legislature

In this historic election year, who isn't hypersensitive to what a difference the right candidate can make to any given issue? And when the issue is the environment, the League of Conservation Voters has a tool to make your vote a little more informed.

The organization released last month its 2007 National Environmental Scorecard that rates members of Congress and Congressional committees on their dedication to environmental causes. According to the LCV, due to change in leadership in both the House and the Senate in 2006, last year marked a turning point for the environment, most notably with the passage of the first increase in automobile fuel efficiency standards in a 35 years.

But, as always, there is much more to be done. “This year, LCV urges Congress to pass legislation reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 15 to 20 percent by 2020 and by 80 percent by 2050,” said LCV Legislative Director Tiernan Sittenfeld.

You can check out members’ ratings by state, last name, zip code, or legislative session, and find presidential candidates’ voting records in the accompanying press release. And, after you dig the dirt on your members of Congress, you can send a “letter to the editor” about what you find right from the LCV Web site.