Take Action
So much to do, so little time. We don’t just mean this in the sense of being busy in our lives; more importantly, it is about how little time we have to change the course of human life on this planet so that the Earth may continue to live and breathe and support abundant life for future generations.
Below are some suggestions for actions you can take, and ways to be involved, that can truly make a difference. There are many things we can do, and every action counts. We hope you will find your own path into this great work of our time.
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ELECTIONS 2008
Satisfied with what the presidential candidates are saying about global climate change and other ecological crises?
We aren’t either. But what a great opportunity this election season presents to get these issues on the table, indeed, at the top of the list of public concerns.
So we urge you to get organized – in your churches, neighborhoods, schools, and community organizations — to prepare topics and talking points on our ecological concerns to be raised when presidential candidates come to your state, and as campaigns for the House and Senate and state offices get charged up in this crucial election year. You can raise these issues at candidates forums and debates, and create public awareness by calling in to local radio and TV talk shows, writing letters to the editor (one of the most-read sections of any newspaper), or having experts and local leaders in your area submit Opinion pieces to local newspapers.
When the candidates come, you can also organize a ‘presence,’ with banners and signs expressing your care for the Earth and your demand for strong environmental policies.
Use the search engine on this site to find posts and links that can help shape your questions and demands.
Among our concerns:
* what policies do they propose to reduce CO2 emissions — at least 80 percent by 2050 as recommended by leading scientists?
* what policies do they propose to replace fossil fuels with truly renewable energy sources that do not harm the ecosystems of the planet (as corn and soy-based ethanols do)? what are their positions on nuclear energy and so-called ‘clean coal,’ both of which pose severe threats to the environment?
* what policies do they propose to promote local organic farming and reduce our reliance on food transported thousands of miles to our dinner tables?
* what policies do they propose to reorient the economy away from consumer goods and towards ecologically sustainable economies that reduce pressure on the earth’s carrying-capacity?
* we are living beyond the means of the earth to support the human ecological footprint? what do they propose to reduce that footprint in a time of rapid population growth?
You can easily make up your own list. But what is important is to try to get clear, specific answers to your questions and to make clear to them that these are issues that will make a difference to voters in the polling booth.
ACTION ON CAPITOL HILL
Clearly the political climate around the issue of global warming has changed with the new Democratic majority and the constant stream of bad news about our climate crisis. It is important that constituents communicate regularly with Representatives and Senators about their concerns, and with demands for action — things like carbon taxes, caps on greenhouse gas emissions, and policy priorities that emphasize efficiency first (cutting back on fossil fuel consumption) and alternative energy technology (wind, solar, for example).
Browse through this website to find information and links to articles that can provide facts and figures for your letters and visits with congressmembers.
Remember: there is no action too small to make a difference. Get involved!
Congressional switchboard: 202-224-3121
Addresses:
Rep. ______, House of Representatives, Wash. DC 20515
Sen. ______, US Senate, Wash. DC 20510
CAMPAIGNS OF NOTE
** Bill of Rights for Scientists and Engineers
The Bush administration has politicized and often censored the science that helps us understand our planetary crisis and thus the action and policies required to address it. Scientific studies have sometimes been altered or suppressed if they conflict with the political agenda of the White House. Scientists and Engineers for America (SEA) is organizing a campaign around a Bill of Rights for Scientists and Engineers that would guarantee that we get the best science, without censorship or reprisals, adequately funded and disseminated in the public interest. If you would like to help, visit their website.
** Stop Mountaintop Coal Mining
Regular visitors to this blog know that we have rather strong feelings about the coal industry, and most especially its practice of blowing up mountains in the Appalachian Range to get at the coal buried within them. 
Put ‘mountaintopping’ into our search engine to access lots of information. Here we want to call your attention to one of the organizations we continue to monitor at their website, Mountain Justice Summer. Besides their very good info, this group carries out training camps in coal country that provide information and organizing skills to help folks to become active in the struggle to end this egregious practice. The next training camp is scheduled for May 17-23 in Kentucky. For information, go here.
