A #SeeYouInCourt Enviro Show

 

Greetings Earthlings. There's another kind of Environmental Justice and it happens in courtrooms. Meg Sheehan, co-founder of Community Land & Water Coalition returns to the show as we discuss a recent court victory regarding AD Makepeace's sand mines on Federal Road in Carver, MA.  As usual we will also introduce you to this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and Those Whose Brains Were small  as well as our  "....or the Week" offerings and more, but first it's time for.........Revenge of the Critters! Caught on Camera: Pod of Orcas Ram Boats again; that sinking feeling. 

This week's Fool-on-the-Hill is another return loser, Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C. who authored a resolution to strip Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of her committee assignments after she criticized Charlie Kirk’s past “words and actions” immediately after his shooting. In addition to retaliating against Omar, Mace has been tweeting nonstop about the Kirk assassination, specifically calling for the firings of individual educators at universities and other schools who have criticized Kirk on social media. Mace has also offered a resolution to have Kirk lie in honor in the Capitol Rotunda. Really? This Fool never passes up an opportunity to draw attention to herself......even negative attention.  

Our reporting for "Their Brains Were Small and They Died" finds political right wing dinosaurs dying but also, in true dino fashion, fighting amongst themselves for a place in the jungle. Some of the strangest behavior spilled into the rally-like memorial held for the assassinated white nationalist, Charlie Kirk last week. We appreciate nasty battle scenes amongst the dinosaurs as well as moments like this: The President "used his speech at the memorial service for conservative activist Kirk... to continue obscuring Kirk’s long record of hateful and bigoted comments and views. Other speakers were also a part of the process of using what was billed as a memorial service instead as a political rally for the right. “He was a missionary with a noble spirit and a great, great purpose. He did not hate his opponents, he wanted the best for them,” His Malignancy said. “That’s where I disagreed with Charlie, I hate my opponent.”  Wait, I thought "the haters" were on the Left?

Then comes our Doublespeak of the Week slithering out in time to be captured by the folks on Pod Save America: First the Mad King's FCC chair leans on ABC & Disney to sanction Jimmy Kimmel for his remarks on-air regarding MAGA trash talk while AG Pam Bondi says she will prosecute "Hate Speech" (while her DOJ skates on thin ice). Then Pod Save ran the tape of His Malignancy's Inauguration speech in which he stated “After years and years of illegal and unconstitutional federal efforts to restrict free expression, I also will sign an executive order to immediately stop all government censorship and bring back free speech to America.” Remember "Cancel Culture"? That was MAGA's fake accusation about The Left censoring rightwing speech and beliefs. Always playing the victim, they ran the free speech flag up the pole at every opportunity. Post-Kirk assasination time finds MAGA throwing constitutional guaranteed free speech under the bus. Last week was Doublespeak Week, enough bullshit for everyone! Push back HERE. 

Speaking of speech, guess who had an #EpicFail at the UN during Climate Week?  That would be His Malignancy The Mad King who apparently put his madness on full display for all the world to see. It wasn't the usual ominous threats he reserves for anyone who opposes his fascist fantasies, but according to Bill McKibben, ".. it was definitely the dumbest speech that delegates have ever had to listen to—as the shots of them looking on in stony disbelief as Trump vented about broken escalators, MAGA hats, and his general greatness for nearly an hour (ignoring the 15 minute time limit respected by the mere mortals that rule other nations). “Everyone says I should get the Nobel Peace Prize,” he explained helpfully. Just to give you a flavor of his address, he devoted a considerable section to describing the floor treatments he would have provided for the UN if he’d won some contract long ago." But wait, would you like a side of corruption to go with that self-parody? "Enter the Trump Gold Card—not a credit card but a new pathway to immigration, offering wealthy foreigners a fast track to permanent residency in the United States. Launched on Friday by executive order alongside a restrictive new update to the H-1B program, the Trump Gold Card offers potential immigrants [possibly just white ones] a trade: In exchange for $1 million plus processing fees, the government will give you an EB-1 or EB-2 visa. The administration is hoping to add an even more exclusive tier in the form of the $5 million Trump Platinum Card, which would give recipients 270 days’ residency in the U.S. with no tax on non-U.S. income."  America.....on SALE TODAY!! Getting back to the ominous: "Immigrant advocacy organizations and activists are bracing for a crackdown from the federal government following threats from the.....administration to root out and criminally prosecute non-profit groups it believes are sympathetic to...ready? 'leftwing' politics." The Guardian piece continues, "Over the last week, JD Vance described civil rights groups as a “domestic terror movement”, while Stephen Miller, suspected vampire and the architect of the US president’s mass deportation agenda, vowed that the administration would hold nonprofits, including immigrant-rights and police-reform organizations, “criminally liable” for what he baselessly described as “coordinated attacks” on Ice agents." In closing, did you know over 1 million of your fellow citizens have signed a petition to have His Malignancy impeached?

