A New & Improved Climate Crisis Enviro Show

Greetings Earthlings. We seem to be running out of titles for shows focused on climate science and related stories. Given THE critical issue of our times, The Climate Crisis, is forever being updated and expounded upon perhaps it's a good thing we have to keep coming up with headlines or new titles. Shaina Sadai, a PhD Candidate at UMass Amherst studying climate change joins us for a conversation about her work in climate science and her activism as well. As always, we will also take you along to see this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and to remind anyone who has been in a coma for the past few decades that....."It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" That and more, but first it's time for............Revenge of the Critters!  River Otter didn't care to share.

Here's a Fool-on-the-Hill we haven't featured in the past, not because we didn't know this fool was out there but since there are so many to choose from she got lost in the shuffle. That said, she stepped into it big time recently: "“The American people deserve to know the truth that Nancy Pelosi bears responsibility as speaker of the House for the tragedy that occurred on Jan. 6,” said Representative Elise Stefanik, Repugnican of New York and, now the party’s No. 3 fool. 

Our guest will no doubt be much more diplomatic than us in reminding everyone that "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" But it's not just us with the reminders, NPR (of all people) recently noted July was the hottest month in all recorded history! And look what Rolling Stone came out with recently. The feature is focused on the Greenland ice sheet we've discussed on this show for years now in all its scary implications. Our guest's work is focused primarily on the Antarctic so we may as well go international on this show 'cuz the Climate Crisis knows no borders. On another note some of you older listeners may remember all the brouhaha back in the 1970s over The Club of Rome? "In 1972, a team of MIT scientists got together to study the risks of civilizational collapse. Their system dynamics model published by the Club of Rome identified impending ‘limits to growth’.. that meant industrial civilization was on track to collapse sometime within the 21st century, due to overexploitation of planetary resources." Back then, radicals and liberals alike trashed the study and those, like Henry Kissinger (of all people!) who supported it. The political left, which saw the study as a scam by the elites designed to trick workers into believing that a proletarian paradise was a pipe dream. Flash forward 50 years and read THIS from Vice. The study was uncomfortably close to today. Who knew! Finally, we find Scientific American reminds us of the natural carbon capture potential of the world's oceans.........without mentioning the growing threats of acidification on that potential?

Time for some Backslidin' with Biden we guess? We're not sure how much the Prez had a hand in those subsidies for the fossil fools and corporado loggers in the "bipartisan" Infrastructure bill voted out of the Senate, now in the House, but Reuters reported recently the Biden administration is supportive of a production tax credits for existing nukes. "This would increase costs for consumers and delay the uptake of cheaper, cleaner renewables." And This: Did you see The Prez driving around the White House last week in an all-electric Jeep? That big....umm....rollout? took place at the same time as this was reported by the Center for Biological Diversity: "The Biden administration is proposing new tailpipe emissions standards today that are weaker than what automakers agreed to with the Obama administration nearly a decade ago. Today’s proposed rules were supposed to deliver on President Biden’s climate pledges by reining in the country’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. Instead, carmakers successfully lobbied for loopholes that will allow them to keep making polluting cars, SUVs and trucks, escaping pollution controls through lavish credits for electric vehicles and other technologies."  😠

Time for another Enviro Show Quote of the Week. This one is germane to the theme of this show:

"We are the first generation to feel the sting of climate change, and we are the last generation that can do something about it."

                                                         - Governor Jay Inslee

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

Friday September 3, 11am. Stop Funding Fossils and Commercial Logging, Expand Medicare, and Expand Union Rights.  Currently your taxes are funding the climate crisis and fossil fuel industry profits. They also pay to line the pockets of companies destroying the earth’s lungs. As Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Neal will play a key role in ending these practices and passing the Reconciliation Budget package in the House. For the next four weeks we will show up at Rep. Neal’s office to tell him it is time to stand up to the fossil fuel dinosaurs and climate criminals. The climate crisis is urgent and demands a far reaching solution. Richie Neal could make that happen! Office of Rep. Richie Neal, 300 State Street, Springfield, MA 01105. Go HERE. 

