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Many Americans take clean water for granted, but the effects of climate change and pollution on our water supply already affect vulnerable communities. The world’s freshwater supply is in danger. There are solutions, but we need to elect leaders who will act.
The growing movement Vote Like A Madre is made up of Latina mothers who will vote for leaders with a plan to protect clean water and clean air. Because that’s what they want for their children.
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When Florida State Senator Annette Taddeo talks about the importance of clean water, she speaks from the local to the global. Her constituents already experience saltwater intrusion into their freshwater supply. And Senator Taddeo knows that this is a harbinger of things to come if we do not take action to protect clean water.
“We may think we’re going to have water forever,” she warns, “Our wars are not going to be about oil, our wars are going to be about water.”
Senator Taddeo focuses on voting as an important part of preventing freshwater shortages. Leaders who will invest in climate action and who use science in their environmental plans will lead people on a path toward a future with drinkable water.
State Senator Taddeo’s comments came at a recent kick-off event for Vote Like A Madre. This growing movement of Latina mothers begins at home, with a “pinky promise” to their kids to vote for candidates with bold plans to fight climate change.
As the hashtag #VoteLikeAMadre takes off, more and more Latina moms are looking for candidates who acknowledge climate change is real and created by humans. And they look for candidates who have a science-based plan that includes environmental justice.
Over half of Latinos live in states which are already experiencing serious negative effects linked to climate change, like drought, record-breaking heat, and flooding. Members of these communities live on the front lines of climate change, and it is no surprise that clean water is a high priority.
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Nathalie Rayes was another panelist at the Vote Like a Madre event. No stranger to big issues on the ballot, Rayes is President and CEO of Latino Victory, an organization to empower Latino voters and Latino candidates.
Rayes made her Vote Like A Madre “pinky promise” to her son on camera, and (after sending him off to bed) spoke out about her hopes for his future. “What we want to give to our kids is that healthy water, drinkable water, and fresh air.” Reminding us of what is at stake, Rayes wants today’s kids, “To be outside in nature and enjoy what we enjoyed while growing up.”
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Rayes agrees with Taddeo on many points, “A lot of the wars around the world, including in the Middle East, are around water.” And these women are ahead of the curve when it comes to prioritizing clean water. Even as access to clean water dwindles, world leaders are not yet coordinating their efforts on threats to the world’s water supply.
Right now, water shortages are already affecting populations in the Middle East, Africa, and Australia. In the next few decades, islands in the Pacific and Caribbean, and cities like Cape Town, South Africa, Chennai, India, and Sao Paulo, Brazil, may have no water at all.
Violence over water has risen over the last decade. “The evidence is clear,” Peter Gleick, president of California’s Pacific Institute, told the Guardian. “There’s growing violence associated with fresh-water resources.”
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Rather than give in to a future in which the earth is a vast desert, countries can work together to embrace technologies that would allow everyone to benefit from predicting and preparing for water shortages. It is not too late for the United States to join other countries in leading the world on combatting climate change. It’s not too late to ensure we all have access to clean water — and continue to have enough of it.
That leads back to Senator Taddeo’s warning, and a reminder offered by Nathalie Rayes: “It’s not only this election, but every election where we have to ensure that we vote for candidates that stand up for the climate — and for protecting our climate for generations to come.”
Join Taddeo and Rayes in the fight for clean water. Make you’re voting plan today.
Disclaimer: This sponsored article was produced and distributed in partnership with Latino Victory Project, in support of the Vote Like A Madre campaign.
