Greetings Earthlings. Have you been barking up the wrong tree lately? Michael Wojtech, author of the just released book Bark: A Field Guide to Trees of the Northeast, joins us to talk trees. As always, we scope out the latest news in the Enviro Show Echo Chamber and locally in our E-Valley-uation segment. We'll Meet the New Boss this time, as well as this week's Fool-on-the-Hill, but first it's time for...Revenge of Critters: This bad player? His goat got him!.
In The Enviro Show Echo Chamber we stick with the critters for openers. Checkout the awesome lyrebird who apparently imitates sound of its own habitat destruction. So, how different is that from two-legged workers who imitate the sounds of the wealthy corporados? More critters in trouble: bees and colony collapse. Maybe it's NOT such a mystery. Neurotoxic pesticides that are known to be particularly toxic to honey bees has rapidly taken over the global insecticide market. Checkout this campaign. In case you're thinking we've moved on from what may be the worst nuclear power disaster ever, fear not....er..well...checkout this video from Fairwinds. Also this. O, and speaking of nuclear: uranium mining in the Grand Canyon? No thanks! Take action here. And, the New York Times discovers the truth about the NRC. Another environmental horror show is on deck: the proposed Keystone XL pipeline would carry environmentally destructive tar sands oil straight across the Canadian border across the width of the United States to the Gulf of Mexico. Take action here.
Time to Meet the New Boss again. We know Obama has scored all sorts of kudos for the reported hit on Osama (what's with these names?), but even if you happen to celebrate assassinations or are a knee-jerk Dem, the guy is still shilling for the corporados.
This week's Fool-on-the-Hill is House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (Repugnican-Wash.) who authored the bill passed in the House to expedite oil drilling lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico and off the Virginia coast. Repugnicans are falsely claiming that supply is the reason for rising oil prices when in fact Wall Street commodity speculation jacks up the prices you pay at the pump. The cop on the beat that's supposed to stop such nefarious activity is the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, but it seems they're asleep in the patrol car. Guess who wants to punish them anyway? The same Repugnicans who want to drill baby, drill!
In our E-Valley-uation segment we take a moment to scan the newly released proposed biomass energy regulations. Given that Western Mass is ground zero in the Biomess, these proposed regs have special meaning to Mass Forest Watch[pdf]. That reminds us: Happy Asthma Awareness Month? Kidding! It just seems since our air quality in the Valley is soooo awful we should maybe think about making it worse with a new incinerator? Ya' think?
Now for our Annual Enviro Show Big Green Clearcutters Award: this year's award goes to..(TADA!!)....Elisa Campbell! Again!! For two years running, Mass Sierra Club's Board of Directors member Elisa Campbell, the pro-nuke, pro-development, pro-clearcutting "environmentalist" proves her worth....lessness. She even undercuts the Sierra Club! That's right, the MA Sierra Club representative in charge of Public Lands and Forestry is trying to subvert her group's own principals! Checkout Campbell's comment at last November's Forest Forum: "I'm still trying to plug away at subverting the usual paradigm at the Sierra Club" What? like advocating CLEARCUTTING! Someone get the hook!
"C is for Conifers" by They Might be Giants takes us to our interview with Michael Wojtech, author of the just released book Bark: A Field Guide to Trees of the Northeast.
Finally, it's on to the Bus Stop Billboard:
Thursday May 12th, 6:30 PM. Screening of "Into Eternity", a compelling Danish film about the construction of the world's first permanent repository for high level radioactive waste in Finland. Greenfield Comm. College Main Campus, Main Building 3rd floor, Stinchfield Hall,Park in E lot, walk on service road that goes behind the main building, follow the signs. Admission: Contributions greatly appreciated.
Friday May 13 at 11:15am at the Central Labor Council Hall, 640 Page Boulevard, Springfield, there will be a report-back on the recent Green Jobs workshop that explored some of the issues around a possible Greening Mount Tom campaign, a community effort that might transform the coal-burning power plant in Holyoke into a more sustainable and socially just operation.
