Non-partisan voter guides for the general elections

Friends and fellow citizens,

Tuesday is general election day, please remember to vote as participation is a fundament of our democracy.

Equally important is to cast a well-informed vote as the outcomes of these elections impact generations to come.

Environment is a key part to many candidate platforms, and the following non-partisan guides may help you to better discern what their current positions are.

League of Women Voters:
Part I
http://www.lwvmi.org/documents/LWV2010p17-32REV_001.pdf
Part II
http://www.lwvmi.org/documents/LWV2010p1-16.pdf

League of Conservation Voters:
Brief guide:
http://michiganlcv.org/sites/default/files/Snyder%20&%20Bernero%20Brief%20Chart.pdf
Detailed guide:
http://michiganlcv.org/sites/default/files/MLCV-Full-Gubernatorial-Comparison-Chart-final-jk.pdf

Please also note that the gubernatorial candidates have differing stances on new coal plants, fossil fuel (especially natural gas) exploration, and nuclear energy in Michigan.  As many of us have learned through our studies or from experience, these factors do have a legacy of negative environmental, social, and economic consequences which merit careful consideration.

Have a safe and Happy Halloween!

On climate change: A handful of resources and reflections

I've been relatively quiet about climate change activism for the past two years because there are so many moving parts involved with the issue, and it took time for me to get my head around what was going on.  Most everyone involved has good intentions, there are many perspectives, and understanding many of the solutions--not to mention knowing which ones are being considered or included can be a daunting task.  Furthermore, there are many groups working toward a similar goal, but I couldn't understand why they didn't work together.  I've finally seen, heard, and learned enough to offer some organizations seeking to coordinate efforts that you can take action with, and handful of quality resources for you to investigate as a supplement to the previous letter.

There are four sections below:

1. Courses+some comments on political efficacy
2. Cap and Trade in climate legislation and how it could improve
3. My take on Repower America
4. Climate change as an issue of sustainability

These draw from my experiences as a student, an attendee at many a conference, and various other ventures in the arena of climate change.  Clearly, it's my perspective, but I hope it serves to be a useful starting guide to you if you're about to dive in.