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Friends,
My name is Dr. Nathan Phillips, and I'm on a hunger
strike.
I'm a member of 350 Mass' Newton node and an ally of Fore River
Residents Against the Compressor Station (FRRACS). The new Weymouth
natural gas compressor station is a public health and climate
emergency. Seven days ago, I started my hunger strike because few
media outlets seem to be paying attention. My objective is to push
this emergency into the spotlight, urging Governor Baker and DEP
Commissioner Martin Suuberg to take action.
As I enter Day 7 of my strike, Baker's office and Suuberg have
acknowledged the action and are squarely in the public spotlight,
which intensifies with each passing day. Their actions indicate a lack
of urgency, or willful neglect for the welfare of one hunger striker,
or the 3,100 children who breathe contaminated air. But they can't
shake the resolve of FRRACS and this hunger striker to do whatever
peaceful measures it takes to stop and shut down an egregious human
rights injustice playing out before our eyes in the Fore River
Basin.
Read my statement and my three demands here. But we're
not going to stop with these demands. We need to spark massive
public outrage, to shut down the compressor operations forever, and to
bring those perpetrators and enablers of this injustice to
account.
You can support my hunger strike by calling:
You can say:
"I am calling to urge you to meet the three demands that will allow
the ongoing hunger strike of Dr. Nathan Phillips to cease." It's fine
to leave a message.
In solidarity,
Dr. Nathan Phillips
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Support a Strong Senate Climate Bill
The
Massachusetts State Senate has developed a climate bill that doesn't
include all of our legislative priorities. Contact your State Senator
and urge them to support our amendments. Learn about the amendments and read a helpful phone
script.
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Other 350 Mass News
Fighting the Fossil Fuel Industry and Its
Enablers on Our Own Turf: Come to a special 350 Mass
Metrowest Node Meeting to hear about our ongoing actions targeting
Chase Bank, the proposed Weymouth compressor station, and the last
coal-burning plant in New England without a planned shut-down date.
Learn how you can play a part. Thu, Feb 6, 7-9:30 pm, Peace
Lutheran Church, 107 Concord Rd, Wayland.
Solidarity Working Group Call: On the next call, we'll be joined by
one of the coordinators of the Raise Up Massachusetts coalition to
discuss the Corporate Fair Share campaign. See the Zoom link. Meeting ID: 705 812 285 Thu,
Feb 13, 8 pm.
Local Environmental Action 2020 Conference: 350 Mass
is a lead sponsor of this annual gathering of community leaders and
activists. Sharpen the skills you need to make change, learn more
about the problems facing our world today, and be inspired to keep up
the fight. Learn more and register here. See the Facebook event. Sat, Mar 7, Northeastern
University, Curry Student Center, 360 Huntington Ave, Boston.
Screen FRRACS' Documentary in Your 350 Mass Node:
Fore River Residents Against the Compressor Station (FRRACS)
has made a documentary about their movement to stop Enbridge (here is the trailer). We want
to screen the documentary far and wide across the state (our goal is a
screening in EVERY community we're active in!). Sign up here if you’re interested
in hosting a screening. Also, check out this new video about the
Weymouth Compressor Station, Governor Baker's Toxic Legacy.
Write a Letter to the Editor: 350 Mass members write
lots of letters to the editor, many of which get published! Here are
some recent letters:
Want to join
the team? Email Vignesh Ramachandran to find out more!
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Other Better Future Project News
Interfaith Summit on Climate Change, Extreme Weather,
and How To Respond: Save the date! Communities Responding to
Extreme Weather (CREW) invites you to a summit that brings together
various religious and spiritual communities from Boston and the
surrounding area to engage in a discussion about climate change.
Discover resources that will help us be prepared for extreme
weather-related issues. Sun, Mar 29, 2-6 pm,
North American Indian Center of Boston, 105 S Huntington Ave, Jamaica
Plain.
Calling All Librarians: Last September, Communities
Responding to Extreme Weather (CREW) helped Massachusetts librarians
offer over 90 programs as part of the annual Climate Preparedness
Week. If your library participated in Climate Preparedness Week—or
even if it didn’t—read here to find out more about how you can incorporate
climate resilience programming!
Host a Boston-area Divest Ed Fellow
Next Summer: Divest Ed, Better Future Project's national
campus divestment program, will be hosting an in-person Boston summer
fellowship for up to 15 student divestment leaders. If you live in the
Greater Boston Area and have a spare room in your home, please
consider hosting a fellow and fill out this form!
Divest Ed is Hiring a Director: Better Future
Project is looking for a Divest Ed director to start in 2020! We need
someone with a vision for the student fossil fuel divestment movement,
a passion for student and youth organizing, a commitment to climate
justice, and experience working with young people and partnering with
other movements. See here for the job listing.
