No Silver Platter Enviro Show

Greetings Earthlings. We are thinking global/Acting local this week on the show. The old Lunt Silversmiths factory in Greenfield, industrial disposal site in Greenfield, MA, which has been redeveloped into a regional substance abuse treatment facility, is still contaminated with toxic wastes, which some folks have been trying to cover-up. On the other hand, there is a group of local concerned citizens who want the site fully cleaned up. One such person is our own Glen Ayers who, among others, joins us to hopefully find a silver lining in the dark cloud hanging over the town. Also on hand will be Susan Worgaftik and Matthew Perry who live in the Lunt neighborhood which is being threatened by the contaminated groundwater flowing from the old toxic waste disposal site. As always, we will also take you by the ear and drag you along to meet this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and to see if we are Abidin' with Biden, as well as the usual visit to the Charlie Baker Good Riddance Countdown Timer and more, but first it's time for.......Revenge of the Critters! Boaters get way too close for comfort for Whale watching.

This week's Fool-on-the-Hill managed to make a complete fool of himself way back during the J6 insurrection but it wasn't until the last Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol hearing that tens of millions of viewers coast-to-coast were treated to the sight of (guess who!) Sen. Josh Hawley (Repug-Mo.) comically running away from the mob he had fist saluted earlier in the day. Be careful what you wish for, wussy boy! (and thanks for the comic relief during those grim hearings in which fascism reared its ugly head in an attempted coup by The Mad King and his fellow terrorists).

There's been so much news lately about climate legislation and pressure on The Prez to declare a Climate Emergency it's hard to believe there's still folks out there who don't understand that "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" Apparently, even old king coal, Joe Manchin even figured it out? Nah! That reversal threw the Repugs into a major hissey fit so much so they went for a revenge vote blocking aid to U.S. veterans suffering from toxic exposure, a move that will surely bite the Repugs in the ass come November. All that said, here is CPC Center's comprehensive analysis of the $369 billion in climate and energy provisions included in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) that all the fuss is about. Given the death of Build Back Better and all the rest of it, the IRA is more than we hoped for except for this: "Unfortunately, the legislation would also require oil and gas leasing in the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska, reinstate an illegal 2021 Gulf lease sale, and lock in oil and gas lease sales as a precondition for the approval of federal renewable energy projects. The greenhouse gas emissions associated with continued fossil fuel leasing will offset some of the emissions reductions found elsewhere in the legislation." We guess that was a sweetener for Manchin et al. BUT Bernie is putting forward an amendment to strip all that from the bill. OK "hot enough for ya'?" So what's with all the heatwaves? Is it the "Omega Block" (that's scary) or "Wave number 5"?  ACTUALLY, THEY ARE ONE-IN-THE-SAME. Meanwhile, back in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts our climate bill was sent to Gov. Baker. He had added a poison pill amendment (H.5141, Section 88) that "completely undermines the intent of Sections 33-36 of the climate bill by creating a blanket exemption for any biomass power plant that began commercial operation prior to 2022", according to the Partnership for Policy Integrity. No surprise there, it's classic Dirty Biomass Baker. As of this writing the veto has been overriden and presumably will be sent back to Dirty Biomass Baker. [UPDATE: Baker actually signed the bill on August 11] And on the subject of our Commonwealth "An Act relative to forest protection" has once again proven that "Beacon Hill is where good legislation goes to die". Stay tuned for the post mortum. 

Speaking of, it's time for our Charlie Baker Good Riddance Countdown Timer!

 

 

 We guess Glen has a few choice words for the Gov.

 In The Enviro Show Echo Chamber we learn from the Center for Biological Diversity, "World Population Day on July 11 came with an announcement from the United Nations: There will be 8 billion people on the planet before the end of the year".  Sound crowded? Well yeah, but the supposed experts claim we can go for another 1 or 2 billion depending on all sorts of variables. Wishful thinking or pure science? And this (also from CFBD): "The International Union for the Conservation of Nature just declared monarch butterflies endangered, placing them on its Red List of Threatened Species. Battered by habitat destruction, climate change, pesticides and more, the iconic insects join more than 40,000 other animals and plants as potential casualties of the Earth’s sixth mass extinction event."  Time to plant more Milkweed, Enviro Show listeners.  Here is the Go-to site for Monarch protection.  Finally, Lake Wyola in Shutesbury is full at the dam and the Sawmill River in Leverett isn't flowing beyond the dam other than spillway overflow from boat wakes?  This happened many years ago during another drought. Presumably, any aquatic life in the Sawmill River is endangered by the lack of water. Dear Wyola Dam Keeper: Time to release some water into the river, OK??