Wednesday September. 8, 7:30pm. .Join WMass Extinction Rebellion to hear about recent actions and plan for our next steps toward regenerative culture and action against fossil fuel infrastructure. Place TBA. Go to: https://www.facebook.com/events/2984852311835948  

Thursday September 9, 11am. Stop Funding Fossils and Commercial Logging, Expand Medicare, and Expand Union Rights.  Currently your taxes are funding the climate crisis and fossil fuel industry profits. They also pay to line the pockets of companies destroying the earth’s lungs. As Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Neal will play a key role in ending these practices and passing the Reconciliation Budget package in the House. For the next four weeks we will show up at Rep. Neal’s office to tell him it is time to stand up to the fossil fuel dinosaurs and climate criminals. The climate crisis is urgent and demands a far reaching solution. Richie Neal could make that happen! Office of Rep. Richie Neal, 300 State Street, Springfield, MA 01105. Go HERE.  

Friday September 17, All Day.  The radical change we need will only come from lots of ordinary people taking action. We must find the means to enter the public discourse where the truth and the extent of climate action required to avert climate catastrophe, biodiversity loss, and minimize the risk of social and ecological collapse can emerge. Treat this year like it’s Do or Die for the planet by standing with us. New York City (specifics coming soon). Go HERE.

Monday September 20, All Day. National Day of Action - Congress Bring it Home. This fall, Congress has the opportunity to demonstrate their power to improve people’s lives by passing a robust climate centered infrastructure package that includes a Civilian Climate Corps and bold investments towards public housing, schools, transit and renewable energy – a historic piece of legislation that will kick off the Decade of the Green New Deal.  Find or hold an event HERE. 

Wednesday, September 29​, 7:30-8:30 pm. (Audience Q&A from 8:00-8:30) Community Solar: A Brief Introduction. There's a lot of info out there about solar panels for individual homes, but what about community solar projects? Tom Michelman, Senior Director at Sustainable Energy Advantage, will talk about the definition(s) of Community Solar and how it varies across the country. With an emphasis on northeast US execution, his presentation will focus on how Community Solar is being implemented in practice, as well as its benefits and costs (including societal / environmental costs). Register here.

That's all folks. Untiul next time remember to  do....what?  Yes, listen to your Mother!

The Deforestation or Reforestation Enviro Show

Greetings Earthlings. The recent use of overwhelming force by Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz and the NPD (with State Police back-up) to cut down and destroy a perfectly healthy row of Cherry Trees on the aptly named Warfield Place reminds us about the kind of mindset far too many arrogant bureaucrats embrace when it comes to trees and those who value them. Katie Young joins us with the gruesome details. Thankfully, on the sunny side, MA Senator Cynthia Creem talks to us about S. 504/ H. 905 An Act establishing the municipal reforestation program. Doesn't reforestation sound so much friendlier than deforestation? As usual, we will also bring you along to meet this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and to see if we are Backslidin' with Biden who may have forgotten "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!". That and our Quote of the Week but first it's time for.........Revenge of the Critters! Slight young men probably shouldn't taunt big old elephants.

This week's Fool-on-the-Hill is back for a repeat performance. Yes, it's addled Repugnican RonJon back at it again. This time at a Repugnican Women's Luncheon he said, "I don't know about you guys, but I think climate change is -- as Lord Monckton said -- bullsh*t," Wisconsin Republican Ron Johnson said, without uttering the word but mouthing it, and referring to British conservative climate change denier Lord Christopher Monckton. "By the way, it is", he added. Sounds a bit like transference from here. 

I guess we are Backslidin' with Biden when we find tweets like this from the John Muir Project of the Earth Island Institute: "Biden's #InfrastructureBill needs to get bolder for the sake of the planet. Agreeing to roll back environmental laws, while increasing subsidies for fossil fuels and harmful extractive logging is a #DirtyDeal". Read their entire "Statement on the Infrastructure Bill" HERE (pdf). Granted, many of the anti-forest and pro-fossil fuel and biomass provisions to the bill may have been added in Congress but The Prez has publicly endorsed the bill and it's on him to see to it that it's not business-as-usual. And this from Common Dreams: "The Biden White House announced Thursday that it will not extend an eviction moratorium that's set to expire...claiming a recent Supreme Court ruling rendered the administration powerless to act on its own. In a statement, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that Congress must act "without delay" to "extend the eviction moratorium to protect such vulnerable renters and their families." Does that sound like passing the buck to the Congressional black hole? 

