Mid-Missouri

Peaceworks

Working towards peace and sustainability

Where do They Stand on the Climate Crisis?

 

Recognizing the Climate change is an existential threat, Peaceworks is continuing to educate the public and the candidates as to what’s at stake. While we don’t endorse, support or oppose candidates, we encourage our fellow citizens to Vote for the Climate and we encourage candidates to learn more and to campaign in support of prompt and effective climate action.

We are in a Climate Emergency! Business as usual, with some minimal lip service paid, no longer cuts it. In fact, it never did.

Part of our effort is focused on surveying the candidates, as to their positions on critical climate issues and then sharing what we’ve learned with our members, supporters and the public.

We recently concluded collecting and compiling surveys of legislative candidates—Missouri State Reps and Senators, as well as U.S. Congressional Candidate; Reps and Senators. Including all running from districts in the mid-Missouri area. If you’d like to get right to it, you can access the report HERE.

Important Details:

We sent surveys to 54 candidates. Unfortunately, only 17 candidates were willing to share their views on these critical issues. We e-mailed them. We sent letters by postal mail. We sent reminders. We’ve also spent some time visiting candidate websites. Sadly, very few even mention climate change, in spite of the urgency of addressing this critical constellation of concerns.

We take this as a measure of the work that we must do. It’s time to redouble our efforts. We welcome and encourage all of you who share our concerns to get active now.

Again, we invite you to read through our collection of survey responses and see what you can learn. You will find this HERE.

What You can Do:

For starters, see whether or not those who’d like to get your vote have responded to the survey. If they did, read what they have to say and give them your feedback. If they didn’t you could contact them, let them know of your concerns and ask them to please share their thoughts on the need for climate action.

If they make public appearances in your community, turn out, if you can, and ask these questions in public. Write letters to the editor regarding climate and the upcoming election. Share your concerns with friends, family, co-workers, fellow parishioners, neighbors and others.

As we see it, there are many important issues facing our communities, our state, our nation and our planet, but none are more important than the climate, given the existential threat climate change poses. It seems to us that legislators and would-be legislators really need to hear from us.

Finally, Peaceworks will, over the next three months, be organizing to encourage voters to Vote for the Climate. We’d welcome you volunteering some time, as you can, to move forward on this critical constellation of concerns.