We have a real honest-to-goodness climate criminal this week for our Fool-on-the-Hill. Rep. Andy Biggs (Repugnican-AZ) doesn't even equivocate on the Climate Crisis like so many of his fellow Repugs. He flat-out denies it: "No, I do not believe climate change is occurring. I do not think that humans have a significant impact on climate. The federal government should stop regulating and stomping on our economy and freedoms in the name of a discredited theory." We must have missed the memo on that "discredited theory"? [insert hysterical laughter here]
We're pretty sure The Mad King has gone totally off the rails. Now he wants to control the weather and some of the real weather watchers are even caving to His Malignancy! Here's a headline from the NY Times that would make Woody Guthrie turn over in his grave "Trump to Miners, Loggers and Drillers: This Land is Your Land". Of course, privatization of public lands is classic corporado behavior but The Mad King has embraced it like some pervert might embrace your dirty shorts. One of his worst ideas to date is opening up the world's largest remaining pristine temperate rainforest, Alaska’s Tongass National Forest to logging and mining. We imagine Satin has reserved THE worst place in Hell for this move but who wants to wait until His Malignancy gets there?? It almost makes his minion, US EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler newest proposal to amend the Clean Water Act to streamline permitting of energy projects look benign by comparison?.......Nah!
Time for another Enviro Show Quote of the Week. No need to jump into the Wayback Machine for this one:
"I'm often asked whether I believe in global warming. I now just reply with the question: Do you believe in gravity?" -- Neil deGrasse Tyson
Finally, in case you missed it, It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid! Last month Inside Climate News revealed a new study on climate change at the South Pole. It was discovered "the way the westerly winds push the surface water allows warmer water from below to reach under the ice shelves, accelerating ice loss from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet." The piece goes on to state: "The potential for a surge of sea level rise from West Antarctica is so great that scientists have even studied whether the melting could be slowed by spraying the surface with man-made snow and ice." We guess man-made climate chaos calls for......man-made snow? Meanwhile, Amazon Watch informs us: "As the Amazon's dry season draws on, uncontained fires continue to rage across vast landscapes. It is estimated that in Brazil alone, nearly 3 million hectares – 11,500 square miles, or an area nearly as large as Belgium – have burned. Another 2 million hectares of Bolivia's forests have been lost....Tens of thousands of new blazes have been deliberately set in recent weeks, despite Bolsonaro's purported ban on fires, laying bare the scale of impunity behind this brazen criminal activity with illegal deforestation at its core."
After our conversation with Emmalie ans Susan we head over to the Bus Stop Billboard:
Friday, October 18, 6pm in the Commonwealth Honors College Event Hall (East Room), Physical Plant Sustainability, UMass Amherst is hosting a film screening of Josh Fox’s film How to Let Go of the World and Love All the Things Climate Can't Change. The event is free and open to all and we’re asking folks to bring a reusable bowl and cup for free popcorn and refreshments. Here is the event listing in the UMass Calendar: https://www.umass.edu/events/
Friday October 18, 11:45am. Demand Divestment. Smith College Campus Center. Tell Smith trustees the climate crisis is here.The time to act is now! Join us supporting Divest Smith to demand full divestment from fossil fuels from Smith College Board of Trustees. Go HERE.
Thursday, October 24, 7pm. WMass Extinction Rebellion General Meeting in Herter Hall at UMass Amherst. Go to: https://www.facebook.com/events/1212664375583565/
Saturday October 26, 12 to 4 pm. (Rain Date: Sunday, October 27, 12 to 4 p.m) Reading the Forested Landscape. Join the renowned terrestrial ecologist and author Tom Wessels for a presentation on learning to read our forest landscape, followed by an interpretive walk at 1:30 p.m. Using tree stump decay patterns, the construction of stone walls, and much more, Tom will show us how to unravel the agricultural, logging, and wind histories in our forests. Tom’s books will be available for sale. Come along for the presentation, walk, or both! Please sign up for the walk at the Library as space may be limited. Walk participants are encouraged to carpool, bring a snack, and dress for the weather. For more information contact Cynthia Weigel, 413-256-4606
Monday, October 28, 7 to 9pm. Climate Action Now meets in Northampton. Northampton gatherings will take place at First Churches on 129 Main St. (enter side door). Go to: https://climateactionnowma.org/
Wednesday, October
30, 7:30 p.m. How the Climate Crisis Has Become the Single Largest Threat
to Human Health in History: A Conversation Between Journalists. Dahr Jamail and
Amy Ellis Nutt. Smith College,
Weinstein Auditorium, Wright Hall, College Lane, Northampton, MA.