Signaling Support: Why Demonstrating Environmental Support Matters

By: Ben Baisinger-Rosen

Every student was lectured at some point about the importance of demonstrating interest in a school to increase your chance of getting in. The thinking is: if you show an admissions department that you genuinely want to attend, you are more likely to get in. The same principle holds true for environmental action, which makes it imperative that people everywhere signal to the individuals in power that pursuing climate policy matters to them.

For many, the biggest roadblock to significant climate action is the idea that taking on this burden is unlikely to do much. In other words, how can one person make a difference when the problem is so big and so pervasive? In actuality, individual-level action is vital because it demonstrates to elected officials that environmental action is a worthwhile goal. A major caveat to this point is that individual-level action is not the best way to address this problem. The outsized majority of environmental issues are caused by a select few powerful elites and corporations, so placing the responsibility to “save the world” on any individual person is by no means just. With that being said, individual-level action can have a significant positive effect. A big part of the reason that government action on climate change has seemed lacking is that not enough of the population has signaled to political leaders that climate-based issues matter to them. In the United States, the primary motivation of politicians is re-election. As such, politicians have a strong incentive to pay attention to public opinion and allow that to dictate their behavior. Politicians are unlikely to pursue significant environmental goals against the will of the people; therefore, we must find some way to signal to leaders that we care about the environment as an issue if we want them to act. 

The easiest way to achieve this goal is to mobilize support for politicians who make the environment a central part of their platform. As mentioned above, the strongest motivator for policy action is the threat of re-election: if politicians come to believe that retaining their position in Congress or the White House depends on pursuing environmental policy goals, they will credibly commit to achieving these goals. As such, consistently voting for candidates who prioritize these policies will signal to the broader political system that appealing to these interests will get them elected. Many organizations keep track of the environmental stances of politicians. For example, the Center for American Progress keeps track of climate deniers in Congress, which can provide a helpful cue to voters interested in punishing this type of behavior. In addition, sources like GovTrack allow voters to see when climate bills hit the floor of Congress, which makes it easier to find information about the voting records of individual representatives. Overall, when voters are informed about the climate views of representatives and use that information to make electoral choices, they can signal that climate action matters to them. This makes regular voting a crucial part of climate advocacy. To get registered to vote or to learn about important upcoming election dates, WashU Votes is a student organization that promotes voter engagement and education for undergraduates. 

Another good way of signaling preference for environmental action comes in the form of supporting environmental organizations. These organizations address the wide-ranging causes and effects of climate change. Participating with these organizations can create significant positive change, both directly by advancing humanitarian efforts and indirectly by allowing these organizations to grow in stature, which in turn makes it easier to form coalitions and communicate with legislators. On campus, SWAP attempts to help reduce clothing waste by promoting reuse. Moreover, in the broader St. Louis area, SWAP has partnered with organizations like STL Mutual Aid, an organization that incorporates a wide variety of humanitarian causes under the broad umbrella of building equitable communities. Finally, a variety of environmental organizations have locations in St. Louis, whether that be local chapters for national groups like the Sierra Club or organizations based in Missouri. Participating in these organizations helps them grow, makes them more successful in their missions, and generally makes environmental policy more attainable for municipal, state, and national governments. 

A final way to signal preferences to policymakers is the use of social media. Politicians are increasingly conscious of social media, both as a way to share their ideology and to engage with voters (Forbes). As a side effect of the increased prevalence of social media, political actors are using data to analyze voter preferences and determine what issues voters care most about. This creates an opportunity for individuals and groups in favor of environmental action to engage directly with lawmakers. On the individual level, posting and communicating about environmental action can signal what voters care about. If enough people on social media indicate the importance that proactive environmental policy action has to them, politicians will follow cues. On the group side, environmental groups often have social media presence for much the same reason as politicians do: disseminating information and engaging with supporters. Engaging with these groups and boosting their profile makes dissemination and engagement easier, and more effective, and increases the chance of politicians reacting to them. Finally, by engaging with these groups on social media, environmental action supporters can learn about events and ways to get involved.

As a whole, by making an effort to signal the importance of positive environmental action, individuals can increase the chance that politicians enact these policies. Voting based on environmental preferences, joining environmental organizations, and engaging in social media activism can all help advance the cause of environmental action and SWAP encourages everyone to do whatever they can to help that cause.