Blog Archive

Friday, July 18, 2025

A Young at Heart Enviro Show

[Listen to the entire show on our podcast
Greetings Earthlings. We go back a ways when it comes to organizing and making good trouble to protect the planet from the Takers and Ne'er-do-wells who seem clueless about Mother Earth and the climate. It has always been encouraging to find younger folks stepping up to do the work as well, for instance, "The Massachusetts Youth Climate Coalition (MYCC) is a diverse, youth-led, adult-supported, network of organizations, clubs, and hubs founded in February 2020 and committed to centering the voices of Massachusetts’s young people in the climate movement". The Enviro Show is an enthusiastic supporter and we welcome some of them for the interview. As always, we will also invite you to meet this week's Fool-on-Hill and "Those Whose Brains Are small" along with our "...of the Week" bits and a reminder that "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" and more, but first it's time for.....Revenge of the Critters! Gators & Golfing? Maybe not. 

Time for another Fool-on-the-Hill? Maybe.  "Rep. Andy Ogles (among other obnoxious things) wrote to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum recently urging the government to put [His Malignancy] on Mount Rushmore. After saying the White House is ushering in America’s Golden Age, Ogles added, it is essential that we immortalize [the] President's likeness on Mount Rushmore.” Thankfully a reasoned response: "The rock that surrounds the sculpted faces is not suitable for additional carving,” Mount Rushmore National Memorial Chief of Interpretation and Education Maureen McGee-Ballinger said at the time."

How about some classic Doublespeak of the Week?  "Social Security Commissioner Frank Bisignano called the Republican [Big b.s.] legislation,....a "historic step forward for America's seniors" and a reaffirmation of the president's "promise to protect Social Security." But experts warned in the lead-up to the bill's passage that its massive tax cuts would bring forward the date at which Social Security will no longer be able to pay out full benefits in the absence of legislative solutions."

We have multiple news stories proving "Their Brains Were Small and They Died" but in this case it was innocent bystanders who died in the Texas flood disaster as a result of those small brains mismanaging & defunding critical government agencies and weather forecasting operations. Even some blame for Texas: "Officials in Kerr County previously considered a more robust warning system for Guadalupe River floods, but rejected it as too expensive." How expensive will the clean-up and lawsuits be? We think you may agree it's time for some action links HERE and maybe HERE?

We may as well stick with the MAGA Madness here in His Malignancy The Mad King's own segment. Why? Did you forget about The Threat?? And because his Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem (yes, the one who apparently helped untold numbers of Texans to meet their maker) informed us ICE " had detained a cannibal and put him on a plane to take him home. And while they had him in his seat, he started to eat himself."  OK, cannibals; we know The Mad King has a thing for "the late, great Hannibal Lecter." Maybe Noem was simply going with the theme? How about the usual theme of simply gutting the planet for fun & profit? The "administration has quietly fast-tracked a massive oil expansion project that environmentalists and Democratic lawmakers warned could have a destructive impact on local communities and the climate. As reported recently, the plan "involves expanding the Wildcat Loadout Facility, a key transfer point for moving Uinta basin crude oil to rail lines that transport it to refineries along the Gulf Coast. The goal of the plan is to transfer an additional 70,000 barrels of oil per day from the Wildcat Loadout Facility... located in Utah, down to the Gulf Coast refineries via a route that runs along the Colorado River. Controversially, the...administration is also plowing ahead with the project by invoking emergency powers to address energy shortages despite the fact that the United States for the last couple of years has been producing record levels of domestic oil."  Why stop there? "The DOE published a report in response to one of the ​Beautiful Clean Coal” executive orders issued by [the] President in April, that lays out the case for Energy Secretary Chris Wright, a former gas industry executive who has denied there is a climate change crisis, to demand that more fossil-fueled plants remain open past their scheduled closures."  Wait, did we mention His Malignancy fired all his climate scientists last April? Time now for an honest critique of The Mad King's damage control tour of the Texas flood disaster. By now most clear thinking humans have figured out what a fraud His Malingnancy truly is and are not fooled by his performative game show bullshit.  Why is this guy still in office?? Stand Up/Fight Back! 