Time now to remind folks that it's "The Climate Crisis, Stupid!" (an obvious take off on the old Clinton-era myopic meme on the economy). Once again, The West is burning and in some places it may burn into the Fall (no pun intended but hey!). "In the remainder of the year, fire conditions will likely get worse before they get any better. According to a fire outlook report released by National Interagency Fire Center, the months of August and September are expected to have above average fire activity before conditions improve in October." Here's a totally anthropocentric headline for you: "Eliminating Carbon Emissions by 2050 Would Save 74 Million Lives This Century". Is no one counting the other species on the planet? 

Time for The Enviro Show Quote of the Week: 

“The trees encountered on a country stroll/ Reveal a lot about that country’s soul / A culture is no better than its woods.”

― W.H.Auden

After our conversations with Katie and Senator Creem we go to the Bus Stop Billboard:

Friday August 20, 4:30 to 5:30pm and Every Friday.  Speak out for Clean Air! Come join our 'Put Peakers in the Past Coalition' for this stand-out protest to let folks know about Pittsfield Generating’s peaker power plant. They are filing for renewal of their Air Quality Permit, which would give them permission to keep polluting our air - we must stop it! At the corner of Thorndyke and Dalton Ave. in Pittsfield, MA.   Contact Info: rose@thebeatnews.org

Read all about it at No Frack Gas in Mass

Monday August, 23, 7 to 9pm.  Climate Action Now monthly Zoom gathering. We’ve been have wonderful virtual gatherings via ZOOM during the time of COVID closure. Look out for zoom registration details before the next meeting in our newsletter or on facebook.  

Wednesday August 25, 6 to 7:30pm. Climate Activist Tool kit Part 2.  Elders Climate Action proudly presents The Climate Activist Toolkit, a 3-part summer workshop series designed to build our strengths as climate advocates. These facilitated workshops will cover a range of topics including Tools for Meeting with Elected Officials, The Power of Personal Stories, and Communicating for Climate Action. We’ll dive into helpful skills, tools and strategies relevant to our members working at local, state, and federal levels. Participants will engage in small-group work (via Zoom breakout rooms) to discuss personal strategies and ideas, practice skills through role play, and plan how to engage in actions. Register HERE

Wednesday September. 8, 7:30pm. .Join WMass Extinction Rebellion to hear about recent actions and plan for our next steps toward regenerative culture and action against fossil fuel infrastructure. Place TBA. Go to: https://www.facebook.com/events/2984852311835948 

Friday September 17, All Day.  The radical change we need will only come from lots of ordinary people taking action. We must find the means to enter the public discourse where the truth and the extent of climate action required to avert climate catastrophe, biodiversity loss, and minimize the risk of social and ecological collapse can emerge. Treat this year like it’s Do or Die for the planet by standing with us. New York City (specifics coming soon). Go HERE.

 

That is all except for one thing........remember to listen to your Mother

 

 

 

The Enviro Show vs. Evilsourse

Greetings Earthlings. You're probably aware of all the bad press Eversourse has garnered over the years, yes? When it comes to utilities, which should be publicly owned btw, these privateers have a long list of customer and public interest group's grievances that are about to be multiplied by their purchase of Columbia Gas. Susan Lemont and Alex Chambers from XR-Boston join us to drill down into the issues. As always we will also bring you along to meet this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and, sadly do some Backslidin' with Biden as well as remind the MAGA-minded that "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" and more, but first it's time for........Revenge of the Critters!  Do Not, Repeat, Do Not Stick Your Arm in the Tiger Cage.  

This week's Fool-on-the-Hill is rootin' tootin' six gun shooting Repugnican Lauren Boebert, the "cartoonishly absurd Republican representative from Colorado, [who] pranced across the CPAC stage like a country music singer with a head injury, crowing "don't come knocking on my door with your Fauci ouchie," referencing Anthony Fauci, the country's leading infectious disease expert." reports the Chicago Tribune. Of course, it takes a real fool to actively support a deadly pandemic but Boebert goes the extra mile by condemning the effort to overcome it. 

