By Karen Melton, Southeastern Pennsylvania Group
Although national policy is essential if future generations are to have a livable world, there is so much local governments can do, from working toward net-zero emissions for municipal buildings, vehicles and services to ensuring universal access to clean air and water to promoting green space for all, and everything in between. The local elections coming up this year are important, and Sierra Club groups across the state should be doing everything they can to help identify and elect local environmental champions to public office.
In Philadelphia the Southeastern Pennsylvania Group Election Team volunteers had to get to work early. If recent history is a guide, the winners of the majority of city council seats and the Mayor’s office are decided in the primary. Which means considering endorsements in the primary is key.
The Philadelphia Election Team distributed a questionnaire to mayoral and city council candidates in January. It covered a select group of environmental issues that local team members were involved with such as support for the city’s net zero emissions goals, an equitable and just way forward for decarbonizing Philadelphia’s city-owned gas company, extension of the Low Income Heating Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), banning of additional plastics, construction dumping enforcement and more.
Other groups are using questionnaires, forums and town halls to compare the many candidates and make sure environmental issues are being addressed. The Waste Free Philly Coalition, composed of a half-dozen organizations, recently introduced their Mayoral Agenda for a Clean and Waste-Free Future and are seeking candidate pledges to support the agenda.
Political committee volunteers are required to be current Sierra Club members, so check your membership status and talk to the political chair of your local group before embarking on campaign and endorsement activities. You can also view the Endorsements 101 training video for background.
This blog was included as part of the March 2023 Sylvanian newsletter. Please click here to check out more articles from this edition!