One of the primary goals of this site is to educate readers on the little things they can do to lead a greener life. But despite our efforts, we still need elected officials to tackle larger issues like mass transit, renewable energy, and vehicle emissions. So let’s say you have the ear of your local representative…how do you know they’re on the level?

Over at No Impact Man, Colin offers a great set of questions you can use to open a dialog with local officials that will help you gauge where they stand on the issue of global climate change:

• Do you support an 80 percent cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050?
• Are you willing to support a moratorium on building coal burning electricity plants to support that goal?
• Do you support a 40 miles per gallon standard for cars in the near future?
• Would you fund alternative energy projects?
• How else do you see our moving toward the 80 percent cut?

So next time you’ve got the attention of a council member, mayor, or congressional representative, fire away. In the mean time, do any of you eco-vets have any good advice for speaking to politicians?