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!