The Northeast Wilderness Trust Enviro Show

Greetings Earthlings. The Atumnal Equinox is upon us. First an important update from our last show HERE. Most of us are probably aware of Land Trusts and the good work they are supposed to do, yes?  Sadly, in the past year some land trusts here in the Commonwealth have engaged in some less than stellar behavior regarding forest protection especially when they came out publicly against H 897 An Act Relative to Forest Protection a good bill that went to Beacon Hill, the place where good bills go to die. Those land trusts must take partial responsibility for that loss to our public forests because the bill did not apply to their lands, only to protecting public forests. We are however happy to report that, speaking of good, there are still some good land trusts out there. Sophie Ehrhardt, Wildlands Partnership Coordinator for the Northeast Wilderness Trust joins us to talk about the good work they are doing to protect and preserve our forests. Of course, we will also be taking you along to see this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and to witness that loser, His Malignancy The Mad King make a fool of himself and his enablers as they together plot to destroy the world. That, and another reminder "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" but first it's time for............Revenge of the Critters!  Pod of killer whales accused of 'orchestrated' attacks on boats! 

This week's Fool-on-the-Hill is Sen. Ron Johnson, Repugnican senator from Wisconsin who apparently endorsed violence against protesters while appearing on CNN, saying that “citizen soldiers” are needed to quash anti-racist protests across the country. His statement came just days after 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse shot three people in Kenosha. Johnson chairs the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which is investigating alleged corruption allegations against the intelligence community and Joe Biden's diplomatic efforts in Ukraine. In other words, he's chasing ghosts for political points. That should work what with Halloween coming up.

His Malignancy The Mad King and his creepy enablers have had a busy week making fools of themselves while actually making the nation unsafe for humans and other living things. When you hear His Malignancy say “Every day of my presidency, we will fight for a cleaner environment and a better quality of life for every one of our great citizens” do you want to stick your head out the window and scream "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take this anymore!"? What? You haven't adjusted to the post-truth post-reality post-decency Era of The Mad King?? Maybe you or your loved ones in the military haven't adjusted to having those lost in battle being called "suckers" and "losers"? Sorry, that's just His Malignancy! He who calls for logging precious old-growth forests in the Tongass , for totally ignoring the gigantic forest fires out west and then continuing to deny the Climate Crisis in the midst of those historic massive fires like some kind of "Climate Arsonist"; for the erosion of workers rights; for censorship of internet platforms; and even for hints he may not concede the election if he loses? You know what His Malignancy says: "It is what it is"! 

Enough. Let's move on and remind everyone yet again that "It's the Climate crisis, Stupid!"  Remember our friend Tom Neilson's song "Where Greenland Used to Be"? Well, recently "In northeast Greenland, an occurrence has raised alarm bells of climate change as a large chunk of ice in the Arctic has broken away. The chunk that is separated from Arctic's largest remaining ice shelf has a length of 11 sq kms and satellite images have shown that it is broken away into several small pieces."  That's about the size of Manhattan by the way and, while predicted all along, truly bad news for any oif you living near the shore. Had enough? The best way we can even begin to confront this and all the other threats to our climate and life on Earth is to rid the world of The Mad King. Vote him out as early as possible using the most secure method as possible, then prepare to defend your vote because His Malignancy will not go willingly. 

After our conversation with Sophie we take you to the Bus Stop Billboard:

Wednesday, September 30, 6 – 7:30 PM. What Does the Earth Ask of Us? We are showered every day with the gifts of the Earth and yet we are tied to institutions which relentlessly ask, what more can we take? Drawing upon both scientific and Indigenous knowledges, this talk explores the covenant of reciprocity. How might we use the gifts and the responsibilities of human people in support of mutual thriving in a time of ecological crisis?  Go to: https://www.facebook.com/events/1059236051176025  

Thursday October 1, 7pm.  The Feds War on Wildlife Webinar. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's misleadingly named Wildlife Services program kills more than a million wild animals every year, typically at the request of Big Ag. Scattering public lands with cruel traps and indiscriminate poisons, the program targets carnivores like coyotes, bears, beavers, otters and foxes. Even rare species like grizzlies and wolves are caught in the crosshairs.  The hour-long webinar starts at 4 p.m. PT / 7 p.m. ET. Register here and check your email for the link to join. 

