Rachel D
In High School I read a book in French class called Le Petit Prince
by Antoine De Saint-Exupéry. It was a children’s book written for
adults about a little boy who leaves his planet to see what the
rest of the universe is like. He visits six asteroids, each one
with a single occupant whose actions seem absurd to the boy. When he goes to Earth he is amazed to discover that there are billions of these absurd beings. The story reveals the absurdities of the way we live revealing lessons on caring for the environment, love of one another, responsibility for what we “tame,” and appreciation for what we have. I was amazed at how much could be said in the simplest sentences.
"On ne voit bien qu'avec le cœur. L'essentiel est invisible pour
les yeux." ("It is only with the heart that one can see rightly.
What is essential is invisible to the eye.")
You give little when you have little, and you give more when you
have more. If we can inspire everyone to live this way, we would
all have a lot more! It starts with caring for the environment.
Melissa Jacobo J
I didn't grow in the heart of a city that never sleeps, or in the
middle of an historic neighborhood that defined the counterculture.
I grew up in a place where natural beauty and wonder are taken for granted, and seeing this from where I live I was able to notice
this as I got older and started to travel around California. Mr.
President, this is more than a fight for aesthetic beauty, this is a
fight for our future. We are risking millions of years of
prosperous living for our own convenience that won't last for
another 50 years. Destroying the very thing that we need to survive is totally backwards and will not take us anywhere. Destroying our nature will push us faster towards air, water, and land pollution, and create an imbalance in our biodiversity which is vital to our ecosystem. The thing I want you to remember is this: nature isn't something you visit a few weeks out of the year, it's something that happens all around us, everywhere all the time. If it's destroyed we will be nothing but shadows not of what we used to be, but of regret we cant take back.
Libby H
As others before me have said, global warming is the most important moral issue of our time.
The teacher in me knows that our children's health and well being
depend critically on the health of all other living things. I know
that it will be much better for a child to experience the beauty of
wildlife and the joy of nature than for me to present it to them in
a book, as part of "history."
The basest human part of me knows more than this. I know in my
heart that it is morally wrong to use nature as a commodity, as a
product to be exploited for our convenience and greed. I know
America is uniquely positioned to lead the world on this moral
question. I know that I value other living things so highly that I
am willing to make great personal sacrifices to serve their needs--
which incidentally is often in my own best interests.
Please lead us through this mess. Please help us unify around a
robust national climate policy. Please help the world make global
warming its most critical issue.
Lowry B
My family and I live in the Yaak Valley, in the northwestern
corner of Montana. It has about 60 residents, but is home to
thousands of wild animals, such as black and grizzly bears,
mountain lions, elk, moose, deer, bobcats, linx, salamanders, bald
eagles, and many many more.
Residents of Lincoln County rely a great deal on the logging
industry, and most of the logging is done in the Yaak. This
destroys the habitat of many of the animals, as well as hurting the
growth of the rest of the forests.
My father, Rick Bass, is an environmentalist and a writer, and
works really hard to protect the Yaak from such destruction, and
finally, his efforts have helped create the Wilderness Bill. The
Wilderness Bill will protect most of the Yaak Valley from logging,
clearcutting, and motorized vehicles.
The picture is of my dog Auna and I on a hike with my dad on
Flat Iron Mountain, an area that will be protected by the bill when
you sign it next year.
Dency N
I am 57 years old and a lifelong environmentalist. I was President
of my high school's Senior Class in 1970 for the very first Earth
Day on April 22 of that year. I organized a day long "ecology
fair" in which the entire school participated. Almost 40 years
later I'm still at it as a founding member of PlugInAmerica.org and
a community leader here in Hermosa Beach for all things
environmental. I need your help, Mr. President. During these 40
years I have often felt like Sisyphus rolling the stone of
environmental awareness up the hill only to have it roll back on me
to the bottom of that hill over and over again. Time is running
out. The global leaders need to hear the call and join us who have
been pushing that stone up the hill. Don't be among those who push that stone back on top of us and to the bottom of the hill. Take us over the top with an International Climate Agreement that gets the job done once and for all.