OK folks, it's time to see if we are Abidin' with Biden. First off: Get Well Soon Prez and pay no attention to Repugnican ageist b.s.  That said, it would be a whole lot easier to Abide with the guy if he'd just declare that Climate Emergency and get it over with.  While he's at it how about declaring a Health Emergency in response to the gutting of Roe v.Wade?? Some of those Executive Orders he announced in Somerset, MA recently have a few real world solutions like "setting aside funds to help communities withstand heatwaves and floods, to expanding offshore wind power in the Gulf of Mexico. Then....the Biden administration rolled out heat.gov, a website with resources to help people cope with extreme heat. And, on Wednesday morning, the White House announced an effort to connect low-income households to solar power."  On the other hand, the White House sent out a Tweet "celebrating" The Prez's signing of a near useless Weapons bill from Congress. Final tally this week? Meh! 

 

Time for The Enviro Show Quote of the Week:

“Water and air, the two essential fluids on which all life depends, have become global garbage cans.”
                                                                                 ― Jacques-Yves Cousteau 

 

Which brings us to our interview about the old Lunt Silver site in Greenfield, MA 

After which it's on to the Bus Stop Billboard: 

NEW August 30  Deadline for public comments. The U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management, on behalf of the Departments of Agriculture and the Interior, are seeking public comments on the development of a definition framework for old-growth and mature forests on federally managed lands. This work will help inform how the departments respond to President Biden’s Executive Order 14072, Strengthening the Nation’s Forests, Communities and Local Economies.  

Saturday, August 20, 9:00am - 12:00pm. Last fall GG’s Planting for Pollinators group held a workshop at Just Roots (JR) and planted two new demonstration pollinator beds in the PEOPLE'S POLLINATOR GARDEN at JR, which aim to attract native pollinators to the farm.  These expanded upon an overall effort already started by JR to develop a large pollinator environment.  NOW, we are deepening our relationship with Just Roots.  Just Roots/Greenfield Community Farm: 34 Glenbrook Drive.

Saturday & Sunday August 20 & 21. Little Leaders Summer Climate Convention is for young leaders interested in getting involved in direct action. We are committed to helping guide students through the process of finding their voices and amplifying their unique perspectives. The weekend will be completely youth-led and centered around a series of interactive workshops on topics including environmental justice, creative climate action, and leadership training.   Learn more and register your Little Leader here:  

Monday August 22, 7 to 8:30pm.   Climate Action Now Monthly Gathering Details:  We currently meet on Zoom on the 4th MONDAY evening of each month from 7- 8:30. All are welcome!  CAN Newsletters provide Zoom links and details. 

Tuesday Agust 23, 6:30 to 8:30pm. The implementation of the MA Forest Futures Visioning Process recommendations has provided DCR with the opportunity to complete an analysis for all DCR State and Urban Parks and Forests and group them by key natural and ecological
characteristics (topography, geology and elevation) – an effort that supports not only the new land use management structure, but is also beneficial to other resource planning efforts. This also marks the first time the agency has reached out to stakeholders and the public to solicit input on land use management decisions at a statewide scale. Go HERE.  Also DCR is sponsoring 5 dates to collect public comments.

Wednesday August 24, 2pm.  Addressing the increasing wildfire challenges in the West requires reframing the crisis as a home-ignition problem and not a wildland fire problem. Understanding the science of home ignition--or how a home burns down--can inform effective community planning, federal and state policies, and locally-driven solutions to reduce wildfire risks to homes and neighborhoods. Join Dr. Chad Hanson of the John Muir Project & Dr. Kimiko Barrett of Headwaters Economics for a 90 minute discussion with Q&A, as they help us understand the science!  Click Here to Register: http://ow.ly/QIAF50KbNGq