Friday October 2, 2 to 3:30pm.  An online rally in solidarity with frontline tar sands fighters across Turtle Island. During the rally, we’ll live stream from actions happening outside the headquarters of the corporations bankrolling the pipelines.In between the actions, you’ll hear from Indigenous frontline leaders, including Tara Houska of the Giniw Collective, Kanahus Manuel of the Tiny House Warriors and Jasilyn Charger with Earth Guardians. Go to: https://stopthemoneypipeline.com/tar-sands/ 

Tuesday October 6,  5pm. The Perfect Storm Webinar. US forests play a critical role by storing massive amounts of carbon and protecting communities from storms, droughts, and climate havoc. The climate movement often misunderstands the role of forest protection in climate policy, though, driven by misleading industry narratives that promote more logging and fail to keep our forests standing. Go here: https://www.dogwoodalliance.org/perfect-storm-10062020/  

Tuesday October 6, 7pm. The Magic and the Mysteries of Climate, Soil, Plants and Trees, with Kate O'Connor . This event is the second in a new series of presentations entitled "Beyond Stopping Emissions: How Healthy Soil & Plants Can Restore Climate Balance".  Go HERE.   More info:  http://climateactionnowma.org/forest-protection/

Wednesday October 7, 7pm.   The second Zoom talk in the Farms, Forests & Food Systems Soil Speaker Series: The Magic & the Mysteries of Climate, Soil, Plants & Trees. How soil and plants help create our amazing climate and how we can help them restore it.  Register in advance for this meeting
here: https://us02web.zoom.us/.../tZwtfuqrqz8tH9Qkc89l25Q You will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. 

Saturday October 17, 1pm.  "The World Burns as "The Globe" Turns".  The Boston Globe has been dangerously negligent in its failure to adequately cover the climate and ecological crisis. On October 17, from 1-3 PM we will rally to demand the Globe provide thorough and accurate coverage of the Climate Crisis. We will assemble at Faneuil Hall at 1:00 PM, then march to the Globe office at 53 State St. This is a follow-up to our rally of April 2019 at the Globe; sadly, The Globe's coverage remains weak. Go to: https://xrmass.org/action/GlobeAction/

That's all folks BUT remember: listen to your Mother!

 

The Critical Role of Forests Enviro Show

Greetings Earthlings. Surely by now, if you are a long time listener of this show, you are aware of the critical role of forests in protecting the climate and public health, yes?  We've been going on about it seemingly forever and now we are pleased to report that some in our state government may be listening. MA Energy and Environment Bureau Chief for the AG's office Melissa Hoffer joins us to talk about a virtual forum on the critical role of forests in protecting climate and public health coming up on September 15th.   We'll also bring you along to see this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and His Malignancy and the enablers who, as you know, are busy trashing what's left of government, the environment and the health and safety of your fellow citizens (even the ones who still support him!). All that and the Climate Crisis too but first it's time for..........Revenge of the Critters! Wild Boar snags laptop from nudist? 

This week's Fool-on-the-Hill goes totally plural given that all the Repugs on The Hill who had a hand in their recent low-ratings National Repugnicans Show (not their real mini convention) failed to mention........wait for it........THE CLIMATE CRISIS!  Grist points out: The event "dominated by veneration of [His Malignancy] and bleak warnings of the dangers of socialism, completely ignored the climate crisis, an omission that has disturbed some conservatives who warn the party risks being left behind by voters."

Speaking of His Malignancy and Green Day's chant, look who is using the "F" word for the present occupant of the White House, enviro super hero, Ralph Nader. Besides being a fascist His Malignancy is, of course, also a bullshit artist and now his lies about the present pandemic are documented. And this: The Mad King, in a speech at the American Farm Bureau convention stated: “I terminated one of the most ridiculous regulations of all.” His Malignancy was talking about the 2015 Clean Water Rule, which the Obama administration wrote to better enforce the Clean Water Act, one of our most essential and effective environmental laws. Remember when The Mad King's Council on Environmental Quality announced its final revision of the National Environmental Policy Act. (NEPA)?  Environmental groups soon promised legal challenges to the new rule and one lawsuit brought by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra suing the Trump administration was the 100th time in less than four years that AG had gone after His Malignancy. It brings a whole new meaning to the phrase "see you in court" and that's just one state AG.

In The Enviro Show Echo Chamber we'd like to echo a recent New Yorker feature titled "The Sobbing Pangola - How a threatened animal may be linked to the pandemic's beginning"  Yes, we've been bringing this up show after show for months now but it never seems to....well, go viral?  Maybe people are just too busy tweeting or watching reruns on Netflix to sit down and read multiple paragraphs about exotic critters in far off lands? If that's the case for you, watch this short video!