Laila A
On Friday, October 2nd, 2009, the Environmental Studies Student Group asked fellow University of Colorado Buffs to call their senators and demand stronger, national climate legislation. Many students were interested in learning about what Climate Change may mean to their future and were excited to call their legislators, asking them for clean climate and energy bills. This inspires hope that there is student support for an environmental cause.
I believe that it is our right to know the truth behind this global issue facing our world today. A new documentary film called “The Age of Stupid†allows audience members a glance at the effects of climate change currently on our planet and what the results of apathy may be for humanity.
I am coordinating a showing of the documentary, "The Age of Stupid", with a coalition of environmentally concerned groups on campus. We are hoping to inspire a new wave of public support for cleaner climate legislation. We are showing the film at 3pm on Sunday, October 11th at CU's Mathematics building, Room 100. The public is encouraged to bring friends and family; the more people that see this film the better.
Hannah M
I am a 20 year old female student at Portland Community College. I grew up in Oregon on a small produce farm and have loved being outdoors all of my life. Through my education I have affirmed my belief that the only thing worth standing for is Nature and the creatures that it bestows. Getting outside means health to me. I strive to find a profession that will allow me to not just enjoy but also protect and restore the things in this world that cannot necessarily speak for themselves. May we all start working together to appreciate and respect the place we call home.
Jessie K
My family and I share a huge passion for the great outdoors, and our earth in general. My father would always lecture me and share his thoughts on environmentally-friendly lifestyles. What hit me close to home was the witnessing of our MN winters growing milder and milder. Being a competitive cross country skier, I need strong winters to fulfill my passion. I finally started listening (at the age of 11) when I realized what great trouble our planet is in.
I find it incredibly easy to forget the great importance of living green. Being in high school makes it hard to have a voice, and, at the very least, stay green. However, my passion for "saving the world" has grown over the years as the world seems to get deeper into trouble.
I am bombarded with everyday petty troubles and tasks of being a teen, but I want to make sure I still can help the cause and voice not only my opinions, but the fact that we all need to take action now. I want to educate others during the next three years at high school, and for the rest of my life.
Erik W
A few years ago, I developed a deep interest in penguins, and the more I learned about these flightless seabirds, the more I realized how close they, and their ecosystem, are to devastation. I saw how overfishing, climate change, and even deforestation was negatively affecting these birds. I felt as though I HAD to do something about it. But really, what could I do? I joined clubs like the Recycling club and the Bio Science club at my high school, and through that, I was able to participate in activities such as the "Riverbed Cleanup", where we spent the day in the riverbed picking up trash and other things that didn't belong (such as an old refrigerator and even a car). I've also resorted to only accepting rides when absolutely necessary. I'll just walk or ride my banana board across town, sometimes up to 6 miles a day. But I still feel like I'm not doing nearly enough; and that's how I found Greenpeace. They've allowed me to do more, such as write this short autobiography. Hopefully my story can inspire others to help out.
Veronica L
Last week I traveled to GLACIER NATIONAL PARK and saw before my eyes how the glaciers are despairing...I specially noticed how the evergreen trees were sick...with global warming, the insects don't die in the winter like they did before, so they are infecting and killing all the trees. It may be that this happens every 3,000 years but I am not planning on waiting to see if this is true. We need to lower pollutants in the environment...we need to take care of the only planet we have.
Veronica
Nelson P
I have recently started the P.O.E.T.S. (Platform Of Environmentalists Toward Survival) in order to gather together poems that depict nature's beauty as well as those that express poignant views evoked by the destruction mankind continues to inflict upon our environment. The goal of P.O.E.T.S. is to reach out to the global poets' community to help further and support "green" causes with a voice of our own. Like any movement, our cause requires exposure and support to succeed.