Sat, May 14, 1pm – 4pm. Bay State Village Big Bike Bonanza. Bike tune-ups, games, bike decorating, show off your interesting bike, face painting, try out the pedal people's bike with loaded trailer. Field in Bay State Village, Northampton. A Bay State Bike Week event. For more information, contact vhfath@verizon.net.
Saturday, May 14 · 9:00am - 12:30pm, North Amherst Community farm Plant Swap & Sale. Simple Gifts Farm in North Amherst, 1089 N. Pleasant Street, Amherst. Contact: kemgall@gmail.com
Sun, May 15, 9:00am – 10:30am. Another Bay State Bike Week event: Join naturalist David King as he leads a tour of the natural history and ecology and conservation efforts around Hadley. Meet at the Connecticut River levee and North and West Street. Bring binoculars. For more information, contact Heather Vinski at hvinski@yahoo.com.
Tuesday, May 17, 4:30 pm. Springfield City Council will hold a hearing at Springfield City Hall to consider amending or revoking Palmer Renewable Energy's permit to construct a biomass incinerator in Springfield. ALL OUT TO STOP IT! Rally at 3:30pm. SPRINGFIELD RESIDENTS: please call your City Councilor and At-Large City Councilors. It is now crucial that we secure nine city councilor votes to revoke this permit, and we need your help to do this. Go to: www.springfieldincinerator.info/actions.html
Thursday, May 19, 7pm, Sea Lamprey with Expert Boyd Kynard— Come learn about one of the most fascinating, misunderstood fish of the Fort River! Rivaling beavers for their stream engineering, sea lamprey are a keystone fish species of great ecological importance to both aquatic and riparian life. Hitchcock Center, 525 South Pleasant Street, Amherst.
Saturday, May 21, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. From the Grassroots Up: Stop Incentives for Incinerators. A strategy meeting for activists working to stop biomass and waste burners. Doyle Center, Leominster MA. RSVP: Biomass Accountability Project at 800-729-1363 or stopbiomassburning@gmail.com
Saturday, May 21, 8:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. (Rain Date: Sunday, May 22) OLD GROWTH AT DUNBAR BROOK. Visit a spectacular remnant of native old growth forests of the high Berkshires in Monroe in northwest Franklin County. The trees are impressive in size, although the old growth stand is limited to about 150 acres. Pre-registration & fee required, please call the Hitchcock Center at 413-256-6006
Sunday, May 22, All Day. The Rapture......maybe. Prepare to lock-down unless you want to spend eternity with a lot of really strange people. It's that or deal with some nasty guys on horseback.
Sunday, Sunday, May 22, 10am. Manhan Rail Trail Grand Opening Ceremony and Rolling Party. Bike riders and walkers are invited to explore the new rail trail and art spots along the way. Riders can meet at 10am at Millside Park in Easthampton for bagels and musical performances, and then at 11 ride to the Route 10 Bridge. At 12, Mayor Higgins and Mayor Tautznik will cut the ribbon on the Bridge, and afterwards the procession will make its way to a concluding lunch at Veteran's Field in Northampton. Contact: julianecasey@gmail.com
Tuesday, May 31, 5:30pm. CAN organizing meeting. Solar Store of Greenfield, 2 Fiske Ave, Greenfield. Come and get the latest info on ENVY, Entergy's lawsuit, Fukushima catastrophe. Come with ideas for possible actions. Come and help determine the next steps for CAN
Sunday, June 5, 2011, 4-5:30, potluck at 5:30. 7:00pm, meeting. Green-Rainbow Party - Pioneer Valley Chapter. Hitchcock Center for the Environment, 525 South Pleasant Street, Amherst. Call: 413-320-3747.
On June 6, environmental groups, labor unions and other activists and organizations will unite for the March on Blair Mountain, a five-day trek merged with workshops,
cultural festivities and music. On the sixth day, a large rally will be held in Blair, followed by a march to the crest of Blair Mountain. Go to:
That's all folks. We go out with "De Light", by The Morning Birds and.....until next time, f'get about Osama and Obama, just listen to Yo' Mama!
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