We have a point/counter-point edition of Abidin' with Biden vs. Backslidin' with Biden this time around. First, the Prez gets bonus points for  "proposing" to restore environmental protections to Alaska's Tongass National Forest, the world's largest temperate old growth rainforest. "In a statement, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said it would move to restore the Clinton-era Roadless Rule protections to the Tongass, conserving 9.3 million acres of the largest U.S. national forest. The agency also said it would end large-scale old growth timber sales in the Tongass and focus resources on forest restoration, resilience and recreation." Can we move from "proposing" & "would" to just doing it??   On the other hand why isn't Biden actively pushing for restrictions or an end to the filibuster in the Senate?  It is the ONLY way to push the seditious Repugs aside and pass legislation that will literally save the Republic. Also, As Biden works to uphold his promises to address climate change and environmental justice, we must urge him to establish strong, ecologically-sound, and environmentally-just protections for our forests, as they are central to fulfilling these pledges. Let him know! Go HERE. 

Here's a real eye opener for you from the New York Times showing "How Wildfire Smoke Spreads.." across North America. If you're asking why there are so many wildfires lately may we remind you that "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!". Our last show with Chad Hanson got into many of the contributing reasons for these mega-fires but what's dominating the headlines lately? Massive flooding in Europe! If you are thinking End Times you are.......correct! And it's not like we haven't been talking about this on the show since the beginning 16 years ago. Wait, did we just say The Enviro Show is 16 years old? 

After you have sung us a few rounds of "Happy Birthday" and sent in your presents it should be time for The Enviro Show Quote of the Week: 

"It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer."     --Albert Einstein

And, after our conversations with Susan and Alex we go to the Bus Stop Billboard:

Friday August 6, 4:30 pm.  Put Peakers in the Past Action. Please Join Us - standing up for clean air for Pittsfield neighborhoods! Come join our Put Peakers in the Past Coalition for this stand-out protest to let folks know about Pittsfield Generating’s peaker power plant, now filing for renewal of its Air Quality Permit. Corner of Dalton & Thorndyke Ave. (Dalton Ave. Plaza, near Zucco's, across from Plastics Ave.) Go to: https://www.facebook.com/events/674772667254134/ 

Saturday & Sunday August 7 & 8, 10am to 5pm.  8th Annual Pocumtuck Homelands Festival:A Celebration of Native American Art, Music, and Cultures.  Go to:  https://nolumbekaproject.org/pocumtuck-homelands-festival  /

Friday August 6, 7pm.  August 6 and 9, 2021, will mark the 76th anniversary of the atomic bombings of two Japanese cities, Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The bombings killed between 129,000 and 226,000 people, and exposed thousands to lethal radiation. Join us in Easthampton, Mass., to express solidarity with the remaining Hibakusha survivors and hear from speakers who are calling for a rapid phase-out of nuclear weapons. Divest from war, invest in peace! 7:00 p.m. Meet at Emily Williston Library, 9 Park St. Easthampton. 7:10 p.m. Peace Walk departs Williston Library for Nashawannuck Pond. 7:30 p.m. Peace walkers arrive at Nashawannuck Pond with candles. Peace walk will be followed by reflections, performances, and lantern-floating on the pond.

We're off to snag some sweet sixteen B-Day cake now but want to remind you to listen to your Mother!

 

The Burning Question Enviro Show

Greetings Earthlings. Remember those unbelievable wildfires out west last year? Suppose we told you old-school logging practices contributed to all that massive destruction? Chad Hanson, scientist and author of "Smokescreen: Debunking Wildfire Myths to Save Our Forests and Our Climate" joins us to extinguish the myths on this hot topic. As always, we will also take you along to meet this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and to remind the distracted that "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!". We will also check in to see if there's been any Back Slidin' with Biden and present you with The Enviro Show Quote of the Week but first it's time for.........Revenge of the Critters! Don't feed the animals....they will bring the entire family next time.

This week's Fool-on-the-Hill must have slept through the part of high school history class that taught about McCarthyism. Repugnican Sen. Martha Blackburn has her panties all up in a twist about nonexistent Marxist Socialist boogeymen going after Hollywood stars and pop culture icons like Taylor Swift  and....what? sending them to the gulag? censoring their work? Yes, it's Repugnican Fascist Talking Points 101, this time with 21st century sheen.....wait, maybe slime?