Wednesday, August 24, 4 p.m. (Also Wednesday Sept. 14, 7pm.) The Mohawk Trail Woodlands Partnership (MTWP) is currently in the process of updating its 10-year Partnership Plan (2023–2033) and is seek­ing comments and feedback from residents of Northwest Massachusetts and other members of the public. If you have suggestions for ways that the Woodlands Partnership could support your town, or ideas for what you’d like to see the Partnership focus on moving forward, attend one of the two upcoming virtual Listening Sessions to have your be voice heard. To attend either session, please RSVP to: Sophie Argetsinger, MTWP Assistant sargetsinger@newenglandforestry.org  Access the full draft Partnership Plan on the MTWP website at: mohawktrailwoodlandspartnership.org/partnership-plan.html 

Saturday, August 27, 9:30am.  Standing Trees volunteers Alan Coulter and David Coppock will co-lead a hike into mature forests slated for logging in the Green Mountain National Forest's Telephone Gap Integrated Resource Project, ending at spectacular North Pond. Hikers will meet in Chittenden at 9:30am and drive a short distance to a nearby trailhead. Please RSVP by emailing Alan Coulter (alan_coulter@hotmail.com). Put "Standing Trees Hike" in the subject line, and note the total number of people in your party and their contact info in the body of your email. We will follow up with additional details for the meeting location, what to bring, etc... We hope you can join in!

Saturday August 27, 1:30 to 5:30pm. (Rain Date August 28) Home Sweet Home - A Climate Action Community Festival. Location: Hitchcock Center for the Environment. Directions.  Email: christie@ettarts.org 

Saturday August 27,

Monday August 29, 6:30 to 8:30pm.  The implementation of the MA Forest Futures Visioning Process recommendations has provided DCR with the opportunity to complete an analysis for all DCR State and Urban Parks and Forests and group them by key natural and ecological characteristics (topography, geology and elevation) – an effort that supports not only the new land use management structure, but is also beneficial to other resource planning efforts. This also marks the first time the agency has reached out to stakeholders and the public to solicit input on land use management decisions at a statewide scale. Go HERE 

Tuesday September 6, 4:30pm.    XR Boston Climate Die-in. Join us for another die-in to warn about the worst effects of the climate crisis. We are heading for extinction and need to act now. The climate is already breaking down. This summer, there has been record heat around the world. It is only a matter time before the western United States runs out of water. The recent climate legislation produced by our federal and state governments does not go far enough to mitigate the effects. High-income countries are producing 10 times the amount of emissions as the poorest countries. We don't have any time to waste: We are dying for climate action now! Location TBA - please sign up on this page to receive all the necessary details. Go HERE.

Saturday, September 10,  9 – 10:30am. Housatonic Heritage Walks with BEAT — A Walk Through An Old Growth Forest at Ice Glen Ravine 

That all folks! Be sure to listen to your Mother, OK? 

 

 

Rev. Billy & the Trees of NYC Enviro Show

Greetings Earthlings. You've probably guessed that we here in New England aren't the only ones trying to save trees from needless destruction in the U.S.  Down in Manhattan on the Eastside, the City of New York is in the process of destroying East River Park, cutting  991 trees and burying the park's 57-acre footprint under eight feet of landfill to build a storm surge barrier. Why not just build a sea wall and spare the trees? We'll ask our old friend Rev. Billy that very question. [UPDATE! Interview HERE]As always, we will bring you with us to meet this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and to, sadly, witness some Back Slidin'with Biden, as well as to checkout our Charlie Baker Good Riddance Countdown Timer among other things but first it's time for.......Revenge of the Critters! Covid is just the beginning, stupid Humans.

This week's Fool-on-the-Hill may well be another repeat offender. Senator John Cornyn, Repug from Texas was responding to an outraged tweet by former Pres Obama in the wake of the Supreme Court's trashing of Roe v. Wade. Cornyn wrote “Now do Plessy vs Ferguson/Brown vs Board of Education.” in a manner befitting a true Southern racist and, of course, an utter fool.