As we noted at the outset, His Malignancy and all the enablers failed to utter the words Climate Crisis or even global warming during their failed Hate Show in August. We, however, are here to remind them......"It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" and if they don't believe us how about researchers at Columbia University in New York, Edinburgh University in Scotland, and Utrecht University in the Netherlands who found "massive [Antarctic] southern ice shelves split by climate-induced hydofracturing can collapse in hours—or even minutes—fueling dangerous sea level rise and coastal flooding.......More than 60% of the massive floating ice shelves extending from Antarctica could fracture and collapse with astonishing rapidity, a study published Wednesday in the journal Nature has found." Of course, all this was predicted for the future.....which seems to be now.

On to the bus stop billboard:

Wednesday September 16, join the Indigenous Legislative Agenda coalition for a virtual lobby day at 10am.  We will call for action on bills to change the state flag and seal, to ban Native mascots statewide, and to protect Native American heritage. The Flag and Seal bill passed the Senate unanimously in July -- now it's the House's turn!   

Saturday September 19, 2 to 4pm. Red Skies = Climate Emergency.  The West is on fire. The skies are ablaze in red. US cities are ranking worst in the world for air quality ratings. People are evacuating or confined indoors for safety. And as the forests go up in flames, destroying critical ecosystems, they also release carbon - creating a feedback loop of even more warming and fires.  Join Extinction Rebellion for a march from the Hatch Shell on the Esplanade up to the State House. We are calling on the state of Massachusetts to declare a formal climate emergency. We will be wearing masks and maintaining social distance. We encourage people to wear red and bring their own signs - though we will have some flags and signs for people to carry. Go to: https://xrmass.org/action/Red_Skies 

Thursday September 24, 7PM EDT.  A virtual Cary Science Conversation featuring disease ecologists  Rick Ostfeld & Felicia Keesing. In conversation with Cary President Joshua Ginsberg, they will explore the role of biodiversity in infectious disease spillovers. The pathogens that cause diseases like COVID-19, SARS, and Ebola originated in wildlife before making the jump to people. What causes zoonotic diseases to spill over? Are natural areas, and the biodiversity they hold, good or bad for our health? Can we manage animals to make the diseases they carry less likely to jump to people? These are among the questions that will be discussed.  Virtual, via Zoom, register at EventBrite 

Tuesday September 29, 7 to 8:30pm.  Climate Action Now Monthly Zoom Gathering.  We come together once a month to meet each other, plan, and imagine how to contribute, in our corner of the world, to the urgent fight against climate change . We love to meet newcomers, whether you are brand new to activism or have been working for change for a long time. We do not have a membership or dues. People give of their time and talent when they see fit. You are welcome to join us!  Meeting content, details and a link to register will be posted soon at : https://www.facebook.com/events/2681132252139472 

That's all folks BUT remember: listen to your Mother!



  

The New Corporate Lifeforms Enviro Show

Greetings Earthlings. Perhaps you're familiar with the plight of the American Chestnut tree? It's a long sad tale and it may get even sadder soon. Dr. Rachel Smolker and Anne Petermann of the Campaign to STOP GE Trees join us to see the forest for the trees during this show. First however, we promise to take you along for a visit with this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and to witness His Malignancy The Mad King and his crazed enablers continue their vile assault on planet Earth. Also, a reminder to anyone still not paying attention that "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" but first it's time for.........Revenge of the Critters! It's another drone down courtesy of our national bird. 

Our Fool-on-the-Hill is Repugnican Senator David Perdue of Georgia who is being accused of anti-Semitism after deleting a Facebook ad that showed his Jewish opponent, Democrat Jon Ossof, with an enlarged nose — an apparent alteration seen as an anti-Semitic trope. The swift backlash over the issue, which Perdue's campaign says was a mistake by an outside company, comes as the race tightens and has been labeled a "toss-up," meaning it could flip blue. It was a mistake! Mistakes happen, OK?  

Time for another gut-wrenching tour of His Malignancy's latest!  Where to begin?? Remember last time we talked about all the methane that is being and will be released from massive peat lands as the climate warms? Now The Mad King's administration is expected, in their infinite wisdom, to lift Obama-era controls on the release of even more methane, the powerful climate-warming gas, also emitted from leaks and flares in oil and gas wells. You know His Malignancy and the criminal enablers just love their fossil fuels, right? With that in mind, They just finalized plans to open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, one of the world’s last pristine wilderness regions, to oil and fracked gas drilling. And this, a new rule would allow for the transportation of liquefied natural gas (LNG) by rail, rolling health and safety risks for everyone!  The rule, finalized this year by the Transportation Department and Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), would allow for the fuel to be transported on rail tank cars (what we call Bomb Train). Some 14 states are taking it to court.  But wait, there's more!  The Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition infgorms us the "administration estimated the “social cost of carbon” to be seven times lower than the Obama administration’s estimates — a rock-bottom evaluation that then enabled them to justify the costs of repealing or weakening regulations that would have helped mitigate the worst impacts of climate change."  Surprise! 

