Sustainable Arlington

Seeking tagging volunteers for

ARLINGTON GAS LEAKS CAMPAIGN

Sat., Oct. 1, Sun., Oct. 2

Sustainable Arlington and the Arlington chapter of Mothers Out Front are now assembling tagging teams in each Arlington school district to temporarily tag Arlington's 177 gas leaks.  

The oldest leak in Arlington was first reported in 1996.  12% of the town's leaks have gone unrepaired for 10+ years.  Only those leaks at high risk for explosion are required to be repaired immediately.  Those that the utility considers lower risk can be left, leaking into the soil and atmosphere, for years.  Natural gas in the soil kills shrubs and trees.  In the air, it helps drive climate change because it is 95% methane, the strongest greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide.  Statewide, enough gas leaks out of our underground pipes to power 200,000 homes annually.  Consumers pay for that wasted gas even though they don't get to use it.  We will pay for it a second time through the impacts of climate change.

If you would like to take action:

To help tag Arlington's gas leaks on Oct. 1 and/or 2, please sign up at:

http://mothersoutfrontarlington.nationbuilder.com/local_events 

Contact your elected State representatives to let them know your concerns about gas leaks and their impacts on your pocketbook and the environment.  Ask them to make repair a priority.

Read more about gas leaks at:  

http://www.heetma.org/squeaky-leak/natural-gas-leaks-maps/

Environmental Film Festival On Tour/ Boston

Sept 28 - 29

Kendall Square Cinema

http://dceff.org/ontour/boston/

Carbon Fee and Rebate — Answering the Threat of Climate Change and Strengthening the Economy  

Carbon pollution from the burning of fossil fuels, which is the primary cause of climate change, is the greatest environmental and economic threat facing the planet.  Climate change causes the most harm to the people least responsible for it, who are disproportionately poor and of color. It threatens the world our children will inherit. It already has begun raising sea levels, causing droughts and floods to worsen, increasing the threats to our health, and making storms more intense.  It is putting coastal cities and towns in Massachusetts – and the investments of money and sweat in homes and business – at great risk.  The center of Hurricane Sandy missed Boston only by about six hours; while New Jersey and New York bore the brunt of that storm, Massachusetts was more fortunate – but just barely.  Now is the time to act.

We can’t wait for politicians in Washington to solve our problems. It’s time for Massachusetts to take the lead in finding solutions to protect our economy, our way of life, and future generations.

Learn more at ClimateXChange,

a Massachusetts organization supporting carbon pricing as a solution to climate change

http://climate-xchange.org/carbon-pricing-basics/