Civic and Community Engagement
The Frog will explore The Climate Action Handbook: A Visual Guide to 100 Climate Solutions by Heidi Roop in the first 100 days of 2024
In the first `100 days of 2024 we will explore 100 climate solutions that may “empower you to evaluate, engage, and act” to address on-going climate change as an individual on your terms.
The essence of polarization is disconnection. Your views are so radical to mine, and mine are so entrenched that the only path we can find to move forward is to disconnect and go our own ways. Conservatives stop listening to liberals, and liberals only listen in an echo chamber. Nothing gets done, no one listens, and and separately we stay where we are. We can’t afford that anymore – a warming planet is largely disinterested in your political views.
The biggest and potentially most dangerous disconnect is between what we want as an electorate and what our elected officials are willing to do on our behalf. It seems that among the reasons people run for office, public service is not always at the top of the list. The cynical among us may be convinced that politicians largely serve themselves and the interest of wealthy benefactors who work to put and keep them in office to serve their interests.
We vote for candidates and we expect them to work with our best interests in mind. Increasingly a majority of US adults express their views in polls that addressing climate change needs to be a critical priority for our government. A 2023 poll shows that a majority of US adults say that federal and state governments are not doing enough to “reduce climate change effects”. An even higher percentage feel that corporations are not doing enough.
Don’t wait until the next election to take action. Start preparing now to make your voice heard. What are you passionate about? Clean energy generation, building energy efficiency, land and wildlife conservation, climate adaptation and disaster preparedness – all of these need champions.
And we champions need to make our voices heard to those that have the position and the budget to act on our behalf. write a letter – most of elected officials have a portal seeking your views. Frequent town halls or stop by the office. Join a group for collective action. Make your voice heard in a way that is most natural for you.
If you don’t want to speak up for yourself, speak up for others. As the World Resources Institute puts it, “climate change poses the greatest threat to those least responsible for it, including low-income and disadvantaged populations, women, racial minorities, marginalized ethnic groups and the elderly.
Find your Federal and State elected officials
Explore and contact your local government
Next Up: Climate Action in 2024 – Day 84: Champion Climate Planning in Your Community
Howard Creel
#rescuethatfrog
Email: rescuethatfrog@gmail.com