It’s the last week of this month’s JAKWellness12 challenge focusing on our planet and the environment. I’ve really loved these posts particularly because they seem to have resonated with so many of you, and that made me so happy and excited. At the end of the day, this really should be a non-partisan issue. We only have one planet, and we can no longer ignore the reality of how we are contributing to climate change. While there are many things we can do on a personal and community level, at the end of the day the biggest polluters and contributors to environmental destruction are big corporations. While some have taken steps of their own to reduce their environmental impact, many have not and will not unless they are forced to do so. And that is why your vote matters. The people we elect are the ones who dictate policy on environmental protections (or lack thereof). It is incredibly important to be educated about where candidates stand on important environmental issues and also what their records show. What a politician says and does are two very different things. I’ve pulled together some helpful resources you can use before you cast your vote. Voting in local elections and particularly mid-terms are incredibly important and turnout is historically low. Not sure if you’re registered? You can do it quickly and easily right here. Your vote matters!
Make Your Vote Count
Here are a list of organizations and resources to help keep you informed about important environmental issues and political candidates.
- The NRDC Action Fund builds political support in the US for people advocating for clean air and water, public health, biodiversity and a stable climate. Their endorsements section is helpful for learning more about candidates.
- ProPublica Represent is a solid resource to see what your reps in Congress actually say AND do. They track votes so you can see exactly how a candidate has voted on issues.
- Ballotpedia is really helpful for educating yourself on ballot measures before you get to the voting booth.
- OpenSecrets.org is a non-profit that tracks money in politics and its effect on elections and public policy.
- Patagonia has a lot of great resources to help connect you with information to vote for the environment
- The League of Conservation Voters is a non-profit that advocates for laws and policies to protect the environment, holds elected officials accountable for their votes and actions, and supports pro-environment candidates who will champion important issues.
Thank you for all of this! I want to help and wasn’t sure how besides limiting plastic and making small personal steps. I registered, so I hope my vote can make a difference too!
Thank you so much for sharing this. Going to send this link to some of my friends who still don’t vote! it’s hard to believe anyone could still not vote but it’s true!
This is such an important topic and reminder that we can make a difference. Thank you for this!! Such good info – I can’t wait to pass it along.
Thank you for sharing both the importance of voting in midterms and resources to help educate!
Another great post – I need to be better about voting in midterms – and this post alone gave me the motivation to be on top of this.
Thank you for sharing these resources! Voting is SO important especially in this political climate and people need to know how and why their votes count. Thanks for spreading the message 🙂
Thanks Jess! I created a new folder on my computer and added each of these websites for reference.
Thank you for this post. I am trying to be a better global citizen both by voting (at the ballot and with my money – the companies I support) and by my individual actions (recycling, reducing waste, gas consumption, etc). It is helpful to have these resources when hitting up the ballot box.
I studied environmental science for my masters degree and when my husband went to Harvard some of his classmates would ask me if climate change was “really real.” I was blown away by the ignorance of these highly educated, intelligent people. Unfortunately, years of think tanks and politicians spreading misinformation has turned science into politics. Spreading accurate information is key, so thank you for focusing on this issue and using your platform to help people create change!
This is so, so helpful! With so much going on in the world that needs to be addressed ASAP, it’s important to remember that the environment is still a really pressing issue we can consider when voting.
Really appreciate you compiling these resources. I think they are all non-partisan as well. Also your insta story reminder to call reps who already support measure you believe in. Forgot that reps to to know the public supports them too.
Thanks for this post! It’s so important to mobilize votes before the midterms, we all have to do our part to get out the vote!