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.
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 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 .
Tuesday August 18, 8pm. Wild Activist Call. This
presentation will have two parts. Both are on outings led by
Native peoples with Sierra Club chapters and the Conservation
Campaign, partially funded by the Grassroots Network Support
Team. The first was at the proposed
Kw'tsán National Monument in southern California and the second
was at Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument in Maine. Join
Zoom Meeting:
https://sierraclub.zoom.us/j/
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.
