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Greenpeace Takes Activism To Toms River
By Jo Ann La Russo
 | | --Photo By Jo Ann La Russo Activists show the letters they've collected asking Congressional candidates to address global climate change. |
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Efforts to "go green" see people making small changes in their lives. At home, changing light bulbs, carpooling and buying energy efficient appliances are a start.
Local, county and state governments are taking action as well by investing in renewable energy and cracking down on polluters.
Last week, Ocean County and Toms River community members of Greenpeace committed to take action by calling on congressional candidates to take a strong stand to stop global warming.
Greenpeace is an international organization devoted to environmental activism.
Last week, volunteers Kayley Oliver, 15, of Toms River, Linda Grinfields-Wilber of Island Heights and Bennett Wong, 19, of Bayville met with Toms River's Yoni Levin, a Greenpeace organizer, to deliver hundreds of letters and postcards to congressional candidates John Adler and Chris Meyers. The goal was to try and get the message to Washington D.C. that, "people here want to see their candidates take a strong stand to stop global warming," said Grinfields Wilber.
"We care about the future of wildlife and the planet," said Oliver, a sophomore at Toms River High School East.
The volunteers were at the Toms River branch of the Ocean County Library, where the group gathered with postcards and letters they collected from local constituents at the Downtown Toms River Farmer's Market.
"Just in the past two weeks, we collected over 200 signatures," Levin said.
Wong, a student at Ocean County Community College and an animal control officer, said his priority is our local ecology and wildlife, especially Barnegat Bay.
"Our local economy depends on the fishing, crabbing and clamming that thousands of visitors and locals come to the New Jersey shore to experience," he said. "Renewable energy is the only way to protect our shore."
Oliver agreed. "We're doing a lot in our community to stop global warming like choosing environmentally friendly products," she said. "But these small actions alone won't stop global warming. We need action from our leaders in Congress."
Greenpeace kicked off its global warming campaign on May 31 at Cattus Island Park. According to Levin, the efforts focused on the threat that global warming poses to New Jersey's environment.
Since the start of the campaign, they have collected over 2000 signatures and received thousands of messages from concerned citizens to be delivered to the candidates' campaign offices.
Project Hotseat is Greenpeace USA's global warming campaign targeting Congress, said Levin. "Voters are looking for leaders who will take immediate action to end global warming," Levin said. "We have the tools to end this crisis; all we need now is the right leadership in Washington. The upcoming election will make all the difference."
For more information, visit www.projecthotseat. org.
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