A ‘recipe for extinction’: can the US’s envied nature protections survive Trump and his ‘God squad’?

"Even as imperilled species dwindle and vanish across America, this order will fan the flames of the extinction crisis. If it's fully implemented, Burgum's order threatens to leave future generations with a greatly impoverished, hotter planet. It's monumentally shortsighted," he says.…

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/feb/13/endangered-extinction-us-nature-protections-survive-trump-god-squad-aoe

Music I’m Listening to: Hymns for My Atheist Sister & Her Friends to Sing Along To

“…an album for the faithful, the faithless, and the somewhere in between” is how the modern folk music duo known as The Rough & Tumble describe their newest collection, called Hymns for My Atheist Sister & Her Friends to Sing Along To.

These songs are wonderfully arranged with only a few acoustic instruments. The lyrics reflect on life’s struggles and beauty, most especially love, compassion, and community, and are sung with rich and passionate harmonies — with the “choir” of several of their friends.

Here are some lyrics from what I’d call the album’s title song — My Atheist Sister: 

My sister and all her friends,
they get together on the weekends
They drink some wine and sing some hymns
They know by heart but don’t believe in.
And they pack socks and clean water
And granola bars in paper bags–
And they hand them out to the unhoused, 

My Atheist sister and all of her friends…

She takes sick days and goes to the capitol,
Swears on the Bible and bends some ears about
Equal rights for her daughter and
For all the people living here…

When you’re scared and full of doubt,
And for your sins, God cast you out.
Who will love you without fear?
An Atheist in riot gear.

The album closes with these words from the song Hymn: 

Come all, come close, come from a long way.
Count yourself present before autumn falls.
Come joy, come poor, come as you have always.
We’ll say you’ve been here after you’ve gone.

There’s no better world that is coming,
There’s no other time than now.
Fear not a hell– it is what you have been through.
Heaven exists all around.

“All instrumentation on this record,” they say, “was limited to what Mallory was allowed to have in her church growing up. We chose this with intention of leaning on the voices of others, and to remember that the ways in which we felt limited-- the ways that we were held back by arbitrary rules-- gave us a chance to creatively grow around the barriers to something bigger and more beautiful than ourselves.”

You can hear the album for free at the Bandcamp Web site, or download the Bandcamp app to your phone or iPad and stream the music on demand that way. You can also purchase CDs and MP3s of the songs on the album. 

Talk Heathen 06.16 with Jmike and Kenneth Leonard

00:00:00 Intro
9:25 Dominic-CA | There Is An Underlying Higher Power!
54:08 Richard-NH | What Makes Us Who We Are, Nature Vs. Nurture
1:06:14 Kevin-NY | Jesus' Resurrection

Greetings Heathens! We hope to be a sanctuary for you in this chaotic world. In today’s episode of Talk Heathen, JMike is joined by Kenneth Leonard. The gauntlet has been thrown folks, if you have a case that proves sin is a thing and should be a part of our morality, call the show and ask for Kenneth.

Let’s get to calls! Dominic from California would like to prove there is a higher power through a series of convoluted premises. Can science prove intrinsic purpose, JMike asks him. How is this different from debunkable pseudoscience? Dominic goes on to claim that he knows God exists 100%! JMike responds, can you give justification for this God you think is true.

Richard in New Hampshire is up next, he is wondering about the age old question of what makes someone who they are, nature vs. nurture? If only Shannon Q was here to chat about this, but Kenneth does his very best to talk about his perspective on it.

Returning caller Kevin in New York, (Yes THAT Kevin!) would like to talk about Jesus’ resurrection. Oooooh, the topic of the day! Definitely seems like the same old Kevin though, and definitely was hoping he’d be further along with deconstructing his faith, but alas, he returns with the same questions about faith and the Bible. He does believe that the resurrection of Jesus did in fact happen. But why Kevin? Waiting for the Apocrypha to be mentioned… and he does imply it (and Kenneth mentions it) at 1:32:58. BINGO!
Interview: 

https://youtu.be/dRI3ibIXFjw

Nature conservation near you: Restor maps parks, forests, prairie, and more - Vox

Here's where nature is, in fact, healing...

https://www.vox.com/down-to-earth/22870194/restor-map-nature-healing-forest-restoration

Economics' failure over destruction of nature presents ‘extreme risks’

"The most important thing is that the Dasgupta review was commissioned by the UK Treasury ministry, not the environment department. Hopefully this will mean that finance ministries around the world will acknowledge that the loss of nature is an economic issue, not simply an environmental issue."

