Show heard celebrities speaking their minds on issues Clint Black supports the Children’s Health Environmental Coalition Pierce Brosnan speaks out for the American Oceans Campaign Drew Barrymore is a spokesperson for the Wildlife Waystation which helps exotic animals get back home Sting and Ricky Martin perform benefit concerts for the rainforests (For more on celebrity causes see wwwkmdnessofstmngersorg) You've You can make yourself heard too: Speak up Talk to your friends Talk to your family Talk to your teachers and school administrators If you have 1 j an idea for making a difference share it Chances are that others will want to help you Maybe you can get your school involved in starting a community garden Or you can lure your friends into helping you clean up a forest or stream 2 Let your money do the talking Use your dollars to support companies that support the environment Write to let them know why you buy their products While you're at it write to any companies that you believe are harming the environment Tell them why you’re h spending your money elsewhere Be polite and be specific Then they’ll know how they'll have to change if they want you as a customer Remember Consumers got hairspray manufacturers to stop using the aerosol cans that damaged the ozone layer 3 Write a letter to the editor Everyone reads the newspaper including environmental decision-makeIf it's printed your letter will attract lots of notice It can get even more attention if it’s a letter from an entire class or a group of young people rs 4 Contact your elected officials and other policy lhakers This is critical The President the Cabinet Congress and your state legislature make countless decisions that affect the environment These can range from whether or not to sign on to a global warming treaty to how much to spend for research into alternative forms of energy Let your representatives know your views on issues in the news You can find out how to contact them at WHWcongressorg Policymakers in agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency the Department of Energy the Department of the Interior and others write the actual regulations that enforce these decisions Some rules involve “standards” For example agencies issue regulations on subjects such as the amount of arsenic that can be in drinking water They rule on the minimum efficiency standards for appliances such as air conditioners and on what qualifies a food as “organic” Another important issue is land use Officials consider questions such as whether there should be roads mining oil drilling treercutting or snowmobiling in national forests and other wildlife areas These agencies have a public comment period before they finalize their rules That way they can hear what citizens like you have to say Telling them helps this country’s democracy work You can keep up with public comment periods and public hearings by reading the paper or by getting on the mail or list of a related environmental group (See the resources on page 16) -- ail H j- - |