We know Sen. Cornyn, like so many of his fellow travelers. is a climate denier but we never tire of reminding these fools that "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid". With that in mind, "the Supreme Court has  decided West Virginia vs EPA, sharply curtailing the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from coal fired power plants," Climate Hawks tells us and this: "From the dissent: 'The Court appoints itself — instead of Congress or the expert agency — the decision maker on climate policy". We know what's wrong in that picture. Now, how about this one: "Should the US approve 25 proposed liquefied methane gas export terminal projects, we could see an additional 90 million tons of greenhouse gasses (GHG) released into the atmosphere per year, according to a recent analysis by the Environmental Integrity Project..EIP says" 

And speaking of the Climate Crisis, there's been more Backsliding with Biden, this time regarding The Prez's US Forest Service. "The Black Ram project will allow nearly 4,000 acres of the Kootenai National Forest to be commercially logged, including clearcutting more than 1,700 acres and logging hundreds of acres of centuries-old trees. These rare, old forests are champions of carbon storage, which reduces harms from climate change." Rick Bass, chair of the Yaak Valley Forest Council says, “The proposed Black Ram sale is climate treason. The Department of Agriculture and Forest Service are deliberately undercutting the Biden administration’s commitment to battling climate change.” Maybe that "commitment" isn't all that strong? Recall the Admin's plan to open up public waters to more oil drilling? Here's an Enviro Show Action Link calling for reversing that decision. Also, the Administration is being sued for opening up Public Lands to new oil & gas drilling in Wyoming.  Does it ever end? Maybe not: "Biden Accused of Lighting Fuse for 'One of the Nation's Biggest Carbon Bombs'" reads this headline from Common Dreams. It seems "the U.S. Forest Service [there they are again!] rejected challenges to the Uinta Basin Railway, which is expected to quadruple oil extraction in northeast Utah's Uinta Basin by connecting its fracking operations to a transcontinental railroad network that would move hundreds of heated tank cars loaded with waxy crude through the Colorado Rockies en route to Gulf Coast refineries each day." Also....."the Forest Service argued that constructing 88 miles of rail line to transport fossil fuels is in the public interest. The agency issued a special use permit for the roughly 12 miles of tracks that would cross the Ashley National Forest in Utah, dismissing opponents' objections to cutting through public lands protected by the Roadless Area Conservation Rule."

Time to take a break from all that horror and look forward with the Charlie Baker Good Riddance Countdown Timer!

 

 

Take it away, Glen! 

In The Enviro Show Echo Chamber we pass on a message from PETA concerning more horrific stories of animal experimentation at UMass Amherst. "The University of Massachusetts–Amherst’s animal laboratories should lose their license to operate. Federal documents obtained by PETA reveal that the school’s experimenters went rogue and kept young hamsters in constant, complete darkness for 200 days, even though approval had been given for only half that duration. Apparently, UMass personnel lack both empathy and a willingness to follow the law. PETA has filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA. This is just the latest in a litany of violations at UMass: Mice have drowned, birds have starved to death, and zebrafish have died from overheating. In one incident, experimenters failed to give necessary pain relief to mice several hundred mice who had just undergone surgery. All these problems are in addition to the university’s use of fragile marmosets in deadly menopause experiments—even though these tiny monkeys don’t naturally experience menopause. "  We ask yet again, why are they even doing animal experiments at UMass?? 

Our Enviro Show Quote of the Week comes from our guest and/or members of the Stop Shopping Choir:

"We oppose the mono-culture in the broadest terms: consumerism, militarism and capitalism’s attack on nature. We focus our energy on hyper local issues and global ones, and they often intersect.  We often work in coalition but we also approach things alone and very much on our own terms. We confront and contend with racism and economic inequality within our own community and organize with the understanding that both are at the heart of nearly every issue. We work for the Earth."

After our conversation with Rev. Billy it's on to the Bus stop Billboard:  

Thursday August 4, 3 to 6pm.  Banner drop to bring attention to the issue; Biden and the necessity for him to declare a Climate Emergency.The plan he and Manchin cooked up will only make the crisis worse. We will meet 3:00- 6:00 at the Rt 91 overpass on Mountain Park Rd in Holyoke.  Bring banners and signs.There's another group thats doing the same in Northfield at the Berk Flats Rd overpass from 4:00-6;00 on Friday.

Friday August 5, 7:30 p.m. – 9:15 p.m.  Screening of Farm Free or Die .Florence Civic Center Lawn, 90 Park St, Florence, MA. Farm Free or Die  examines the role that regenerative agriculture can play in not just building an equitable food system, but in creating climate resilience in the face of the climate crisis.  

Saturday & Sunday August 6 & 7, 10am All Days. Pocumtuck Homelands Festival. Go to: https://nolumbekaproject.org/events/  

Tuesday August 9, 5pm. Hearing with the Public Shade Tree Committee meeting in a virtual format. Amherst’s famed Merry Maple tree, and two other aging Norway maple trees on the North Common in front of Amherst Town Hall, will be the subject of a hearing next month focused on their possible removal. The Committee normally meets on the 2nd Tuesday of each month and start each meeting with a public comment period.  Come tell us your thoughts about your public street trees!   For more information, contact us.

