President’s Letter: Speaking Up on Climate Change
By Lori Danielson
During September’s devastating wildfires in the western US and numerous tropical storms in the Caribbean and Atlantic, I was reminded again that climate change is affecting us now. I’ve previously taken action to shrink my carbon footprint, such as reducing my consumption of meat, electricity, and fossil fuels. I buy locally-produced food, reduce my food waste, and minimize travel, something the pandemic has made easier. But as smoke made it unhealthy to go outside, the wildfires struck the west side of the Cascades, and fire destroyed huge stretches of wildlife habitat and people’s homes throughout the West, I felt uncomfortable that I wasn’t doing enough. I decided that I need to speak up.
Recognizing that we need state and national-level changes to our energy, transportation, construction, and food production systems, I’ve resolved to start making my voice heard to my elected officials more than before. I want them to know that I care about fighting climate change and that we need to take action now. Searching for ways to prepare to tell my story, I found helpful resources in National Audubon’s Climate Action Guide and the Natural Resources Defense Council’s “How to Call Congress” article. I’m preparing now to make my voice heard and, of course, to vote in November.
It’s my hope that sharing my story to leadership will help raise their level of urgency to take action against climate change. It’s the best option I have to spur systemic change at the scale that people, wildlife, and birds need to survive this global emergency. I urge you to vote and make your voice heard too.