For those of us who are or will be a part of The Climate Movement, it is our destiny to become the greatest and most long-lasting social change movement in the history of the world.
Here’s the rub. We’ve got to pull our destiny into the present, start to make our destiny in the here and now, make our future come faster.
That’s definitely true when it comes to the midterm elections in the United States. Time for us to make a difference! We have the power to win. How we do so is very clear.
How We Must Vote In The Midterms
From the very beginning of this Substack I have made my views known in no uncertain terms. In July 2025 Republicans crossed a red line when they voted for the grotesque Orwellian/Trumpian “Big Beautiful Bill,” which rolled back as much of the Biden-era climate policies as they could. Here’s what I said the day of the vote:
Henceforth we must assume that we must defeat all Republicans.
Until this immoral opposition to climate action, this denial of reality, this attack on truth and democracy and the rule of law, is completely and utterly exercised from the Republican Party, our working assumption must be that all of its elected officials and future candidates must be defeated. They simply cannot be trusted with political power. This includes those who simply went along with what Trump/MAGA has done. Obviously they can’t be trusted to stand up and do what’s right.
Our Choice Is Clear
In the future new Republican candidates strong on climate action, democracy, and the rule of law, should be given serious consideration — if they’re better than their Democratic opponent on climate and clean energy.
But not now. Not in these Midterms.
If it’s a choice between a wish-washy Democrat and any Republican, the choice is clear in our present circumstances. Vote for the Democrat (and then primary them next time).
We must flip both chambers of Congress, the Senate and the House, to stop these insane Republican attacks on climate and clean energy.
I’m an Independent, and as astounding as this may sound to diehard Republicans, I don’t consider this a partisan stance. It’s the Republicans who have currently ruled themselves out with their poisonous, anti-climate, anti-democratic partisanship. With all the enabling of the Trumpian corruption, cruelty, lawlessness, vindictiveness, and reckless stupidity, they are toxic to the body politic.
They have squandered any benefit of the doubt, and their cowardice shows they can’t be trusted with power. They are as bad a bunch of politicians as I hope we’ll ever see on climate action. Not only does climate action trump partisan labels and past partisan loyalty. Patriotism in defense of democracy and the rule of law, does as well. Time to put patriotism over partisanship. Time to vote out all Republicans. That’s the patriotic thing to do.
In earlier posts I have also argued we must defeat fossil-Democrats and fair-weather-Democrats. That’s what the speed and scale of transformation requires. We must have climate champions, not climate wimps.
But, guided by our values of pragmatism and success, the circumstances of our opposition to these wimpy Democrats must be as follows. Their defeat:
must be in the primaries;
or in a general election where there’s a better Republican or Independent and defeating such a Democrat won’t hand Republicans a majority.
So again, what this means for the midterms is we must vote out all Republicans, even if that means holding our nose and voting for a less than stellar Democrat.
Time to Use Our Power
We have three forms of power or P3: (1) moral power; (2) people power; (3) staying power. We must bring our P3 to bear on the midterms.
We have moral power because what we’re doing — overcoming climate change by creating a just and prosperous sustainability that enhances wellbeing for everyone and everything — is the right thing to do.
Who we vote for is determined by this moral vision and our Ten Movement Values. Together they give us our moral power.
When it comes to people power, we’ve got work to do not only in growing our Climate Movement in the US to our goal of 16 million people by 2030.
We also need to get those in The Climate Movement to vote, as well as all Climate Action Supporters.
Unfortunately, there is evidence that we’re leaving a lot of votes on the table.
The Environmental Voter Project has determined that “11.2 million environmentalists skipped the 2024 presidential election according to EVP voterfile analysis and projections.”
If in 2024 non-voting enviros would have showed up in swing states Trump would have been defeated.
As you can see below, if these non-voting enviros would have showed up in swing states Trump would have been defeated.
As for our staying power, it’s crucial that politicians know about it, that our midterm votes are just a one-off deal. They need to know that we are here for the long haul.
We Must Frikkin’ Show Up: Volunteer Opportunities
It’s quite simple. We can’t win if we’re not on the field. While we must continue to grow, we already have the people power needed to defeat enough Republicans to take back the Senate and House.
Now we need to realize that power.
The folks at the Environmental Voter Project are doing an excellent job helping all of us do that.
“Since 2015, we have contacted 12.8 million non-voting and seldom-voting environmentalists and helped convert over 2.2 million of them into ‘super voters’ who now consistently vote their values in every federal, state, and local election.”
They know how to reach non/seldom-voting enviros in key races, and have an excellent get out the vote or GOTV operation with plenty of volunteer opportunities that I strongly encourage you to consider.
Other groups are also helping with getting out the vote, like Y.E.C.A or Young Evangelicals For Climate Action. They have their own resources and volunteer efforts.
If young evangelicals are this organized and committed, can the rest of us sit in the stands? No! We’ve got to get out on the field with them!
(BTW, If you know of other good efforts, let everyone know in a Comment!)
If you have been one of the non/seldom voters, it’s time to get past whatever has kept you from voting. Your ability to vote is a gift. It is part of your power, and thus is also your responsibility. It is part of our people power.
The organized GOTV efforts are crucial and strategic — especially for key races.
But personally your most effective efforts will be with those you love, your friends, and everyone in your circles of influence, whether that’s done in person or through personal communications or through social media or all of the above. So talk with them; communicate with them.
The only way we are going to achieve the speed and scale of transformation needed, the only way we are going to create a just and prosperous sustainability in the process, is through our P3 creating political power. When we are the deciding factor in electing champions and friendlies and defeating opponents, then politicians will want to make us happy.
Ours is a time for regular folk to become heroes together. We are the hope we’ve been waiting for. Nothing less than greatness is our calling. That’s because we make the impossible possible and the possible actual and the actual beautiful, our world more just, and our future come faster.
Now let’s go out there and win the midterms for all those we love. Let’s do this.
If you are new here, check out our Intro Series. If you like this post, please “like,” comment, and share. And thanks for all you’re doing.