Thursday, August 04, 7:00pm.  No Coal No Gas Mass Call. We will talk about our campaign strategy, reflect on the past year of strategic actions and review the shape of our strategy moving forward!  Everyone is invited- whether you are new or familiar to the campaign, we’d love to see you there! Register here.

 

Saturday, August 6, Hiroshima Day vigil on the Greenfield Common from 11 am to noon, and A Call for Peace: Remembering Hiroshima & Nagasaki the next day in Easthampton. The 1-2 pm opening of the exhibit on August 6 will be filmed and available for later viewing, as space at the LAVA Center is limited. Please share and come if you can.

Saturday, August 6,  1:30-4:30pm.  Extinction Rebellion WMass Strategy Gathering. We plan to hear about opportunities for actions aligned across XR northeast chapters, discuss what we'd like to do next, and think through the bandwidth we'll need to make that happen. If you plan to attend, please RSVP (just to me is fine) so we can keep a head count and send you the address in advance. If you have any dietary or accessibility needs and didn't take the previous survey, let me know that, too. Contact HERE. 

SATURDAY August 13 @ 2 to 6 p.m.  HONOR THE EARTH RALLY!  Second Annual Statewide grassroots rally to raise awareness about protecting our water, forests and community character. Two locations: Plymouth and Western Mass at Peskeomskut Park in Turners Falls. Music: Featuring the Bruce Katz Band ; Joe Graveline & other musical guests; Enviro poetry reading by d.o.; Speakers: Karl Meyer, Fred "the Farmer" Beddall, Joe Graveline, Bill Stubblefield; 50/50 raffle & Door prizes and more.   

Monday August 15  Deadline for public comments. The U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management, on behalf of the Departments of Agriculture and the Interior, are seeking public comments on the development of a definition framework for old-growth and mature forests on federally managed lands. This work will help inform how the departments respond to President Biden’s Executive Order 14072, Strengthening the Nation’s Forests, Communities and Local Economies.

 

Wednesday, August 17,  10am.  The Mass. Dept. of Agricultural Resources is holding our summer quarterly update about the invasive pest known as spotted lanternfly on Wednesday, August 17 at 10am. This free webinar series is geared towards providing environmental groups and the green industry with the latest info about this pest, and is eligible for the following education credits: 1 Mass. pesticide license credit (ALL categories and license types!), 1 MA Forestry License credit, and the following association credits: 1 MCA credit, 1 MCH credit, 1 MCLP credit, ¾ ISA credit, or ½ MQTW credit; attendance for the full session and response to poll questions will be required to receive credits.  Go HERE.

Saturday & Sunday August 20 & 21. Little Leaders Summer Climate Convention is for young leaders interested in getting involved in direct action. We are committed to helping guide students through the process of finding their voices and amplifying their unique perspectives. The weekend will be completely youth-led and centered around a series of interactive workshops on topics including environmental justice, creative climate action, and leadership training.   Learn more and register your Little Leader here:  

Monday August 22, 7 to 8:30pm.   Climate Action Now Monthly Gathering Details:  We currently meet on Zoom on the 4th MONDAY evening of each month from 7- 8:30. All are welcome!  CAN Newsletters provide Zoom links and details. 

That all folks! Be sure to listen to your Mother, OK? 

 

The Reforestation & Proforestation Not Deforestation Enviro Show

 Greetings Earthlings. We've been putting off reforestation efforts off on the show in our obsession to get folks to pay more attention to existing forests and the need to protect and preserve them and to establish more wildlands. That said, we here in the Commonwealth are at a point where reforestation efforts could be greatly advanced if certain agencies and players would be a bit more forward looking. Glen had something to say about that recently and, in keeping with our fixation on existing forests Karl Dziura and Priscilla Lynch will join us to talk about the Conway State Forests and the threat they are facing. [UPDATE: Interview HERE. If you want to help in this struggle contact MA Sierra Club'd Forest Protection Team  email:  lynneman@gmail.com Phone:  (978) 807-4778. As always, we will also present this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and remind him and whomever that "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" Also we checkout The Charlie Baker Good Riddance Countdown Timer and invite you into The Enviro Show Echo Chamber but first it's time for..........Revenge of the Critters! Another Gator just defending its turf (and catching a snack).