So, last week was Climate Week at the UN and around the planet. You could almost hear the cry: "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" bounce off the the Three MAGA Monkeys who see, hear & speak no evil (too busy performing it, we guess). Also, Sun Day took place...well, on Sunday and that was also celebrated around the world. While His Malignancy and his MAGA minions continue trashing the Earth at every opportunity people who actually care about life on the planet came together once again to try and do something about it. The Mad King sent no one but showed up to make a fool of himself (see above). And some good news from the AP: "A federal judge ruled Monday that a nearly completed Revolution Wind offshore project halted by the administration can resume, dealing President Donald Trump a setback in his ongoing effort to restrict the fledgling industry." Take that, Your Malignancy! And this, "There is stronger evidence than ever that greenhouse gases are bad for us, the nation’s leading scientific advisory body said yesterday. Yet [the] President has proposed to cancel the government’s 16-year-old finding that carbon dioxide emissions endanger public health. Doing so would mean the Environmental Protection Agency could no longer limit emissions from cars or power plants." 😠 Finally, Grist tells us: "In a new report, scientists warn that we’ve crossed yet another “planetary boundary,” a threshold that keeps Earth’s systems hospitable to life — a sort of global resilience that allows the planet to absorb shocks. This time, it’s the relentless acidification of the seas that’s crossed into dangerous territory, threatening all manner of marine life, including the organisms at the base of the food web. Of the nine total planetary boundaries, this is the seventh that’s been breached."  Sorry guys, it gives us no pleasure to remind you we've been warning everyone on the show about this for over 20 years. 😟

Time for our Critter of the Week mental health break. This one about a favorite at costume parties or on Halloween, the Bumble Bee.  The Xerces Society is all about Invertebrates and they tell us, "Bumble bees, key pollinators of crops and wildflowers across the country and essential for a healthy environment, are declining at an alarming rate. Bee biologists discovered that several previously common species are now absent from much of their former territory.  Creating, protecting and restoring habitat is a very important way to conserve the populations of bees that remain. The causes of these declines are not fully understood, but likely playing a role are: loss or fragmentation of habitat, pesticide use, overgrazing, competition with honey bees, climate change, low genetic diversity, and perhaps most significant of all, the introduction of nonnative pathogens. Regardless of the ultimate cause of bumble bee declines, surviving populations need high quality habitat to persist. Protecting, restoring, enhancing, and creating new bumble bee habitat is the best way to conserve populations of these indispensable animals and hopefully reverse population trends." What we need to know is HERE. 

In The Enviro Show Echo Chamber we are wondering if it's just a fluke that a study on forests failing in the Climate Crisis was conducted by Wake Forest University??  "The destruction of the forests is a threat to our entire global ecosystem. The forests in the Amazon and Andes help reduce carbon pollution and are also the home of many diverse plants and animals. Unfortunately, this is not the only news that suggests there are reasons to be concerned about the health of our forests. A UN biodiversity summit declared 38% of the world's trees are at risk of extinction. Another report suggested that trees are losing their natural ability to store carbon because of their disrupted ecosystems." This is the last thing us in the forest & tree protection community need to hear. The Takers (most of whom deny the climate emergency even exists) will obviously use the study as yet another reason to clearcut the planet. How about a drastic reduction in CO2 emissions, guys? Wake up! Hello?? 

