Now that national, and even state level, politics have become a blood sport, there is much more reason to invest your time and energy in local affairs. Effective local governance relies on the dedication of a relatively small number of people and that means your time and effort can make a real difference in outcomes in your town. The urge to just tune out because of the national polarization can be overwhelming. Today’s message is intended to encourage you to refocus your energies where they can have the biggest impact: in town affairs.
Town elected and appointed positions are having a harder time than ever being filled by qualified people for a variety of reasons. There is an opportunity here for environmentally minded and conscious people to step forward and not only fill the service void, but have a significant role in charting the course of town policy in important areas.
We all know that nutrient management through improved wastewater treatment is a long-term need requiring ongoing municipal investment. We know that our freshwater ponds need more attention to protect and restore them. We know that open space acquisition requires more support to fight off the housing bulldozers. We know that preparing for the increasing impacts of climate change requires new thinking about how we manage our environmental resources. To sum it all up, there is a lot of work to do, and good people with an environmental ethos are needed at the local level to do that work.
Don’t tune out, but rather, dial in locally. The needs are great and the opportunity to be the change you desire is sitting right there. The next few months are going to be a rough ride, doing something good locally for the environment will help you assert some control on a world that seems to be spiraling out of control. Get involved, it’s the only way forward.