We guess it's time for some Backslidin' with Biden given the Biden-approved, treaty-violating Enbridge Line 3 pipeline. "The Line 3 project, a rerouted expansion of the existing Enbridge Line 3, will initially carry some 760,000 barrels per day of highly toxic, carbon-heavy, tar-sands crude from strip-mined First Nations land in the boreal forest of Alberta to Superior, Wis., crossing pristine Indigenous wetlands in northern Minnesota and threatening the headwaters of the Mississippi River", reports The Nation. The piece goes on to state: "Some 1,500 miles to the east... on Tuesday, June 29, a group of 60-some climate-justice protesters converged unannounced on the office building in Waltham, Mass, where Enbridge has its northeast US headquarters. Eighteen nonviolent resisters, ages 22 to 80, blockaded the entrance to the Enbridge suite on the third floor, prepared to be arrested."  Checkout the link for more. Then this: In a recent statement, Food & Water Watch policy director Mitch Jones warned about a White House  memo (pdf) on the reconciliation legislation. "The White House continually praises far-fetched, pro-industry projects like [industrial] carbon capture as a viable solution to drastically reducing climate emissions. This approach is foolish and dangerous. The Biden administration has consistently pledged support for a clean energy standard, but only a weak one that would qualify dirty energy sources like fracked gas and nuclear power as clean," said Jones. Checkout the Biden Climate Watch   HERE.

Like we said last week, maybe we need to remind the Prez that "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!"? Surely he missed where meteorologist Bob Henson and former National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) hurricane scientist Jeff Masters wrote: "It's not hype or exaggeration to call the past week's heatwave the most extreme in world weather records. The only heatwave that compares is the great Dust Bowl heatwave of July 1936 in the U.S. Midwest and south-central Canada. But even that cannot compare to what happened in the Northwest U.S. and western Canada over the past week." Of course, there's no real distinction between climate chaos and the Sixth Great Extinction, they are inherently intertwined. The Endangered Species Coalition just announced the need for Congress to take bold action to conserve and expand habitat, fully fund protections for species, and ensure a sustainable and equitable future for our communities -- before it’s too late. Trainings for their lobbying effort will be over by the time you read this but you can TAKE ACTION anyway.   And with that in mind, checkout this disturbing alert from CT Audubon stating "An unknown affliction has been killing songbirds in southern, mid-Atlantic states, and mid-west states. Although it seems as if it hasn’t reached Connecticut yet, it’s time to take precautions." Some of those precautions include taking down all bird feeders, cleaning birdbaths with disinfectant (and rinsing thoroughly), and documenting any dead birds you encounter without handling them. Click on the green link for more. 

Now it's time for The Enviro Show Quote of the Week: 

“One of the most cowardly things ordinary people do is to shut their eyes to facts.”

                                                                                                    ― C.S. Lewis,

 After our conversation with Chad it's on to The Bus Stop Billboard:

Thursday July 22, 5 to 6pm. South Hadley Peaker Plant Webinar. Did you know that South Hadley has entered a 30-year contract with other municipal utility providers to construct a new oil and gas “peaker” power plant in Peabody, partially financed by our ratepayer funds? At Mothers Out Front, we believe that all children deserve to breathe clean air. We should be building clean energy for their future, not adding pollution to the air that children in another community like ours will have to breathe. Join us for an educational webinar to learn more about the proposed “peaker” plant, how South Hadley is involved, and what we can do together to push for a cleaner alternative. RSVP to get the Zoom link:https://www.mothersoutfront.org/.../ma-south-hadley.../

Monday June 28, 7 to 8:30pm. Climate Action Now Monthly Meeting via Zoom:  Go here to register.  First Hand Report on Line 3 Pipeline Protests! 

Friday July 30, 5pm.   Pull the Plug on Eversource Rally. Join us for a rally demanding Eversource stop profiting at the expense of the people of Massachusetts and beyond! This rally will be part of a decentralized action at multiple locations in New England. We need a plan for a just transition AWAY from fossil fuels and toward a livable future. Instead Eversource is lying about the climate emergency, expanding fossil fuel infrastructure, committing environmental justice crimes, and spreading propaganda in schools. Communities have the right to make decisions about their own energy futures. Energy companies should be placed under control of communities, not executives and investors! All are welcome! We'll gather at Elwell state park and spread out on sidewalks along and near the Coolidge Bridge. We will NOT disrupt traffic. Let us know how we can help make this event accessible for you. Masks are strongly recommended for anyone who is unvaccinated or at higher risk for COVID, or anyone who prefers one. Go HERE. 

