“If we don’t vote, we are ignoring history and giving away the future.”
Pat Mitchell, Media executive
Your vote matters for climate change
Climate change isn’t one of the main issues we hear either presidential candidate talking about. Who you choose at the top of the ticket makes a difference for policy direction, but all the way down the ballot, your vote matters for climate change…and in unexpected ways.
Local and state elected officials have more influence on energy and climate-related policies than many people realize. Policymakers at all levels are involved with decisions on everything from clean energy installations to transmission projects. All over the country, state and local officials are making climate-related decisions, and doing so more efficiently than the federal government. In some states, voters choose members of their electricity regulatory boards. Indeed, even school board members have a say.
In any given race, the candidate proposing the best climate solutions is not necessarily the more liberal one. There are lots of conservative individuals and groups working on the clean energy transition and other climate actions. Here are a few examples:
The policies put into motion by the Inflation Reduction Act have acted as an economic engine, driving industry and creating jobs across the country. There has been a substantial influx of business investment in clean energy projects, with “red” states seeing proportionally more economic benefit. Around 60% of the projects, and 85% of the investments, have been in Republican congressional districts. Everyone stands to benefit from a continuation of this kind of growth.
What can we do?
Ultimately, we each have a lot to weigh as we go to the polls, and everyone has their own hot-button issues. No surprise, mine happens to be climate. Even so, I have no plans to make recommendations about particular candidates or parties. My only suggestion is that if climate change is important to you too, take a look at your whole slate of candidates and find out what their plans are to advance climate solutions. We have some momentum and need to keep it rolling.
The most important thing each of us can do is vote!
Let’s do something about climate change. Learn about it. Think about it. Talk about it.