Boylston River

-- WATCH THE SHOCKING VIDEO HERE --

BOSTON – With the anniversary of Superstorm Sandy approaching, the Environmental League of Massachusetts Action Fund is today taking the first step to building a more muscular and effective political arm for the Massachusetts environmental community with the launch of an online advertising campaign calling on the two candidates for Mayor of Boston to release a detailed plan to protect the city from the catastrophic effects of superstorm.
 
The campaign will feature a series of startling animations and images depicting a flooded and blacked out Boston. The animations and images will appear on websites being viewed from Boston and will link back to a petition allowing individual voters to add their names to the call for both candidates to offer a plan to protect the city from the effects of climate change.
 
“The effects of climate change are real and they are here now,” said ELM Action Fund President George Bachrach. “Boston narrowly dodged a bullet when Sandy hit last year, but eventually a superstorm will hit our city, flooding our hospitals, schools and the MBTA."

According to the Boston Harbor Association, Sandy's storm surge could have flooded more than 80 million square feet of the city if the superstorm had hit Boston just five and a half hours earlier at high tide.
 
The ELM Action Fund has not yet endorsed a candidate to replace Mayor Tom Menino and is co-sponsoring a forum with Rep. Marty Walsh and Councillor John Connolly next Tuesday, October 22nd.
 
“Both of the candidates to lead Boston have good ideas on the environment, but neither has clearly articulated a plan to protect the city from the next superstorm and to counter the effects of climate change,” Bachrach said. “A direct hit from a superstorm could have disastrous effects on Boston and voters deserve to hear a plan to keep us safe before they cast their votes in a few weeks. When it comes to preparing for a superstorm and implementing ideas to fight climate change, Boston should lead the nation.”
 
In addition to the race for Boston’s mayor, the ELM Action Fund plans to be involved in the race for governor and other statewide and legislative contests next year.
 
“Candidates for office often commit to environmental protection, but once elected, it languishes low on their priority list,” Bachrach added. “Over the course of the next year, we plan to actively support candidates who share our priorities and oppose those who do not."

-- WATCH THE VIDEO HERE --