Greetings Earthlings. Another year, another time to remind: "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" The more they throw at us the more we dig in. Kevin A. Young, Associate Professor of History at UMass Amherst joins us to ring in the New Year with observations recently published in Truthout titled "12 Ways We Can Exploit Fossil Fuel Industry Vulnerabilities — Even Under Trump." He also works on campus with this group. Also, right from the getgo, a reminder for the locals: Saturday January 18, 12:15 to 3pm. Our Projects for 2025 - Envisioning the World We Want, at the Second Congregational Church, 16 Court Square, Greenfield, MA. More on that later. As always, we will also intro you to this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and Those Whose Brains Were Small, as well as our Doublespeak of the Week, Critter of the Week, The Enviro Show Echo Chamber and more but first it's time for.........Revenge of the Critters! Bear hunters beware.
This week's Fool-on-the-Hill is a long running fool we're surprised we didn't get to long ago. Repugnican senator of South Carolina Lindsey Graham, the guy who bashed His Malignancy from the floor just a few hours after the failed J6 insurrection and, like so many other MAGA freaks, turned around and supported him on any number of lame things including The Mad King's return to The White House. Graham's an old fool and he acts the part almost daily.
Since we're tearing the covers off of bad players here, how about some perfect examples for "Their Brains Were small and They Died" ? This report surfaced in Amherst Indy and led with this: "Marathon Petroleum, Vistra Energy, Standard Industries and Dow are among the nation’s largest corporate polluters, according to updated data released today by researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Political Economy Research Institute." We knew decades ago that Big Oil sucks (literally!) but these corporados sit right on top of the steaming pile. "The Greenhouse 100 Suppliers Index ranks companies by their supply of products that result in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions when released, combusted or oxidized. The top four firms are petroleum refiners: Marathon Petroleum, Exxon Mobil, Valero Energy and Phillips 66. Marathon, Exxon Mobil and Phillips also extract natural gas. The top four each produced fossil fuels that yielded at least 240 million metric tons of CO2-equivalent emissions." Presumably, all those dinosaurs and their enablers will make things worse in the next four years, should they survive the asteroid they made.
Let's slip in a little levity here in The Enviro Show Echo Chamber as a sort of New Year's gift to all you listeners who are brave enough to endure our bad news all these years. We think you might (just might) get a kick out of " centenarian Jimmy Carter: America’s Greatest Environmental President." Finally, as noted above, we will be gladly participating and cosponsoring on Saturday January 18, 12:15 to 3pm, the "Our Projects for 2025 - Envisioning the World We Want" gathering at the Second Congregational Church, 16 Court Square, in Greenfield, MA. This event is a continuation of eight years of progressive
protests against Trump and the MAGA Republican values he represents. We will present our own alternative vision of
the world we want in order to counter his support of corporate greed and
disregard for democracy as well as the attacks his allies plan on human, reproductive, social, economic, health
and environmental justice through their Project 2025 (cf. www.project2025.org/ ).Come out and visit us as we all prepare for....(theme song please) the return of His Malignancy The Mad King.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said in a year-end message..that "we have no time to lose" in the face of the worsening global climate crisis, which pushed temperatures to a record high this year and supercharged deadly extreme weather around the world.This is climate breakdown in real time. We must exit this road to ruin," he continued. "In 2025, countries must put the world on a safer path by dramatically slashing emissions and supporting the transition to a renewable future. It is essential—and it is possible."What’s Behind Trump’s Interest in Greenland and the Panama Canal? The Canal seems pretty obvious but Greenland? Here it is: "Greenland’s retreating ice could open up areas to drill for oil and gas and places to mine critical minerals, a fact that has already attracted international interest and raised concerns about environmental harms." Yes, like His Malignancy says, "Drill baby, drill" 😠 And some good news from The Empire State: [Gov.] "Hochul Signs Law That Penalizes Companies for Greenhouse Gas Emissions". The NY Times piece goes on: "The legislation, called the Climate Change Superfund Act, mandates that the companies responsible for the bulk of carbon emissions buildup between 2000 and 2024 pay about $3 billion each year for 25 years....The law takes particular aim at the oil and gas companies that produced more than one billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions globally over the last 24 years." But it's send in the lawyers before any penalties can be levied on Big Oil.
Our Doublespeak of the Week comes from some nameless "spokesperson" at the U.S. Forest Service: "What we know from listening to scientists across the country as well as Indigenous knowledge holders is that some active management in old and mature forests is likely required, including some areas where biomass must be removed before returning fire to the landscape..” Forest scientists, such as Beverly Law, a professor emeritus at Oregon State and an expert on the forest carbon cycle, and Dominick DellaSala, chief scientist at forest advocacy group Wild Heritage, have accused the Forest Service of cherry-picking science that supports increased logging while ignoring a growing body of research showing old-growth forests’ resistance to fire and capacity for storing carbon.
Sticking with the "of the week" theme it's time for our Critter of the Week. The North Atlantic Right Whale is listed as Critically Endangered. Their migration pattern brings them up the Atlantic coastline to Massachusetts beginning around March. Along the way they are exposed to ship strikes by the ever increasing traffic in shipping lanes and, in the summer months by careless recreational boaters in our waters. Back in the whaling days, the species got its common name because they were the "right whale" to hunt and kill for their oil. Thankfully, those days are long gone (except for some rogue nations like Japan, Iceland & Norway). That said, our warm weather coastal visitors are still threatened by us humans. Our Enviro Show Action Link HERE calls on The Prez to immediately issue the pending rule that would require boats to slow down for the whales.
