“Organizations like Change.org help to remind us that the government is ‘for the people’, not the other way around.” – Asheigh Jackson,Chapel Hill, NC.
Whether it be animals, human rights, economic justice, environmental issues, or anything in between, everyone has a voice. And every voice matters. Or, at the very least, everyone should have a voice and every voice should matter. Change.org is doing its best to ensure that.
Change.org is a platform that empowers anyone from around the world to fight for what they care about via online petition-signing. And it looks to be working. Every hour, a project victory is declared on Change.org. Thus is seems that this open platform really does give people a voice, and it’s incredible how many projects have made a difference in an otherwise helpless situation. Currently there are 111,833,826 people from around the globe taking action on any issue, big or small.
A comparison of the amount of users to victories over time on Change.org.
Change.org makes problem solving easy, in 5 simple steps.
1) Anyone can start a petition for free.
2) Friends, family and other supporters share the petition.
3) The petition reaches new audiences through the media and offline events.
4) Decision makers can then engage with the petition.
5) Once a solution is found, the petition starter declares victory.
While every petition does not have the wide-reaching effects we hope for and ultimately need, each successfuly signed and “passed” petition does put a certain prominence and urgency on these aforementioned situations.
Anyway, here are 10 petitions I thought you might want to consider to help ensure a healthy, sustainable future for our planet. I’ve made an emphasis on coastal, mountain, air, water, and food issues that affect more than just the local communities at hand. If you’re passionate about something, all you have to do is sign a petition with your name, email, and address. It’s that simple.
It would be absolutely devastating if polar bears went extinct, especially with all of the knowledge regarding greenhouse gas and oil drilling threats. These issues have plagued polar bears for decades and finally the US government plans to recover the decimated population. The World Wildlife Fund created this petition to segue proper conservation and rehabilitation of these beautiful creatures.
Take a Stand Against Illegal Fishing
At the rate fish are being caught in our oceans, Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future projects that by 2050, all fish species in our oceans will be extinct. This is largely due to Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, which is a huge problem in every ocean around the world. Contributing to much of the overfishing issues, it devastates populations of sharks, tuna, and sea turtles, to name a few. As expected, this affects the world economy; recent estimates state roughly $23 billion is lost annually as a result of IUU. This petition was also created by the World Wildlife Fund in order to raise awareness and spark much-needed change in our fishing practices.
Dams are incredibly destructive to ecosystems despite their yield of electricity and drinking water. Once a flourishing river teeming with wild salmon, The Snake River in Southeastern Washington is facing serious threat as a result of dams that were built after the great depression. The film, DamNation, is petitioning against this issue alongside Patagonia and Save Our Wild Salmon, and has successfully removed three dams thus far. The Ice Harbor Dam, Lower Monumental Dam, Little Goose Dam, and Lower Granite Dam are the remaining four dams that are continuing to reduce the local salmon population into virtually nothing.
Stop the destruction of Wolf Creek Pass, an irreplaceable Colorado treasure
Wolf Creek Pass is known as a sanctuary possessing absolutely gorgeous scenery filled with elk, deer, black bear, and threatened Canada lynx. This precious landscape is now subject to commercialization of a proposed “village” of 8,000 new homes. A group of concerned locals known as Friends of Wolf Creek are fighting back by petitioning against this building plan and have generated quite the following thus far. With 78,489 supporters, Friends of Wolf Creek have halted building for now but still believe they have a long battle ahead.
Tell Congress to Support the EPA’s Biggest Action Ever on Climate Change
Outdoor air pollution poses serious health concerns all around the world, and negatively affects our planet for generations to come. In the U.S., the Obama administration has proposed a plan to combat carbon emissions from power plants – thankfully mercury, arsenic, soot and other pollutants are already regulated. Lobbyists and corporate polluters have opposed these established regulations, sparking further efforts from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with their Clean Power Plan. Long story short, this plan is huge for climate change, and the League of Conservation Voters wishes to ensure the EPA’s plan is not barred by congress.
Stop contributing to massive food waste in the US
If you see a fruit that is oddly shaped, chances are you won’t be buying it. It’s not your fault; there are often hundreds of other choices around you. But did you know that billions of pounds of good produce is thrown away before it even reaches the shelves simply because it’s not “up to standard?” This means that it’s not the normal size, shape or color – yet it tastes the same. In fact, 26% of produce is uneaten annual even when roughly 17.5 million American households faced hunger in 2013. In this petition, The Ugly Fruit and Veg Campaign demands that Whole Foods and Walmart combat this absurd food waste like Intermarche did in France. This supermarket successfully marketed “ugly” food by selling it at 30% off and has even increased sales as a result. If these fruits were included on the shelves, it would help save money, hunger, and the environment.
Don’t drop bombs in my backyard!
Does bomb testing warrant relocation of locals, destruction of ecosystems, and loss of centuries of culture and tradition? Most would argue no, but this could be a reality for Tinian and Pagan, two islands located in the Marianas, a US territory. These small pacific islands are under threat by the U.S. Navy and have no representation in Congress because of their proximity to the mainland. This petition was started by Arley Long, a very concerned Tinian local speaking on behalf of these island communities. In only 3 months, Long has already gathered 120,136 supporters for the cause.
Stop bottling the last of California’s water
It’s been 4 years and the California drought has now in a state of emergency. It’s also officially the worst drought in the history of the state. While most residents are taking precautions to reduce water consumption, Walmart is bottling what’s left and they’re selling it for 600 times what they paid. For every $1 Walmart pays, they charge Californians $658. It’s also estimated that bottlers use roughly three gallons of water to put one bottle on the shelf. Clinton Fein believes that the solution would be to source water from elsewhere, like Starbucks did as a result of too many upset customers.
Support Open Space Funding for Preservation of JAWS Surf Break and Maui’s Hamakualoa Coastline
Every surfer knows the legendary spot, Jaws, located on Maui’s Hamakualoa Coastline. The gorgeous coastline and ecosystem is known for its incredibly beauty and is also home to several endangered species. It was a private property for over 100+ but is now available to the open market and Maui Council member, Don Guzman, wishes to acquire the area for $3.2 million. As part of his budget proposals, his plan is to properly protect this cherished landmark because of its rich culture to the island. Paahana atHanapopoplo created this petition on behalf of the community to ensure this land is never built on, and that it remains the sacred ground that it always has been.
Free four wild dolphins contained in a tiny pool at Wake Bali Adventure
It’s one thing to see dolphins in the ocean during a surf but it’s another to see them kept in a resort pool. At the Wake Bali Adventure Park, 4 wild dolphins are being held as a tourist attraction. It’s shocking that dolphins outside of their habitat is considered “entertainment.” Started by Craig Brokensha, this petition has gone absolutely viral in only 2 months. With 404,219 supporters and counting, the petition requests for Wake Bali Adventure Park to free the dolphins from captivity and allow them to be rehabilitated then reintroduced to their home — the ocean.
For more petitions, head on over to Change.org.
