Speak up for rewilding and nature recovery!
There is a General Election on Thursday 4th July 2024 (just in case you hadn’t noticed…).
Politicians will be out and about talking to voters and finding out what matters to them… so let’s tell them!
YRN would like your help to tell every political candidate in Yorkshire:
- how important nature recovery is
- how rewilding can play a massive part in that recovery
- that you want government policies and action that enable nature to thrive
Below we give you some ideas on how to do that. Make it personal if you can, tell them why you care about biodiversity and climate change.
Remember: when humans want to, we change things for the better.
What can you do?
- Contact the electoral candidates who are standing in your constituency and tell them nature recovery is important and why.
- Find out where your local hustings will be, attend, and ask questions.
- Speak to any canvassers on your doorstep about environmental issues.
- Vote! Use your voice and your vote to promote rewilding, climate change, and environmental policies.
Step one – find out who you can vote for…
Step two – write to each candidate
You can find the contact details of each candidate by entering your post code in the form above in step one. Then use our template letter as a starting point, or write your own letter if you prefer. If you change the words or add your own thoughts the message will be more personal and will carry more weight.
| Dear [insert name of candidate], I am a voter in [insert constituency name here], the constituency in which you are standing for election. I want you to know the issues that are important to me and what I hope to see from a future government. Nature is in trouble and Britain is one of the most nature depleted countries in the world. For a future where nature and the environment can be given a chance to recover and thrive, we need people to care and to act for nature’s recovery and we need strong legislation to support that. In 2022, the UK signed a global deal to halt and reverse the loss of wildlife and manage 30% of the land and sea for nature by 2030. Progress to date has been slow. Nature and climate targets are not ‘nice-to-haves’: they are essential to maintain a habitable planet, rich in wildlife, with a viable, functioning global economy. Where do you stand on this issue? Are you willing to work with nature to take action for the environment by allowing natural processes to reduce the impacts of climate change and prioritise solutions that contribute to both nature’s recovery and carbon net zero ambitions? Studies have shown we can turn things around but we need to act now. Why do YOU want action on the climate and nature emergency? Add a personalised message for a bigger impact. Kind regards, [insert your name] |
Step three – either e-mail the letter to each candidate or print and send it to them.
Please CC us (info@yorkshirerewildingnetwork.org.uk) into the email or letter – it will have more impact and raise awareness about the network.
Step four – Vote for nature!
Remember to take your photo ID with you to the polling station!
A few more useful links
Rewilding Britain Rewilding Manifesto
The Rewilding Britain 30% Rewilding manifesto has five key calls to action to create positive and inclusive change: https://www.rewildingbritain.org.uk/get-involved/act/thinkbigvotewild-in-the-general-election
State of Yorkshire’s Nature report
The first ever region-wide State of Yorkshire’s Nature report has analysed data and information on Yorkshire’s wildlife. Link : https://www.ywt.org.uk/StateofNature
Wild Justice’s general election guest blogs
In the run-up to the general election Wild Justice have been commissioning and publishing a variety of guest blogs which review the political parties’ election manifestos. Although these don’t necessarily reflect the views of Wild Justice or, for that matter, Yorkshire Rewilding Network, they are good summaries of how the manifestos are being received by those concerned about nature recovery. Link: https://wildjustice.org.uk/general/our-general-election-guest-blogs-an-introduction-index-and-reference-point/
What election issues really matter to you?
Are you concerned by the media’s coverage (or lack of) of environmental issues? Let the BBC know by clicking the following image…
For MPs from the last parliament seeking re-election, what are their voting records on environmental issues?
For MPs seeking re-election, you can also check your most recent MP’s voting record on environmental issues.
Click on the map markers to see a link to their voting record. Please note that these are the MPs that were in your constituencies up to the dissolution of parliament and that constituency boundaries may have now changed.
The links are from TheyWorkForYou, which is a service from the following charity:
Climate-voting by MPs
VoteClimate has produced a table of scores for how MPs have voted on climate related issues since 2010. It’s presented ranked from highest score to lowest, with ratings given as “Very Good”, “Good”, “Medium”, or “Anti”, and the methodology is explained in the introductory paragraph.
Click this logo to go to the table:
