5 Ways Individuals Can Affect Environmental Policy

All Politics is local politics. Therefore, there are many things that you can do for the environment though you may feel powerless and feel that your actions are insignificant. The choices that you make in your everyday life are ripples in a pond that have far reaching effects that are beyond expectations. The individual matters and as we can see from history, most revolutions start from the bottom up. That is, times change when people band together to demand it, whether violently or peacefully. Without grassroots politics, there would be a much lower quality of life for each of us on the planet and much less would get done. Some things that you can do to help the environment include:

1. You need to become more informed on issues related to the environment. Listen to radio and read the news and talk to your friends and family about those issues. The more the word is passed around, the more initiative there will be to band together and get something done.

2. Run for office. Have you ever heard the saying, "if you want something done right, do it yourself"? If you run for office, you can promote environmental policy even if you don't end up winning. Just getting the word out is important for the health of the earth.

3. Make your views known to elected representatives. Write letters or send emails. Call your congressman and make your opinion known. After all, elected officials are only there to represent the people who put them there in the first place.

4. Vote. It is the foundation of the values that the United States is based on. By voting, you will be expressing your views. Make the things you care about (not only environmental health) known by voting.

5. Form or join NGOs such as focus and interests groups that seek change. Go to capital hill to lobby or hire a lobbyist. No matter what you decide to do in the end, the important thing is to do something. If we all wait for someone else to step forward, the Earth will be a terrible place to live in the future.