[ Listen to the show on our podcast HERE]
Greetings Earthlings. As we have mentioned on the show previously, Massachusetts Sierra Club's Official Chapter Campaign to End Logging On Public Lands Of the Quabbin, Wachusett, and Ware Watersheds is up and running. We continue to be excited and supportive of this and the legislation on Beacon Hill, H.952 An Act relative to watershed forest protection. Contact your legislators about the Forest Protect team priority bills. John Hirst from the MA Sierra Club's Forest Protection Team joins us for updates like this recent presentation.. As always, we will also drag you along to meet this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and Those Whose Brains Were small as well as another reminder that "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid! and more but first it's time for........Revenge of the Critters! The King of the Jungle ups his game.
Here's another Repugnican Fool-on-the-Hill, Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA) who introduced a bill on Feb. 11 authorizing President Trump to ”acquire” Greenland and renaming it “Red, White, and Blueland.” “America is back and will soon be bigger than ever with the addition of Red, White, and Blueland,” said Carter upon introducing the bill. The “President.. has correctly identified the purchase of what is now Greenland as a national security priority, and we will proudly welcome its people to join the freest nation to ever exist when our Negotiator-in-Chief inks this monumental deal.” Sorry you fool, no sale.
We made mentioned during past shows that unofficial rogue "Department" of Government Efficiency or DOGE but we failed to nominate them for "Those Whose Brains Were Small and They Died". We did nominate their boss but why stop there? It's an entire herd of weak minded dinos trying to stampede us back to the past where "The Law of the Jungle" prevailed. Apparently their "efficiency" isn't going so well (no surprise there) but what irks us is their herd mentality and total lack of empathy. Take for example their contribution to Arbor Day efforts: "DOGE cuts an effort to plant thousands of trees in St. Louis, citing anti-DEI push." Yes, anti-Arbor Day. "A healthy number of trees in low-income communities helps reduce environmental disparities and produces significant health benefits for communities of color....As increasing storm weather events are taking place, vulnerable communities are getting hit harder because of lack of tree canopy. We're seeing higher heat, and on average, they have 10 degrees higher heat during the summer,” Rebecca Hankins, partnership manager at Forest ReLeaf of Missouri said. “A lot of these communities rely on public transportation. They're waiting at bus stops with no tree canopy or cover … it's just very burdensome on these communities.” Burdensome AND stupid.
We're pretty sure those little DOGEs don't give a damn but apparently "a huge 89% of people in the world want more action to fight the climate crisis." We need to tell the other 11% that "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" Here's another listener suggestion: "As the world warms, driving sea levels higher, saltwater is encroaching along the world's coasts and into its estuaries. The seawater invasion can overtake the freshwater that gives life to deciduous trees. It is happening in the Chesapeake Bay, and it isn't going unnoticed. Scientists released a report on the salinization that is impacting coastal ecosystems." This is taking place along the entire coastline, if we're not mistaken. In fact, what do you think about NYC sinking?? Here's a headline we have mixed feelings about: "Climate crisis on track to destroy capitalism, warns top insurer." The Guardian piece goes on to note: "The world is fast approaching temperature levels where insurers will no longer be able to offer cover for many climate risks, said Günther Thallinger, on the board of Allianz SE, one of the world’s biggest insurance companies. He said that without insurance, which is already being pulled in some places, many other financial services become unviable, from mortgages to investments." How about yet another listener suggestion? "Vermont enacted the Climate Change Superfund Act, which holds oil and gas companies financially responsible for climate damage in the state. Similar legislation passed in New York in 2024 and is pending in California, Maryland, and Massachusetts." Of course a certain party in the White House would like to put a stop to such moves. < There's an Action Link for you.
Which brings us to His Malignancy The Mad King who apparently "doesn’t ‘know’ if he must uphold the Constitution" ?? Of course he swore to doing just that in his recent oath of office.....but did you notice he didn't put his hand on the bible? Why stop there? The Seattle Times says: "he doesn’t know if he backs due process rights". We always figured The Mad King didn't know much.......and it shows. OK, so he knows all about self-aggrandizement like throwing a military parade in his own honor. 🙄 We know about his other twisted instincts for destruction, too. Common Dreams points out: He "campaigned on a promise to "drill, baby, drill" and raked in cash from the climate-wrecking fossil fuel industry. While House Committee on Natural Resources Chair Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) celebrated [a] new vote that advanced legislation intended to deliver on the president's "agenda to make our nation energy dominant," Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) has called the effort to pass the polluter-friendly bill "corruption in broad daylight." After the vote, Athan Manuel, director of the Sierra Club's Lands Protection Program, said Wednesday that "public lands shouldn't have a price tag on them. But [they] are working like mad to hand over our public lands to billionaires and corporate polluters to drill, mine, and log with the bare minimum oversight or accountability." Why stop there, how about the oceans? Stay tuned for more on this. Finally, His Malignancy doesn't seem to know if must uphold the Constitution or due process but he does know he doesn't "feel like" following the Supreme Court's "unanimous 9-0 decision....to bring home Kilmar Abrego Garcia" who ICE illegally kidnapped and sent to a gulag in El Salvador? Yes, that's the SCOTUS that gifted The Mad King with a presidential immunity ruling to do as he pleases. We have Action Links HERE & HERE for whatever it's worth.
Let's take a break from all the doom scrolling for something more enlightening, OK? That would be our Critter of the Week segment where we find Tigers. "Last September, two tigers named Bodhana and Kuma stepped into a new enclosure—and into history. The captive tigers arrived from a big cat sanctuary in the Netherlands and are part of a WWF-supported program to reintroduce tigers to Kazakhstan, where they’ve been extinct for more than 70 years. A century ago, as many as 100,000 tigers roamed free in the wild; now, around 5,500 wild tigers remain in Asia in what is left of their historical range, which once stretched as far west as Turkey.....The future offspring of Bodhana and Kuma will be raised to survive in the wild and then released, becoming the first wild tigers in Central Asia in decades. The goal is to translocate more tigers to Ile-Balkhash to establish a healthy population of 50 wild tigers by 2035." Finally, The UMass Library falcon cam is up & running with recently hatched chicks HERE.
Sticking with our "...of the Week" theme how about a highly manufactured Doublespeak of the Week? Who else but the MAGA Evil Clown Show would come up with this: "On the heels of the news that higher-than-average temperatures continued globally in April, one of the United States' top science agencies announced Thursday that it will no longer update a database that tracks climate disasters that cause billions of dollars in damage... the Billion Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters database on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's website was replaced with a message saying there have been no such events in 2025 through April 8." So, none of these reported events actually happened? 😏
In The Eviro Echo Chamber we once again echo PETA's dog-on-a-bone focus on the UMass Amherst torture chamber. "In a letter sent [recently], PETA urges
the U.S. Department of Agriculture to investigate apparent
violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act in the laboratory of
University of Massachusetts–Amherst
experimenter
Agnès Lacreuse. Animal
care records obtained by PETA show that 10 marmosets confined and
killed at UMass spent their final months suffering from injuries,
gum infections, broken teeth, and chronic diarrhea, among other serious
cardiovascular and metabolic health problems, with no indication that
staff tried to treat the conditions or investigate the causes." That's ugly. Why is that still going on, UMass?? Also this: Every single tree matters and Active Management Harms Forests. Not news to us but it is news! THIS however is news to us: "Public lands, private profits: Inside [His Malignancy's] plan to offload federal land". That's YOUR Public Land they're talking about. Apparently there's a going out of business sale in the White House?
Finally, a classic Enviro Show Quote of the Week will take us to our interview:
You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.
After our interview with John it's on to The Bus Stop Billboard:
Tuesdays, 4-6pm Hold banners, signs and flags, on I-91 overpass to show people that they are not alone -
and help give them the courage to join us and take a stand against the Coup & DOGE. Please make signs with very few words and very big and bold letters. Come even if you don't have a sign, we'll have plenty! Here's the link for more info and to register:https://mobilize.us/s/4Gq1hs We've
added this coming Sunday and Thursday, from 4-6 pm, at the
same location: the I-91 overpass at Mountain Park Rd, Holyoke.You can
sign up for Sunday or Thursday on Mobilize: Sunday 3/23, 3:30pm. - https://www.mobilize.us/
ALSO: Tuesdays 4-5pm. No Kings Weekly Vigil, Park Square, Elm and Main Streets (Route 20) Westfield, MA 01085 AND Tuesdays 3:30 – 5pm. 12 Mountain Dr. Overpass, Hatfield, MA 01038 AND Every Tuesday in Amherst. Stand out for Peace and Racial Justice (and immigrant justice, climate justice, etc.) – in Amherst. 4:00-4:30 P.M. Main Street and South Pleasant Street in front of the bank. Bringing positive action in troubling times.
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@
Every Saturday. Geendfield Standout for a Ceasefire.. 11 a.m.-noon, On the green by Court Square.
An
orientation for the Franklin County, MA (FCCPR.us) Rapid Response
Network,
with a one hour intro to nonviolence will take place in Orange from 1 to
3 pm on Saturday, May 10th. A full (six hour) nonviolence training will
take place in Montague Center from 9:30 am to 4 pm on Saturday, May
10th. A full (six hour) nonviolence training will take place in
Greenfield from 9:30 am to 4 pm on Saturday, May 31st. For more details,
and to register for any of these trainings, go to: https://forms.gle/
Sunday May 25, 7:30am - 2pm. Go HERE to join the Allen Bird Club of Springfield and Sierra Club Massachusetts on a bird watching field trip in the Quabbin Reservoir Park. The bird club will guide the group during the trip and share their birding expertise. Participants will have the opportunity to do bird identification, listen to bird songs and calls, and observe behavior for resident and migratory birds in the Quabbin watershed. This is open for novices as well as experienced birders. Afterwards, the chapter will lead a 4 mile spring hike in the watershed hardwood forest where we will view flora and fauna and catch some exceptional overlooks of the Quabbin Reservoir. Prior to the hike, we will be briefly discussing the Quabbin Reservoir, its history, the watershed public lands, their benefits, climate action, and the chapters watershed forest campaign. See our campaign petition at the link “End logging on public lands of Quabbin, Ware, & Wachusett watershed”
Wednesday May 28, 6pm. Free Public Education Webinar: Wireless Risks & Safer Technology Solutions! All are welcome to join us to learn about today’s wireless radiation health risks and how to remediate. You’ll also discover why we don’t know, and actions taking place in the courts and legislatures to transition to safe technology. Go HERE.
Saturday May 31, 9:30 am to 4:00 pm, Another full-length Nonviolence Training will take place, location to be determined in the Greenfield area. If you would like to take a full Nonviolence Training and cannot make it on May 10th, you may register for the full training on the 31st, and we will inform you of the location well before that date. Register HERE.
Tuesday June 3, TBA. A Waste Reduction Consultant from the
RecyclingWorks program will be conducting on-site waste assessments for
Greenfield, MA businesses. Assessments
are offered at no cost, take about 30-45 min, and will include a
summary report and ongoing customized guidance to help you improve waste
reduction at your business. Fill out the registration form below to get on the schedule: https://recyclingworksma.com/g
Saturday June 7, 10am. Join us for a walk along the beautiful Wachusett Reservoir on National Trails Day! We expect to walk around 4.1 miles with little elevation gain and loss (~450ft) on the Northern side of the forests surrounding Wachusett Reservoir with numerous coves and points. As we take breaks, we will be discussing the MA Chapter Forest Protection team’s campaign to end logging on the state lands of the Quabbin, Ware, and Wachusett watersheds. Read more about that here. Go HERE.
Wednesday, June 11, 2025 from 1-4pm! This will be an opportunity for our organization to demonstrate our people power, and collectively advocate for much needed pro-democracy policies like Same Day Voter Registration, Guaranteed Hybrid Access for Public Meetings, Campaign Finance Reform, and other top issues. Click the link below to register for our June 11th Lobby Day!
Saturday June 14; NO KINGS! NATIONAL DAY OF PROTEST. Organized by Indivisible. Watch this space for local actions or look HERE and HERE for more information on the mobilization.
Tuesday June 24, All Day.The TreesPG Steering Committee and the TPG Education/Media group have come up with a summary of tree and forest related legislation to bring before reps of various districts. We hope to have as many voters from those districts as possible to meet their legislators in an organized fashion. PLEASE, if at all possible, set aside Thursday June 24 for a coordinated trip to Beacon Hill for a TreesPG Lobby Day. Details TBA soon. Also, please let us know if you want to participate or. have any questions contact: TreesPublicGood@gmail.com
That's it folks except to remember to listen to your Mothern AND...Happy Mother's Day.
No comments:
Post a Comment