WFHB Bloomington Community Radio
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For the last decade, the DNR has allowed logging during the summer because they had been given the OK from the U.S. Forest Service, or USFS, that there were no bats roosting in the area to be logged. This was the ruling even when bats were caught in mist nets in the area.
—Norm Holy
Several members of the House of Representatives and Senate have introduced the End Polluter Welfare Act to eliminate handouts to fossil fuel polluters. The act would save the public as much as 150 billion dollars in fossil fuel subsidies over the next ten years.
—Linda Greene
The first atomic bomb test, called Trinity, took place in south central New Mexico on July 16, 1945. The communities affected by radiation from the test, the Downwinders, are still living with the consequences of Trinity and over two hundred other nuclear weapons tests, and they haven’t been fully recognized or compensated.
—Linda Greene
The Atlantic puffin has predominantly black or black and white plumage, a stocky build, and a large beak. The only population in the lower forty-eight is on three small islands in northern Maine.
—Norm Holy
For the last five hundred years, Brazil’s Indigenous Tupinamba people have fought for their ancestral lands, but now the threats they face could finally defeat them. Past threats have been mining and agriculture, but now a huge logging company wants to clear-cut hundreds of acres of Amazon rain-forest.
—Linda Greene
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, thanks to protections put in place sixty years ago, has remained a pristine oasis in the most remote section of Alaska. Now, the Trump administration is finalizing plans to end those protections and to lease the federal lands to oil and gas exploration, according to The New York Times.
—Norm Holy
Just over ten years ago, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution affirming that water and sanitation are fundamental human rights, “essential for the full enjoyment of the right to life.” Despite that lofty resolution, millions in the US lack access to water because of unaffordable water rates, water shutoffs, or a lack of water infrastructure. The Water Affordability, Transparency, Equity and Reliability Act, or WATER Act, aims to cure those problems.
—Linda Greene
In 2004, Hurricane Ivan sank a Taylor Energy Company oil platform twelve miles off the coast of Louisiana. The pipes ruptured and have been releasing oil and gas into the Gulf of Mexico ever since. In fact, the spill has been leaking as much as forty-five hundred gallons of oil into the Gulf every day.
—Linda Greene
Perchlorate is a toxic chemical compound found in part in rocket fuel, where it’s used to increase the reliability of propellants. High concentrations of perchlorate have been found contaminating the drinking water in 26 states, often near military facilities.
—Linda Greene
Southern Power, a U.S. wholesale energy provider and subsidiary of Southern Company, says the 200 megawatt Reading Wind Facility in Kansas, is now operational.
—Norm Holy
While 2019 saw a massive uptick in environmental activism around the world, with climate strikes and the Extinction Rebellion campaign surging in popularity, the work of defending the environment on the front lines became more deadly than ever.
—Norm Holy
CALENDAR
- Spend the weekend of Saturday, August 22nd, and Sunday, August 23rd, in the Mitchell karst plain exploring caves and the history and ideas tied to them. Many cave hikes and tours are scheduled. All hikes and programs require advance registration due to the limited capacity. Face masks must be worn while inside a cave. Email Sheree Belt for more information at [email protected] or call 812-849-3534.
- The Bloomington Community Orchard is continuing its weekly Work and Learn Days from 5 to 8 pm on Wednesdays at the flagship orchard site, located at 2120 South Highland Avenue in Bloomington. No need to register; just show up, and you will learn what needs to be done. Volunteering is open to people of all ages, abilities and experience.
- Learn all about Navigation at McCormick’s Creek State Park on Saturday, August 22nd, at 3:30 pm. Join Andrew at the Deer Run Shelter to learn about the art of finding your way using the sun, moon, stars, topography and animals. You will learn these skills while hiking Trail 9 to the Peden Homestead.
- Spring Mill State Park is offering a 10-Mile Trail Challenge. The Challenge is 10.8 miles long and encompasses all of the park’s trails. The challenge can be completed within a day or spread out over the year.
- The Indiana Audubon Society will host its annual fall birding gathering at Fort Harrison State Park on Saturday, September 26th. Enjoy bird-watching activities while social distancing. Register now at www.indianaaudubon.org/events. For more information about the weekend festival, call 219-728-8351.
