7. Vote for the Earth

U.S. Rep. Richard Pombo (R-CA) ruthlessly fought to roll back environmental protections in Congress. In 2006, environmental groups ran a door-to-door campaign against him, informing voters of his positions. He was defeated by a “green” candidate.

BACKGROUND

If we want to protect the environment, we’ve got to have government support. On every level—local, state, national—it’s elected officials who determine which regulations get enforced, which laws get priority, and which new industries or technologies get subsidized. We need to make sure those elected officials are on our side. Candidates don’t get elected by themselves. There’s a team of people behind them working for their success—from campaign managers to voters. If politics interests you, pick candidates who’ll fight for the health of our planet…and work like hell for them.

DID YOU KNOW

• Does it really matter who’s in office? You bet. Our elected officials also appoint the people who enforce the rules…so if you voted for George Bush in 2004, you also voted for Philip A. Cooney—a lobbyist for the American Petroleum Institute who served as chief of staff for the Bush administration’s White House Council on Environmental Quality (no kidding).
• If you voted for Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK), you put a man in office who believes global warming is the “greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people.”
• If you voted for Rep. Don Young (R-AK), you put a man on the House Committee on Natural Resources who told a reporter, “When I see a tree, I see paper to blow your nose.”
• State and local candidates can make as much of a difference as national candidates. They set priorities on issues like wetlands, recycling, and renewable energy. For example: Salt Lake City’s climate program has already reduced local greenhouse gas emissions by 31% since 2001, well below the targets of the Kyoto Protocol.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Your Partner: The League of Conservation Voters (LCV), the “political voice of the environment,” has worked for pro-environment candidates and sound environmental policies since 1970.
Your Goal: Work with LCV on their tough, effective campaigns to defeat anti-environment candidates, and support those leaders who stand up for a clean, healthy future for America.

START SIMPLE

Register to vote. Make sure every environmentalist you know is registered, too. Tips for a registration drive: 50simplethings.com/vote

STEPS FOR SUCCESS

Step 1. Find out where candidates stand on the environment. Get LCV’s National Environmental Scorecard. It will inform you about the most important federal environmental legislation and show you how your representative and senators voted (lcv.org/scorecard).

• There are conservation voter leagues in 30 states. Each puts out scorecards and makes endorsements. (Get info at lcv.org.) For tips on finding info in the other 20 states, and for local candidates, contact 50simplethings.com/vote

Step 2. Endorse a candidate. Person-to-person is the best way to communicate political support. So write Letters to the Editor and send e-mail to family and friends. Make the connection between the environment and other issues people care about. Energy use, for example, isn’t just about being “green” anymore—dependence on foreign oil makes it a national security concern, and creating green jobs by retrofitting buildings is all about the economy. Get tips and suggestions at 50simplethings.com/vote

Step 3. Volunteer with LCV or an environmental group. Grassroots groups play a big role in U.S. politics. It’s been proven that door-to-door canvassing is the best way to turn out voters, and the most important way to get people to pay attention. Local elections are often decided by a handful of votes; knocking on a few more doors might make all the difference.

Step 4. Work for your candidate. Chances are, they need your help…or your contribution, if you prefer to donate. For a complete how-to guide: 50simplethings.com/vote