Re: Stop the pipeline - leaks

[EBroadbent]

Hi Pat, sorry that this email got buried in the flurry of election and other emails.

DEFINITELY let’s see if we can arrange for a showing of this movie.
I heard from someone in NY who is working to stop the Algonquin Pipeline Expansion (which will also affect MA) who said that this is a good movie to show to educate people about the dangers of increasing our reliance on natural gas (i.e. it’s not a viable “bridge fuel” to a cleaner energy future - we need to build the clean anergy future NOW).

What do you think the next step is - do you want to contact Mark L. and see what is possible?

We could do a joint event with Groton, which has a very active “Stop The Pipeline” group.
I’ve been contributing to their efforts as I can - they have an active FB page https://www.facebook.com/groups/nofrackedgasinmass/

The pipeline companies are starting to use tactics that are underhanded, such as trying to paint the opposition as reckless and dangerous, infiltrate meetings, etc., so it’s an important time to broaden the campaign.

Thanks very much,

-Eric



On Nov 4, 2014, at 11:21 PM, pat westwater-jong <westw...@gmail.com> wrote:

> I just re-read this and realized i neglected to say that this pipeline is not just an issue in Bolton, but in towns throughout MA and that many towns along the way from the fracked lands in PA to Maine (?) are involved. Many local groups in MA are working together to try and stop this. Not only would it put local land and water at risk from the gas line, but if the people fracking in PA don't have a way to get the gas to market, that would probably impact their fracking in PA. A host of other issues, financial, environmental are at stake.
>
> Our local town and state officials are involved and KinderMorgan reps (i think they are) are meeting again with Bolton Selectmen this week. It's all connected to national oil and gas policies and companies and pretty wild - imho.
>
> Writing all this in case this information makes showing this film more compelling, pat
>
> ps i found Pam R's email address ( I think, i hope) and so, as you can see, i'm sending this to her, also.
>
> On 11/4/2014 12:28 PM, Wendy Bell wrote:
>> Thank you, Pat.
>>
>> On Monday, October 27, 2014, pat westwater-jong <westw...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Hello Wendy, Piali, and Eric,
>>
>> i just sent the email below, to Eric and the group in Bolton that's trying to stop a gas pipeline from being expanded in Bolton. I met the man who produced this film and who would like to come up from PA to show this film, at the GA in June and he wanted me to tell folks he's a UU. I'm sending it to Piali, in case the Youth Group might be interested in this film. I forget the name of the wonderful new DRE, or i'd send it to her, too.
>>
>> thanks, pat
>>
>> Hello all,
>>
>> I think Teresa mentioned this film, Groundswell Rising, in the last meeting - at least she planned to. I'm following up because Mark Lichty, the Executive Producer, would like to come up for screenings and talk about how the people in PA are suffering as the gas destined for New England pipelines is unearthed in their backyards. They need all the help they can get to stop this and it seems to me that if there's no way to get the gas to a market - there's not much point in getting it out of the ground. So, in addition to putting our own land and water at risk from leaks, would our allowing larger pipes make us enablers of this fracking in PA?
>>
>> Groundswell Rising depicts how fracking is effecting a community in PA. Mark would like us to know that "the film is a powerful tool to educate and awaken passion around this issue." I highly recommend checking out the website and trailer - they're very professional and the film does look very powerful. He said that if there are people who need to see the whole film before deciding to show it publicly, that can be arranged.
>>
>> www.groundswellrising.com
>>
>> Please go to this website and at least check out the comments about the film and the trailers at the last tab, "Clips." Mark would be happy to show this film at churches or libraries, town halls or college campuses - wherever people would gather to see it. I don't know how many screenings he would be willing to drive up here for, or about cost. Please let him know if you're interested in hosting screenings. For Bolton's Stop the Pipeline group, It's probably best to follow through with Teresa, or another point person who's interested in organizing this - i'm not that person, i'm just following through with what i told him i'd do, which is sending this to you.
>>
>> I'm sending this email to both the Bolton group fighting the expanded pipeline that may run through Bolton, and to Eric Broadbent, in Harvard - Eric showed the film Gasland at the UU Church in Harvard a year or two ago. I understand he also recently gave a talk to Bolton Local re solar gardens. Please feel free to share this with anyone or other groups that might be interested.
>>
>> thanks, pat wj
>>
>>
>> On 10/26/14 5:25 PM, Rick Merrill wrote:
>>> Popular Science, Nov.2014, p 34:
>>>
>>> "Leaky pipes can pose a real danger, but there isn't an oil, natural gas,
>>> or water network in the world that doesn't have them."
>>>
>>> There were 800 "significant gas pipe leaks in the US between 2002 and 2012,
>>> which caused 465 injuries and $800 million in property damage."
>>>
>>> "No matter what type of pipe system you have, leaks go undetected for a
>>> long time," says Kamal youcef-Toumi, a mechanical engineer at MIT.
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Rev. Wendy L. Bell, Minister
>> Harvard Unitarian Universalist Church
>> Harvard, Massachusetts
>> 978-456-8752
>> www.uuharvard.org
>>
>> Fellow, GreenFaith, www.greenfaith.org
>>