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Other Climate Movement News
Take
Action on Climate and Carbon Pricing: The Senate has advanced
carbon pricing mandates in its recent climate bill. The House needs to
act before TOMORROW Wed, Feb 5. Take Action! Contact your state
representatives today. See this form.
Make a Social Media Post to Support Renewable Energy:
Massachusetts can be a national leader in the fight against
climate change by passing the Decker/Garballey 100% Renewable Energy
Act (H.2836). Show your support by posting to Facebook and Twitter! See the guide here.
Support Climate Action at a Community Conversation with Rep
Thomas Golden: State Representative Natalie M. Blais invites
you to an evening with Golden and Carolyn Dykema (chair and
vice-chair, respectively, of the Telecommunications, Utilities, and
Energy Committee). Golden is the gatekeeper for many climate/energy
bills emerging from the House, and we need to turn out a huge crowd
and demonstrate overwhelming public urgency for radical climate
action. Sign up here. Thu, Feb 6, 6:30-8 pm, Shea Theater,
Turners Falls.
#OurFutureOurDebate: The DNC has refused to hold a
climate debate, and so far the moderators have failed to make climate
a priority. It's time to focus national attention on this
Friday's (February 7) New Hampshire debate and demand that climate
gets the attention it deserves. Learn more here.
Book Launch—A Planet to Win: Why We Need a Green
New Deal: Hear co-authors Drs. Alyssa Battistoni, Daniel
Aldana Cohen, and Thea Riofrancos read from their book and lead a
discussion. Books will also be signed, and refreshments will be
served. The venue is ADA-accessible. See the Facebook event. Fri, Feb 7, 7 pm, Porter
Square Books, 25 White St, Cambridge.
Visions of Justice Forum: Come to this second annual
forum of speakers, visual arts, music, and conversation on social
justice issues, and learn about the impact of environmental changes on
marginalized communities. Speakers include Sonja Spears of Boston
Health Care for the Homeless, Susan Church of Demissie & Church,
and Craig Altemose of Better Future Project. Sat, Feb 8 (snow date
Mar 7), 9:30 am-2:30 pm, Unitarian Universalist Area Church, 11
Washington St, Sherborn.
Webinar—Stop
the Money Pipeline: Banks, insurance companies, and investors
need to stop funding fossil fuels and deforestation and start
respecting human rights and Indigenous sovereignty. Sign up here to hop on the call and find out how you
can join our National Day of Action during Earth Week in
April. Sun, Feb 9, 8 pm.
Talk—Climate Change, Pentagon Fuel Use, and
the Costs of War: Hear a talk from Professor Neta Crawford of
Boston University and Brown University, plus a discussion of how peace
and climate groups can work together, led by members of the Sunrise
Movement and Extinction Rebellion. Tue, Feb 11, 6:30 pm, Central
Square Library, 45 Pearl St, Cambridge.
Green New Deal Town Hall, Somerville: In February
2019, Senator Ed Markey and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
introduced the historic Green New Deal resolution. Central to the
resolution is ensuring a democratic, inclusive process for determining
how we move forward. Ed invites you to join him in Somerville for a
town hall discussion on the Green New Deal and more. See the Facebook event. Thu, Feb 13, 6:30-8 pm,
Somerville High School, 81 Highland Ave, Somerville.
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Solidarity Opportunities
Film Screening—1200+:
See and support a film about a part of Canada where the Indigenous
community has been tragically impacted by the murder of women and
girls. This screening is part of a Dismantling White Supremacy Film
Series sponsored by the Social Justice Action Committee of First
Church in JP Unitarian Universalist. Proceeds benefit a trust fund for
Cherisse Houle and the film's producers. Learn more and get tickets.
Fri, Feb 7, 7-9:30 pm, First Church JP, 6 Eliot St,
Jamaica Plain.
Call for Rent Control Now: Voice your support for the
Tenant Protection Act, which will lift the state-wide ban on rent
control and allow cities and towns to protect residents from
displacement. Call your state representative and your state senator.
Learn more and report your call here.
Make Schools Safe from ICE: Reports from Boston Public
Schools are ending up in the hands of ICE, jeopardizing young people’s
futures. The Boston Teachers Union and the Student Immigration
Movement are taking action. Sign a petition to curb this information pipeline.
Support Corporate Fair Share: After years of
underinvestment, Massachusetts’ transportation systems are at a crisis
point. We need significant new revenue for investment in
transportation. At the same time, far too many large corporations pay
only minimal taxes here by exploiting loopholes, tax breaks, and
offshore tax havens. Here's how to help:
Support the MA Indigenous Legislative Agenda:
There are five bills in the 2019-2021 legislative session
that would benefit Indigenous Peoples. Learn more about the Massachusetts Indigenous Peoples
Legislative Agenda here and support it here.
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About Better
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