P.O.E.T.S. is in its infancy but in just two weeks since its inception and thanks to the efforts of inspired volunteers, it has expanded to other sites, gaining growing support.
This fast-growing collection will be presented to President Obama upon its completion. It is my hope that, as the movement grows and spreads, numerous collections will be created around the world and presented to additional world leaders and decision-makers. If a multitude of poets express a unified call to action, we might help hasten the changes that are so desperately needed to save our world. Those who are in a position to make change on behalf of the people need.
Cecilia D
I am an environmentalist because of my mother. For my whole life, my mother has tried to make change in her own wonderful way. When I was younger, she taught me about the world, including our responsibility to take care of it. When my brother and I were young, she let us play outside all day, encouraging us to enjoy the world around us. She's always ready to have fun.
I am an environmentalist because of my mother. She has little faith in politicians, but utmost belief in democracy. It was with my mother that I went to my first protest, at the age of thirteen or so. My mother gets discouraged when change doesn't come, but she never gives up, and always has hope.
I am an environmentalist because of my mother. As a teacher, she motivates and cares about all kinds of kids. I am currently working on urban agriculture projects with inner-city students, and hope that they will be able to learn about where food comes from, and why what we eat matters.
I am an environmentalist because of my mother. I hope someday someone will write the same thing about me.
Joey J
For the longest time I went through life selfishly absorbed, blind-sided and completely consumed by my own fears. I have personally found that when I gathered enough courage to face my personal fears, unwind my childhood perspectives, I was able to opened my eyes to the world. When I did I was washed over with great pain and anger, but once the pain was put into perspective and my fears subsided I could suit up and take action.
Seems like we are at an historic time for everything. Lines being clearly defined on every global moral issue. You can either go about your life with selfish blindness, or open your eyes and take a stand. Will we evolve and find balance with our planet, or will we destroy our civilization through lack of action and self-preservation?
I hope to make a difference and model for my son how important it is to think critically, be skeptical and take impact-full action.
Richard D
I first heard about Greenpeace in the mid 1970s, not long after the organization was formed. As a radio-obsessed technoid, I wanted to know how they communicated with their ships. And remember this is way before email, the World Wide Web, satellite phones, cell phones and, yes, even before Twitter. So in 1977 I called the newly opened Greenpeace office in San Francisco and asked the very nice lady who answered to tell me all about the radio system they used to talk to their ships. Her reply was: "What radio system?" I was knocking on the door before she hung up the phone and had the great honor and pleasure to build the first Greenpeace radio communications station at our office in San Francisco for the 1977 whale campaign. And I've never left. To be honest, I didn't really care about whales when I joined Greenpeace. I cared about radio. It was only after joining up and working with the happy, funny, smart and brave folks who work for The Firm (as we call it) that I realized that my skills could contribute to something larger. That 1977 call was the best one I ever made.
Jennifer M
My mom says she knew that I was going to be a steward to the environment the day she watched me chase a plastic shopping bag down a parking lot before it blew away. Needless to say, I love Mother Earth! Nature is beauty! It's our job to educate ourselves to live sustainable lives and to protect the environment so that future generations can experience this same beauty. About 2 years ago I became inspired by Laurie David's book "Stop Global Warming: The Solution is You" & decided to change careers & go into education. I wanted the opportunity to reach out to future generations & inspire them to become environmental activists. As I begin my teaching career in the science field, obviously education of my students is my #1 priority, but it will certainly be laced with education about the environment & challenging them to actively be a part of the world we live in. We must be the change we wish to see in the world!!!!
Michael T
Believe it or not, I'm the guy that came up with the slogan "Maine, the way life should be." Originally conceived for an advertising campaign, it's now a sign when you enter the state through New Hampshire or Canada.
