Mothers Out Front Science Policy Organized & Activated - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Mothers Out Front

Science Policy Organized & Activated Constituency

WHY MOTHERS We’re 80 million strong. And we’re everywhere. ▪ Vote ▪ Purchasing power ▪ Social networks ▪ Wired to protect ▪ Enjoy working together Mothers have been a force in past movements.

“The revolution will not be tweeted.” MALCOLM GLADWELL

OUR APPROACH: DEEP ORGANIZING Rooted in community § Relationship-based § Motivated by shared values and vision for § our children: healthy, safe environment Volunteer-led § Strategic § Deep and sustained • commitment to the work Concrete outcomes •

`

OUR ORGANIZING APPROACH National Leadership Team Leadership Development Statewide Teams Community Teams

IMPACT? • How many mothers does it take ? • How long ?

CASE STUDY: MASSACHUSETTS AND GAS LEAKS CAMPAIGN In 4 years… 4,500 15 350 SUPPORTERS COMMUNITY TEAMS ACTIVE VOLUNTEERS

MOTHERS OUT FRONT IN 2017

IT STARTED WITH A BOSTON GLOBE ARTICLE January 22, 2015 A 2015 Harvard study found…Methane levels in the Boston urban area are 2-3x WORSE than previously estimated. These leaks, if stopped, could heat 200,000 homes per year.

WE LEARNED GAS LEAKS FACTS Gas leaks are 10% of state’s greenhouse gas • emissions Leaked methane harms human health, kills • trees, can explode Ratepayers pay for leaked gas to tune of • $90M per year in Boston alone Super emitters: 7% of leaks are responsible • for 50% of emissions

WE TEAMED UP WITH ALLIES BU Professor Nathan Phillips and Dr. Margaret Hendrick

And we went to work

WE WORKED AT EVERY LEVEL State Activate political will to impact legislation City Support local leaders to shift policy Community Organizing Teams Engage and empower people to act

USING MAPS AS KEY ORGANIZING TOOL Unrepaired leak Missing leak 1,462 unrepaired leaks in Springfield 368 missing leaks http://www.heetma.org/squeaky-leak/natural-gas-leaks-maps/

COMMUNITY TEAMS IN ACTION � Met with elected officials � Organized local actions around leaks � Passed resolutions of support for state level legislation � Got publicity from local papers, radio and TV All 15 of our Community Organizing Teams across the state are working on the Gas Leaks Campaign

COMMUNITY TEAMS IN ACTION 37 towns and cities passed resolutions • Arlington • Fall River • Natick • Springfield • Bedford • Framingham • Newton • Swampscott • Belmont • Great Barrington • Northampton • Waltham • Boston • Haverhill • North Adams • Wayland • Brookline • Lexington • Pittsfield • Wellesley • Cambridge • Lowell • Quincy • Weston • Chelmsford • Malden* • Reading • Weymouth* • Chesire • Medford • Rockland • Williamstown • Concord • Marblehead • Somerville • Worcester • Dalton * Endorsed by Mayor

CITY LEVEL City of Boston Gas Leak Ordinance Hearing on July 12 th 2016 Tito Jackson: “I don’t want my 8 year old friends to have to deal with this. We will be held accountable by Mothers Out Front, by mothers in the back and mothers on the side. We have 360 degrees of accountability.”

CITY LEVEL December 2016 Gas Leaks Tagging in Boston - 100 people tagged leaks across the city - 3 City Council members showed up to speak

CITY LEVEL December Gas Leaks Tagging in Boston Tagging complemented by social media campaign - 2500 Tweets; Mothers Out Front trended #2 on Twitter

CITY LEVEL December Gas Leaks Tagging in Boston - National Grid agreed to meet with Mothers Out Front - On December 22, Mayor Marty Walsh signed the Boston Gas Leaks Ordinance into law. “When Mothers Out Front got involved, it was as if the army arrived”

STATE LEVEL: UTILITIES • Mothers Out Front has met with leadership of 3 largest utilities in MA • Working with HEET and BU scientists to plan a study with National Grid and Eversource on how to identify super-emitters (7% of gas leaks responsible for 50% of emissions) • Columbia gas has agreed to internally investigate how best to find super-emitters • Super emitter conference planned for October

STATE LEVEL: DPU RULE-MAKING • DPU is currently defining gas leak grade classifications for utility companies • MOF sent in comment letter and 2 mothers testified at hearing • Channel 5 filmed

STATE LEVEL: STATE HOUSE • Governor Baker signed into law an omnibus energy bill including language we had fought for: the bill requires utilities for the first time to fix not only explosive leaks but those that have a significant environmental impact. • Governor Baker issued an executive order laying out a comprehensive plan to address climate change, specifically including gas leaks. Next Step: Build support for statewide legislation modeled on Boston ordinance.

MASSACHUSETTS CAMPAIGN 3 components: - Fix gas leaks – change the narrative on natural gas - Stop proposed new pipelines - Speed deployment of more clean and renewable energy

Expansion What else?

OUR GROWING NETWORK 12,000 50 57 PEOPLE IN OUR DATABASE STATES REPRESENTED COUNTRIES REPRESENTED 8566 7438 2745 EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS FACEBOOK LIKES TWITTER FOLLOWERS

WHERE WE HAVE STAFF ON THE GROUND New York Massachusetts Started organizing Started organizing November 2014 February 2013 Virginia Started organizing February 2016

AREAS OF EXPANSION 2017 Mothers Reaching Out To Us Snohomish, WA Pomfret, CT Yellow Springs, OH Sherwood, WI Philadelphia No. NJ S. NJ Las Vegas, NV D.C. San Jose Baltimore Orange County Red = probable areas of ‘17 expansion Blue = newly started up 2016 Auburn, AL Dallas, TX Pre-2016 states/areas: MA, NY, VA

AREAS OF EXPANSION 2017 Mothers Reaching Out to Us � Pomfret, CT � Washington, DC � Baltimore, MD � Auburn, AL � Millburn and � Dallas, TX Englishtown, No. � Las Vegas, NV NJ � Snohomish, WA � Collingswood, So. NJ Launched in 2016 : Orange County & San Jose CA; Sherwood, WI; Yellow Springs, OH

ENGAGED MOTHERS ALTER THE POLITICAL LANDSCAPE

OUR VISION Tens and, eventually, hundreds of thousands of mothers across the country involved in campaigns to address climate change at the local, state, and national levels.

We would love to work with you!