September Challenge!

Julia Cavallo
Sep 10, 2020
3 min read

I was so excited to find out I had been chosen as the newest Ambassador for Happy Earth Apparel, where I will complete monthly challenges that add to my overall Environmental Impact score to help me get more involved in protecting the environment and making the planet a better, cleaner place. Not only did I join this organization because I am so passionate about the message, but I also wanted to be able to share these challenges with my blog followers and hopefully inspire you all to take action as well.

This month, I started by earning Impact Points by completing September’s Happy Earth Ambassador challenges! Now, I am formally challenging you all to complete these two easy steps that will introduce you to making true individual change.

1. REGISTER TO VOTE

In the 2016 general election, only 55.5% of eligible voters casted their ballot. The general election before that, only 54.9% voted. In fact- the last time over 60% of the U.S. voter population voted was in 1968. Our democracy cannot function without the participation of the people, and we cannot continue to complain about the status of our country if we don’t take part in trying to change it. This year, I along with many others anticipate one of the largest voter turnouts in our country’s history- and you should be part of it.

Vote early. With all the current uncertainty in today’s climate, it is important to take early action steps to make sure that your vote counts.

🗳️ Confirm that you’re registered to vote: https://www.usa.gov/confirm-voter-registration.

🗳️ If you are not yet registered to vote, register now: https://www.usa.gov/register-to-vote.

🗳️ Request an absentee ballot:

If you plan to be out of your home county when voting due to school or other circumstances, click here and choose your respective state. Mail this form as soon as possible or contact your local election office to see if you can fax or email it to expedite the process. For various reasons, mail in ballots are being slowed, so time is of the essence! What are you waiting for?

Lastly, if all of the above options fail you by election day, pull up to your local polling location and cast your vote. Change is waiting.

2. CONTACT YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS

Your local elected officials are here to serve YOU! Let them know what you think.

First, go to https://www.commoncause.org/find-your-representative/addr/ to find a representative from your area to contact! Once you get here, fill out their contact form about a cause that is important to you. I used the Happy Earth template about climate change, but you could write about anything that makes you feel passionate. For reference, here is the template I used (courtesy of Happy Earth):

Governor Larry Hogan,

I am a constituent and voter, and I support strong climate action. Climate change has already begun to create serious challenges for US residents: record high temperatures and heatwaves, stronger hurricanes, more flooding, and more frequent wildfires. These problems will only continue to get worse if climate change is not faced head on.

I urge you to support and promote policies that encourage renewable energy production and disincentivize the use of fossil fuels. Not only will this begin to address a global crisis, it will reduce pollution, lead to cleaner air and healthier Americans, and create many new jobs.

Respectfully, Julia Cavallo

Happy Earth says,

“As individuals, there are many things we can do to be more Earth-friendly, like reducing our plastic usage, composting food scraps, and eating less beef.

But when it comes to large changes like improving renewable energy infrastructure, protecting at-risk species, and reducing industrial pollution, we think we are powerless.