Making Government Work for Us

Abstract

You have made a number of effective climate choices in your own life. You’ve spread the word to friends, family members, and coworkers. Now it’s time to make sure your elected officials hear your voice, too. From our cities or towns to state and federal government, officials are making decisions on our behalf and with our tax dollars. Put simply, these funds can be spent to improve our energy future or to impoverish it. Along the way, especially in Washington, DC, lobbyists help protect companies that benefit from continued reliance on coal, oil, and gas, regardless of its longterm impact on the environment or the U.S. economy, blocking renewable energy and delaying energy efficiency measures and other efforts to limit carbon emissions.

Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.

–Helen Keller