Turning Out the Environmental Vote in 2010

Clean Water Action builds grassroots strength in key states and communities to change politics and environmental policy in states, local communities and Washington, DC. We run muscular and effective grassroots campaigns to defeat anti-environment candidates, and support candidates who are committed to protecting our waters, our health, and our future. Our political program is non partisan.

At midnight on Saturday night, July 31st, the buzzer went off on the “formal session” part of the 2009-2010 legislative session in Massachusetts.  If you’ve been watching Massachusetts news in recent weeks you’ve heard about the stalemate that the legislature has been in as the House, the Senate and the Governor debate casino gambling.

One thing seemed to be universal among the advocates and lobbyists working the halls of the State House over the last two weeks: frustration that with days, then hours, left to go, very few of the thousands of bills awaiting action were being voted on.  

Diesel Pollution Makes Us Sick

Diesel engines emit a mixture of particles, metals and gasses including over 40 "hazardous air pollutants" as classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Clean Air Act. Diesel pollution can trigger asthma and cause lung cancer, stroke, and heart attack, contributing to 21,000 early deaths a year. Nationally, diesel exhaust poses a cancer risk that is 7 times greater than the combined risk of all air toxics assessed by EPA. Diesel exhaust is particularly dangerous because it is emitted at ground level - just where people breathe it in¹ .

Find an event in Florida, New Jersey, or where you live.

It's clear from the disaster in the Gulf that oil is risky, dirty, and dangerous.

Join Clean Water Action members and supporters in Florida on Saturday, June 26th for a national day of action to help clean up America's energy and to call on President Obama to move us off oil.

Find a Hand Across the Sand event in Florida, New Jersey, or in other parts of the U.S. or around the world.

For local organizing or attendance information in Florida, please contact Kathy Aterno.

On June 29th Clean Water Action and 40 other Massachusetts environmental organizations hosted the 2010 Massachusetts Gubernatorial Forum on Energy and the
Environment at the historic Old South Meeting House in Boston.

Participating candidates were Governor Deval Patrick, Green/Rainbow Coalition candidate Jill Stein, Independent candidate Tim Cahill and House Minority Leader Brad Jones, who served as a surrogate for Republican candidate Charles Baker (after Baker refused to attend the event).

On May 27th, the Massachusetts State Senate voted in favor of an amendment to the State Budget to fund the Toxics Use Reduction Act Program - the last major step towards maintaining funding for this important program.

The Toxics Use Reduction Act (TURA) Program, has been a national leader in reducing the use and release of toxic chemicals. In it's 20+ years of existence, the TURA program has worked with Massachusetts companies to reduce 40% of their use and 80% of their release of toxic chemicals, all while saving million of dollars.  

In Massachusetts, Clean Water Action is supporting two key bills before the state legislature to make manufacturers responsible for keeping discarded electronics, such as computers and TVs, and mercury-added lamps out of our trash. These bills call for the brand-owners (or first importers) of these products to pay for their collection, recycling, or safe disposition.  

Municipal officials can help pass these two bills:

• H.4374 - An Act To require Producer Responsibility for Collection, Reuse, and Recycling of Discarded Electronic Products.
• H.726 – An Act Relative to Producer Responsibility for Mercury Added Lamps. 
  

Join us to celebrate!

Date: Saturday, October 2, 2010                                       
Time: 3:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Place: Garden in the Woods, 180 Hemenway Rd, Framingham, MA 01701
See map: Google Maps

Clean Water Action supports the ramp up of energy efficiency programs to create quality green
jobs, cut energy costs for consumers, and reduce global warming pollution in Massachusetts. See
Governor Deval Patrick's press
release for more information. 

Kudos to Governor Deval Patrick!  In a step forward towards a victory for the public health and the environment, Patrick restored funding for the agencies involved in implementing the Toxics Use Reduction Act (TURA) program in his proposed fiscal year 2011 budget issued January 27th 2010.