RadioActive 9/24/09

Producers/Hosts: Amy Browne and Meredith DeFrancesco
Topics: Mainers protest as LURC approves Plum Creek’s plan for the largest development in the state’s history, and a report-back from the Climate Change meetings taking place at the U.N. this week. We talk with Dr. Rachel Smolker, an organizer with Climate SOS and the CoDirector of Biofuel Watch. She has been in New York this week, monitoring the meetings, along with members of Rising Tide North America.
FMI: www.climatesos.org/ www.risingtidenorthamerica.org/wordpress/what-is-rising-tide/

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RadioActive 9/10/09

Producers/Hosts: Meredith DeFrancesco & Amy Browne

Segment 1: We hear of internationally known speakers and performers coming to Maine next week: Marcela Olivera, a Bolivian water rights activist, and the acclaimed duo “Climbing PoeTree” with their performance “Hurricane Season”, as we talk with organizer Emily Posner. (FMI: defendingwaterinmaine.org , www.climbingpoetree.com)

Segment 2: We look at TABOR II, a so-called taxpayer’s bill of rights that will be on the ballot this November. We’ll speak with Republican County Commissioner Steve Johnson of Colorado about the dire reasons that state repealed a TABOR initiative, and with Rep. Jim Martin, District 18 (Bangor, Veazie, Orono) about the potential impact here.

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RadioActive 8/27/09

Producers/Hosts: Meredith DeFrancesco and Amy Browne
“Harmful if swallowed, absorbed through the skin, or inhaled. Avoid contact with skin, eyes or clothing”….”When handling this product, use chemically resistant gloves”…”Remove contaminated clothing. Rinse skin immediately with plenty of water, for 15 to 20 minutes” and “Call a poison control center or doctor for treatment advise”. “Do not use in or near a greenhouse”. “This product is toxic to fish”. Sounds like something you want to run out and dump in a lake, right? That’s just part of the warning label for a herbicide that Maine’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) plans to dump into Salmon Lake, which flows into Hatchery Brook in North Belgrade, in order to kill Eurasian Milfoil. Today we’re talk with John McPhedran, Invasive Programs Manager at DEP and with Hillary Lister, a Maine IndyMedia reporter who has been working on this issue— she’ll also update us on legislation that would give renewable energy credits to companies burning biomass.

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RadioActive 8/20/09

Producers/Hosts: Meredith DeFrancesco and Amy Browne
Topics: Mainers working on healthcare reform and efforts to bring peace to Afghanistan.
Segment 1: “Maine Change that Works” Healthcare Reform Tour;
Guest: Greg Howard, Maine Change that Works Campaign, a project of SEIU (Service Employees Internation Union). FMI: [email protected];
Segment 2: “Rethink Afghanistan” film and discussion with an Afghanistan war veteran, sponsored by CODEPINK Maine and others, and other local efforts to stop the war. Guest: Lisa Savage, CODEPINK Maine, The film will be shown at the Colonial Theater in Belfast, 7p.m. on Thursday, August 27th, as well as other locations around the state. FMI: www.codepink4peace.org or 207-643-2356.

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RadioActive 8/13/09

Producers/Hosts: Amy Browne and Meredith DeFrancesco

In recent days the activist community in this part of Maine has been abuzz with reports that a federal grand jury has been convened in Bangor, and may be investigating local activists. We have been able to confirm the existence of a grand jury, and some information that indicates that it may be focusing on at least one person who has ties to the activist community. So far the parties involved have not come forward publicly. James McCarthy, the U.S. Assistant Attorney who issued the subpoena, has refused to answer our questions.
The Federal Grand Jury process has been used extensively in other parts of the US— most notably as part of the “Green Scare” witch hunt against environmental activists in the western states. Whether local activists are being targeted or not, attorneys who have dealt with this issue say it’s important to know your rights should someone knock on YOUR door with a subpoena. This week we’ll be focusing on that issue on RadioActive and Weekend Voices. Saturday at 10 on Weekend Voices, local attorneys Phil Worden and Lynne Williams will weigh in the issue, but we start today with some background on how Federal Grand Juries were used to target community activists in the west, with our guest Lauren Regan, ED, Attorney at Law, Executive Director of The Civil Liberties Defense Center, based in Eugene, Oregon.

FMI: www.cldc.org

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