We keep reminding His Malignancy "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" even though he claims his "two greatest assets have been mental stability and being, like, really smart" [insert hysterical laughter here]. Maybe if he had taken a hike in Death Valley a few days back when it hit 130 degrees
he'd get smart? Nah!  How about this headline: "Forty miles from Mar-a-Lago, the simple act of breathing is a struggle for these Black Floridians" Yes, it's the air quality, or lack thereof, from the sugar industry's burn-off of their cane fields. Truly bad for those living in the area and for the climate in general. Do you think The Mad King will do anything about it?  Hopefully, in a few months we won't have anything to do with him (other than use his sorry-ass legacy as an example to future generations of what not to do).  

Finally, in  The Enviro Show Echo Chamber we  pass on Action Network's important Action Link 
concerning wildlife tracking and COVID-19. If you've been following the show you know how critical it is to stop wildlife trafficking and habitat destruction. Please add your name.



After our conversation with Anne and Rachel we go to the Bus Stop Billboard: 



Thursday September 3, 4:30pm.  (Sept.4 Raindate)  Stop the Polluting Springfield Biomass Incinerator.  Stand up for environmental justice & the health of our community at City Hall.  Demand elected officials oppose the proposed biomass incinerator.  Wear masks & do social distancing. To get involved text your name to 413-214-5100.  Springfield Climate Justice Coalition, contact the Arise office at 413-734-4948.  Information vernemca@gmail.com 


Friday September 4, 10am.  XR is organizing a Climate Emergency Action next to Cape Cod’s Bourne Bridge over the Cape Cod Canal. It will be on the Friday afternoon of Labor Day weekend, Sept 4. As the traditional slow parade of cars - backed up for miles - makes its way across the bridge for the holiday weekend, we'll be there with puppets, banners, and handouts reminding passengers of how environmentally fragile the Cape that they love is. We hope to have an appearance from our esteemed Red Rebel Brigade! 


September 15, Noon to 1:00 p.m. the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office will be hosting The Critical Role of Forests in Protecting Climate and Public Health, a virtual forum featuring leading forest carbon scientists.  The forum is free of charge, but you must register to attend (see rsvp link, below).  A link to join the forum will be provided to registered attendees on the day of the event.  Go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-critical-role-of-forests-in-protecting-climate-and-public-health-tickets-118534027467


That's all folks BUT remember: listen to your Mother!

Yet Another Public Lands Logging Enviro Show

Greetings Earthlings.  Elliott Ruga, Policy Director for the New Jersey Highlands Coalition joins us along, once again, with Silvia Solaun and Kay of New Jersey Forest Watch/Friends of Sparta Mountain as we journey back to Jersey in search of justice for the Trees and the Climate. Here in the "Commonwealth" of Massachusetts we have some things in common with New Jersey besides it being Glen's old stomping grounds. We'll get into that presently after we bring you along to visit this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and His Malignancy The Mad King and his enablers, as well as a reminder that it's the "Climate Crisis, Stupid!" but first it's time for...............Revenge of the Critters! It's Grasshopper season as we speak but watch out if you're down south!

Our Fool-on-the-Hill this week is Senator Tom Cotton (Repugnican-Ark.) who returns to infamy with a reminder last month that “As the Founding Fathers said, slavery was the necessary evil upon which the union was built”. Soon after this lame comment it was revealed "The 1850 Tax List for Drakes Creek, Simpson Co., KY, lists Tom Cotton’s ancestor Francis Ryon as owning 180 acres of land and 
seven slaves. Francis Ryon’s daughter Rebecca married Jesse Hackney Cotton in 1842. In 1859, Jesse and Rebecca moved to Yell County, Arkansas. According to the 1860 census, Jesse Cotton, owned twelve slaves."  So, Tom Cotton speaks from experience, we guess.

On to His Malignancy The Mad King whose enablers just issued a new proposal  to severely limit the government's ability to protect the habitat rare and vanishing animals and plants need to survive and recover. This latest attempt to trash the Endangered Species Act focuses on the law protecting  "critical habitat" for threatened and endangered species. The new proposal limits protections for habitat that could currently support the species but not areas that could be restored or safeguarded to provide more habitat for recovery. At the same time His Malignancy's henchmen moved forward with plans to scale back protections for over 1,000 species of American wild birds. And this: "William Perry Pendley has spent years trying to sell our public lands to the highest bidder. Why would The Mad King put him in charge of their preservation at the Bureau of Land Management? We guess that's a rhetorical question 'cuz as AZcentral notes: "As president of the Mountain States Legal Foundation, in Denver, for almost 30 years he has advocated for disposing of public lands. Through his many speeches and articles he has taken the firm position that the Founding Fathers intended all lands owned by the federal government to be sold." Soooo, it seems His Malignancy and his Repugnican Super Spreader Death Cult isn't satisfied with simply enabling the coronavirus to kill more than 211,550 people in the U.S., they want to also sell off the family jewels and kill off the wildlife as well? Surprise! 