We have another repeat Fool-on-the-Hill who, like so many fools lately, is also dangerous but as dumb as a post as well. This time Sen. Ron Johnson (Repug-Wis.) was being followed by reporters asking why fake slates of electors were being run through his office in order to be handed over to Veep Pence for the January 6 vote count. In a failed effort to avoid answering their questions Johnson pretended he was on his cellphone but one reporter noticed the phone was turned off. “I’m on the phone right now,” Johnson said, pointing to the device and dismissively waving [reporter] Thorp away. “No you’re not,” Thorp replied. “I can see your phone. I can see your screen.” That's the fool part. The dangerous part is Ron Johnson's apparent involvement in seditious conspiracy. 

We're pretty sure Ron Johnson refuses to believe it but just the same "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" Another sign of climate chaos is Summer becoming known as The Danger Season. "The phrase, part of a new campaign by the Union of Concerned Scientists, refers to the period from May to October marked by a drumbeat of disasters in the United States.", Grist tells us (but we know it's international). "This summer is predicted to be another menacing one, with forecasts showing hectic hurricanes and above-normal wildfire activity." Checkout the links, if you dare! The New York Times is apparently more focused on wildfires calling 2022 "A Wildfire Year" in what appears to be another one of their excellent montages. "Three million acres have already burned in the West" is the sub head. Elsewhere the Times points out the Great Salt Lake out west is drying up. "Climate change and rapid population growth are shrinking the lake, creating a bowl of toxic dust that could poison the air around Salt Lake City." Sounds like science fiction? Nah, it's a fact. Look it up!

In The Enviro Show Echo Chamber we return to the story of UMass Amherst's atrocious animal experiments that continue unabated in spite of pleas and protests. You may recall we had Neuroscientist Katherine Roe of PETA on the show last year. Recently "PETA supporters crashed a University of Massachusetts–Amherst (UMass) alumni gathering at Sunset Terrace at Chelsea Piers [in New York City], where they confronted Chancellor Kumble R. Subbaswamy to expose the school’s horrific menopause experiments on marmosets. Photos and video footage of the happening are available here." on the blog. "PETA has been contacted by numerous UMass alumni and donors concerned about the school’s animal welfare violations. The university has been cited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for severely burning an animal on a heating pad as he was recovering from surgery, failing to alert an attending veterinarian to sick animals, and permitting a monkey to escape and injuring the animal’s tail during recapture."  It gets worse but we will spare you the gruesome details. You can go here to PETA.org or follow them on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.  And This: speaking of atrocious, the corporados at FirstLight, owners of the diabolical Northfield Mt. Pump Station are doing some serious greenwashing in WMass these days, awarding students grants for climate change projects while simultaneously pawning themselves off as environmentally conscious purveyors of clean renewable energy. Soooooo, with that in mind it's time for........

Breaking News!  This just in!! This year's Enviro Show Gross Greenwashing Award goes to......envelope please......FirstLight Power!  [insert fake applause here].

 

Now it's time for....... The Charlie Baker Good Riddance Countdown Timer!
 

 

......and a few choice words from Glen 😏

 

How about an Enviro Show Quote of the Week for some inspiration?

"The care of the Earth is our most ancient and most worthy, and after all, our most pleasing responsibility."

                                                                  ― Wendell Berry

After our conversation with Karl & Priscilla we move on to the Bus Stop Billboard: 

Saturday, July 09, 12:45pm. Boston Abortion Rights Protest. COPLEY SQUARE• Boylston and Dartmouth Street, Boston, MA 02116 US.  Host Contact Info: (617) 684 5888, EM riseup4abortionrights@gmail.com, #riseup4abortion rights, #riseup4abortionrightsne  

Monday July 11,  11am to Noon. Climate Rally. Site TBD. We are holding this rally in collaboration with Mass Power Forward and other groups throughout Massachusetts, to push our state legislature to take comprehensive climate action now! We will chant, sing, share stories, and offer ways to take action. Hear from leaders of the fight against Eversource's proposed Springfield-Longmeadow gas expansion pipeline and the continuing fight against biomass, not only in Springfield, but throughout the state. Call us: 413-734-4948 

Monday, July 11,  11:00am to 12:30pm. Join BEAT, 350MA Berkshires, NAACP-Berkshire Branch, and Mass Power Forward, at Park Square, Pittsfield in calling on our legislators to wake up and do more for environmental and climate justice! This is just one of over ten rallies happening simultaneously across the state. We’ll be sharing on social media to send to Legislators and members of the Conference Committee currently crafting climate legislation. Bring your pots and pans, drums, and noisemakers of all kinds! Bring signs if you like, or use one brought by BEAT! (sign ideas below) Tell your story of what climate and environmental justice mean to you. More HERE. 

