By Suzanne Besser
Last Saturday, members and supporters of Mothers Out Front, a grassroots organization dedicated to addressing climate change, turned to the streets to raise awareness about the estimated 215 methane gas leaks from Boston’s aging pipes.
They want National Grid to replace the pipes or fix the leaks because methane, a greenhouse gas more powerful than carbon dioxide, is injurious to the health of humans and trees. Under the current law, National Grid is not required to fix them until they are large enough to cause an explosion. That’s not soon enough, according to Ania Camargo of Mothers Out Front.
She helped organized Saturday’s gas leak tagging event, where nearly 100 people rallied on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall before heading out to their neighborhoods. There they tagged trees showing signs of injury caused by the methane and encouraged residents living nearby to ask National Grid to fix them.
The event was supported by the Beacon Hill Civic Association, the Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay, Ellis Neighborhood Association, Eight Streets Neighborhood Association, New England Aquarium, The Learning Project, Commonwealth School, Friends of the Public Garden, and Beacon Hill and Back Bay Garden Clubs.