Of course, the Monster in the White House who periodically calls COVID-19 a hoax also says the same holds for climate chaos but most everyone knows "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!".  Maybe His Malignancy should have a screening in the White House of this video! Not much chance of that much less one titled "Extreme heat is worse in redlined neighborhoods"! Also, we've talked about the warming of the tundra near the Arctic Circle in the past and how much methane they could release into the atmosphere, a worse threat to the atmosphere than CO2. It seems such peatlands can be found in the tropics as well. The folks at Grist recently noted: "Peatlands, a unique kind of wetland that stores high amounts of carbon in its soils, may start to release carbon as the climate warms, according to a new study from the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory...Peatlands are the world’s largest natural carbon store, storing more carbon than all the world’s forests combined." Who knew!   Finally this:  The last fully intact ice shelf in the Canadian Arctic has collapsed, losing more than 40 per cent of its area in just two days at the end of July. 

After the conversation with our guests we'll head over to the Bus Stop Billboard, OK? 


Tuesday August 18, 7pm. Toxic Oppression - A Digital Town Hall. The MA House voted on a climate change package that includes a proposal to increase the amount of “non-carbon emitting” energy that municipally-owned electric utilities must sell. The bill defines “non-carbon emitting” to include biomass power plants.This is another attempt to provide sufficient financial incentive for the Palmer biomass power plant to be constructed in Springfield.  Springfield groups are organizing on this. More info at Tuesday night Town Hall (see above). Watch for upcoming actions. We will keep you updated and share more information as it becomes available.  Register by texting ‘TOXIC’ (413) 214-5100. 


Wednesday,August 19, 6-8 pm. 350MA Berkshires  Node  Zoom  Meeting . All are welcome! Use the password 350ma.    Zoom link 


Thursday August 20, 3:30 to 5pm. Final Listening Sessions for State’s Resilient Lands Initiative.

The Resilient Lands Initiative is focused on developing a ten-year plan for land conservation in Massachusetts that reduces our vulnerability to climate change and builds resilience in our natural communities. A year-long process of stakeholder meetings has led to creation of this Resilient Lands Initiative’s Vision Summary.  Comments on the draft Vision can be sent by Wednesday, August 26 to Bob O’Connor at Robert.oconnor@mass.gov.  Comments will inform the final Vision, including a more expanded description of each strategy, including implementation plans and estimated costs over the next ten years.

Two final public listening sessions will be held via Zoom on August 20, to summarize the draft strategies and recommendations and discuss next steps.  Advance registration is not required, and log-in information follows:

August 20, 3:30- 5:00 PM

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5426166635?pwd=RjVBdTlqRDBsWjkxbWJHME5zdXl3dz09

Meeting ID: 542 616 6635
Passcode: 587082
Dial by your location
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)

August 20, 6:00 -7:30 – Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5426166635?pwd=RjVBdTlqRDBsWjkxbWJHME5zdXl3dz09

Dial by your location

Call: 1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)

        +1 929 205 6099 US (New York)

Meeting ID: 542 616 6635
Passcode: 587082

Thursday August 20th, join a virtual lobby meeting with your senator’s office to speak out against extinction. Speaking out by telling staffers how much you value plants, fish, and wildlife and the laws that protect them is one of the most valuable actions you can take as an activist. When senators hear that constituents like you are taking the time to show up to a meeting to speak, they listen closely. Register HERE.   


Thursday August 20, 6 to 8pm. MassDEP issued its Draft 2020-2030 Solid Waste Master Plan for public comment and held five public hearings in Fall 2019 and received extensive comments. A significant number of respondents proposed more engagement with Environmental Justice communities, given the environmental burdens these communities experience. In addition, it is timely and important to consider the impacts of COVID-19 as well as climate change, on public health and the economy before finalizing the plan. In response to these comments and the changed landscape due to COVID-19, MassDEP has decided to reopen the public comment period for the Draft 2020-2030 Solid Waste Master Plan.
The comment period will focus specifically, but not exclusively, on issues of environmental justice, climate change, and the impacts of COVID-19 pertaining to the management of solid waste in the Commonwealth.  Register HERE. 

