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The Environment & Wildlife Cause
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Loading...Environmental Voters Needed for Election 2010: Support Green Candidates, Climate Policy, Funding for Nature.
While economic issues have far overshadowed environmental ones in the 2010 election cycle in the United States, the stakes on Tuesday for clean water, clean air, and protecting natural open spaces are high.
Update 11/6 – See Beth’s environmental election results wrap-up here.
Environmental Implications of Election 2010
- Congressional Leadership and Obama’s Environmental Agenda
Political party control of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives will determine key leadership roles that could make or break much of President Obama’s environmental agenda. A GOP takeover of the U.S. Senate could put arch environmental opponent and climate change denier James Inhofe in charge of the Environment and Public Works Committee. Senator Inhofe was on the League of Conservation Voter’s Dirty Dozen list for his abysmal environmental record and, according to OpenCongress.org, has voted in favor oil interests 100% of the time. - State Races and Momentum on Clean Air, Clean Water, and Clean Energy
The relative green-ness of governor and state legislative candidates elected around the country will affect whether the states can keep driving innovative climate change and open space policy forward as well how they vigorously they enforce federal air and water protection laws. States have traditionally been the laboratory for public policy that eventually affects the whole nation. Even as the U.S. Congress grid locked on climate and energy policy during the last few years, the states have been pushing forward, passing clean energy incentives, efficiency programs, and cutting edge climate policy around the country. - The Environment in Your Own Backyard
Local races will have immediate impacts on environmental quality of life issues as city and town councils decide priorities for open space use, recycling programs, public transit and more. With everything from bottled water bans and plastic bag taxes and bike lanes and Cool Cities initiatives, local government leaders can enhance or hinder environmental issue that affect citizen’s daily lives. - Vote Directly on Environmental Policy
And finally, ballot initiatives in dozens of states will directly change environmental laws and fund (or not fund) the conservation of some of America’s great natural places. Prop 23 in California would suspend the state’s landmark climate legislation and have a chilling effect on similar efforts around the country. Iowa’s Water & Land Legacy amendment (Question “1″) would create dedicated funding for critical wetlands restoration. Conservation funding, in fact, is on the ballot in at least half a dozen states, including Maine, where the Land for Maine’s Future program is up for renewal.
Find out which Candidates are Most Green in Your State
The League of Conservation Voters, Environment America, and the Sierra Club all have state affiliates or chapters which have endorsed candidates and ballot measures in the 2010 election. LCV and the Sierra Club have posted summaries of endorsements for federal offices, but for state and local races, you’ll have to check your state program’s web site. Because the groups priorities vary, do check all three for endorsements, especially on ballot initiatives.
What Else Can You Do?
Share this post. Encourage your friends and family not to sit out Election 2010. Our environment depends on it.
Read more: 2010 election, elections 2010, environment & wildlife, environmental ballot initiatives, green voters, iowa land and water legacy, prop 23
Two Roads Diverged photo by flickr user theilr / CC 2.0.
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may
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Recent Comments from Causes
Also, rich people can afford to use more pesticides that kill bees.
I heard it was analternit reality of superman, which if you ask me is a total cop out.
Beth K. Do you agree with anybody? Sure you can have this sheriff as long as you promise to take…
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+ add your ownThings need to change. We should start lobbying for the environment instead of for the oil corporations.
The environment is not just land and water. It is WILDLIFE. And wildlife is just a killing commodity for our state agencies. As long as killing licenses are the main internal funding mechanism of state agencies, the massive recreational and thrill killing of our wild brethren continues to accelerate to obscene levels. For example, last year in Wisconsin 435,000 "fur-bearers" were killed by 6,000 trappers in traps banned for decades for their extreme cruelty in 88 countries, including Uganda. Last month 5,235 black bears, 2/3 of them cubs, were trophy killed over packs of dogs and bait for fun. 60% of the beavers in the state were drowning trapped for stocking trout. Millions of wild creatures are killed with compound bows and high tech weapons and nobody is defending them. Please sign my petitions against the ongoing annual bear slaughter in Wisconsin and for a first time democracy for wildlife lovers at:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/3/Help-save-Wisconsin-baby-black-bears-and-their-families/
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/Help-Wisconsin-wildlife-by-Democracy-for-Wildlife-Lovers/
and join the national movement to have democracy in wildlife policy making instead of the 5% who kill running our state agencies as killing businesses and privatizing our commons. Join at:
www.USwildlife.US for the National Urban Wildlife Coalition. It is free!
GET INVOLVED AT YOUR STATE LEVEL - form a group. If you don't kill you have never made a decision about wildlife ever
Fellow Care2 blogger Beth Buczynski does a nice post-election wrap-up here: http://www.care2.com/causes/environment/blog/election-2010-outcomes-environmental-issues/
I voted for several green cadidates as did my fiance, sadly though they garnered around 2% of the votes :(
I always vote for the party/person who will work to protect the environment. It's too bad that we don't have a strong national Green Party, though there is one locally in my area.
Why do we have to vote who they tell us to vote for any way? I'm sick and tired of voting for greedy Presidents who has ruined our Country. I will not vote for none of them for they all lie through the skin of there teeth. Has any body not looked around and seen the shap our Country is in? Talk is cheap so is the people who are running our Country. Why can not we the people vote for who we want? Why does it have to be about who has the most money to get there? boha to who we want not to who they tell us.
Going now to vote GREEN!!! This is almost our last chance!
VOTE! I did :)
I do hope you all make the right choice when you GET OUT THERE AND VOTE, AMERICANS!
I don't want the environmental progress under Obama and the Dems to be wiped out and regress even further back under the opposition. I will vote straight Democrat.
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