 

Tuesday, July 12, 7:00–8:00 p.m. An Inside Look: What the Supreme Court’s EPA Decision Means for Climate Action.  Register for the virtual discussion today—and submit a question in advance. 

TUESDAY July 12, 7 to  8:30 p.m. Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting Board virtual public comment hearing for the Cranberry Point, Carver request for zoning exemption. Written comments due July 26 by 5 p.m. Learn more on our Facebook page or website

Wednesday  July 13, 6pm.   NOTICE OF RMOTE MEPA CONSULTATION SESSION and IN PERSON SITE WALK EEA#16570 WT-11 Transmission Right-of-way Tree Cutting – Northfield, Erving, Wendell, Montague, Leverett, Shutesbury, Pelham, Belchertown, Amherst, Granby, and Ludlow. - Please RSVP to Jennifer Hughes (Jennifer.hughes@mass.gov) at least two hours (but preferably at least one day) before the meeting.

Wednesday, July 13, 8 – 9pm. Defend Abortion Rights Online - Digital Defenders Training. Hosted by Womens March. Virtual event · Join from anywhere. For decades, abortion has been a 'taboo' subject to many. But in the days since Roe v Wade was overturned, many of us are finding ourselves having discussions online with people who are critical or conflicted about abortion rights. This training will equip you with evidence-based best practices and message-tested tools and talking points for defending abortion rights online. Go HERE.  

Thursday July 14 2-3:15pm.  A conversation on CEP’s latest research exploring the disconnect between the views and actions of funders on climate change. Regardless of whether your organization works on climate change or sees climate as outside of the mission scope, this discussion is for you. We hope you will join us next week.  Register HERE.  

Tuesday July 26 5 p.m. Written comments due on Cranberry Point, Carver. They can be emailed to dpu.efiling@mass.gov and andre.gibeau@mass.gov. State docket number EFSB 21-02/D.P.U. 22-59 and send copy to akaplan@pierceatwood.com cc'd to aohanlon@pierceatwood.com  

Monday, July 25, 7 pm. Monthly gathering of Climate Action Now.  Location TBA - We are holding our monthly gatherings outside this summer whenever possible.  To register for this meeting contact Susan Theberge at susantheberge@icloud.com. Monthly meeting of CAN.  Contact info: Sign up for our newsletter here or  contact susantheberge@icloud.com with "July Gathering" in the subject line.

 

SATURDAY August 13 @ 2 to 6 p.m.  HONOR THE EARTH RALLY!  Second Annual Statewide grassroots rally to raise awareness about protecting our water, forests and community character. Two locations: Plymouth and Western Mass. More info soon! 

That all folks! Be sure to listen to your Mother, OK? 

 

Celebrate the Wild Enviro Show

Greetings Earthlings. This week we help celebrate 20 years of Wild on the 20th anniversary of The Northeast Wilderness Trust with Sophi Veltrop, Outreach Manager of the Trust. These folks are truly wild and so is the land they protect. [UPDATE: INTERVIEW HERE ] And speaking of wild, how about we check out this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and see if we're Abidin' with Biden or not? Also, we will take you along as we remind whomever is not paying attention that "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" But first it's time for..........Revenge of the Critters! Do not walk your dogs by the ponds in Florida, OK?

Time to shake our heads in amazement once again as we encounter yet another Fool-on-the-Hill. Yes, it is U.S. Rep. Billy Long (Repugnican- MO) who apparently blames mass shootings on......... abortion? We know these seditious MAGA Repugs have a limited grasp on reality but really? Abortion?? If these guys are so concerned about senseless killings how about voting for sensible gun reforms that will actually reduce the killing?

