There is a host of things you can do to help slow the rate of climate change. These range from personal lifestyle choices, flexing some political muscle, purchasing from environmentally friendly businesses and supporting your favorite nonprofit. Each approach has its merits, and we should truly be doing all of these things as much as we can.
One impact that shouldn’t be overlooked is electrifying Idaho’s transportation sector. Idaho does not have any in-state coal-fired power plants, leading to transportation emissions being our state’s largest source of climate changing pollutants. Is electrifying our transportation sector the key to fighting climate change? Maybe not on its own, but it’s hard to imagine a solution that doesn’t involve more electric vehicles on Idaho’s roads and highways.
Join the Movement to Electrify Idaho’s Transportation
Are you thinking of buying a new car soon? Have you considered buying an electric vehicle (EV)? Buying an EV can be intimidating, but there is a host of benefits associated with this decision, and fighting climate change is not the least of them.
Almost more important than buying a new vehicle, we need you to contact your state legislators and tell them you want to see more EVs in Idaho. ICL is part of a broad coalition working to present the Idaho Legislature with all the benefits that EVs bring to Idaho. Your call supporting this work helps let them know that a growing number of Idahoans want more EVs!
More Support Than Ever to Take Action
Idaho’s newly elected Gov. Brad Little recently made headlines when he told a crowd at the Idaho Environmental Forum’s Legislative Preview that climate change was real. Gov. Little reflected on the deep snow he had to deal with as a kid when feeding cows in the winter, and how such winters are becoming less frequent. The effects of climate change in Idaho aren’t limited to less snow in the winter, though. We’re increasingly seeing summer adventures interrupted and public health threatened by poor air quality from wildfires or outbreaks of toxic algae in our favorite lakes. As Gov. Little said in his remarks, "We’ve just got to figure out how we’re going to cope with it. And we’ve got to slow it down."
Changes in attitudes on climate change are not unique to Idaho. New polling indicates that a record number of Americans agree that climate change is happening. The most dramatic increase seen in the polling data was the number of people who say that climate change is personally important to them. Journalists reporting on the polling results attributed this increase, at least in part, to the growing number of Americans who have personally experienced natural disasters exacerbated by climate change, such as fires, floods, hurricanes and droughts.