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Greetings Earthlings. We talk a lot about trusting the land on this show but it's not often we talk about Land Trusts. Sally Loomis & Sarah Welch of the Hilltown Land Trust join us to talk about it and their Stewardship of the Land as we celebrate their 40th Anniversary. As always, we will also talk about this week's Fool-on-the-Hill, Those Whose Brains Were Small, Who Left the Door Open, our "..of the Week" segments and more but first it's time for......Revenge of the Critters! Another tiny creature that could ruin your days.
Our Fool-on-the-Hill returns for what may be his last performance: "Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), gubernatorial candidate for his state, called former President Barack Obama "a crook" during a Real America's Voice appearance Tuesday. Tuberville demanded, "Let's put him in jail." The Alabama senator also publicly vouched for Dr. Anthony Fauci to be imprisoned for allegedly lying to the American people. His comments drew criticism on social media. Journalist John Harwood called Tuberville a "racist goober" on X." If voters in Alabama actually elect this goober for Governor they're welcome to him. We have plenty of other fools in the Senate to take his place.
You've probably figured out by now that when we say "Their Brains Were small and They Died" we're referring to modern day throwbacks to the dinosaurs of the Mesozoic Era whose small reptilian brains were prime for the asteroid that took them out. This week we look toward the present occupants of the White House once again as candidates for such throwbacks as the "administration moves to block public from enforcing environmental protection laws." It seems: "Reducing rampant pollution across the United States was
so important that when Congress passed many environmental protection
laws, including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking
Water Act, it didn’t want to leave enforcement only to the executive
branch. [Smart!] Congress specifically wrote into those laws ways for
citizens to enforce them through the courts when the government does not
act to address the problem. Called “citizen suit provisions,”
those parts of the laws allow regular people and advocacy groups to sue
companies they believe are violating the law. Citizens can also sue
federal agencies that fail to enforce the laws." Of course, the Creepy Cabal on Pennsylvania Avenue fail......always. That said, We the People will be their asteroid. For now we'll have to be content with pushing back on the corporados the Cabal is in bed with as well as exposing their efforts to blame the victims of their own ICE cold actions such as "As The New York Times reported,
days after [Alex] Pretti was killed in the street as he tried to help a woman
who had been violently pushed by the agents, the DHS office in St. Paul
opened an investigation into groups including the climate-focused Sunrise Movement, major labor groups like the AFL-CIO and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the Democratic Socialists of America, and [others]." Duplicity complicity, who killed Alex Pretti?
The Creepy Cabal gets yet another tag when we ask "Who Left the Door Open?" Is it too hard to believe that His Malignancy's "Allies Want to Ban Pregnant People from Entering the US, Even Suggesting Mandatory Sterilization 'Prior to Entry'." ?......Nah! "This idea comes from right-wing groups like The Federalist media outlet,
but has now gained footholds with prominent members of the government.
For example, high-profile politician the Speaker of the House - is now seriously considering the idea." Where do we get these people, you may ask. Look no further than MAGA. Make America Gruesome, Always.
We have a Doublespeak of the Week which asks the loaded question: "How Is Affordable Housing Need Linked to Forests in New England?" Given that the header was attached to a New England Forestry Foundation "report" and that far too many foresters advocate for far too may clear cuts disguised by one or more euphemisms, you can imagine what their version of the question means. To us forest protectors it means game on, cut at will and leave the mess for the rest.
Leaving trees and forests standing to do the work of carbon sequestration and water protection for free 24/7/367 makes a lot of sense given that "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" And yet, "It was shocking back in May 2025
when the.... administration took the unprecedented step of forcing an
old coal plant to keep running, mere days before the facility was
slated to retire.....And then the orders just kept coming." Ol' King Coal was looking forward to retirement but The Creepy Cabal had other ideas. Another of those ideas we got into back in July was part of His Malignancy's War on Wind where he paid off wind power developers not to develop, buying back their leases. Now we learn from AP "An offshore wind company said Thursday that it reached a $1.2 billion
settlement with the Trump administration to walk away from projects
under development off New York, California and Louisiana. This latest
agreement brings the total amount spent on such settlements to nearly $4
billion." OK, let's review: resuscitate dirty old deadly dying coal mines while undermining clean climate friendly wind power. Sound both stupid and corrupt? How about evil? Evil like: "Since he took office in January 2025, [His Malignancy] has engaged in an
unprecedented politicization of disaster relief funding. So far in his
second term, according to an analysis from Politico,
he has approved only 23% of FEMA disaster relief funding requests from
blue states, compared to 89% of requests from red states." Disaster upon disaster.
