Why is speaking to my local politician or Council member so important?

The reason we need to be brave or be bothered to talk to politicians is because they are the change makers of our world.

They are the ones who make decisions to create the world that we want. We have the power to decide which politician to vote for - so vote for politicians who share your concerns.

How is a politician going to know what people want or bring about awareness of an issue if you don't tell them?

The more people that come to them about an issue, the more they can't ignore it. Whether it be climate change or other local issues you care about.

A politician represents you and your local area - it is your local politician's job to meet with you and discuss your concerns.

We live in a democracy and it is your democratic right to be able to speak to your local politician without fear of reprisal! If you are worried about reprisal, ask your self is this the type of person who should be a community leader? No? Make a complaint and/or vote them out!

Being a member of the Australian Conservation Foundation, I have spoken to many people in the community, and some of the reasons they say they wont speak to their local elected representatives are:

It won't do any good
I don't have time
They don't listen
That as$&ole!, I won't speak to him
Afraid of backlash for having an opinion
Worried it will affect business, or
I tried, they won't meet with me

No doubt there are politicians out there who try to create a world where there is division between different types of people, especially when it comes to protecting the planet.

It's important to listen to the language politicians use. They often use stereotypes like 'greenie' and 'latte-sipping inner city dwellers' which is a way to create an 'us' and 'them' situation to pit people against each other.

I believe this is done to create division, so they can create their own agenda.

I believe our political representatives should have integrity and promote tolerance, unity and acceptance of each other.

"The environment is not left or right, it's just something that needs to be addressed. It's not political."

(Unknown author of this quote - if your the author please let me know!)