After our conversation with Kevin it's on to the Bus Stop Billboard:
Weekly on Tuesdays & Thursdays. The MA State House Stand Out is back in a new incarnation! This historic climate action lasted for 14 months and engaged hundreds of volunteers from across the climate movement. Volunteers are needed!The new version, lovingly referred to as Stand Out Two, happens at the Massachusetts State House between 10 am and 2 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
This is a great way to participate in the climate movement with no risk
of arrest! Volunteers normally sign up for a 2 hour “shift." If you have questions about the Stand Out or would like to get a link to the sign-up sheet please contact organizers at fossilfuels.standout.ma@
January Weekdays MA Democratic Party Listening Tour will consist of virtual public forums held via Zoom. They’re excited to announce the dates and times of all nine of these forums HERE.
Saturday January 18, 12:15 to 3pm. Our Projects for 2025 - Envisioning the World We Want, Second Congregational Church, 16 Court Square, Greenfield, MA. Following the weekly Peace Vigil on the Greenfield Common, 11am-noon, our January 18 program will bring together local civil society groups, speakers, musicians and the public, invited to share hopes and plans for the coming year. The program, now in planning, will include space to share information and meet with those interested, and a simple lunch provided by participating groups.
January 18, 2025 All Day. People's March in Washington, DC, and across the country. Tens of thousands of people will march to demand and defend our freedoms against fascism and the attacks on our communities. Go HERE.
Thursday January 23, 2pm. A webinar discussion
about data centers and America's energy future: How to ensure AI and
cryptocurrency mining don't delay the transition to 100% renewable
energy. Electricity demand today
is growing faster than at any point since the 1990s, and energy use for
computing to power AI and cryptomining is projected to drive much of the
growth. Go HERE.
Saturday January 25, 9:30 pm. Western Massachusetts bands Rival Galaxies and the Frost Heaves & Hales are throwing a Post-Inauguration Hangover Party at The Rendezvous, 78 3rd St., Turners Falls, MA. The show has no cover and all donations will benefit the ACLU of Massachusetts and Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts.
Sunday January
26, 1-2:15pm. on
Zoom: From Supporter to Organizer: How to Take
Action with the Boycott Chevron Campaign As
Israel bombs Gaza,
Chevron's gas fields in the Mediterranean Sea keep their
genocide machine
running. Without Chevron's power supply, this devastation
couldn't continue. We
can follow in the footsteps of successful 1980s boycott wins
against corporations
that enabled South African apartheid. Jan. 31-Feb. 2 is the
#BoycottChevron:
Weekend of Action. From the US Campaign for Palestinian
Rights (USCPR).
Register here.
Sunday January 26, 7 - 9pm. Honoring Randy Kehler’s Activism and Impact. A virtual memorial. Many of us were not able to attend Randy’s memorial service on August 23rd in Greenfield MA. Therefore, on Sunday, January 26 from 7 - 9pm ET, we’ll provide an opportunity for people nationwide to honor and reflect on Randy’s activism as inspiration to continue the fight for a more just and peaceful world, notably one week after Donald Trump’s inauguration. We’ll hear from family members and people who worked with Randy, from his draft resistance, Traprock Peace Center and Nuclear Freeze days to more recent campaigns, including climate justice. Register HERE.
Monday January 27, 2:00 – 3:30 pm. MA Department of Energy Resources 's 2nd Town Hall will be held on Zoom. For those unable to attend, the Town Hall will be recorded and posted on DOER’s website. DOER Leadership will provide a brief
introduction to DOER, an overview of key initiatives for 2025, timelines
with opportunities for engagement throughout the year, and a brief
Q&A session. Please register at https://bit.ly/
Monday January 27, 6:30pm at Congregational Church, Greenfield
Common.
The event is the first in a series of talks on SUPPORTING BIRDS IN OUR
COMMUNITY. Dr. Martha Gach, challenges and explains how to choose
bird-friendly plants, including, ideas for cultivating a healthy habitat
using locally-adapted trees, shrubs, flowers, and grasses that
provide food, shelter, and nesting material. Attendees will take home
specifics as well as general principles that can be applied to a variety
of spaces from patios to parks.
Monday, January 27, 7-8:30pm Climate Action Now Monthly Gathering via Zoom. Register here. Nurturing the web of life: Grounded climate actions we can take where we live! Featuring: Rose Chernoff. Rose is the Vegetable Manager for the Hampshire College Farm and will share their wisdom on creating climate friendly vegetable gardens in a time of chaos and change. Updates on new Climate Action Now Campaigns including: Creating networks of care and support embracing climate/justice activists, farmers and the community. The Miyawaki Forest Project. Wildlands Campaign to Preserve the Web of Lif
Tuesday January 28, 7pm. Methane Pipelines, Climate Change, & What Comes Next. We invite you to join us for a webinar later this month organized by the Stop Project Maple Coalition. Register Here. The webinar will feature Bill McKibben, author and the founder of Third Act, and Dr. Sandra Steingraber, author and biologist.
Sunday February 2, 7 pm. Following up on the enthusiasm at the December 11 Wildlands Campaign launch, we will continue building momentum at this next meeting. You’ll receive a Zoom registration soon. A recording of the December 11 meeting can be found HERE. If you haven’t already, sign up for the Climate Action Now Western Mass newsletter HERE, and the Regenerative Farming, Forests and Food System group (RF3) google group HERE, to stay in the loop on upcoming events, actions, and campaign information.
Tuesday, February 11, 7pm on zoom. Second Annual Conversation with MA Climate Chief Melissa Hoffer as she shares an update and discusses plans to ameliorate climate change in the Commonwealth. . This event will be hosted by Congregation Or Atid Climate Action Committee in partnership with Jewish Climate Action Network. The event is free and open to the public. Register HERE.
OK, that's all folks except .........what? Listen to your Mother!!
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