In the 2016 United States presidential election, only 55% of eligible voters cast their ballot, resulting in one of the most contentious elections in our country’s history. Many voters are disillusioned, each with their perceived notion of why they don’t vote. Some people don’t vote because they think the choice is too difficult or insignificant.
It isn’t.
Let’s look at the youngest voters: the 18-29 demographic. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, this group has the lowest voter turnout by a significant margin, even though it is the group with the most to gain or lose in an election. For example, this age range approximately aligns with the snowboarding community, who have a clear and obvious reason to vote: global warming.
So snowboarders should definitely show up to vote, but which candidate should they vote for? After all, there are two candidates who each have convinced a lot of people to vote for them, and there are even more third-party candidates who may have more attractive platforms. When viewed from this angle the choice seems difficult or impossible.
It isn’t. Vote for Joe Biden.
In his op-ed “If You Care About Snowboarding, Show Up to Vote,” professional snowboarder Danny Davis explains how rising temperatures are preventing snow accumulation and winter sports in areas where they were once prevalent.
Some of my best memories from high school were when I was snowboarding with my school’s Ski and Board Club. Every week, I would travel with people I rarely shared any classes with to Wachusett Mountain and we would bond over our love of winter sports. A friend of mine explained his take on this phenomenon: “Sitting at the same table, riding the ski lift together, or even buying a waffle at the same time - little interactions can make a strong friend circle for ski club.” From a social and personal perspective, those afternoons spent on the mountain were some of the greatest experiences I had in high school.
In addition to helping my mental health by making me feel like a part of a community, snowboarding made me a physically healthier person. In the winter, snowboarding was the most intense exercise that I did, and I was able to notice a dramatic increase in my abilities over four years. My friend Adam told me that the colors of the trails were like progress markers to him. He started with almost no experience, and then got comfortable on the green trails, and then on the blue trails, and then could even find his way down the black diamond trails. As much as it pains me to agree on something with a skier, he could not have been more right.
I know that I will snowboard again. I better snowboard again because I didn’t buy a brand-new K2 Broadcast to let it collect dust. I know Adam will ski again, and maybe I’ll be able to convince him that snowboarding is better. And I know that most of the people who I shared those long bus rides up to Wachusett Mountain will be back there again, because winter sports are an incredibly fulfilling experience.
I hope that kids in the future will be able to get as much out of snowboarding as I did, but the longevity of winter sports is in flux. Rising global temperatures mean snow isn’t falling and accumulating the way it has in the past. This problem has no easy solution, but there is still hope. If snowboarders want to continue snowboarding well into the future, they should vote in the presidential election, and they should vote for Joe Biden.
There is a stark difference between the climate plans of Joe Biden and Donald Trump: Joe Biden has a plan. Donald Trump’s actions as president have moved the United States in the opposite direction of combatting global warming. He will not admit that global warming poses a serious threat to our country, despite the view shared by the rest of the world. Last year, Donald Trump withdrew from the Paris Climate Agreement, sending “a strong message to the rest of the world that the US no longer shared the international consensus on climate change,” according to BBC environmental correspondent Matt McGrath.
Meanwhile, Joe Biden’s plan sees the reduction of carbon emissions through more widespread use of electric vehicles for transportation, in addition to many other policies. Joe Biden’s plan would see the United States completely removed from reliance on carbon fuels by 2035. The past four years of backwards climate policies are four years we can never get back. Let’s not make that eight. On November 3rd (or earlier, if your state allows it), vote Joe Biden for President of the United States. There is no choice.
“But wait,” you say. “Joe Biden and Donald Trump aren’t the only candidates on the ballot. I’ll vote for a third-party candidate!” Please don’t. Any vote for a third party is simply a vote against Joe Biden. This election will certainly be close, so Joe Biden needs every vote he can get to defeat Donald Trump. Listen to me, a registered member of the Green Party. I could have voted for my party’s candidate, who I agree with more than Joe Biden, or I could have even written in the name of someone who I thought would do a better job as president than any of the formal candidates. But I didn’t. I proudly and without hesitation cast my mail-in ballot for Joe Biden because I cannot stand the thought of another four years of counterproductive legislation and denial that global warming is even a problem.
My grandfather has skied every winter since the 1960s. He’s 74 years old and has no desire to stop. I hope that I’ll still be snowboarding at 74, but that will only happen if there is still snow on the ground, which will only happen if the United States takes clear and grand action to combat global warming, which will only happen if Joe Biden is elected president next week.
So go and vote. Vote early if you can. Check your state’s voting procedures and request a mail-in ballot if there’s still time. Do whatever it takes to ensure that when all the votes are counted and the winner is declared, your ballot is in the “Joe Biden” pile.