OK, the Texas flood disaster reminds us, "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" but don't take our word for it, listen to the science, "Colossal bursts of rain like the ones that caused the deadly flooding in Texas are becoming more frequent and intense around the globe as the burning of fossil fuels heats the planet, scientists say. Warm air holds more moisture than cool air, and as temperatures rise, storms can produce bigger downpours. When met on the ground with outdated infrastructure or inadequate warning systems, the results can be catastrophic. These were the ingredients for tragedy in Texas, a state that is well acquainted with weather extremes of all kinds." Sound familiar? Of course, we've been quoting climate scientists on this for years. How about this chilling but realistic note from Canadian scientist David Suzuki? It's a nice Canadian way of saying "Think globally, Act Locally" but given what we're facing politically here in the USA we're inclined to chant "Stand Up/Fight Back!

Time for our Enviro Show Critter of the Week. Another listener recommended link tells us these tiny critters were in the news last week as 21st century heroes. Granted, Bacteria aren't exactly the most glam species out there BUT: "Some of the most effective species include Bacteroides uniformis and Odoribacter splanchnicus. These absorbed over 70% of PFAS from their environment within just minutes. Importantly, the bacteria didn’t just bind PFAS to their outer membranes, they also pulled them inside their cells, where the chemicals formed dense clumps. This mass is then excreted from the body." Good riddance PFAS....at least from our bods but then what? 🤔

In The Enviro Show Echo Chamber we repeat what the The Six Pac passed along HERE condemning the Supreme Court so-called majority for having  "disgracefully rubber-stamped extrajudicial deportations to third countries without additional due process requirements, enabling ICE to dragnet anyone they choose, aided by masked, anonymous extremists. This is a blatant violation of our values and an assault on American freedom!"  Also checkout this YouTube video by one of our guests, Vedant Ramesh interviewing folks from East Boston doing tree planting. Speaking of tree protection please sign HERE. Finally this Enviro Show Action Link demanding they CBS keep late night host Stephen Colbert on-air to pushback on The Mad King.  


Our Quote of the Week is in keeping with our youthful guests from The Massachusetts Youth Climate Coalition:

There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age.

Sophia Loren 


After a conversation with our guests it's on to the Bus Stop Billboard:


Fridays 4:30pm Stop the Coup Standouts on Rt. 2 Gill side of Gill-Turners Falls bridge in WMass grow weekly. Bring your own signs & friends! AND:  The Good Trouble Democracy Brigade is holding protests every Friday from 3 to 4 p.m. at the intersection of Route 116 and Sugarloaf Street in South Deerfield. AND Every Friday HANDS OFF OUR STUDENTS! Peaceful Visibility Standout, 4 pm – 5:30 p.m., Kendrick Park, [Cancelled for 6/6] Amherst: https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/778646/   AND  Every Friday Jewish Voice for Peace Weekly Northampton Standout. 4:00-5:30 p.m. at the Route 9 roundabout at the Northampton side of the Coolidge Bridge. Join us in demanding a ceasefire & arms embargo. Signs & banners provided. Park at the Norwottuck Rail Trail, 446 Damon Rd. Click here for access info. 



Saturdays 11 to Noon.  Regular Stand Out concerning MAGA government coup & DOGE in Memorial Park in Orange, MA.  25 South Main Street Orange, MA 01364 AND: There is an ongoing NO KINGS!/DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION/DEMOCRACY standout on the Greenfield Town Common, beginning at 9:30am EACH Saturday. 


Every Sunday: Massachusetts Rapid Response for Our Freedoms: Virtual 6:30 pm. – 7:30 p.m. To mobilize and activate a network of people ready to take immediate, strategic action to defend our rights, freedoms, the rule of law, and democracy.-To educate and inform participants about current authoritarian threats, legal overreach, and coordinated attacks on our freedoms.-To share concrete tools, tactics, and next steps that individuals and groups can take in their communities to push back.-To build a connected movement rooted in collective power, solidarity, and a shared vision of justice and equality for all—not just the wealthy, powerful, or those with privilege. Register and more information. 


Mondays, 11:30am. - 12:30pm. Act Now for Vets, Fed Workers & Democracy. VA Hospital in Leeds, MA.  Park in VA visitors lot or, if you have a sticker or are a Vet, Look Park. Also, bring flags & posters. Indivisible Northampton & Swing Left WMass.  


Wednesdays 11am to 1pm. Weekly Standouts at ICE Facility at 1000 District Avenue.
Burlington, MA.  Rabbi Susan Abramson of Temple Shalom Emeth agrees. A longtime advocate for immigrant rights, has been co-leading peaceful protests outside the Burlington ICE office every Wednesday. Attendance has grown steadily, with about 70 participants last week. Go HERE 


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/indivisiblenorthamptonswingleftwesternma/event/766766/Thursday 3/27 - https://www.mobilize.us/indivisiblenorthamptonswingleftwesternma/event/767589/ 


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@proton.me        



 Every Saturday.  Geendfield Standout for a Ceasefire.. 11 a.m.-noon, On the green by Court Square.




