The Office of Sustainability asked Princeton University students, staff and faculty to answer the questions: “Why do you vote? What sustainable policies do you want to see implemented? Which environmental issues do you care the most about?”
Check out a selection of submissions below!
This initiative is in support of Princeton Vote100. Tell us why YOU vote in the comments!
Marissa Mejia ’23
Jessica Scott ’24
“I vote to fight environmental racism. To raise my voice when those most impacted by climate change can’t.”
Bumper DeJesus
Visual Communication Specialist Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment
Maddy Chong ’23
“I vote to make my voice heard. While voting isn’t the only way to make civic contributions, it is quick, easy, and can have a big impact. I vote to protect people, including the generations that come after us. I vote to support environmental protections and sustainable regulations so that our country has access to clean resources for decades to come.”
Lisa Nicolaison
Communications and Engagement Coordinator Office of Sustainability
“I vote because the future of our planet is at stake and climate change is happening NOW. Everything is connected to the only home we have. If we don’t fight for renewable energy policies, clean water and air, and environmental justice for the communities hit hardest by rising sea levels and pollution – then how can we say we are ‘In Service of Humanity’.”
Claire Wayner ’22
“Climate anxiety is real, and voting is a way of coping with it… But I’m also phonebanking… [We] can’t just stop with voting. We need to ensure that everyone has equal access to voting. What is happening now with intentional delays in USPS and prevention of certain people from voting, particularly people of color, is heartbreaking and frustrating. It is up to us to do things like work at the polls as election workers or fight against gerrymandering to ensure that everyone has a say.”
Gloria Lu
Category Manager, Procurement Services Office of the VP for Finance and Treasurer
I vote because I want leaders to implement policies and programs to hold ALL OF US (consumers, manufacturers, policy makers, educators, etc.) accountable to practice sustainability in our daily life and long term planning.
Wesley Wiggins ’21
“I vote so that we can take action on climate change as soon as possible. I vote for the people who have already been affected by climate disasters. I vote for the right to a clean and healthy environment. I vote so that my children and my grandchildren are able to live a long, happy, and peaceful life. I vote for an equitable and sustainable future.”
Camellia Moors ’22
“I vote so that fewer violations of environmental justice can occur and so that current and future generations can have access to a world that has not been ruined by past environmental decisions.”
Naomi Frim-Abrams ’23
“I vote to ensure that communities around the US have equitable access to clean air, water, and spaces in nature. I vote so that we do not have to forever deal with the consequences and negative externalities created by polluting companies poisoning our communities.”
Julia Harisay ’21
“I vote because in order to reach our 2050 goals of carbon mitigation we have to start acting now.”
B. Rose Huber
Communications Manager & Senior Writer Princeton School of Public and International Affairs
“I vote because I was able to grow up on 100 beautiful acres of land. In these fields, I not only learned the value of hard work but also letting the imagination run free… in nature. Today I vote to protect land from being overly developed, especially in New Jersey, where green space is limited.”
Luisa Chantler Edmond ’22
“I see lots of inequity in the policies that are being enacted specifically referring to sustainability, to biodiversity within my country, and those are things that I want to change. Those are things I actively think are wrong and need to be different. So if I don’t vote, then I’m not allowing myself to have that statement out there I’m not giving myself the platform to perform my civic duty. So it’s very important that you vote because that’s the power we have.”
Lieve Monnens
Administrative Assistant Office of the Dean for Research
“Everyone is responsible for their own future. Voting is one way to do that. We can see how the climate is changing and how people all over the planet are already suffering because of it. Make a difference for yourself, for the world. Vote.”
Eve Cooke ’22
“I vote because EVERYONE should have access to nourishing food, clean air, unpolluted water, and natural spaces.”
Hannah Reynolds ’22
“I vote because climate change, like the coronavirus pandemic, poses an incredibly large existential threat to humanity. The difference is, we’ve seen climate change coming for decades. We need elected officials who prioritize the well-being of all of mankind over short-term economic incentives. I vote for a sustainable future for us all.”