We have Breaking News and it is not good. The headline says it all: "Trump administration to rescind rule protecting old-growth forests." Read it and weep. Then, go HERE and pushback on-line. We will have follow-up on the next show.
Given all the evil nefarious action above that His Malignancy is involved in are we at all surprised The Mad King (#NoKings) plans to subvert the upcoming mid-term elections? "Donald Trump may be about to subvert the 2026 midterm elections — he said so himself. Earlier
this week, far-right host Wayne Allyn Root suggested to [His Malignancy] that he
could declare a national security emergency to seize control of the
elections. [the prez] refused to rule it out. “If you declare a National Security Emergency… we will get photo ID, proof of citizenship, and a limit to mail-in ballots.” (In other words, massive voter suppression across the entire country.) [His Malignancy]’s reply? “Let me just say this, that stranger things have happened, OK? I'll leave it at that.” Sorry Your Malignancy, we don't do wait & see AND stop trying to criminalizing dissent & hands off Social Security, as well as your fever dream "golden class" fleet of warships? About that, you and your "Dept. of War" can't even keep our existing aircraft carriers shipshape and you want to go and buy new ones?? That's crazy.
Time to switch to upbeat in The Enviro Show Echo Chamber where we repeat what The Daily Hampshire Gazette recently informed us: "A new amendment approved by the [MA] state
Senate could chop down the future of woody biomass energy in the
commonwealth — a step forward for climate activists across the region,
including in Hampshire County, who have fought for years against a
proposed biomass plant in Springfield. Under the legislation, biomass — burning
wood for electric power — would no longer be classified alongside solar,
wind and geothermal energy under the state Greenhouse Gas Emission
Standard. The standard caps the amount of “non-carbon emitting” energy
each municipal light plant can sell to customers. Sen. Adam Gomez,
D-Springfield, who proposed the change, said this “closes the loophole”
for biomass. The amendment also eliminates public
subsidies for wood combustion energy, a key funding source for the
Springfield plant proposed by Palmer Renewable Energy, said James
McCaffrey, New England legislative director for Pelham-based Partnership
for Policy Integrity." That long waited for good news does however come with the proverbial caveat assuming the bill the amendment is attached to, An Act
Relative to Energy Affordability, Clean Power and Economic
Competitiveness (H.5175). is passed. The caveat? "Palmer Renewable could still
find funding somewhere else, and the building permits for the biomass
facility remain intact." We don't call it the Zombie Biomass Plant for nothing. Speaking of zombies have you ever heard about "dark oxygen"? "At one time, scientists didn’t think that significant quantities of free oxygen, or O2, would be found anywhere else on the planet, in part because O2 reacts aggressively with other elements.... But,
over the past few years, small quantities of free oxygen have been
detected in a range of deep places, far removed from the light of the
sun.... They suspected that oxygen was playing an
unrecognized role in powering underground life." Maybe we'll save this one for our upcoming Halloween show? O wait! there's more: A victory against sand mining: "Superior Court Jury Verdict Awards Carver
Residents
Damages
Against Sand
Mining
Operation". Kudos to Meg Sheehan, et al at the Community Land & Water Coalition.
Our Critter of the Week this time is the Mountain Lion, or Puma (Puma concolor), also called cougars and panthers depending on what region they are found in. While feared by most humans (we probably featured them in our Revenge of the Critters segment in the past), yet as a keystone predator Pumas, like other Big Cats, help establish balance in various bioregions. We recently received some interesting posts from our friend Michael Kellett of Restore the North Woods like this one from Science Daily titled "Mountain lions changed everything in this tiny California preserve" but closer to home is another interesting event regarding this critter: "RESTORE is delighted to welcome Renée Seacor, Rewilding Director at Mighty Earth, for an upcoming Speaker Series presentation. Renée brings diverse experience in wildlife conservation, environmental advocacy, and environmental law to her work as leader of the group’s Bring Catamounts Home campaign, Bring Catamounts Home campaign explores the possibility of restoring catamounts (also known as cougars, pumas, or mountain lions) to a region where they were once native. During this presentation, Renée will explore the science, conservation questions, and possibilities surrounding the return of this iconic species—and what it could mean for forests, wildlife, and communities across the Northeast." (Register below in the Bus Stop Billboard)
Our Quote of the Week is spot on for this week's interview:
What's the use of a house if you haven't got a tolerable planet to put it on?