Saturday July 31, 1 to 4pm.  Massachusetts Statewide Rally Honoring the Land. No Clearcutting Forests for Solar! In Person - Two Locations: Wareham, Gibbs Park (Onset VFW) & Greenfield, Energy Park, Miles Street with Yours Truly attending! Learn how to take action now! It will feature speakers, tabling with booths/posters, and networking aimed at encouraging people to get involved in local government and state policy/legislation on forest protection issues, especially deforestation for solar. Go HERE!    

Saturday & Sunday August 7 & 8, 10am to 5pm.  8th Annual Pocumtuck Homelands Festival:A Celebration of Native American Art, Music, and Cultures.  Go to:  https://nolumbekaproject.org/pocumtuck-homelands-festival  /

Tuesday, August 3, 10:00 am. and  5pm. Biomass Alert! Proposed Amendments to MassDEP GHG Emissions Reporting Requirements.  The proposed amendments and a background document are available on MassDEP’s website at: https://www.mass.gov/service-details/massdep-public-hearings-comment-opportunities.  Please join the public hearing from your computer, tablet or smartphone. You can also dial in using your phone. Testimony may be presented orally at the public hearing, or written comments may be submitted until 5:00 PM on August 16, 2021. Written comments must be submitted via email to climate.strategies@mass.gov    Here are the Zoom links: 10AM https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAqcO6pqDopE932Trvt-FqAAI7FRYAa_HgK   5PM  https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEqfuCvrD4tH9BgY0c6aLjbiLeVi3ugj1Dm 

Until next time please remember to........LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER! 

The Give Trees A Chance Enviro Show

Greetings Earthlings. The Climate Crisis is, as most of you already know, an   existential threat to all life on the planet. That said, it's more of a threat to today's youth than to adults whose days are numbered. Fort River Elementary School graduates Eva and Keira join us from Amherst, Massachusetts to talk about their work at Give Trees a Chance MA. We met them at a Sierra Club Forest Protection Group meeting recently and thought our listeners might like to meet them and learn about their important work.  As always we will also bring you along to meet this week's Fool-on-the-Hill and to do a bit of Backsliden' with Biden, as well as a reminder to anyone not paying attention that "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" and maybe another Enviro Show Quote of the Week, but first it's time for..........Revenge of the Critters! Asian Elephants on relocation.

This Fool-on-the-Hill keeps outdoing himself. The headline says it all! "Rep. Louie Gohmert asks if Forest Service can shift Earth’s or moon’s orbit to fight climate change"  😏 Need we say more?.......Sorry, but we can't help but point out that while this fool is considered "the dumbest guy in Congress" he is also "about 32 degrees to the right of Attila the Hun" and embraced by Repugnican Trump Chumps everywhere. Soooo, maybe you can't fix stupid but it can be dangerous. 

 

 

 

 

With the Keystone Pipeline dead, and oil leases in the Arctic Wildlife Refuge cancelled by The Prez there were hopes we might not be "Backsliden' with Biden" but "from the Line 3 pipeline in Minnesota  (which the Administration is supporting) to the Byhalia Pipeline in Memphis, there are too many projects that are making significant investments in extending fossil fuel infrastructure far beyond what is sustainable for human civilization." So noted Progress American as they ask you to tell Biden to "Stop all new fossil fuel projects and start making big strides towards the climate mitigation we MUST have." As for the much touted bipartisan infrastructure plan announced Friday only
"14 percent of the infrastructure package is being dedicated to environmentally aligned projects, with electric cars and grid modernization, though those are the least ambitious parts of the environmental program—no major expansion of public transit, no major renewable-power generation programs. The other 86 percent of the package is largely going to expand fossil fuel–heavy infrastructure, including highways, ports, oil- and gas-reliant energy systems, and more (there’s money for water storage but no regulations on water use patterns)."

This is what happens when you cut deals with War on Nature Repugnicans these days. Seems like backsliden' from here!  

