| I do many things related to the environment and have found that the way to get things done is to try to work with government staff more than with politicians. Sometimes it can be useful to discuss things with politicians -- but usually with one that is somehow connected with the issues. For example, up here, I would contact the Minister of the Environment's office, etc.. Unfortunately, I think things are a lot more difficult in the U.S. due to the size of the government, number of people in each department, and the amount of corporate lobbying that goes on. Lots more money at stake. Things are different up here. It's still relatively easy for a "little guy" to communicate with a cabinet minister, or with his/her aides. I suspect that things are better on a state by state basis down there, and that's very useful when you're dealing with issues that can be decided by a state. However, your federal government has too much power over what can or can't be done in each state. Up here, our provinces appear to have much more power over what goes on within. That makes it a lot easier for the population of a province to decide on the policies they wish to follow regarding issues related to environmental protection, etc... I don't know what I would do if I were an environmentalist in the U.S. Most likely I would just give up. |