~Henry David Thoreau
After Glen's conversation with our guests 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:
Friday July 24, 4 to 5pm. Indivisible West Quabbin's Wisdom Way Bridge Visibility Brigade Rte I-91 every 4th Friday. Overpass standout located on Wisdom Way, Greenfield, MA. For more information or to sign up go to Mobilize or contact westquabbinindivisible@gmail.com . Saturdays, 11am to 1pm: No Fear w/Street Theatre, Burlington ICE Facility, Burlington Mall Rd. @ District Ave., Burlington, MA Go HERE
Friday August 28, 3pm. Saving Our Forests from the Wildfire Industrial Complex with Hart Hagan. Free Webinar
. Go
HERE
Saturday August 29, 10am. Wachusett
Reservoir Walk
& Talk. Around 4.1
miles with
little
elevation gain
and loss
(~450ft) on
the Northern
side of the
forests
surrounding
Wachusett
Reservoir with
numerous coves
and points. As
we take
breaks, we
will be
discussing the
MA Chapter
Forest
Protection
team’s
campaign to
end logging on
the state
lands of the
Quabbin, Ware,
and Wachusett
watersheds.
Saturday August 29, 3-5:30 pm. Local support for displaced Gazan Families: "Soul of Gaza" fundraiser offers information, film, food to meet urgent needs. A special
Palestinian meal and program, The Soul of Gaza,
will be held at Lyman
Hall First Churches Northampton, 129 Main St,
Northampton, MA, (doors open
2:45 pm). The event will help Palestinian families displaced in Gaza
and Egypt to sustain their most basic needs. It will also
contribute to an education fund helping students surviving
in the rubble of Gaza to find
hope
and prepare for a future beyond genocide.
The Soul
of Gaza fundraiser features
Palestinian cuisine prepared by
a chef from Gaza, a screening
of the short film 'Angel of Gaza' and several key
presentations.
Saturday August 29, 2pm. We’re on Fire! An XR Boston Intersectional Performance Protest in Malden, MA. Come be a part of this performance art protest! Wildfires are only one result of the climate crisis, but they show how the climate crisis affects so much of life on our planet. We need volunteers to help hold banners, signs and puppets! Please RSVP as soon as you can, so we can prepare a stunning visual statement. RSVP here:
https://xrboston.org/action/wereonfire_aug2026/
Tuesday September 1: State Primary Election Day!
All polls open from 7am-8pm (Please note, all mail-in ballots must be received by 8pm on Election Day)
Tuesday, September 1, 1-2 pm. Data Centers and Energy Usage 101: Impacts on the Electric Grid. This Clean Energy Group (CEG) webinar is
a primer for the data center industry and will provide important information on data center energy usage estimates.
Alli
Finn,
Director of
Community
Partnerships at
AI Now Institute, will provide an overview of
the data center
landscape
underlying this
load growth,
including
operational
dynamics,
incentive
structures, and
other key
concepts. This
will be followed
by a presentation
from
Sarah
Smith,
a research
scientist in
Lawrence Berkeley
National Lab’s
Energy Analysis
Division. Dr.
Smith will present
on factors
impacting data
center electricity
usage modelling
and considerations
for policymakers,
regulators, and
local authorities
when assessing
data center load
growth, as
detailed in the
US Data Center Energy Usage Report 2025 Update.
Wednesday September 2, 12:00 pm & 7:00 pm. Saving the Mother Trees with Jim Laurie Free Webinar. Go HERE.
Wednesday September 2, 6 pm. Grassroots Action Hour. We need just that - action. We'll set aside a dedicated hour once a month to work together, and strategize on local issues. We have greater impact when we work together to support each other. Come to the Carver, MA library to help design a campaign to make a difference in your town or neighborhood. Sit
down with us to write a letter, call your rep, prepare for an upcoming
meeting, or help us design the next phase of action on sand mining,
solar, and reckless development. Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84553439155?pwd=PQuic7FGSnxCmtmahYfd42zvhaKdVT.1. Meeting chat link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/launch/jc/84553439155
Wednesday September 2, 8 – 9pm. General Election Kickoff Call. Join Indivisibles and activists across the country to learn about Indivisible National’s General Election program! We’ll kick things off with Indivisible’s Ezra Levin as we celebrate all that we accomplished together during the primaries, discuss the stakes of the midterms and share opportunities for helping candidates in our target races across the country WIN this November. Go HERE.
Tuesday September 8, 7pm-8pm. Nuclear expansion in Massachusetts? Our governor says we need it. But who will really benefit? And who pays the price? Linda Pentz Gunter discusses her new book, "NO TO NUCLEAR: Why Nuclear Power Destroys Lives, Derails Climate Progress and Provokes War", along with Sharon Tracy of the Clamshell
Alliance at the Clapp Library, Belchertown, MA. Admission free in-person.
