Letter to the editor: vote yes on gas leaks resolution

To the editor:

Mothers Out Front Lincoln encourages everyone to vote “yes” to support our gas leaks resolution at Town Meeting on March 24. This is our chance to be part of the solution as we work to create a livable climate for our children, grandchildren, and future generations.

The vision of Mothers Out Front is a swift, just, and complete transition to clean, renewable energy. Our resolution targets leaked natural gas whose methane is a key contributor to climate change. We are seeking to change the narrative about natural gas. It is not clean nor is it a bridge fuel from fossil fuels to renewables. It is a potent greenhouse gas that threatens all that we care about.

Lincoln currently has 64 unrepaired gas leaks. Mothers Out Front members knit colorful scarves to mark these leaks around town. Natural gas is 95 percent methane, which traps 86 times more heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide.

Gas leaks are also toxic to human health. Most gas in Massachusetts comes from fracked gas from Pennsylvania. Extraction of fracked gas requires more than 1,000 chemicals, some of which are toxic. These toxins are linked to a variety of health issues including asthma, immune dysfunction, cancer, and other devastating conditions.

Leaking methane not only poses a risk for deadly explosions; it is also killing our trees when we need them more than ever. The pooling gas blocks oxygen from reaching the trees’ roots.

What is shocking is that we consumers are paying for this unchecked methane emitted from unrepaired pipes! Presently, gas distribution companies are allowed to pass on to consumers the costs associated with lost and unaccounted-for gas. A 2013 study from the office of Senator Ed Markey estimates these costs to be up to $135 million per year in Massachusetts.

If Lincoln voters support our resolution, “Protecting Consumers of Gas and Electricity from Paying for Leaked and Unaccounted-for Gas,” we will join other towns that have passed similar resolutions to pressure the utilities to fix the largest leaks (super-emitters). If the utilities fix 7 percent of the biggest leaks, emissions will be reduced by 50 percent.

At least 12 states have passed comparable resolutions placing a cap on how much utilities can charge customers for leaking gas. These states include New Hampshire, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and California.

Your “yes” vote on the gas leaks resolution sends a powerful message to our state legislators that we want them to act on behalf of future generations and Mother Earth. Please vote YES at Town Meeting!

Sincerely,

Emily Haslett
26 Baker Bridge Rd., Lincoln

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