On this great holiday today – Star Wars Day – we wanted to teach you, our HEAL padawans, how to use the force to be an environmental advocate, even from home.
What is the force?
In our world, the force is your voice and the ability to harness it to protect our natural world and public health from environmental and Sith threats.
If you are reading this, you already have the power within you to take action.
Why use the force?
“The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the force.”
Your voice – your power – matters.
Without public accountability, politicians, regulators, and corporations can use their power to put their interests over the public’s.
But by stepping up in various ways, you can create change. And when many voices are raised, change on a large-scale is possible.
How to harness the force from home?
The force has many avenues of use, which are all dependent on the one who wields it.
Even though we are all staying home, there are still plenty of ways you can use the force well without even leaving your couch.
Pick up your phone
- You can call or text your legislators at the state and national level
- Hit them up on a regular basis to express your concerns over policies and to thank them for actions you support
- Find your Utah legislators here
- Find your federal Congresspeople here
Drop a note
- Email is a great way to send longer messages to legislators, and you can even request a response from them
- You don’t have to have technical expertise on a topic to email a lawmaker – in fact, telling your personal story as to why you care about an issue can be even more effective
Get social
- These days, most lawmakers have social media accounts that you can follow and reach out to them on
- Slide into their DMs, tag them in a Tweet, or share thoughts on their Facebook pages
- Invite your friends to do the same
Print isn’t dead
- You can also publish a letter to the editor or op-ed in your local paper expressing your opinion on a policy, company, or any other recent news
- If you prefer pen to paper over a keyboard, you can still even write decision-makers a letter and send it in
Stay educated
- Whether its by following local organizations (like HEAL Utah!) who post action alerts or by reading the news, stay up to date with what’s happening in your areas of interest
Vote with your dollar
- If you’ve been therapy-shopping at home lately, make sure you are supporting companies that have values that align with your own
Just vote!
- Voting in every election will shape our future, especially local and state elections which will have a more immediate, tangible impact on your day-to-day life
- Check your registration here and mark your calendars for upcoming elections
Now what?
Worried about getting started? Reference our active action alerts to give you some talking points and start trying it out!