With the 2008 election season now in full swing, it seems like a good time to dig through my social research collection and pull up a few nuggets about everyday citizens’ environmental civic and voting habits. The way I read these findings, you can clearly see the price we pay for using shop talk in public settings — it’s clear we’re leaving a lot of voters out of the debate.

Can we increase our clout on election day by using words that work? I believe so. Download and preruse this memo, and tell me if you agree.

Download: A Snapshot of Americans’ Environmental Voting and Civic Habits

Standup comedy is one of my favorite things in the world. And one of my favorite comidiennes is Andi Smith. She’s FUNNY! And she got bounced off NBC’s reality show Last Comic Standing for reasons I can’t quite fathom. Anyway, Andi has a thing or two to say about a couple of topics kinda sorta maybe related to the topic of this blog: fishing and camping. So here you go. Enjoy the witty words of Andi Smith:

The good folks at Georgia Forest Watch wonder what you think about this poster. They’ve got it on display at Patagonia in Atlanta, where they’re competing for a nice $4,000 grant. I don’t know what the other groups have on display, so we’ll have to evaluate this one on its own merits. So weigh in — would you vote for them? If not, why not?

Thanks to Lori, the group’s outreach director, for volunteering her work!

Here’s a video sure to get your blood boiling. Matt Chancey is running for Public Service Commission in the state of Alabama, and he’s running on a pro-nuke anti-enviro platform. Watch this video and check out all the unkind things he has to say about you:

Most of my relatives live in Alabama, and I’m sure they will all vote for Matt and take great pleasure in telling me about it at the next wedding or funeral. So it goes. But as a general matter, social research suggests that if Alabama conservationists play their cards right, Matt’s accusations won’t do lasting damage to their reputation. Here are some tips:

Don’ts
Chancey has called you “radical.” Don’t deny it! The more you deny it, the more some voters will believe Chancey. You should response by saying “we exercise our freedom of speech to protect the health of Alabama families.”

Chancey has called you the “liberal elite.” That’s a charge that might stick, so watch yourself. It’s not a great time to throw around a bunch of elite vocabulary like “watershed,” “riparian,” “biodiversity,” etc… you’ll only prove his point if you do. (It’s never a great time to throw around elite vocabulary in front of everyday citizens)

Do
Post comments on Chancey’s YouTube video accusing him of being a shill for corporations that want to build dangerous and polluting nuclear power plants that threaten the health and safety of Alabama families (assuming you sincerely believe that to be the case, of course).

Point out that the corporations Chancey is shilling for are accountable to anonymous shareholders rather than local citizens.

Do point out that the responsible way for the state to help residents save money is by investing in conservation and clean, renewable energy, not by giving handouts to wealthy corporations.

Thanks to Katie at the Alabama Rivers Alliance for the great tip on this video.