Help Mothers Out Front Worcester Open a Dialogue

We are mothers, grandmothers and other caregivers in Worcester coming together to make climate change an issue that our leaders can no longer ignore.

We are building a powerful grassroots movement to ensure a swift, complete, and just transition away from fossil fuels and towards clean and renewable energy. Together we can create a healthy climate today and a livable future for all our children.

We want to open an ongoing dialogue with Worcester city officials about what is possible at the local level and in the short term to reduce our emissions from "natural" gas leaks. We know there are nearly 900 unrepaired gas leaks in our city: https://heetma.org/gas-leaks/gas-leak-maps/. Join us and make our voices louder – sign below.

76 SIGNATURES

100 signatures

Dear Councilors,

We write to you as Worcester-based mothers, grandmothers, caretakers, and citizens urgently concerned about climate change. The latest report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change terrifies us. The window of opportunity to take meaningful action to mitigate and prepare for the impact of climate change is closing rapidly.

We want to thank those of you who are taking the threat of climate change seriously and taking steps to hold fossil fuel companies accountable. Recent deadly gas explosions in our state make this issue all the more urgent. The public health risks of fossil fuel infrastructure are real and growing.

We hope to open an ongoing dialogue with you about what is possible at the local level and in the short term. We know there are nearly 900 unrepaired gas leaks in our city https://heetma.org/gas-leaks/gas-leak-maps/. These leaks

a) Kill trees https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/topics/natural-gas-injury

b) Exacerbate asthma http://www.catf.us/resources/publications/files/Gasping_for_Breath.pdf

c) Help speed us toward climate catastrophe https://www.edf.org/climate/methane-other-important-greenhouse-gas

We call ourselves Tree City USA, and yet we allow Eversource to delay indefinitely repairs to leaking pipelines that kill our trees. We rank 12^th in the nation in asthma rates Asthma rates Worcester and yet we send our kids to schools surrounded by gas leaks, including several on school property.

We are already working throughout the city to raise awareness about the hazards of our city’s gas leaks and to summon the vision, energy, and political will necessary to take on climate change. We write to invite you all to work with us as partners in this effort, on behalf of all of our kids and grandkids. Thank you for your attention.

Kind regards,

Mothers Out Front Worcester

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Showing 69 reactions

Jen Burt signed 2018-10-16 15:46:31 -0400
Joan McGinn signed 2018-10-16 15:44:23 -0400

Joan McGinn
Marilyn Martin signed 2018-10-16 15:11:42 -0400
Eric DeMeulenaere signed 2018-10-16 14:03:44 -0400
@RenewWorcester tweeted link to this page. 2018-10-16 14:00:33 -0400

Sign the petition: Mothers Out Front Worcester https://ma.mothersoutfront.org/worcester_mof_petition?recruiter_id=30795
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Jeuji Diamondstone signed 2018-10-16 14:00:11 -0400

Gas leaks are a significant hazard for children and the environment. I am grateful that Mothers Out Front Worcester has focused on gas leaks as both an immediate threat that we must mitigate and an opportunity to raise awareness about the devastating impact of a fossil fuel based economy on people and the planet.
Virginia Ryan signed 2018-10-16 13:31:55 -0400

Nice job you are doing.
Shahbaz Soofi signed 2018-10-16 13:31:12 -0400
Liz Sheehan Castro signed 2018-10-16 11:10:13 -0400

Worcester