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If you are like me, you follow legislation that affects our collective impact on air and water quality, soil, energy, human and ecological health.
As consumers, every thing we use has an ecological price tag. Each of us has an individual responsibility to develop our awareness of the impact of our actions. I’m talking about things like choosing locally grown unprocessed food, using reusable shopping bags, driving less, weatherizing your house, etc. Readers of this blog and the Eco Family Facebook page are avidly looking for and changing habits to simplify their living to reduce their environmental impact. I am encouraged every time you share your ideas, thoughts and actions. This year, I invite you to take the next step and share your values beyond your household and into the larger community.
As citizens, we have a responsibility to the larger good of our country and its natural resources. If you are on a school or church board, a neighborhood association or non-profit advisory committee, take time this year to understand how the policies and practices of the organization impact water quality, soil health, access to local food, energy utilization and waste management. You can learn like young people in 4-H study citizenship, leadership and the environment.
As a citizen, know your elected officials. Find out who is on your cooperative extension council, city council, planning and zoning board, or county board of supervisors. Get the contact information of YOUR state representatives and senators, and meet their staffers in the office closest to you. As a citizen, ask questions about where your water comes from, how its treated, what policies are in place and which are not. You don’t have to know everything about the issue, however, do your best to educate yourself. The University of Iowa Public Policy Center has several intitiatives that can inform you on these issues. Also, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources has data to help you educate yourself on environmental issues. Offer your ideas to your elected officials. Remember, your concerns can never be addressed if your elected officials don’t hear from you. They need to hear from us year round, not just during legislative session.
As a citizen, you can get involved in advocacy groups that help communicate environmental issues to those that make decisions for the larger good of our nation and natural resources.
As citizens of a global society, we also have responsibility to govern our actions to care for people, care for the earth and share resources. US citizens are 5% of the world population and consume 24% of the world’s energy resources. Consuming less is one strategy. Diversifying our energy sources toward climate neutrality can make a big impact on global health.
I invite you to take the next step this year and share your values for the environment. An Iowa legislator encourages constituents to tell elected officials what they are doing toward efficiency (conserving water and energy, reducing waste) as well as sufficiency (growing food, collecting rainwater, sharing goods and services).
I posted my personal views on a clean energy economy on my legislator’s Facebook page.
What’s your next step?
Kristi
