slithered in to wreak havoc. Where to begin? OK, all the above is a good start but how about: "A shattering new report from the Brookings Institution has exposed the unthinkable: 205,000 children have been ripped from one or both of their parents since [His Malignancy's] return to power. 145,000 of them are US born citizens." And This: He recently "sent an aircraft carrier and warships toward Cuba, a tactic he used before invading Venezuela and launching a war on Iran. [He] is desperately searching for a military win as his disastrous war in Iran drags on. He's demanded the removal of the Cuban president and said he wants to "take" Cuba." Or this: He issued a National Security Presidential Memorandum 7. Now he’s asked Congress to fund it.... he indicates that the NSPM-7 Joint Mission Center will seek to identify anyone the administration considers domestic terrorists, including people expressing support for views like: 'anti-Americanism, anti-capitalism, and anti-Christianity', Extremism on migration, race, and gender or hostility towards those who hold traditional American views on family, religion, and morality." Sound vague? 'Ya think?? PUSH BACK! And this headline from The NY Times: "U.S. Seeks to Give Weapons-Grade Plutonium to Start-Ups for Fuel."  And speaking of environmental destruction how about this from the Southern Environmental Law Center: The "administration takes comments on its proposal to eliminate common-sense, nationwide minimum standards that protect clean water and prevent catastrophic coal ash spills and other disasters. Politically powerful coal ash polluters, including Duke Energy, asked the administration to weaken these protections against coal ash pollution." Guess who wants to "plow more than $800 million into a nationwide revival of coal power"?   Or this from Civic Shout: "EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin just came out with yet another plan to destroy our environment. This time he wants to increase the amount of super pollutants in air conditioners and refrigerators. These pollutants, called hydrofluorocarbons, are extremely strong greenhouse gases that trap more heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide." Remember the hole in the Ozone? 

 

Time to move on from all that MAGA induced zone flooding above (remember they want you to feel bewildered and disempowered?). Truth be known, we have the perfect antidote to despair and our Bus Stop Billboard (below) is full of good medicine. Another perfectly good antidote can be found, as our opening PSA notes, can be found in....Nature! Which brings us to our Critter of the Week via The American Bird Conservancy: "Bluebirds are a delight to observe, with their bright sky-blues, plump little bodies, and cheerful warbling songs. Familiar and lovable, their enthusiastic embrace of nest boxes also makes for an inspiring community conservation story. Despite their well-earned adoration, bluebirds offer only a tiny glimpse into the wonderful and diverse family to which they belong: the Thrushes. There are 194 thrush species worldwide and more than 45 can be observed in the Western Hemisphere, including the familiar American Robin, the stunning Varied Thrush, and the rare and Critically Endangered Puaiohi in Hawaiʻi. Each of them is benefiting from conservation actions by American Bird Conservancy and.. partners — and bird enthusiasts like you."  Wait, they forgot to mention the Wood Thrush, whose melodic song was such an inspiration for Thoreau and for yours truly as a very young boy sent to bed for a nap in the late afternoon as the Trush's song drifted into the window near sunset. 

 

After Glen's conversation with Marina it's on to the Bus Stop Billboard:

 

First Here's Indivisible Northampton — Swing Left Western Mass's complete daily listing of all the pro-democracy events in WMass:  https://in-slwm.org/wp-content/uploads/Calendar/cal.html.  If you're looking for an easy weekday way to jump into the climate movement, you'll love the State House Stand Out! We gather at the Massachusetts State House in Boston between 10 am and 2 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Volunteers stand together for 2-hour "shifts," either outside or inside depending on weather, and talk with visitors and State House staff about the Climate Crisis. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 3 – 4pm.:  Indivisible's What's the Plan with Leah and Ezra. Go HERE. Fridays, 1:30 to 3pm: De-ICE Hanscom Airfield Stand Outs, Hanscom Rotary, Lincoln, MA. Go HERE. ALSO:

 12 to 1pm. Send Citizens Bank a clear message: financing private prison and immigration detention facility operators The GEO Group and CoreCivic is bad for business. We'll stand out on the public sidewalks on King Street Northampton, MA in front of Stop and Shop Plaza (Citizens Bank has a branch inside Stop and Shop).  Saturdays, 11am to 1pm: No Fear w/Street Theatre, Burlington ICE Facility, Burlington Mall Rd. @ District Ave., Burlington, MA Go HERE .

 

Tuesday June 23, 7pm. An in-person event will be held at Grow Food Northampton and is free and open to the public—please register here! organizers from the Springfield Climate Justice Coalition will tell the story of how they have held the “Zombie Biomass Plant” at bay, how they plan to stop the latest effort with passion and people power, and how people across Western Mass can take meaningful action to stop this plant from impacting community and public health. 

 

Wednesday June 24, 6 to 8pm.  A community hearing on the Roadless Rule Repeal. Learn how PUBLIC LANDS like the White Mountain National Forest could be trashed and how you can help raise your voice, stand up and fight back. Unitarian Universalist Church of Concord, 274 Pleasant ST, Concord, NH. Go HERE! 

 

Sunday June 28, 10-11:30am.  Stormwater and Sewer Safari. This is a family friendly event where we will learn more about Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) and how the sewage pollution from CSOs affects the Alewife Brook as well as people and wildlife. We will meet at Thorndike Field in Arlington and walk along the Alewife Brook to see one of these active CSOs as well as visiting the Alewife Stormwater Wetlands to see how nature based solutions can help reduce CSOs to the river. There will be a family friendly tour with a scavenger hunt, an art activity, and snacks as well as a tour geared towards adults. Please RSVP HERE. 

 

 

Saturday July 4, 8:30am.  4th of July Peace Walk honoring Paki Weiland & Francis Crowe. Gather at the Amherst Common, 8:30am. Step off at 9am. Walk along Rt. 9 with peace messages. Water stations, rests & ride support along the 9 mile route. Come for any or all! Potluck at Northampton Friends at end, 1pm. Email: 2026july4peace@proton.me  

 

July 15 all Noon-3pm. Massachusetts Roadmap for Advanced Nuclear and Fusion Energy, discussion series sponsored by Governor Healey & Umass Lowell. They are seeking "stakeholder engagment" on their push for nukes - let's give it to them! More info and registration here   

 

 

 

Sunday July 19, 11am – 2pm.  Good Trouble Lives On - Votercade.  Parking lot of Levi Heywood Memorial Library, 55 W Lynde St., Gardner, MA 01440.  The fight to protect voting rights never ends, and right now, we’re witnessing a Jim-Crow-era effort from politicians and their billionaire friends to restrict our freedoms, silence our voices, and consolidate power.  But in America, we choose our leaders. We will decide our future. The same spirit that fueled Selma, Montgomery, and the March on Washington lives on in our unified action.  Go HERE.  

 

  

That's All Folks.......except to remember to listen to your Mother!