With love and a great hope for the future, a future that will be healthy and sustainable for you, my precious grandchildren.

Sent on

May 3, 2018

Shirley McGrath

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To my precious grandchildren, Emma, Maya, Maddie and Will,

I am writing this letter to you in the Spring of 2018 as part of a project called DearTomorrow. My letter will be archived until 2050 when you will be 47, 45, 43 and 40 years old! I am writing at this time to let you know that I am working hard to make sure our beautiful planet Earth will be just as luscious, green and magnificent as it is now—that you will have clean air to breathe and pure water to drink and clean water in which to swim, fish, kayak, snorkel, boat or whatever your interest might be. As you know I began volunteering with Elders Climate Action in the Spring of 2015. The work has given meaning to my life because I know it is for you and your children, actually for all the children of the future and the wildlife that is threatened. We must act now to make sure that the glaciers stop melting and the seas stop rising. We must act now to make sure that the energy which propels our lives comes not from oil and gas and coal, but from the sun, the wind, the geothermal waters and other forms of renewable energy. I am also taking a course called Regenerative Sustainable Living to learn how I personally can make changes to help reduce my carbon footprint, a phrase which may not be in use when this letter is opened. In addition to my work with ECA, we compost, we are about to plant a plot in a community garden, we are replacing our lightbulbs with LEDs and have greatly reduced our use of plastic bags. Our community of Walnut Creek has adopted a clean energy program and we have opted up to 100% which means that all of our electricity comes from renewable sources. I can do more I know and I will focus on learning more about what I can do. My hope is that with more and more people becoming aware of climate change and global warming, there will be great changes in how we live in order to save life on our planet.

With love and a great hope for the future, a future that will be healthy and sustainable for you, my precious grandchildren.

Ahmnya

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More Messages to the Future

Dear Corey,

I promise to do all within my power to create a world that’s safe for you and your generation.

Dear future generations,

Young people are making a lot of noise and politicians are now listening.

Dear Tomorrow,

Awareness is key. Learning about this issue can seem like a small effort compared to other actions, but it’s the most important.

Dear Tomorrow,

I promise to go DEEP GREEN

Dear Emilia and Tommy,

We, in our time, still have the chance to change course. We have the knowledge and emergent means, even the profitable technologies, to do so.

Oi Luc,

Estou esperando ansiosa sua chegada pra que a gente possa fazer muitas coisas boas juntos, uma delas, é cuidar bem do nosso planeta.

Dear me,

Remember how passionate you felt at 20, I hope you keep that passion in you and are still working on climate 30 years from now.

Dear Owen and Vivian,

Here’s the biggest secret: I KNOW it will have. We may not realize how, but we have changed the world.

Dear Rowan and Anaka,

If we could talk, I would not be able to bear your gaze as you ask: How could you, the people in a position to change the course of climate change, fail to act?

Dear Grandchild,

I now feel less overwhelmed and powerless, and I am determined to fight for our planet and your future.

To Annika, Anders, Stella, Eva, and Mickey,

In writing to you, I realize that I don’t want you to be hard on yourself if you choose to not make this your cause. But it is mine, so I hope that you hold me accountable to some of what I wrote here.

Dear Gabriel,

One day ten or twenty years from now, when you look back from the future, you will be able to clearly see the entire path.

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