 After our interview with Meg 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, 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. AND: SATURDAY September 13 (and every Saturday): Hadley Weekly Standout for Migrant Workers at Pride, Noon. 25 Russell Street (corner of Routes 9 and 47 )/, Hadley, MA. 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.  

Thursdays August 21, 4 to 5pm.: Stand Out to Boycott Amazon/ Whole Foods, 347 Russell St/Rte 9, Hadley. Weekly standout. Amazon supports Israel through a $1.2 billion data processing/surveillance project. Amazon is crucial to Israeli apartheid and genocide; it owns Whole Foods. Info: <rivervalley4Palestine@gmail.com> 

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 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. 

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. Watch out for a major demonstration in D,C. beginning on November 5, entitled The Fall of the Trump Fascist Regime. Trump has said he intends to keep troops in D.C. until the end of November so a greater confrontation than what D.C. has produced on a daily basis may be looming. More info forthcoming and here

  

Friday September 26, 10am - 6:30pm.  "Grassroots Campaigns in defense of Land, Forests & Food Sovereignty: A New York Climate Week Forum Presented by Friends of the Earth & Friends".  Live event at The People's Forum, 320 W 37th St, New York, NY 10018, USA.  More info HERE. 

 

Friday September 26, 2pm. It's Clean Air Week. Join leading policy experts for an engaging virtual policy panel discussion exploring how the current landscape of building decarbonization for healthy air and climate could evolve over the coming years. The movement is having a resurgence since the Ninth Circuit ruling that overturned Berkeley's landmark gas ordinance. Where is this momentum headed?  Go HERE. 

 

Friday, September 26, 4 pm - 5:30: Overpasses for Democracy Coordinated Visibility Standout, Wisdom Way Overpass on I-91, Greenfield. Join us for a coordinated event where Indivisible chapters across Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut stage a massive bridge overpass banner event.  Register here on Mobilize.us. 

 

September 26-27, All Day. Source to Sea Cleanup of CT River.  Welcome to the 29th annual Source to Sea Cleanup! Our goal is to remove as much trash as possible from our waterways, riverbanks, and communities across the 410-mile Connecticut River watershed in NH, VT, MA, and CT. Get your gloves and trash bags ready and join thousands of volunteers today! All ages welcome. Go HERE. 

 

September 27 and 28, 10am – 5pm. The Garlic & Arts Festival, Rain or Shine, at Forster Farm, 60 Chestnut Hill Road, Orange, Massachusetts. If you are curious about the Festival details such as parking, pets, accessibility. and more take a look at the FAQS for 2025.  Be sure to checkout both the Climate & Democracy Tent & The Word Stage where d.o. will be reading from his new book "It's the Trees" on Saturday around Noon.   

 

Saturday September 27, Noon.  National Public Lands Day. Join advocates from across New England to celebrate National Public Lands Day. In a time when public lands are under unprecedented pressure to be logged, mined, drilled, roaded, and sold off entirely, we will gather to learn from each other about the value of wild, public lands, and what we can do to protect them. Expect music, art, food, teach-ins, and advocacy workshops. Go HERE. Great Falls Discovery Center,  2 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA 01376 

 

Sunday September 29, 7:30pm. Stand Up/Fight Back! at Whately Town Hall Auditorium, the Whately Civic Association will host ACLU Attorney Bill Newman as the first speaker in its series addressing the profound transformation of our Federal government currently underway. Democracy in the United States today faces an existential crisis. Masked unidentifiable government agents are capturing people on the street and disappearing them. Election results, through gerrymandering and the kneecapping of the Voting Rights Act, may be predetermined. The government is rewriting history and is taking over educational systems and universities. The Congress is forfeiting its powers. And this is just the beginning of the list of the indicia of the authoritarianism being imposed by the Trump administration. The talks are free and open to the public.  Whately Town Hall (194 Chestnut Plain Road, Whately, MA) is accessible. 

