Vote!
By Pam Young, Executive Director
You are the most important person in the world.
Because this is the year that you decide the future of your planet.
You are reading this because you love our Bay area birds, wildlife, wilderness, and all that they represent. So, please, act to protect what you love. Please. Please. Please. Vote!
Did you know that new science says that all living creatures are genetically related?
Yes, really! …except for viruses.
So, think of all biota (sans viruses) as your family.
As a family, we sustain each other.
This holds true for life in the air, life on land, and life in the sea.
And this year, with this most important election of your life, we all sink or swim. VOTE!
Here are some facts.
Fact: Even though voters’ concerns about our climate crisis ranked higher than ever before, over 10 million environmentalists did not vote in 2016. Look how that turned out…
Fact: Since 2016, over 30 environmental laws, regulations, and measures have been removed, rolled back, or set aside. Without these protections, the climate crisis will escalate to a climate catastrophe and one million wildlife species will go extinct.
Fact: If all – or even most – environmentalists vote this year, we will have the best chance at restoring all the environmental laws, regulations, and measures.
Protect our favorite wild places and species, their habitats, and the clean air, soil, and water that sustain all life!
Vote!
Fact: Earth Overshoot Day fell on August 22, 2020.
What is that?
It’s “the day when humanity’s demand for ecological resources and services in a given year exceeds what Earth can regenerate in that period.” Yes. We seriously overshot….
What can we do? Plenty!! Advocate! Educate! Activate!
Roll up your sleeves and here we go….
- Vote
- Show up for public decisions and tell your leaders that you are an environmentalist and you want to protect our natural resources first and always.
- Study and learn about the leading technologies that replace environmentally harmful extractive industries with sustainable and regenerative practices. Advocate for these new beneficial practices!
- Support your favorite conservation and environmental organization. Support GGBA and… VOTE!
- Do one thing every day that promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- Ask yourself, What can I do to help save my favorite wild place? Do the research and find your answer. And, work hard and do it!
- Say NO to plastic. Urge your shopkeepers and favorite product makers to replace all plastic – containers, packaging, bags, clothing, machinery, appliances, toys, weaponry, hummingbird feeders, vanity compacts, jewelry, doodads, thoughtful gifts, thoughtless gifts, this-and-that, other polluting stuff…. – with compostable or biodegradable stuff.
- Reduce your carbon footprint.
- Plant native plants.
- AND. REALLY. NO KIDDING. VOTE. because. your health and YOUR LIFE. depend. on it.
And, thank yourself for doing what you know is the right and best thing.
And, I most certainly thank you, too!
PS: Pam Young, Executive Director, invites you to contact her for more information and actions you can take. You can email Pam at pyoung@goldengatebirdalliance.org. And, THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING GGBA!
About Pam: Pam Young is GGBA’s Executive Director. Her skills with birds include rescue and rehabilitation, reproduction in captivity for re-population programs, and falconry. As a member of several working groups, Pam participated in the recovery of the California Condor, proposals for breeding and reintroducing the Black-capped Vireo, field studies on Prairie Falcons, and behavioral studies of breeding Roseate Spoonbills. To learn more about Pam, go to our staff page by clicking here.