On the first Earth Day in 1970, organizers said the goal was to “shake the political establishment out of its lethargy.”

Fifty-two years later in Florida, we’ve still got a long way to go.

Already this year, toxic blue-green algae has been spotted on Lake Okeechobee at Port Mayaca. People on the west coast live in fear of another red tide. Our manatees continue to die in droves as our seagrass continues to disappear.

Meanwhile, in Tallahassee this year our legislators did little to improve our waters – and passed several bills that could make matters worse.

This is why we at VoteWater say our water problems are ultimately political problems. Until we get better politicians we won’t get better policy; and until we get better policy, we won’t get cleaner water.

But we have a plan.

Through our voter guides, we’ll identify and endorse candidates who’ll stand up for our waters, not special interests. We’ll track corporate campaign cash and show how dirty money leads to dirty water.

And via social media and other channels we’ll share news and perspectives designed to inform and inspire Floridians to do the right thing.

We can’t do this alone. We need your support to move all these initiatives forward.

So on Earth Day, April 22, please consider a contribution of $22, or more, to VoteWater.

Like we said, we’ve got a long way to go.

But with your help — we’ll get there.