Lobbying politicians

EarthAction International aims to make issues of global survival count more heavily in national elections and make government leaders more accountable to world public opinion for their decisions on global issues. Working through existing organizations, it is creating a global citizen lobbying network which encourages voters to question candidates on global survival issues. It distributes an Action Alert each month (one on environmental issues, one on third world development issues and one on peace and security issues in each three-month period). Individual activists spend 20 minutes each month communicating with a key decision-maker on a global survival issue. This may be a national politician, an election candidate, the head of a multinational organization, or a single world leader. "EarthAction Tool Kit" produced monthly, focuses on one concrete issue that is or should be on the international agenda and is sent to citizen groups interested in the issue. Partner organizations (already existing organizations) invite members to subscribe to their own lobbying network, provide EarthAction International with ideas for action alerts and send EarthAction alerts to their lobbying networks.

From 1997 to 1999, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, the number of registered lobbyists in Washington, DC grew by 37 percent, to more than 20,000, while the amount of money they spent reached $1.42 billion. That's roughly 38 lobbyists for each member of Congress. Like a swarm of ravenous termites reducing a house to sawdust, they are making a meal out of the foundations of our democracy.