How to vote if you care about the environment
The LATimes just posted an editorial on how the next month and a half is a critical turning point for the political nature of Los Angeles. (You can read the editorial here ) Many, many offices are up for grabs.
What Can We Do about it? VOTE.
Don’t sit by the wayside. Don’t blow it off. Don’t figure “my vote doesn’t count,” because if we all get discouraged and don’t participate, democracy slips through our fingers.
Milkwood Permaculture (located in Australia) recently posted an excellent guide for their local people, but a ton of what they said applies to us, too. So I’m going to quote Milkwood & edit it for L.A.:
You have homework, and we ain’t joking. A critical election for Los Angeles’ future is a few weeks away.
1 – Enroll to vote! In L.A., here’s how: https://lavote.gov/home/voting-elections/voter-education/what-to-do-before-an-election/register-to-vote
2 – Who are your local candidates?
3 – Where do they each stand on the Climate Emergency? And on Climate Justice? What. is. their. plan?
- tip: you can usually find this out with a web search for keywords Candidate Name + climate change.
4 – Where do they each stand on indigenous rights / public healthcare / gender equity / fossil fuel subsidies / refugees / public education / and all the other Really Important things?
5 – Find this out, and write it all down
6 – Number them all, from best to worst
7 – Tell all your friends, and get them to do the same
8 – On election day (for L.A., we’ll have a month over which we can submit our ballots), take your list, and use it.
(In L.A., we don’t have preferential voting like Milkwood describes, but if preferential voting ever comes to the ballot, for sure vote for it!)
Extra reminder: It’s no good voting for someone who will give your neighborhood an extra basketball court or kiddie playground if your community (and therefore said kiddie playground) is flooded / on fire / insert climate injustice/disaster here, because of that same government’s inaction on climate change. It’s not worth it. So make your list based on what really matters, and get ready to vote accordingly.
You can see Milkwood’s original post here (Instagram @Milkwood April 14, 2022)
