When I was a kid, I never thought that I’d see a bald eagle in the wild. In the pages of Ranger Rick (a great nature kids magazine) I learned about DDT and the Endangered Species Act and that they were in trouble. Today, I can see them fly over my house. They nest at Grays Lake, just south of downtown here in Des Moines. When I watch them, it always brightens my heart to see how far they’ve come.

Big problems require a lot of common ground to be solved. I think we can all agree that rivers on fire is indeed a bad thing. But what can we do to stop it? That’s where it gets sticky and complicated. It can seem overwhelming with the enormity of any problem, how deep it goes, and how interwoven it is with other problems. We can feel powerless to fix it. It won’t be easy. One thing is certain to ensure success:  facts.

We need to look hard at our elected officials and know if they are up to the task. We need to know what policies they support and oppose, their track records, and who finances them. For any issue that you care about, we here at Vote Smart are here to help. Follow us on social media and introduce us to people who you feel could use and appreciate our resources.

Together we can do big things and solve big problems. Fresh water, fresh air and fresh facts can do us all a lot of good.

Vote Smart is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that provides accurate information about candidates, elected officials, and key pieces of legislation. By providing information in an easy and accessible manner, Vote Smart believes that citizens can better defend themselves from the questionable rhetoric and misrepresentation that characterizes present-day political campaigns.