Maybe Biden missed the memo titled "It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!"? Now that there's a legal definition of ecocide it should be clear what needs to be done and undone with regard to climate chaos. And yet "On Climate and Covid-19 Emergencies, [the] G7 Judged a 'Colossal Failure' for All the World to See"  Common Dreams reports: "Anti-poverty groups, climate campaigners, and public health experts reacted with outrage and howls of disappointment after the G7 leaders who spent the weekend at a summit in Cornwall, England issued a final communique that critics said represents an extreme abdication of responsibility in the face of the world's most pressing and intertwined crises—savage economic inequality, a rapidly-heating planet, and the deadly Covid-19 pandemic." Which brings us to......

The Enviro Show Quote of the Week:

“We don’t have time to sit on our hands as our planet burns. For young people, climate change is bigger than election or re-election. It’s life or death.”   - AOC

After our conversation with Eva and Keira we go to the Bus Stop Billboard

Monday July 12, 12pm. Exposé on use in fracking of previously unknown, highly dangerous chemicals. Join PSR’s webinar as we release the findings of our report revealing a new toxic threat in fracking. Details will be provided in the webinar. Go HERE.  

Tuesday July 13, 7 to 8:30pm.  Biochar: What it is and What it is Not. Rachel Smolker is co-director of Biofuelwatch. Her work has spanned local grassroots organizing to participation in international processes, including the United Nations conventions on climate and biodiversity. She has researched, written, and organized on the impacts of biofuels, bioenergy and biochar on land use, forests, biodiversity, food, people, and the climate. She has a Ph.D. in biology from the University of Michigan and worked previously as a field biologist. She lives in Vermont.  Register HERE for this talk.  

Wednesday  July 14,  3:30 pm. Don’t miss an incredible lineup of speakers focused on PFAS — what it is, what’s happening in MA to ban PFAS in the Commonwealth. Have a question you want addressed? Email jo.comerford@masenate.gov. Tune in live on https://www.facebook.com/senatorjocomerford/live 

Wednesday, July 14, 6:30 – 9:00 pm. The US Forest Service is hosting a virtual information meeting to present background information about current forest conditions and potential "management activities" [logging] to implement within the project area. This is a great opportunity to learn about the project, ask questions, and make any comments that you think are appropriate. Information about the project and meeting can be found here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=60192    (The meeting is being held via Microsoft Teams, so be sure you have the software loaded prior to the meeting.)

Monday June 28, 7 to 8:30pm. Climate Action Now Monthly Meeting via Zoom:  Go here to register.  First Hand Report on Line 3 Pipeline Protests! 

Saturday July 31, 1 to 4pm.  Massachusetts Statewide Rally Honoring the Land. No Clearcutting Forests for Solar! In Person - Two Locations: Wareham, Gibbs Park (Onset VFW) & Greenfield, Energy Park, Miles Street. Learn how to take action now! It will feature speakers, tabling with booths/posters, and networking aimed at encouraging people to get involved in local government and state policy/legislation on forest protection issues, especially deforestation for solar. Go HERE!  

Until next time please remember to........LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Toxic Timebomb Enviro Show

Greetings Earthlings. There's a lot of talk about pesticide spraying out there lately, especially that planned by the state, but what about rodenticide?  Gary Menin, Sr. of We the People Oppose the Toxic Spraying of Pesticides joins us to get into the details and talk about Massachusetts House Bill HD.4206 An Act Relative to Pesticides. As always, we'll bring you along to meet this week's Fool-on-the-Hill, do some Backsliden' with Biden?, checkout The Enviro Show Echo Chamber and remind anyone who hasn't been listening that....."It's the Climate Crisis, Stupid!" Maybe we'll even dig up an Enviro Show Quote of the Week but first it's time for..........Revenge of the Critters! Another dumb-ass selfie incident from eight years ago should have taught two important lessons: 1) Stay away from Rhinos 2) Don't take advise from strangers.