 

Tuesday, September 30, 7 to 8:15pm.  The Climate for Climate Policy under a Hostile Regime - A Virtual Event. Every week, we hear in the news about new assaults on environmental protection from the Trump administration. Blocking clean energy projects. Opening up new areas for drilling and mining. Throwing money at fossil fuel companies and executives while eliminating resources for renewables and energy efficiency. Censoring and defunding environmental justice research. Canceling grants. The list goes on. Trump's actions are causing and will continue to cause harm. But climate denialism doesn't change the reality of the climate crisis. What can we do at the city and state level to fight back? Go HERE. 

 

Wednesday October 1,  12 p.m. Virtual Town Hall: NRDC's Fight For Our Climate Future. The climate crisis has never been more serious: the Earth’s rising temperature is fueling more natural disasters, weather extremes, and environmental degradation than ever before. And yet, the Trump administration has shifted from ignoring the crisis to actively trying to revoke their own legal authority to combat climate change. NRDC’s top experts are hosting a virtual town hall to discuss the state of the climate crisis.Go HERE.

 

Thursdays to Saturdays in October  10/18, 10/23, 10/24, and 10/25 at 7:30 pm, Sundays 10/19 and 10/26 at 2 pm. Please join us for Swamped, a new play written and directed by Court Dorsey, and performed at the newly-equipped theatrical venue at the Wendell Meetinghouse (1 Morse Village Rd., Wendell MA 01379). "Captain’s lost his wife. He's marooned in assisted living with his red state values — and his non-binary caretaker, Clove. The Captain's almost-son Stephen loves Kat, a woman at a crossroads who doesn’t want a firm hand anywhere near her. Everyone is swamped, and knowing each other may be their only hope."  Tickets $15-25, advance tickets: https://wendellmeetinghouse.ludus.com

 

 

Thursday October 2, 6 p.m.  Responsible Solar MA virtual meeting (Link TBA).

As more and more MA communities face inappropriate industrial-scale solar development, Responsible Solar MA’s goal is to help you navigate effective actions and connect with others who have faced similar challenges. Help us meet your needs and answer your questions in these meetings by filling out this very brief survey. 

 

Saturday October 4, 10:30 am to 12:30 pm. "Forest Fires in Massachusetts: Myths and Reality." The Gallery Room at Plimoth Patuxet , 137 Warren Avenue,  Plymouth, MA 02360 Entry fee.  Wildfires in the Western United States and Canada are more and more prominent in the news. There is also growing interest in the role of wildfires and intentional first (controlled burning) in New England. In Massachusetts, public agencies are increasingly using controlled burning in state forests and wildlife management areas, such as the Montague Plains and Muddy Brook wildlife management areas, and Myles Standish State Forest.  

 

 

Saturday October 4, 9:45am. - 12pm.  Finding Our Power Together - One Million Rising Community Resistance Gathering. Join the Unitarian Society of Northampton and Florence (USNF) and Indivisibile Northampton - Swing Left Western Mass (IN-SLWM) for a Community Resistance Gathering. This event is part of the nationwide One Million Rising initiative (https://www.nokings.org/rise)! We will learn proven tactics to stop fascism through noncooperation and nonviolent direct action, hear real stories about everyday people defending democracy nationwide, and connect with others to find and use our power to create change here in our community! We hope you will stay for lunch and informal chat, 12-1 PM. We'll have pizza and beverages or bring your own. Go HERE.

 

Sunday October 5, 2pm. The Reproductive Justice Task Force of Franklin County Continuing the Political Revolution will offer a staged reading of The Turnaway Play as a benefit for the Massachusetts Medication Abortion Access Project (The MAP)at the Shea Theatre, 71 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA (directions and info about the Shea at https://sheatheater.org Tickets available here:  https://fccpr.us/donate-to-map/  and at the door. Doors open at 1:30 PM

 

 

 

Monday October 6, 6:30pm.  Quabbin Watershed Advisory Committee meeting. DCR Les and Terry Campbell Quabbin Visitor Center, 100 Winsor Dam Road, Belchertown, MA 01007.  Logging proposals will be discussed as per the agenda. 