Since we're on about senseless, how about those who avoid dealing with climate chaos? How many times must we remind them "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!"  Science is pretty much in agreement that the massive drought out West is mostly due to climate change but how about this headline: "How Bad Is the Western Drought? Worst in 12 Centuries.."  OK, why stop there with headlines. Checkout this one: "As Earth’s temperature rises, Massachusetts residents’ sense of urgency on climate change declines"  The jist of this story is we have too many crisis to pick from and unlike COVID and mass shootings, the climate crisis isn't in your face everyday. Before you through your hands up and step away from your device you should know "New satellite data shows that in many coastal cities around the world, land is subsiding even faster than sea level is rising."  Soooo, if your inland......no worries! (kidding).

 

Ready for our Charlie Baker Good Riddance Countdown Timer? 

We guess Glen sure is but what's he gonna do in the Baystate when he doesn't have Charlie to kick around anymore? 

It looks like we have a 50/50 split when it comes to Abidin' with Biden this week. On the down side is this, according to Build Back Better Fossil Free: "Biden is breaking his promise to end new oil and gas leasing on public lands and waters -- again. On June 14, the Bureau of Land Management will hold its first public lands lease sale in Nevada. Between June 14 and June 28, BLM will auction off nearly 150,000 acres of public lands accross the West." And yet, on June 6 the White House announced that "Historic Actions Include Authorizing Defense Production Act to Lower Energy Costs, Strengthen Power Grid, and Create Good-Paying Jobs".   Read the fine print and decide, are you Abidin' with Biden or is The Prez Backslidin'?

 Time for an Enviro Show Quote of the Week:

“Something will have gone out of us as a people if we ever let the remaining wilderness be destroyed ... We simply need that wild country available to us, even if we never do more than drive to its edge and look in.”
― Wallace Stegner  

Before we move on to our interview with Sophie let's have a look at The Enviro Show Echo Chamber and forest protection efforts in Vermont. Northeast  Wildeness Trust is doing good work up there while Gov. Scott is doing.....not so much. Seven Days tells us, "the governor rejected H.606, which would have required the state to have a plan to conserve 30 percent of its land and waters by 2030, in line with President Joe Biden’s initiative to mitigate climate change and declines in biodiversity. The bill would have gone even further and required 50 percent of the state’s land to be conserved by 2050." Maybe the Green Mountain State won't be all that green by 2050?  And This: How about a A Hike through Crane Ledge Woods    ?

After our conversation with Sophie we go to our Bus Stop Billboard:

Thursday nights in June for our Justice in June: Connecting Impacted Communities Series. All events begin at 7PM ET. This is your opportunity to learn more about the on-the-ground effects of biomass. You’ll hear directly from environmental justice leaders and the community members who are suffering the health and economic impacts of the wood pellet biomass industry. All events in this series are FREE.  Register to attend this free online event. https://bit.ly/3yOf4ci 

Sunday June 26, 1 to 4pm.  Pine Barrens Walk Carver, Plymouth, Carver, MA. Join biologist Bill Stubblefield and ecologist Bart Bouricius for a tour of the sand mining and solar building in Southeastern Massachusetts.  Organized by Save the Pine Barrens.  Go to: Facebook Page @LandWaterPlymouthArea.www.savethepinebarrens.org

Monday June 27, 7:00 pm.   Fitchburg Forest Forum. The Fitchburg Conservation Commission is hosting the event at City Hall, 718 Main St, Fitchburg, MA 01420 after discovering that in Fitchburg and in neighboring towns, there has been a sharp increase in the number of privately-owned forest tracts being logged, due probably to high current timber prices, aggressive marketing by foresters and loggers, and elevated land values, as well as industrial solar. Dr. Susan Masino of Trinity College is one of the speakers.  Contact: Ralph Baker <ralphsbaker27@gmail.com>   

Monday June 27, 7 to 8:30pm.  Climate Action Now Monthly Gathering on Zoom. See the newsletter to get the Zoom registration link. 

Thursday June 30, Noon.  New England's National Forests and what you can do to save them. Join us for a special webinar featuring regional experts where we'll explore threats to the White and Green Mountain National Forests, our only national forests in New England, to learn how you can help protect them. Protecting these forests will help our climate, promote biodiversity and support Indigenous cultural reconnection and restoration.Join us to learn more on Thursday, June 30 at 12 p.m. Eastern.

 

That's it for now Enviro Show listeners. We probably don't have to remind you to listen to your Mother, right?