Home of Slightly Cracked Dreams

While an important issue, it's a scary one too. Any new statistic predicts doom and gloom and if we were to believe even half of them we might shrug our shoulders and conclude it's already too late.

Many people have listed excellent ways of reducing your own impact on the environment: Ali listed some great ones today, and Lightening has been conducting an electricity challenge and is always sharing her ideas for reducing her and her families environmental impact. I'm sure there are many others out there who do the same.

But today I want to take the opportunity to discuss another way to contribute to the cause (for want of a better word).

In just under six weeks Australians will go to the polls. While the leaders try and make the election issues what they want them to be (traditionally health, education and the economy) this is one time we can have a say on major parties environmental policies. I'm not going to tell you how to vote, or suggest voting Green, but add the enviroment into your list of policies to consider when deciding how to cast your vote.

With the success of the Green candidate in the Queensland by-election on the weekend, you can bet the political parties are aware that the environment is increasingly a concern for voters - and that is the opportunity we have, living in a democracy. We can make topics into election issues, we can lodge protest votes (while still being valid), we can let the major parties know that the environment IS important to us, and that can force them into action.

So when you vote, consider environmental policies, along with others that concern you. When you write to your local member, include the environment and discuss your concerns. When you write to the local paper, talk about what you want the government to do.

You might be just one person, as I am, but if the success of Blog Action Day is anything to learn from, it's that many people, acting in the same interests, can create opportunities for global change. And THAT is what we need, in addition to our own concerted efforts at home.