Massachusetts Climate Action Call
Massachusetts Chapter | May, 2021
65 residents from across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts participated in the first Clean Heat, Clean Air campaign Climate Action Call on Thursday, May 20. The Action Call is designed to give residents the opportunity to learn about a critical climate issue, then engage in a tangible action supporting positive change. No prior experience or knowledge is necessary to participate. Going forward, calls will be a monthly lunchtime event the third Thursday of every month.
Diane Sokal, Mothers Out Front member from Brookline, introduced the May 20 Zoom session, which focused on providing citizen feedback to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on the agency’s approach to approving new and expanded “natural gas” pipelines. Following visits to Breakout Rooms, where two or three participants got to know each other informally and share what inspired them to attend the session, Susan Lees and Carol Chamberlin of the Arlington Chapter and Environmental Justice Team shared a brief presentation on FERC, “natural gas,” and the impacts of “natural gas” on health and safety. After the presentation, participants took 15 minutes to compose original letters using a prepared online template.
In her presentation, Lees noted that FERC, the agency charged with approving or rejecting all “natural gas” pipelines across the U.S., is the most important federal agency you have never heard of. It is under new leadership in the Biden administration, and is soliciting public comments on how the agency should integrate environmental justice considerations into its decision-making process.
Many participants shared enthusiastic responses to the session in the Chat, including the comment that “I’d participate in a session like this every week!”
On Monday, May 24th, the Clean Heat, Clean Air campaign team bundled over 60 comments from participants and submitted them to FERC on behalf of the Massachusetts chapter of Mothers Out Front.