Dave (r) and crew with letters from Clean Water Action members to EPA (on Narragansett Bay, in Jamestown, RI)
When I talk to people on their doorsteps in Massachusetts and Rhode Island about our Waters of the United States campaign, the reaction I get most often is:
Disbelief.
I tell them that small streams and wetlands have lost federal protections that had been in place for 30 years. They say:
How can that be?
I talk about how our powerful opponents have used the court system to whittle away at the scope of the Clean Water Act. They say:
That’s just wrong.
The more they learn about how waterways they use for recreation and that feed into drinking water systems are endangered:
The angrier they get, and the more they want to do something about it.
Just last week a man I talked to early in my canvass shift accused me of exaggerating the problem. I challenged him to do some research online and left a letter flier for his use, so he could take action once he learned I was speaking the truth.
When I came back at the end of the night he had a letter to the EPA ready for me to deliver, along with a generous check for Clean Water Action.
That served as a powerful reminder. If you want someone to take action for clean water, the first step is to raise awareness of the problem. That's why we're out most evenings knocking on strangers' doors. When it comes to clean water, we're all on the same side.
Once you've taken action for clean water, and once you've made that donation, you're not a stranger anymore. You're a Clean Water Action member.
Learn More: www.cleanwater.org/About
Take Action: www.cleanwater.org/ActNow
Join or Give: www.cleanwater.org/Donate
