ORGANIZATIONAL APPEAL FROM JOHN ANDREWS

Dear friends,

The news is alarming. Global warming is advancing much faster than scientists have predicted. Scientific analyses are sounding more alarm bells every week. The Greenland ice cap is exhibiting unexpected signs of breaking up. If this happens it will create flooding that would be worse than 23 Hurricane Katrinas. British scientists just reported that massive cracks have appeared in the Artic ice cap. An article in Science presents evidence that we have passed critical tipping points, and we need to reverse carbon dioxide build-up, not just slow it down. On top of all this, the global economy is beginning to unravel as dwindling oil reserves drive up fuel costs for an oil-addicted world.

But the most alarming thing of all is that the media and elected officials are still ignoring the need to get busy implementing the global warming solutions that we have in hand. They continue to talk as if we can postpone decisive action until mid-century. Even weak initial steps are being delayed month after month, year after year. You know that this isn’t right. You know we need to act now, before it is too late.

ON THE BALLOT THIS NOVEMBER

This November, voters in many places in Massachusetts will have a chance to tell their legislators to reject the go-slow approach and start building the future. They will have a chance to vote for a Secure Green Future (SGF) public policy question. The SGF asks for legislation that sets a goal of 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. It also asks for economic transformation to turn away from an energy-intensive economy and to build a green economy based on conservation, renewable energy, and recycling. Of course, we view this as much more than just a one-time vote. It represents the entry into the public dialogue of concerned local people who are tired of waiting for climate action and are going to raise critical issues in ways that cannot be ignored.

THIS COULD BE A PROJECT FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION

If you have a local group that is interested in this question, they could form a “District Action Group” for Secure Green Future. Their immediate goal would be to collect 200 signatures of registered voters prior to put this on the ballot in a local House district. As November approaches, they could use the question to raise awareness in the district of the need for more decisive action on global warming and green jobs.

If any individual members want to get involved they can join up with existing District Action Groups. This is a good way to find concerned people in the community and perhaps get them involved in ongoing activities after the election.

Finally, we do want to get organizational endorsements of the question. This isn’t as time critical as the signature collection (because the signatures have to be turned in by July 9). It is critically important that you alert people to the effort as soon as possible if you want to successfully get the question on the ballot.

More information on SGF, including the full text of the question, explanatory fliers, and other information can be obtained on our website, http://masschc.org/Secure_Green_Future.php .

Please return the form below to let us know what you can do.

Many thanks for all you are doing to bring us closer to the secure green future we all deserve!

Sincerely,

John Andrews, Chair
Committee for a Secure Green Future
[email protected]
www.masschc.org/Secure_Green_Future.php

[Note: The Committee for a Secure Green Future is a nonpartisan ballot committee formed to promote the Secure Green Future question. The SGF question was developed by the Green-Rainbow Party’s Advisory Ballot Working Group. Early organizing support is being provided by the Massachusetts Coalition for Healthy Communities.]

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SGF RESPONSE FORM FROM ___________________(organization)

___ We will spread the word about SGF informally (with personal contacts not coming officially from the organization).

___ We will contact our members to encourage them to help put SGF on the ballot (either by forming a district action group or volunteering as individuals).

___ We will bring the SGF up for consideration of an endorsement and will let you know as soon as the endorsement is approved.

___ Please call us to discuss our involvement

Other comments:

Person who should be the SGF contact within our organization:

Name: _______________________
Address: _______________________
Telephone: _______________________
Email: _______________________

Return to: [email protected]

MODEL LETTER TO THE EDITOR

High gas prices are sending us a message we can’t ignore: our oil-addicted economy is on its last legs. If we are going to have an economic future we need to build a new green economy based on conservation, renewable energy, and recycling. We also have to solve the related problem of global warming. If we push the Earth past critical tipping points, the environment will collapse and we won’t be able to fix it.

It is important to show that there is public support for decisive action on these issues. That’s why we are collecting signatures to put a public policy question on the ballot this November. It is called the Secure Green Future question. It calls for a more vigorous action to reverse global warming and for the creation of locally-based green jobs that give us an economy that isn’t so dependent on oil.

We need signatures from 200 voters to put the question on the ballot in the House district in [[TOWN]]. Please consider signing if you see someone with a Secure Green Future petition on the street. If you are willing to circulate the petition among your friends, let us know by writing to [email protected]. The deadline for turning in signatures is July 9, so please get in contact as soon as possible.

Thank you.

[[signature]]

MODEL EMAIL TO MEMBERS OF AN ORGANIZATION

Dear [[Organization]] Member,

Would you like a chance to vote on a ballot question that instructs your local legislator to support a more vigorous effort to address global warming and create a healthy green economy?

This November, voters in many places in Massachusetts will have such a chance. A Secure Green Future (SGF) public policy question will call for legislation that sets a goal of 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. It will also call for transforming our failing oil-addicted economy into a sustainable green economy based on conservation, renewable energy, and recycling.

We thought you might be interested in helping assure that this question is on the ballot in your community. Promotion of the SGF question could be a useful part of your overall [[Organization]] work in the community.

[[Organization]] may formally endorse the SGF question at a later date. For now, we just want to encourage you to make sure that it appears on the ballot in your community. To help, you should contact the Committee for a Secure Green Future, [email protected], and offer to work with other local volunteers who are collecting signatures in your community. Please act now because signatures must be collected by July 9. More information about the Secure Green Future question can be found at http://masschc.org/Secure_Green_Future.php.

Good luck!

[[Signature]]

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