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/feb/02/economics-failure-over-destruction-of-nature-presents-extreme-risks

A Conversation With Jane Goodall (On Point)

60 years ago, Jane Goodall first began her close observations of Tanzania’s chimpanzees. Equipped with simple binoculars, a notebook and patience, she transformed the way the world understood primates and wildlife. She joins us to look back on her legacy, and discuss the urgent challenges around climate and conservation.
Interview:

https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2020/07/17/a-conversation-with-jane-goodall-coronavirus-chimpanzees

A Conversation With Jane Goodall (On Point)

60 years ago, Jane Goodall first began her close observations of Tanzania’s chimpanzees. Equipped with simple binoculars, a notebook and patience, she transformed the way the world understood primates and wildlife. She joins us to look back on her legacy, and discuss the urgent challenges around climate and conservation.
Interview:
https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2020/07/17/a-conversation-with-jane-goodall-coronavirus-chimpanzees

PragerFU: Maybe Nature Shouldn't Be Worshiped After All

If Nature shouldn't be worshipped, should we worship Nature's Creator? https://youtu.be/tAG6RLb9dC0

Opinion | This Should Be Biden’s Bumper Sticker - The New York Times

Respect science, respect nature, respect each other. Biden 2020.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/30/opinion/biden-trump-respect.html

PragerFU: Maybe Nature Shouldn't Be Worshiped After All

If Nature shouldn't be worshipped, should we worship Nature's Creator? https://youtu.be/tAG6RLb9dC0

Save The Salmon, Save The World (Joshua Johnson, The 1A)

The northern Pacific Ocean bridges cultures and economies from western Canada and the American Northwest to East Asia and Russia’s Far East. For all their differences, communities in each of those places rely on one essential animal: salmon.

Salmon are critical not only to the ecosystems they’re part of — affecting everything from forests to orcas and grizzly bears — but also to a $3 billion industry that employs tens of thousands of people, according to conservationist Guido Rahr.

But human impact has caused salmon stocks to drop dramatically, with devastating economic and environmental consequences. A proposed mine in southwestern Alaska has generated backlash, and even among environmentalists, priorities clash. The push to build hydroelectric dams — an important source of “clean energy” — has cut salmon off from their spawning grounds.

Rahr is the subject of “Stronghold: One Man’s Quest to Save the World’s Wild Salmon,” a new book by journalist and novelist Tucker Malarkey. Malarkey chronicles Rahr’s work to restore salmon stocks as it takes him around the world and leads him to form unlikely partnerships with celebrities and Russian oligarchs.

We talk to Rahr and Malarkey about what it will take to save the Pacific’s salmon.
Interview:
https://the1a.org/shows/2019-07-23/save-the-salmon-save-the-world

How do Chameleon Tongues work? (In Slow Motion) | Smarter Every Day 180

https://youtu.be/8MtbfrCGRm8

Loss of biodiversity is just as catastrophic as climate change

Nature is being eroded at rates unprecedented in human history but we still have time to stave off mass extinctions....
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/may/06/biodiversity-climate-change-mass-extinctions

Here’s how you’re influenced by the genes you didn’t inherit from your parents -- The Verge

A new twist in nature and nurture ....
https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/25/16931782/genetic-nurture-nature-parenting-families

NURTURING THE HUMANITY!!! A MUST WATCH VIDEO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxeRPabd8WU&feature=youtu.be

10 Frightening Facts You Probably Didn't Know About Ants

We all know ants are incredibly capable creatures. They live in vast, interconnected colonies, can lift several times their own body weight, and coordinate their activity with incredible precision. But many of the things that make ants impressive would also make them formidable foes.

Perhaps it's time we took a look at some of these strengths in greater detail. Remember: it's important to know your enemy - erm, I mean your new insect overlords....
http://io9.gizmodo.com/5880539/10-frightening-facts-you-probably-didnt-know-about-ants

Captive Octopuses Get Bored Unless You Give Them Puzzles

Over at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, the Steinhart Aquarium biologists say that it’s not enough to keep octopuses fed and healthy. The highly-intelligent cephalopods get unhappy if they don’t have things to do with their minds....
http://gizmodo.com/captive-octopuses-get-bored-unless-you-give-them-puzzle-1738731062

Harley my funny cockatoo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRsfOGJ5lZg&feature=youtu.be

Anti Squirrel Slinky - aww

https://www.reddit.com/r/aww/comments/6hvp59/anti_squirrel_slinky/

It's like watching a cartoon - aww

https://www.reddit.com/r/aww/comments/6fmd2f/its_like_watching_a_cartoon/
U9S4FA2.mp4