small steps, smaller footprints

 

It does matter, and not just at the federal level, but the state level. In fact, many don't realize the large-scale impacts that state-level policies have on the climate. Let's take the relatively-off-of-the-radar state of Missouri for example. Missouri's largest electric utility (Ameren) has historically been one of if not the largest customers of the largest coal company (Peabody) in the world. If Missourians were to choose to, they could have a planetary impact by effectively voting for the climate and intervening and commenting in cases with the Missouri Public Service Commission. There are significant political barriers in Missouri, reinforced by shareholder interests that affect global energy markets. If these barriers are dissolved more swiftly, the result could be a domino effect that would alter regional emissions trajectories and expedite the decline of the U.S. coal market. What this requires is tackling voter turnout demographic issues and confronting energy companies, not just in D.C., but in all U.S. states and in D.C.

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Missouri aside, there are serious national voter turnout demographic issues. The most significant of these issues is the turnout rates of different age groups. To put it simply, old people vote more than younger people. The elderly are less concerned about the next 60 years than the youthful and persons approaching middle age. Now, there are plenty of elderly people fighting for the climate, but overall younger people are more concerned about how the climate will affect our future and what we need to be doing to mitigate these issues and adapt to changes. In the end, us younger folks are the ones who really have to deal with the worsening issues of desertification, increasing numbers of climate migrants, water scarcity, extreme weather, collapsing ocean food chains, impaired plant-pollinator relationships, and much more. We are undoubtedly in need of every inch of political ground that can be gained. Hey you, yeah you in your 20s or 30s, vote like your life depends on it.

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