Our Fool-on-the-Hill this time is yet another seditious Repugnican, Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA) who is claiming "There was no insurrection" on January 6.  During a House oversight committee hearing  discussing what went wrong in police preparation for the Jan. 6 riot, and what the Trump administration did not do to quell the violence, Clyde lied, “Let me clear: There was no insurrection, And to call it an insurrection, in my opinion, is a bold-faced lie.” Not content with that bit of historical denialism he went on to say, ""You know, if you didn't know the TV footage was a video from January 6, you would actually think it's a normal tourist visit."  😖

Sad to say, looks like some Backslidin' with Biden? The Sierra Club pointed out: "President Biden made a counteroffer to Republican lawmakers, taking a step backward on his original infrastructure plan and on critical funding needed to undertake transformational change that would foster cleaner air and water, higher wages, greater equity, healthier communities, and a more stable climate."  Say it ain't so, Joe! If you're on Facebook send him a message: https://www.facebook.com/POTUS 

We have an Enviro Show Quote of the Week for you:

“The animals of the planet are in desperate peril. Without free animal life, I believe we will lose the spiritual equivalent of oxygen.” – Alice Walker

Time to remind anyone concerned about....say the gas shortage? anyone filling up plastic bags or tubs with highly flammable petro 'cuz of a perceived gasoline crisis that actually "It's the Climate Crisis,  Stupid!"  And, part of that crisis lies to our north where "Canada's continent-spanning forest used to remove massive amounts of CO2 from the air each year. It was a hugely valuable "carbon sink", slowing the pace of climate change and benefiting our logging industry. But that carbon sink has steadily collapsed to the point where the forest now emits CO2. That adds fuel to our accelerating climate crisis, and spells trouble for Canadian logging."  Frankly, we don't give a damn about any trouble for Canadian logging given the industry is busily engaged in destroying life on the planet. Maybe they didn't get the memo?........Nah! There are better ways to make a living though, how about trying that? 

In The Enviro Show Echo Chamber we find the Scientific American confirming what we already knew.....but with science!  "Communities of color in the U.S. have long reported health problems from heavy exposure to polluted air. In recent decades a growing body of data have bolstered these reports by showing that Asian, Black and Hispanic people are exposed to relatively higher concentrations of potentially deadly air pollution on average, compared with white people."  Surprise! Click on the link to get your dose of bar graphs and data.

Looks like it's time for the Bus Stop Billboard:

Monday June 28, All day.  Sunrise is planning a mobilization in DC for June 28! If you're already sure you're coming, fill out this registration form: smvmt.org/june28 

Monday June 28, 7 to 8:30pm. Climate Action Now monthly gathering. Cathy Kristofferson of Pipe Line Awareness Network for the North East   Gas utility companies, like Eversource and Berkshire Gas, see the writing on the wall with new climate goals in Massachusetts and elsewhere. In the “fight for their lives,” they plan on piping hydrogen, an expensive, explosive gas, most often generated by burning fossil fuels, into our homes and buildings for heating, cooking and hot water. We’ll explain what the gas utilities plan on doing and why it isn’t safe, affordable, equitable, clean, or green. Plus break-out groups, action updates, small group conversations, and more! Watch for meeting details soon. 

Friday July 2, 4;30 to  6pm.  PUT PEAKERS in the PAST STAND-OUT PROTEST. Corner of Dalton & Thorndyke Ave., Pittsfield (near Zucco’s, across from Plastics Ave.)
Speak out for Clean Air! Come join our Put Peakers in the Past Coalition for this stand-out protest to let folks know about Pittsfield Generating’s peaker power plant, now filing for renewal of its Air Quality Permit. We’re standing out in the streets of Pittsfield to let everyone know that this aging fossil fuel plant is polluting our air and needs to convert to zero emissions. The Mass Department of Environmental Protection needs to deny the Air Quality Permit, and we need folks in our community to demand this when the time for the permit hearing comes. Do you plan to come to the stand out? Let us know by RSVP.

Thursday July 13, 7 to 8:30pm.  Biochar: What it is and What it is Not. Rachel Smolker is co-director of Biofuelwatch. Her work has spanned local grassroots organizing to participation in international processes, including the United Nations conventions on climate and biodiversity. She has researched, written, and organized on the impacts of biofuels, bioenergy and biochar on land use, forests, biodiversity, food, people, and the climate. She has a Ph.D. in biology from the University of Michigan and worked previously as a field biologist. She lives in Vermont.  Register HERE for this talk

 

Until next time please remember to........LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER!