Eco-conscious consumers make their voices heard by buying products they like and leaving those they don’t on the shelves. This is exactly how reusable shopping bags, eco-friendly cleaning products, more efficient lightbulbs, toilet paper made without cardboard tubes, reusable water bottles, products made of recycled materials, and electric cars have become widely available to the public. When the public started becoming more concerned about the environment and it became cool to be considerate of our planet, the demand for these products caught the attention of large companies which led to the increased production of these products and the invention of new ones. While eco-friendly products are sometimes still more expensive than their traditional counterparts, consumer demand is there and the world’s biggest corporations are listening. Creating a demand for better politicians is exactly how we change the political process.
Recently, large corporations and equally as large donations have been allowed to have incredible influence over how candidates and elected officials shape their positions on the issues. This year, outsider candidates have garnered incredible support and given more Americans a voice in politics. The role of big money in politics might just be a thing of the past if we play our cards right. Just like sales show companies what products are in demand, votes show political figures who the public believes in. Our votes are political currency. So instead of pledging allegiance to a particular political party and voting only for candidates who are also affiliated with that party, what if we did a little bit of research and voted for candidates who have well thought out plans to solve the problems that are important to us? What if we fired politicians who are loyal to corporations and donors rather than their constituents? What if we hired candidates who can work with others to offer solutions instead of just standing at a podium and yelling about how bad the challenges are? What if we showed up in droves on election day and rejected the status quo? I bet that’d get the point across.
Scientists can’t solve the world’s environmental challenges just by doing research, publishing in journals, and talking to other scientists about how great their ideas might be. Conservationists have written numerous papers on how to solve environmental challenges. Getting the world to listen to those great ideas, especially in a day and age where misinformation can spread with a single viral video clip, is the hard part. If you care about the environment, which I’m sure you do since you’re reading a publication centered around marine conservation, the time is now to vote with your brain instead of just raw emotions. Think about the people you are giving power to. Answer calls from their campaigns and ask why you should trust them with your vote. Look into each candidate’s history. Go to your local board of elections website and look up your particular ballot ahead of the election so you know exactly who and what you’re going to be asked to cast a vote for.
Credible online sources seem to be harder and harder to come by this election season. It might be tempting to click the outrageous headline on social media but there are better ways to find the truth. Two objective websites to help you do this are OnTheIssues.org and VoteSmart.org. These organizations simply compile publicly available information such as voting records, positions on specific issues, and proposed policies for potential voters to access for free. Voting in an election is a choice to express your right as a free American, so go forth and confidently vote for the candidate you want to represent you for the foreseeable future.
The choice is ours, the clock is ticking, and every vote does count. Even if you don’t think it does.
** For more information on voter registration, see “Good Policy Requires Your Vote
NOVEMBER 8th”**
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