Wednesday, August 26, 7:30-8:30 pm "Adaptive Silviculture: Examining Climate Change Forest Management Strategies" Anoither  CounterAct Climate Change program  via Zoom. 

Register here.



That's all folks! But remember one thing please.....listen to your Mother!

A Highly Necessary Enviro Climate Show

Yes, it is a rather strongly worded title for this week's Enviro Show but given we've been trying to get highly respected climate scientist Professor Raymond Bradley of UMass Amherst on the show for some time now we thought we'd get into some....amplification? As we've been saying on the show since COVID daze began, the pandemic is actually  just another aspect of the Climate Crisis 'cuz both disasters have been brought about by the human propensity to trash Nature, OK? We are the Crisis, but we could also be the answer to the Crisis. Of course, we'll also bring you along to endure this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and to witness His Malignancy The Mad King and his enablers latest insults to life on Earth, but first it's time for.........Revenge of the Critters! Another snap happy tourist in Yellowstone Park gets too close to the Buffalo. This one comes complete with a video of a previous Buffalo Tourist Toss. They are not harmless Disney robots people! 

This week's Fool-on-the-Hill is Arizona Congressional District Five House Rep. Andy Biggs who apparently is big on foolishness. Awhile back he would not support any of the COVID 19 assistance measures because it would either raise the debt, legitimize same-sex families, or give people an incentive not to go to work. Recently, at a time when Arizona's COVID numbers are spiking and hospitals are near out of ICUs, Biggs stated  “As our economy is restored, it is imperative that President Trump is not undermined in his mission to return our economy to greatness. Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx continue to contradict many of President Trump’s stated goals and actions for returning to normalcy as we know more about the COVID-19 outbreak. This is causing panic that compromises our economic recovery. We can protect our most vulnerable from the COVID-19 outbreak while still protecting lives and livelihoods of the rest of the population. It’s time for the COVID-19 task force to be disbanded so that President Trump’s message is not mitigated or distorted.”.  O  wait, did we mention when masks were being required by local governments, Biggs said it was the mark of a tyrannical government?

 It was reported recently His Malignancy The Mad King's Environmental Plundering....er "Protection" Agency and some enablers in Congress are expected to propose a new rule detailing how burning biomass from forests can be considered carbon neutral in the United States. The report states: "..industry leaders believe they have science on their side, making a case that wood pellet production is barely putting a dent in the carbon-storage capacity of forests in the South." Really? [Insert hysterical laughter here]  We don't think so! Also, Inside Climate News reports: "new plants are being proposed in South Carolina, Arkansas and other southern states to produce wood pellets for export to Europe. The industry for this type of biomass energy has exploded, driven largely by European climate policies and subsidies that reward burning wood, even as an increasing number of scientists call out what they see as a dangerous carbon accounting loophole that threatens the 2050 goals of the Paris climate agreement." And this from our friends at Grist, "After three and a half years and 100 environmental rollbacks either completed or in progress this is no surprise: President Trump has spent more time defending Confederate monuments than voicing concern over COVID’s taking of 16,000 Black lives that would still be here if African-Americans weren’t dying at more than double the rate of white Americans."  The man is a monster and so are his enablers. HERE is more proof, as if you needed it. 

In The Enviro Show Echo Chamber our friends at Grist tell their readers about a new study scientists will soon unveil to help prevent future pandemics. Not sure why they didn't just ask us or the Center for Biological Diversity 'cuz we've been talking about the very same solutions for months now. Kidding!  We need all the science possible to protect threatened species and their habitats and put an end to wildlife trafficking. 

Of course our guest knows "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid" and we'll get into that presently but here's a quote from Scientific American that touches on something Prof. Bradley is very familiar with: "Facebook appears to be weakening a firewall it has built to fact-check such climate denialism. The company recently overruled a fact-check from a group of climate scientists, in a move that concerns researchers about a potentially new precedent by the platform that permits inaccurate claims to be promoted if they’re labeled as opinions. At the same time, Facebook has placed restrictions on one of the country’s most visible climate scientists, Katharine Hayhoe, of Texas Tech University and a lead author of the Fourth National Climate Assessment. She has been blocked from promoting videos related to climate research, a move that has limited her efforts to refute false claims."