Saturday August 2, & Sunday August 3, All Day. Pocumtuck Homelands Festival, Unity Park, Great Falls [Turners Falls], MA  This is not a traditional pow wow but features many of the beloved pow wow features, such as music and fabulous Indigenous artisans. It is an open and welcoming inter-tribal gathering with programs and presentations that appeal to all ages and backgrounds. It takes place at Unity Park in Turners Falls just above the dam that was once Great Falls, where for millennia the Pocumtuck people welcomed tribal members from all over the Northeast to share the bounty of the fish runs.  Related programs will happen the day before, on August 1. Visit www.nolumbekaproject.org/events for updates. Free. Accessible. Donations welcome.  


Saturday August 2, 12:30pm-2pm. Join Nationwide Rage Against the Regime!  Place: Corner of Beech St. & Rte 5, Holyoke, at the Peoples Bank & the park. Come together peacefully to transform anger into action, harnessing the energy & momentum of collective resistance!  Co-sponsored by Indivisible Northampton-Swing Left Western MA and Defending Democracy in Hampden County. Info & register: https://www.mobilize.us/indivisiblenorthamptonswingleftwesternma/event/820238/?referring_vol=10257269&share_context=dashboard-event-details&sharer_role=2  


Tuesday August 5, 5 p.m.  Deadline to support a bill that ensures towns' ability to use local zoning bylaws for solar siting. Our lawmakers need to hear from us!  Please send in written testimony in support of bill H.2312 - An Act Regarding Municipal Zoning Powers     Info HERE & HERE


Wednesday August 6, 4 to 8pm. Commemorating the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Nashawannuck Pond, 50 Payson Ave., Easthampton, MA.  August 6 and 9, 2025 mark the 80th year since the U.S.'s atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, immediately killing between 129,000 and 226,000 people, with many thousands dying later from radiation exposure. We remember their suffering, and call on the nuclear weapons states to take weapons off hair-trigger alert, and negotiate a rapid phasing out of weapons of mass destruction. Go to https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/816777/ 



Thursday August 7, 6 to 8pm.  Eversource Gas is holding an Open House and Listening Session at UMass Center at Tower Square in Springfield, MA to take a concrete step towards getting permits and building this toxic and dangerous pipeline. Springfield Climate Justice Coalition (SCJC) is once again calling on people in Western Mass and beyond to stand with us as we send a powerful message to the Healey administration, elected officials and Eversource Gas: We do not want Eversource to build a polluting pipeline that would run through environmental justice residential neighborhoods, and dangerously close to schools and community hubs in Springfield!  SCJC is organizing a dynamic outdoor event before the Open House, calling public attention to the dangers of this project and Eversource’s deceitful and self-serving intent in building it. We will gather at 5:15 pm sharp in Stearns Square for a street theater performance and call to action, followed by a mini-march to the Eversource Open House at Tower Square. Wear something red!   RSVP’s appreciated if you are coming in person: https://bit.ly/InPersonRSVP  RSVP if you are joining online: https://bit.ly/ZoomRSVPaug7th 



Saturday August 9, 4 to 8pm.  Valley Free Radio, WXOJ-LP 103.3 FM, a non-profit community radio station, is celebrating 20 years of independent broadcasting with a free community concert at the Elks Lodge, located at 17 Spring Street, Florence, MA. The celebration will feature: Live music from Kalliope Jones and Shokazoba; Studio tours of Valley Free ;  Food and treats from Crêpes Nanou Food Truck, Caravan
Kitchen, and Crooked Stick Pops  & A live simulcast on 103.3 FM and streaming at valleyfreeradio.org


Sunday August 10, 1 - 3pm. One Million Rising Training Event. Wendell Free Library, 7 Wendell Depot Road, Wendell. We will participate in a structured training about how to leverage the One Million Rising project into Many Millions Rising! Light refreshments will be provided. Go HERE.  



Wednesday August 13 (TBD) Indivisible's "What Now? Organizing Action". You'll be onboarded to basic campaign design and learn how to implement it locally as well as get plugged into our next national campaign work. Your second community resistance gathering will move this action forward. Go HERE


Sunday September 21, All Day.  Sun Day is a day of action celebrating solar and wind power, and the movement to leave fossil fuels behind.


Enough......except to remember to listen to your Mother!




 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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