Leaving a sustainable planet for her children is one of the main reasons Karen McDowell is letting her name stand in next month's provincial election.
McDowell is carrying the Green Party's colours in Prince George Mackenzie and will be talking about the urgent need for action on climate change.
"I firmly believe the way the environment is going right now in 50 years from now we're going to an uninhabitable planet," she said, adding she believes action on greenhouse gases must take place within two years to save the planet from the most devastating effects of climate change.
By advocating for the cause, McDowell said she can at least tell her two children that she raised her voice and sounded the alarm to action.
After taking a medical leave from her studies at UNBC, McDowell decided to run because she felt it was important to have a Green candidate on the ballot.
"For me going to a voting booth and not having the option to vote Green wasn't OK," McDowell said.
McDowell, 32, was born and raised in Ontario and came to B.C. in 1999. Aside from a couple of years of college back east, she's been here ever since. She has owned two businesses locally - a gift store at the airport and a limousine service. She currently works as a limo and shuttle bus driver.
The Greens have consistently picked up about seven per cent of the vote in the riding the last three provincial elections. McDowell wants to grow on that base and believes a breakthrough is possible.
"By voting [for] the Green Party in Prince George, we would be shaming the rest of the province, if not the rest of the country, into changing their ways," she said.
Part of her message will be to encourage people to vote their conscience, rather than just selecting which of the big two parties they like the most.
"Our environmental conscience tells us what's right," she said. "Getting people to vote with their conscience is the key."
In addition to the environment, McDowell has pledged to promote social justice and human rights during the campaign. As a transgendered woman, she knows what it's like to be a minority.
Many of the big ideas the Greens advocate, like reversing climate change, aren't quick fixes and McDowell is encouraging voters to look at the big picture.
"These are big, big things we want to tackle," she said.
McDowell was acclaimed as her party's candidate last month, but got the official papers from the party on Tuesday. Although not as well funded as the Liberals and NDP, McDowell said her party can still get their message out in creative ways. They'll be hosting a sign making party in the coming weeks and she plans to attend as many candidate forums as possible.
McDowell said the grassroots members of the party will be key in getting the message out as they go door-to-door around the riding.
"We're looking for impact, rather than quantity of signs," she said. "We're known in the Green Party for re-using our signs every year in an effort to reduce our carbon footprint. We'll take some old signs and put my name on them rather than the old candidate's name on them."
The election is set for May 14.