Wednesday September 9, 12- 1pm. Clean Energy Siting & Permitting Series
Pt. 6 - Battery Storage Siting & Permitting webinar. MACC Lunch & Learns are FREE and open to all - members and non-members alike! This
webinar is the 6th and final part of our Clean Energy Siting &
Permitting Lunch & Learn Series. Speakers from the Executive Office
of Energy & Environmental Affairs (EEA), Department of Energy
Resources (DOER), and Energy Facilities Siting Board (EFSB) will share
information on the new siting and permitting process for battery storage
energy infrastructure projects in the Commonwealth. This is a very important webinar for conservation commissioners to attend.
Go HERE
Wednesday September 9, 7-8:30. THREE MILE ISLAND: LEGACY & RESISTANCE TO REOPENING - A PUBLIC FORUM. The announced restart of Three Mile Island Unit-1 nuke is aimed to serve just one client: Microsoft, and has been met with unabashed enthusiasm by Governor Shapiro and the PA legislature. This deal was cooked up in dark in board rooms and political parlors with the backing of Microsoft founder, Bill Gates. Registration available after 8/11. Save the date.
Contact: info@clamshellalliance.com
Wednesday, September 9, 8 – 9pm. Organizing to Protect Democracy: September SessionVirtual Community Event · Hosted by American Civil Liberties Union. The
ACLU's Organizing to Protect Democracy training series is built to help
volunteers develop real organizing skills, strengthen leadership, and
take part in community-based defense of civil liberties. You'll learn
how to take action and organize in a moment when our communities are
facing threats to their safety and their rights. Go HERE.
Saturday September 12, 11am to 1pm — “Forest Fires in Massachusetts: Myths and Reality.” Presentations and panel discussion. In person and on zoom.
1:30 to 2:30 pm.
Walking Tour of the Montague Plains Wildlife Management. In
Massachusetts, public agencies are increasingly using controlled burning
in state forests and wildlife management areas, such as the Montague
Plains and Muddy Brook wildlife management areas, and Myles Standish
State Forest. Our speakers are experts on these issues and will discuss
important questions. The National Spiritual Alliance, 2 Montague Avenue,
Lake Pleasant, MA. Please park near the intersection of Old Northfield
Road and Lake Pleasant Road if possible. Some light snacks and beverages
provided. Please
RSVP
Monday September 14, 5pm. The
Environmental
Voter Project‘s virtual Annual Fall
Fundraiser. A loyal listener notes: "You’ve heard me
talk about EVP before. They consistently get amazing
results, and over 2 million of the
non-voters they’ve targeted since 2015 are now consistently
voting in federal, state, and even local elections. Plus Bill
McKibben will be the featured guest! Please
click here to RSVP."
Thursday September 17, 11am. – 12pm. Climate Resiliency and Emergency Preparedness for Private Wells. This
free, one-hour webinar is intended for private well owners, water
professionals, public health officials, and other stakeholders
interested in protecting private water systems. As climate change
increases the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, it's
essential to understand how these changes can impact private wells and
groundwater quality. Go HERE.
September 17, 12 to 1:30pm. MA DPU siting and permitting webinar: The Department of Public Utilities (DPU) invites you to join a Siting & Permitting 101: Large Clean Energy
Infrastructure Projects webinar. This
virtual webinar is intended for municipal officials, regional planning
agencies and community-based organizations interested in learning about
the Energy Facilities Siting Board’s (EFSB) new consolidated permit
process for large clean energy infrastructure projects. Please register in advance to receive the Zoom link for the webinar.
Saturday September 19, 1:30 - 4:00 pm. "Get a Jump on 'Dump the Pump' - An Event on Land & Water." CT River Defenders action calling you & yours. Flotilla! on the river –. at the Riverview Picnic
Area, Northfield. Boating, Food, Sharing…“Celebrate the
Rights of the River“ with the Connecticut River
Defenders! Contact HERE.
Saturday September 19 to October 4. The Women's Walk for Water. The Constitution Pipeline’s planned route in 2016 was approximately 124
miles from Susquehanna County, PA, to Schoharie County, NY, crossing 250
waterways. The pipeline would impact
water quality from dredging, erosion, sedimentation, and changes in
turbidity, among other impacts, also endangering sensitive streams,
trout, and other habitats. Go HERE.
That's it for now except don't forget to listen to your Mother!
