Voting for the climate

There's only one thing we can do this week that matters

Friends, family and community around the planet:

There is only one act we need to take this week for the Earth: We need to ensure that the next president of the USA puts our climate crisis at the top of their action list.

Image courtesy of the amazing Kathleen Founds.

Those of you who live outside the USA right now, might feel that an American election isn’t worth your energy and attention. But this election matters to the entire planet. In Steps 2 and 3 of this week’s action, I’ll give you resources for how you too can help!

Why your vote matters more than ever

We all want our planet’s kids to have a habitable future. And while we know that very few politicians can actually solve our climate crisis, there are leaders who view every act they take through a climate lens.

You and me and everyone we know has to step up and make the world we want for our planet’s kids. Right now, that means using our voices. Participating in the US election is our way to holler that we’re ready to jump into the fight so our kids can be grandparents.

This Week’s Action: Step 1

If you’re able to vote in the USA, and haven’t yet, the most important act you can do is VOTE for the planet. Here’s how to make sure you do it correctly!

Step 2:

Help others vote. You can hand deliver ballots for people in your community. You might sign up with Voto Latino, a voter advocacy group that registered thousands of Latinx folks to vote this year, to help educate young people about their ballots.

You can donate to the brilliant chefs taking food trucks out to the polls to feed people in low-income communities who, because of voter suppression in the US, will be waiting in epic lines to cast their votes.

In the US and want to do more? Take a cue from organizations like the Sunrise Movement — they’re taking young voters on marches through their community on Halloween—in costume! with candy! and social distancing, of course—to vote.

Up in the middle of the night doomscrolling? Combat the dread and sign up to monitor and negate false information online. If you’re anything like me, you’re spending waaaayyyy too much time online right now anyway—let’s use that energy for good. Sign up to be a social media election monitor with environmental badasses 350.org.

Step 3:

Use this incredible moment in history to educate the young people in your life about the role of democracy in our climate crisis. In general, the young generation’s number one voting priority is climate change.

That’s why it’s important for them to see us taking action, voting, and, most importantly, fighting for the future we want to ensure for them. These direct actions model ways for the youth in our lives to get engaged in their own civic responsibilities when they can vote.

Whether we’re donating to organizations, helping people register and vote, or making sure unbiased scientific information is accessible to all voters, the entire planet has an amazing teaching moment right now to use the US election to show our youth why we must actively participate in the democratic process.

Image courtesy of Kathleen Founds

Taking action is an easy way for us to do something that matters this week to help ease our anxiety.

But above all, I want to remind us all to breathe, take breaks and hug the people you love. We’re not in this alone.

Need a break from the crazy? My kids and I created a new collaborative Our Feet on the Ground Spotify playlist. Add some of your favorite songs, stream and dance it out to this fun reminder that we’re all in this together.

P.S.

A lot of you have shared how you’ve planted trees and organized community tree planting events at your schools and in your communities this week—thank you! I’m so inspired by you all. Keep up the awesome work!

Have a friend that needs some inspiration? Please share this newsletter. We can’t do this work on our own.