Take Action!

Action Alerts We at CPAWS try to base our campaigns on sound science and rational analysis, but those alone don’t bring protection to our wild landscapes. An interested and active public is the key to environ mental protection. That means that your voice plays a critical role in achieving proper protection for wild Alberta. “Activism is the rent I pay for living on this earth.” – Alice Walker

Latest Action Alerts February 4, 2008 My Vote is for the Environment A guide to the 2008 Alberta Elections August 31, 2007 Learn more about the Horseshoe Lands development June 19, 2007 You can help Alberta’s grizzly bears June 15, 2007 Take the Big Wild Challenge! Click here for more Action Alerts …

What Can You Do?

1. Join CPAWS.
2. Subscribe to a CPAWS listserv.
3. Talk to your friends.
4. Let your elected representatives know how you feel.
5. Circulate a petition.
6. Speak up in the media.
7. Speak up at public hearings and community meetings.

1. Join CPAWS. Through our meetings, newsletters, and other publications you will receive regular information on our areas of interest. You will also have the opportunity to join with others who share your particular interests and get involved in our campaigns to whatever depth you wish. The very fact of your membership will allow us to speak with greater weight on the issues affecting our wild lands.



Back to top

2. Subscribe to a CPAWS listserv. We at CPAWS Calgary/Banff maintain e-mail listservs in order to keep concerned citizens informed on our issues. Membership in CPAWS is not a requirement to subscribe to a listserv (but why not join anyway?) Three listservs are available for you to subscribe to:
   1. General CPAWS – All issues in which we think you may be interested.
   2. CPAWS Bow Valley – For those with a special interest in issues in the Banff/Canmore area.
   3. CPAWS National Parks – For those with a special interest in national parks issues.
   
   To subscribe to one or more of these listservs, simply send an e-mail message to us at info@cpawscalgary.org

Back to top

3. Talk to your friends. Ideas gain acceptance through word of mouth and discussion. If you are appalled by the state of our national parks, or if some place is special for you and deserving of protection, let others know how you feel. You may be surprised how many people will agree with you. This can form the seed of important individual and group action.



Back to top

4. Let your elected representatives know how you feel.Politicians rely on the public to elect them. Never underestimate the power of a solid expression of public opinion. In recent years, our success in attaining protection for the Bow Valley, for the Whaleback, and for the Spray Valley has been based on thousands of letters from concerned citizens. Without those letters those areas would not now be protected and both Alberta and nature would be the poorer for it.
   Click here for Tips for Writing an Effective Letter to a Politician.

   Remember, your elected representatives have a duty to listen to you, and are generally very open to doing so. If you feel strongly about an issue, why not go beyond writing to arranging a personal appointment and telling them your views face to face?

   Back to top

5. Circulate a petition. SA petition is a formal request from a group of citizens to Parliament or to the Legislative Assembly to take a particular action. While it is not legally binding on the elected officials, it does form part of the legislative record and can be quite influential.

   A petition can be an easy way for a large group of likeminded people to express their views on an issue. You can help with this by circulating our petitions among your friends and family, or by posting them in your workplace or public places. CPAWS often has petitions available for download from this site in PDF format.

Back to top

6. Speak up in the media. Seen an article in the newspaper which outrages, irritates, or delights you? Don’t keep it locked in: pick up your pen or keyboard and let the public know how you feel.
   

   Click here for tips on writing letters to the editor, and contact information for many media relevant to Alberta.

   In the same vein, radio or television talk shows are an excellent means to spread the word about the importance of protecting our wild landscapes.

   Finally, you are online right now … so look for opportunities to express yourself in online forums and newsgroups.

Back to top

7. Speak up at public hearings and community meetings. Be polite and concise, but let ’em know what you think.
   
   Related Links
   • Edu-Action: Pen Power – A CPAWS guide to letter writing for teachers and students.
   
   
   • Sierra Club Tips for Effective Activism
   
   
   • Garbl’s Writing Center – More tips on effective active writing.

Back to top