Press Release: 10/20/2025
From UMass Amherst to the Make Polluters Pay Petition Drop
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October 20, 2025
My name is Hannah Markelz, I organize with Sunrise UMass, and I am the 350 Mass Organizing Intern this fall, and on Tuesday, October 21st, I’ll be joining students and community members across the state at the Massachusetts State House for the biggest action yet of the Make Polluters Pay MA campaign. We’re bringing roughly 8,000 physical petition signatures, urging our legislators to pass the Make Polluters Pay bill that is currently in the state legislative process. I’m passionate about this bill because it will create a climate change superfund that forces the companies that have contributed most to the buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere to fund the commonwealth's adaptation and mediation projects. That means this money will be brought back to our communities!
Many of those attending the petition drop will be from the greater Boston area, but there is a coalition of 12 of us travelling all the way from the Pioneer Valley! Representing both Sunrise Smith and the Sunrise Movement at UMass Amherst, we’ve put in the work to coordinate transportation, and we are skipping our Tuesday classes because we believe in the power of student support for this bill. One student joining us is Joshua Rand, a sophomore and organizer with Sunrise at UMass Amherst. When asked why they made the choice to join us at the statehouse, they said:
“It is vital that in this age of climate change, we as a commonwealth, famous for leading the nation in so many policy areas from gay marriage to education, tackle the approaching climate disasters with ambition and a clear plan. This means ensuring our communities are resilient and prepared for climate disasters, without having to spend more money in taxes than they already are. We can do this by billing the extremely wealthy corporations that caused this mess by pumping fossil fuels into the atmosphere and knowingly deceiving us about the consequences for decades. This is logical. This is a necessity.”
It’s not too late to show up and join us and so many others in the fight for a more just future; to make these polluters pay. Meet us on the State House front steps at 10 AM and prove to our legislators that we will not tolerate their inaction. I can’t wait to see you there!
RSVP HERE: https://www.polluterspayma.org/make_polluters_pay_petition_drop_25