Sent on

April 6, 2021

by

Emily Danzinger

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To my grandkids (of however many degrees),

Hi there! I don’t know whether or not I’m still alive as you read this but I just wanted to check-in. How are you all doing? Is the planet still habitable? Has NASA developed an extraterrestrial means of living? Has the United States and the rest of the world started holding corporations accountable for their majority contribution to the world’s pollution and greenhouse gases? Or are small individuals still being blamed and shamed for buying fast fashion and eating meat even if it’s all they can afford. I hope they’ve finally done something and somehow managed to slow down pollution. Even though I probably won’t be alive to see the earth become inhabitable, I still feel a sense of existential dread for you all, especially if you’ve reached the age where you can have your own children and their fate depends on humanity’s survival. Please continue to be smart and make thoughtful choices on how your small actions affects those you do not know, and refuse to be silenced when expressing your concern for our fates.

Much love,

Grandma

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More Messages to the Future

Dear Thomas,

When you look at me with those big beautiful eyes and that innocent smile, you make me want to fight harder. And I do.

Dear Me,

Today, I promise to keep my spaces clean and my environment cleaner.

To anyone who has heard my music,

I promise to care about the planet.

Dear future child,

We’re presenting at conferences, writing articles, and organizing events with the goal of mobilizing our profession to act on climate, and to help them understand that it will deeply impact our mission to preserve history for future generations.

To older Rochelle,

You should’ve reduced your carbon footprint, should be using some source of renewable energy and be a vegetarian by now.

Aos meus sobrinhos queridos, Ana Laura, Luis Carlos e Helloísa,

Talvez eu não esteja viva para ver alguma mudança, mas espero que vocês vejam e tenham um mundo melhor em 2050. Plantei um ipê rosa e outro amarelo, que eles estejam florindo até 2050.

Dear Beloved Children,

As time progresses, there is hope that value will be placed on all living organisms, including humans, plants, and animals. Life will move at a slower pace, and being on your own time and moving at your individual pace will be the typical way of life. I consider this way of life good living, and I hope that future generations will live on this earth as it was once intended to live in peace and harmony.

Dear Tomorrow,

I promise to ask five of my friends to plant trees.

Dear future generations,

I pledge to you now that I will work tirelessly and with all my willpower so you don’t have to live in a world where you have to worry about the next storm.

To my precious children,

As you’ve grown older, I’ve become increasingly aware that protecting you means more than ensuring your short-term safety. It also means ensuring that you’ll have a safe planet to live on.

I pledge to use less plastic.

To My Dear Grandchildren,

Be assured that in the upcoming election, I will cast my vote for your future – for elected officials that recognize climate risks and are willing to promote and vote for legislation that will stop environmental damage and begin to heal our planet.

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