You may remember that, as the No Impact Man project proceeded, my definition of individual action on climate and the environment came to include not only lifestyle change but civic participation. I ultimately realized that there was a limit to how much less harm I could do alone, but that the good we could do together was infinite.
Because of that, you may recall, I got up the gumption to go visit my Congressman, Jerold Nadler, to ask him to take bold action on climate change (read here and here). You may remember, too, how a bunch of No Impact Man readers stuck their own toes in the pool of civic participation when they phoned their Congressional representatives to ask them to support Representative Markey’s no new coal power bill (read here).
Finally, you may remember how I felt after visiting Nadler and how the readers felt who called their reps: great. It turns out that it feels wonderful to get involved in the democratic process. It feels great to have your voice heard. This is the experience for me and readers here on the blog (read their comments about their experiences here).
Anyway, our friends over at 1Sky, the group that organizes grassroots action on climate change, is offering us the chance to further participate in our democracy. I got this email from Liz Butler from 1Sky, in invitation for us all to visit our reps this August.
I hope you’ll try it and report on the outcome back here at No Impact Man.
From Liz:
Like you and me, the vast majority of Americans want urgent, bold action on climate change. But as recent political showdowns from Washington, D.C. to [the recent] G8 summit have proven, our elected leaders are simply not ready to step up and do what science demands to beat global warming.
Right now, Members of Congress home in their districts (including yours!) for August recess. They’ll be home for the entire month of August, and with the fall elections just around the corner, most will be campaigning hard for our votes.
This recess is our chance to convince every Member of Congress that America is ready for bold climate solutions. The path to a prosperous and equitable new energy economy is clear — we simply need our leaders to act.
Sign up here to deliver the message in person to your local Congressional office.
Once you sign up, we’ll work with you to figure out the best way to deliver the message to your particular district office: It could be a district office visit, a rally, or some other type of action. If you’ve never visited your Congressional office or put together a visibility event, don’t worry–we’ll provide you with all the information you’ll need.
Thanks to your commitment and passion over the past few months, and your visits to Congressional offices in all 50 states in March, we’ve already made great strides in our quest for bold federal policy. From recent meetings we’ve had on Capitol Hill, we know that several Members of Congress are making proposals that would promote clean, renewable energy and a healthier environment, revive our economy, and lift millions out of poverty.
This progress is good–but we’re running out of time. The latest science tells us we have just a few years to start turning things around, or it will be too late. We must continue to press our leaders to do what the science requires and take decisive action. Sign up today to visit your local Congressional office.
Heading into a historic election, the American people are hungry for leadership and concrete solutions to the climate crisis. Your Members of Congress will be in “listening mode” while they campaign at home. Let’s be sure they know that the solutions are here and America is ready!
On behalf of the entire 1Sky team,
Liz Butler
Field and Outreach Director, 1Sky