 

 

Tuesday October 7, 1 to 5pm.  MA Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources Hearing on Parks and Rec, Lands, Plants, Soils, Forestry, Wildlife. Go HERE. Members HERE.  Action link HERE.

 

Thursday October 9, 7 p.m. DOER Informational Session 4. for Proposed Regulations on Siting and Permitting. Location: UMass Amherst Olver Design Building, Room 170, 551 N Pleasant Street, Amherst MA 01003.  More info HERE. 

   

 

Wednesday October 15, 7pm. DOER is also finalizing draft guidelines around public health, safety and environmental standards, common conditions for constructive approvals, and mitigation proposals, as well as model bylaws for solar, storage, and siting and permitting review. The public comment hearing can be accessed using this Zoom link. DOER will accept written comments submitted to DOER.Siting.Permitting@mass.gov through October 17, 2025.   All the needed info can be found at: EFSB 25-10 - Proposed Rulemaking webpage.

 

 

 

Saturday October 18, All Day. #NoKings 2.0  Another national #NoKings actions. Mark your calendars. Trump is ramping up his attacks on our rights and democracy, but we’re not backing down. On October 18, we’re taking to the streets in more cities and in larger numbers to remind Trump, his cronies, and those on the sidelines looking for hope: America has no kings. 

 

 

Saturday, October 18, 10am – 12pm. NoKings Worthington, MA. Town Hall of

Worthington, 160 Huntington Rd, Worthington, MA 01098.  Our peaceful movement is only getting bigger and stronger. “NO KINGS” is more than just a slogan—it’s the foundation our nation was built upon. Born in the streets, carried by millions in chants and on posters, it echoes from city blocks to rural town squares, uniting people across this country to fight dictatorship together. Go HERE. 

 

 

Saturday, October 18, 11am – 12:30pm.  No Kings Orange, MA. Memorial Park, South Main Street & Water Street, Orange, MA 01364.  A core principle behind all No Kings events is a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values and to act lawfully at these events. Weapons of any kind, including those legally permitted, should not be brought to events. Go HERE. 

 

 Saturday, October 18, 11am – 2pm. No Crowns/No Thrones/No Kings! Greenfield  Town Common,  Main Street, Greenfield, MA 01301  Our peaceful movement is only getting bigger and stronger. “NO KINGS” is more than just a slogan—it’s the foundation our nation was built upon. Born in the streets, carried by millions in chants and on posters, it echoes from city blocks to rural town squares, uniting people across this country to fight dictatorship together. Go HERE. 

 

urday, October 18, 11am – 12pm. No Kings Westfield. Park Square, Main Street & Elm Street, Westfield, MA 01085.  The president thinks his rule is absolute. But in America, we don’t have kings, and we won’t back down against chaos, corruption, and cruelty. Grow our movement and join us. Go HERE. 

 

Saturday October 18, 11:30am – 1:30pm. #NoKings Rally in Northampton. Pulaski Park, 240 Main St., Northampton, MA 01060. The president thinks his rule is absolute. But in America, we don’t have kings, and we won’t back down against chaos, corruption, and cruelty. Grow our movement and join us. Go HERE.

 

 

Saturday October 18, 12 – 2pm.  Springfield, MA #NoKings Standout. Intersection of Boston Road & Parker Street, Springfield, MA 01129.   Power belongs to The People. Join the Movement. Go HERE.

 

Saturday October 18, 1:30 – 3pm.  #NoKings standout in Amherst, MA. Corners of Main, Amity, North Pleasant, and South Pleasant Streets. Amherst, MA 01002. Our peaceful movement is only getting bigger and stronger. “NO KINGS” is more than just a slogan—it’s the foundation our nation was built upon. Born in the streets, carried by millions in chants and on posters, it echoes from city blocks to rural town squares, uniting people across this country to fight dictatorship together. Go HERE.

Don't forget to remember to listen to your Mother