 After our conversation with Prof. Bradley it's on to the Bus Stop Billboard:

July—August 9, 2020  NOFA Summer Conference.
Just sit back and relax in your home while we bring you the rich and dynamic education program of the NOFA Summer Conference right to your home. We’re bringing the classic and innovative content of the conference to you via video/webinar sessions so you can continue to deepen your knowledge on topics such as Vegetable Production, Hemp/CBD, Chickens, Grazing Plans, Soil Carbon, Wild E dibles, Worms and more.If you haven’t been to the NOFA Summer Conference in years because of the distance, now’s your chance to attend. If you love the conference but can’t make the schedule work for your summer schedule, now’s your time. If you wish you could have the program in hand to experience on demand, whenever you choose, now is your chance too. What’s in store for the new virtual Summer Conference program? More INFO, REGISTER. 


Monday August 10, 7pm.  Brattleboro Biomass Zoom Webinar hosted by Community Action Works. Register HERE.  Dirty energy pollutes our air and water, impacts our health, and contributes to climate change. Over the past 30 years, Community Action Works has helped communities all over the northeast retire dirty power plants responsibly, halt dangerous new fracked gas pipelines and win clean, local, renewable energy solutions. 
Monday

Tuesday, August 11, 11:30am – 2:00pm. (The meeting starts promptly at noon.) MA Elders Climate Action Zoom meeting. Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89313211335 This month we have the privilege of hosting Frances Moore Lappé, author Diet for a Small Planet, which gained world-wide attention 50 years ago. Since then she has written nearly 20 books. 


Wednesday August 12, 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm. Extinction of Deer Ticks in North America. A virtual woirkshop with Dr. Stephen Rich, Professor of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts Amherst; Director the Laboratory of Medical Zoology. Dr. Stephen Rich will discuss a recent publication in Nature(June 2020) from the Laboratory of Medical Zoology that provides insight to the evolutionary and ecological origin of the primary Lyme disease vectors in North America.
Register at: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7268068031726182913

Wednesday,August 19, 6-8 pm. 350MA Berkshires  Node  Zoom  Meeting . All are welcome! Use the password 350ma.    Zoom link 


On August 20th, join a virtual lobby meeting with your senator’s office to speak out against extinction. Speaking out by telling staffers how much you value plants, fish, and wildlife and the laws that protect them is one of the most valuable actions you can take as an activist. When senators hear that constituents like you are taking the time to show up to a meeting to speak, they listen closely. Register HERE.   

Wednesday, August 26, 7:30-8:30 pm "Adaptive Silviculture: Examining Climate Change Forest Management Strategies" Anoither  CounterAct Climate Change program  via Zoom. 

Register here.






That's all for now everyone. Please remember to listen to your Mother!

The Public Lands Logging Epidemic Enviro Show Part II

Greetings Earthlings. We're going to continue the conversation about our public lands being used as timber plantations by government and industry. It's another kind of epidemic but with many of the same players up to their necks in cause and effect. Silvia Solaun and and Kay of New Jersey Forest Watch/Friends of Sparta Mountain return to the show with our friend Chris Matera of Mass Forest Watch. [UPDATE: Stop logging of state lands! To contact the Gov. of MA go HERE and to contact the Gov. of NJ go HERE]. As always, we will bring you along to meet this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and then head on down to Black Lives Matter Plaza to look beyond the barricades where His Malignancy The Mad King and his fascist enablers are hiding. Of course, we'll also remind everyone who seems to have forgotten that 'It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" but first it's time for........ Revenge of the Critters! Mayflies shutdown a nuclear power plant?

This week's Fool-on-the-Hill is Rep. Mike Kelly (Repugnican-Pa.) not just  for his comment that being a white guy makes him a person of color (actually white is the absence of color) but for claiming: "Attempts by Democrats and the media to divide and define us by race are harmful to our nation’s strength. We need to elevate our level of discussion, and I believe most Americans agree.” He went on to defend The Mad King who doesn't even try to "elevate our level of discussion" and whose enablers are out there running over protestors in their cars, showing up at rallies fully armed and threatening people on social media.

On to His Malignancy The Mad King who has been obsessed lately with trashing "our level of discussion", in fact his recent 4th of July addresses sound like they came straight out of Adolf Hitler's playbook. Most liberal commentators lately seem unwilling to make that connection, perhaps in fear for their careers, but like the man said long ago: "We have nothing to fear but fear itself". Another four years of this monster and those fearful ones won't have careers anyway, they'll be lucky to have a life at all. Moving on, His Malignancy's Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette has been talking about the bright future of coal. Of course, The Mad King's Department of Energy and the coal industry cheered from the orchestrating pit, but that old burn technology's going nowhere unless those dreaded years mentioned above come to pass. And this: The Mad King nas nominated William Perry Pendley to serve as Director of the Bureau of Land Management. Pendley has long advocated for the privitization of public lands and is a fierce skeptic of global climate change, the hole in the ozone layer and the existence of acid rain?

