We put this document together to support all of your petition collecting needs.
- Here is a link to a printable one pager about the “put gas in the past” campaign. Print this out and share it!
- Here is a printable poster
- Here are some talking points that you can use:
- Gas companies, like Eversource, are profiting off of unnecessary gas infrastructure expansion at the expense of ratepayers statewide. Ratepayers pay for new gas infrastructure via higher charges on their gas bills. Since the payment for new infrastructure is spread out over many years, these extra charges will continue long after the infrastructure has been abandoned in the transition to cleaner energy.
- Gas is hazardous to our health. You may have heard the reports about gas stoves – in Massachusetts, gas stoves are responsible for an estimated 15.4% of childhood asthma in Massachusetts, higher than the 12.7% national average. In addition, benzene, a dangerous carcinogen, has been found in 95% of the natural gas in homes in the greater Boston metropolitan area.
- Gas is dangerous. In recent years, countless excavating mishaps, gas leaks, and over-pressurized gas mains have caused tragic losses of life and property in Massachusetts.
- Black, brown, Indigenous, and low-income people bear the brunt of gas pollution. New gas infrastructure is often sited in communities that are already disproportionately affected by pollution and climate change. Current controversial proposed gas system examples include the Eversource Springfield-Longmeadow expansion project intended for “system redundancy.”
- Here are some great talking points that Mothers Out Front created.
- Here is the link to an online petition that we’re asking people to sign.
Helpful ideas for where to collect petition signatures
- Head over to your local farmers market (check online ahead of time and reach out to the coordinator to make sure it’s okay to be there)
- Set up a table at your local food co-op (email ahead of time to make sure that’s okay)
- Ask the local library
- Do a quick google search to see if your community has any upcoming earth day events
We also have another toolkit if you want to check it out for social media support.