It is Your Civic Duty to Vote

     So I have recently become very politically active. Why? Because a lot of bad things are going on in the USA. Our freedoms and liberties are being attacked, the government is no longer working for the good of the people, and to make matters worse.... Almost half the voters that actually voted in the country decided to vote in a narcissistic, homophobic, misogynistic, racist con-man (that list can literally go on for a while). The man they voted for is so corrupt, he is sadly the perfect face for our government.

     HOWEVER!!!! About half of the eligible voters in this country DID NOT VOTE!!! What is wrong with you?! You didn't like the choices? Neither did I. But WW3 is just around the corner because of this man-child. There are options available to make voting easier for you. You can vote early by mail! You can even make a phone call! There is literally no excuse. This was an election where you just had to pick someone and either hit a button or write someone in! Click HERE for directions for early voting.

     The 2018 election is coming up, and you absolutely must go and vote. Brave men and women DIED for your right to do so. It is your civic duty to go vote and make your voices heard. So get out here and vote on Tuesday, November 6, 2018! Make sure to research the candidates in your area so that you can make an educated decision. Please don't just press a button because you prefer one color over the other. Know your candidates stances! There are so many voters who regret voting for Trump because of the things he's doing right now. He hasn't changed one bit since the campaign. Please pay attention to the actions of your candidate. Pay attention to their words. And make sure that they truly represent you before you vote for them. Make educated decisions, please!

     So all that being said, there is an app that you can use for free called Countable (click here for link!). This app allows you to stay up to date on bill proposals and even allows you to vote on them. There is an option for you to explain why you voted one way or another, but you don't have to if you don't want to. Yes, it asks for your email and address. The email is so that the people running the site can send an email to your representative and you will actually get a response from your rep in a couple hours from placing your vote. They ask for your address to make sure they give you your proper representatives. Yes, you can contact your reps directly from the app! And again, this is free! There's an option to register to vote. You can search for issues important to you. Everything is categorized, so you can 'like' all the categories that you want to. This app makes it so easy to get involved. Literally no excuse. 

     I will mention that after a few times (about 20) of writing an explanation of why you voted one way or other, it will prompt you to make a 30 second video for your representative to watch. If you're like me, you don't really want to do that and have way more to say than 30 seconds allows. Press "create video" (yes, do it). It will pull up the next page to explain how to create a video, and then you may exit it safely without deleting the wall of text you just wrote. That's about my only complaint in regards to using this app. 

We Need Renewable Energy Now

There are many awful attributes to fossil fuel use. We are polluting the earth with smog and oil spills. We are destroying the earth, our only home, much like a cancer destroys a person’s body. Fortunately, there are cures for cancer. With the help of medical professionals and hard work, a person can overcome the illness. The earth has cancer, and it is time to listen to the professionals in order for the healing to begin. Scientists agree that it is time to make the transition to renewable energy sources. And there are many to choose from.

Solar power is a great and reliable source. The sun is going to burn bright for many generations to come. Thanks to scientific advances, houses can be equipped with solar panels on their roofs. In 2014, Ford even created a concept car that runs primarily on solar energy. That would also help usher in the age of renewable energy. And for those of you who say, “What about cloudy days?” Well, the next option is a nice backup.

Windmills. Wind energy is easy to harness rain or shine. Wind farms might not look pretty, but wind, like the sun, is not going away for many many lifetimes. It is also a clean energy source that will, in its continued use, help to stop and hopefully reverse the effects of pollution. “Well, what happens when there are days without wind?” Great question.

The final option I would like to talk about is hydro-power. Watermills and dams create renewable energy as well. The currents of the water are always moving and flowing, like the blood that flows through our veins. Water is what gives everything on this planet life. By using unsafe means of energy sources, we are destroying our most valuable resource. Perhaps we could simultaneously clean up our rivers and lakes and oceans while using hydro power.

Lastly, this would all be fantastic for the economy. Incorporating these things into our everyday lives would create jobs, and not just short term. All of these options need maintenance, and it is so much easier to fix a solar panel, or wind turbine, or water mill or dam than it is to fix a pipeline. And if those pieces of equipment do break, there are no hazardous spills. None of these things give off harmful toxins.

Friends, these are just a few of the the many renewable sources available to us. We need to save our planet. We are destroying our ozone with greenhouse gases with our continued use of fossil fuels. We are going to cause our own extinction unless we start making changes now.

We must also not condemn those who work in the fossil fuel industry. Everyone from those who lay the pipeline down, to the operators at the distribution centers, all the way down to the gas station workers - all of them must be trained into the renewable energy industry. And on top of all of those jobs that are being saved by this method, the potential for more job growth is high. WIth the specialized technology comes a need for those who are able to repair things like solar panels and wind turbines. We also need people to figure out and plan which sources will work best with which regions, so there’s more jobs, as well.

“How will the U.S. pay for it? It’s too expensive!” Rebuttal all the nay-sayers…. Easy, we can cut spending in areas that we really don’t need to be spending extra on.. Say, defense, for example? Or we can demand that our wealthy politicians cut their pay and donate to the cause. There is always a way. People need to stop clinging to their bigotry and hatefulness of change and get with the program.

Divest from big oil. Water is Life. You cannot drink oil and eat money.