Speaking of climate change, "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" It's not an emergency like some fire down the street, it's the worst CRISIS ever, OK? And guess what, it's not just taking place in the Arctic like we've reported on the past few shows, it's happening right here in New England. The link we just put up points out:  "One assessment projects that average summer and winter temperatures in Connecticut will increase 2.8 degrees Celsius (5 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels within the next 60 years. If that happens, the summer climate in Connecticut by the end of the century will be the same as it is in present-day South Carolina. Temperatures in Hartford would exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit for 28 days a year." This report doesn't even get into the probable increase in extreme weather events associated with such temperature increase or the effects on the biosphere, human infrastructure and health. As an example there's this: "In a study of nearly 700 fresh and saltwater fish species, researchers examined how warming water temperatures lower water oxygen levels, putting embryos and pregnant fish at risk." Go ahead, tell us that's not a crisis!

Finally, we return once again to The Enviro Show Echo Chamber with this piece from the Guardian titled, "Pandemics result from destruction of nature, say UN and WHO". Yes, we keep harping on this critical subject and we will continue to do so as long as our fellow activists, journalists and pundits continue to ignore it. We are the cause of COVID-19 and of other such threats to human health and safety. How can we talk about COVID without mentioning toilet paper! Surely you recall the TP hoarders back in the beginning, yes? As it turns out, unless you're using TP with recycled content you are most likely contributing to deforestation in Canada. Read all about it! (PDF)

After the conversation with our guests we head over to the Bus Stop Billboard:

July 20, 2020—August 9, 2020  NOFA Summer Conference.
Just sit back and relax in your home while we bring you the rich and dynamic education program of the NOFA Summer Conference right to your home. We’re bringing the classic and innovative content of the conference to you via video/webinar sessions so you can continue to deepen your knowledge on topics such as Vegetable Production, Hemp/CBD, Chickens, Grazing Plans, Soil Carbon, Wild E dibles, Worms and more.If you haven’t been to the NOFA Summer Conference in years because of the distance, now’s your chance to attend. If you love the conference but can’t make the schedule work for your summer schedule, now’s your time. If you wish you could have the program in hand to experience on demand, whenever you choose, now is your chance too. What’s in store for the new virtual Summer Conference program? More INFO, REGISTER.


Monday July 27, 7 to 9pm. Climate Action Now Monthly Gathering on Zoom. Register HERE. Also go to:  https://climateactionnowma.org 


Tuesday July 28, 7 to 9pm.  Praise the Dead: The role of dead trees and fire in forest ecosystems, with George Wuerthner. Many of us have heard about the wildfires in the West. Why are they happening? What about Massachusetts? Are we at risk for forest fires here? Why are controlled burns being done on our state lands? Are they beneficial or counterproductive? Are policy changes needed and if so, what should be considered?  George Wuerthner is an ecologist and has published 38 books, including Wildfire: A Century of Failed Forest Policy, Protecting the Wild: Parks and Wilderness Foundation for Conservation and Keeping the Wild: Against the Domestication of the Earth. Register HERE. 


Wednesday July 29, 6pm.  EDT: “Who Speaks for the Trees?”: How Forests that Store Carbon Can Help Save the Planet. Dr. William Moomaw, PhD. is Emeritus Professor of international environmental policy and founding director of the Center for International Environment and Resource Policy at The Fletcher School. Dr. Sam Davis, PhD. of the Dogwood Alliance was a principal researcher for “The Great American Stand,” a report that examines forest management opportunities for combating the climate crisis in the United States. Over the past four decades, forests have moderated climate change by absorbing about one-quarter of the carbon emitted by human activities. Forests are a vital part of the carbon cycle, storing and releasing this element in a dynamic process of growth, decay, disturbance and renewal. At this free program you can learn what forest management strategies are most successful in solving the climate crisis – and why! After registering for this free event, you will receive a reminder email a week and 24 hours before the program. If you are unable to attend, a recording will be made available to registrants.

Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_SbwWofGbSauGMJiGPYBiSw

Thursday July 30, 7pm. What’s the Buzz - The People Plant Pollinator Connection. Do we garden for pollinators effectively?  Dr. Gegear’s talk will fascinate listeners and lead us to a greater understanding about plant and pollinator interactions. This knowledge is the basis for helping threatened bees by reframing how to create better pollinator habitat.  Rob’s Beecology app has informed his research on bumblebees, and we plan to teach participants to use this app later in the summer!  Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88092908307.  OR by phone:  (929) 205-6099   |   Meeting ID: 880 9290 8307


That's all for now everyone. Please remember to listen to your Mother!