My lovelies,

I’ve been thinking about the world. About the world in which you will live. About the waterfalls, rivers, forests, salt marshes, mangroves, and beaches that I don’t know if you will have a chance to see. How I wish I could change the course of things and convince everyone of the importance and beauty of nature! Can I? I feel like a little ant. But movements are made up of individuals, aren’t they?

What have I done? As a consumer, I read the packaging, use reusable bags, and buy organic and local as much as possible. At home, I separate recyclables, try to replace cleaning products, turn out the lights, I think about the water we use. As an intellectual, I study the world to understand it better. As a mother, I try to bring you close to nature so you can enjoy and value it. I want you to feel the smells, see colors and landscapes, play in the water, and know the difference between sand and clay on your feet. And I hope that these experiences with beauty will inspire care.

The causes of climate change are so profound and involve so many people and so many places! Do my small actions make a difference? Maybe yes. Probably yes, but is it enough? I hope so. If my neighbors see my actions, they might I hope spark a change in their own choices. Changes in this neighbor’s habits could wake another to make changes. These small ripples begin to build a major movement to unite people and public policies to the point to stop global temperatures at acceptable levels. And it has to be quick!

Could I do more? Certainly. I could speak up about the horrible sewage being dumped from the fancy building next to our house. I could plant urban gardens or trees, or start composting our kitchen scraps. I could recycle our garbage, but recycling stations are barely functioning around here. I could give up the car. The impacts of these actions seem so small that I feel powerless. I could demonstrate against the oil industry. I could go into politics to try to influence policy. I could do something to stop deforestation on the roadside. Why not?

I will do something about the sewer. I can’t promise to start an urban garden, but I will start composting. And I will learn more about recycling here in town. I will try to improve our consumption. And also find out about what I can do about deforestation on the roadside. I want to talk about climate change with children. Perhaps I could give talks at schools. I think children can be powerful agents of change. I will try to expand and strengthen this movement. I hope it works out.

I hope someday to take my grandchildren to some of my favorite places in the world. I hope there is water for everyone to enjoy its freshness. I hope there is more justice and respect for people. I hope you are happy and live in a more harmonious world.

All my Love,

Mom