Unfortunately, the state of Maine is NOT "the way life should be," nor is anywhere else. My daughter has just turned 21, and I want a world for her unborn children that's not only livable, but beautiful. I know that preserving biodiversity and curtailing global warming are essential, but I feel that the transformation to a clean energy economy is the solution for these as well as our economic and geopolitical woes. See "Hot, Flat and Crowded" by Thomas Friedman.
I recently asked my Congressional Representative, Chellie Pingree, what she will do to change the U.S. from a "greed economy" to a green economy, and her answer contained the phrase "cap and trade." Ugh. We can't give them permission to pollute!
I have made it my purpose on Twitter to spread knowledge about clean energy initiatives. I pray we will make progress!
Jessica S
I'm involved because every second of every day, I see places and faces that need my help. I don't see any reason for people, especially myself, to not be passionate in the fight to make this world safer, greener, and happier. The greatest thing is that I believe such changes are possible and I know that Greenpeace is behind (actually, WAAAAAY in front of) me all the way. This network has been the greatest tool in my efforts to change people's opinions and bad habits. Thank you Greenpeace!!!
Karen O
My story begins with food. The food in our country is becoming less tasteful. As I eat it I cannot help but feel sick. Meat is not an option anymore, nor is most dairy products. My body is fighting off all the processed chemicals that are put into our food products and livestock. I studied Animal Science for three semesters and learned much about factory farms and puppy mills. My biggest concerns were in the fact that our animals are being stuffed with corn, given hormones and are mated incestuously. The animals are treated disrespectfully and it is making our bodies sick.
This got me thinking about how our environment could also be making humans sick. The realization that we are killing ourselves by hurting our animals and our home has brought me great despair and passion towards taking an action and showing friends and family how beautiful this world is. I relay how important it is to be grateful and kind to our Mother Earth and her inhabitants.
The minute we take care of our Earth and our animals then we take care of humanity. The world allows humans to live on its earth, not the other way around.
Amitie F
I was born and raised near the confluence of the Mississippi, Missouri, and Illinois Rivers. It wasn't until I reached the age of 33 that I realized just how significant our local resources are, not only locally, but to the whole world. Upon returning to college after a 15-year hiatus, my interest in the environment began when I was given an assignment to write an essay on global climate change. I chose to write about the world's water resources. I became so intrigued by the research that I felt compelled to continue my quest for knowledge. I enrolled in my first Natural Resource and Environmental Science class, which led me to change the focus of my educational and career goals...and to more ecology classes!
I am now a leader of our campus' Green Living Club, which focuses on recycling efforts and campus sustainability, a trained Riverwatch Citizen Scientist (stream monitor), and an intern for the National Great Rivers Research & Education Center. I plan to continue my education through law school, working to restore and protect our environment, our future.
"Nature beckons you to be on her side. You couldn’t ask for a better boss." Paul Hawken
Breann M
I grew up in the beautiful region of southeast Tennessee on a small farm. As I grew, I watched other farms and forest plowed under to make room for more subdivisions, more strip malls, more Wal-Marts. I saw good soil wash away because the developers had more influence than anyone else. I saw wildlife lose habitats and old, life-giving trees butchered.
My parents held out on our little 18 acres.
Now that I am older and married with small kids, our farm is an organic, biodynamic farm with over half our acreage in forest. We are a certified wildlife habitat devoted to keeping the developers out.
Growing up under the shadow of unsustainable development, Arch Chemical's mercury pollution, and TVA's ultimate authority has shaped my beliefs and actions. I see firsthand what we are doing to the environment and the effects. Big business and government agencies like TVA have no concern about global warming.
Our own children have had ill health effects directly because of the pollution in this area. It is time to force industry and government agencies to prevent further damage and stop global warming.
For the earth and the all the children,
Breann
Chris C
I am a member of the generation who may witness great forests succumb to exploitation and climate change, ocean ecosystems devastated by over-fishing and ocean acidification, and many lives destroyed by our collapsing habitat. My water is contaminated from the fly-ash our local coal power plant callously discards into an open pit. My mental and emotional refuge, the Appalachian mountains, are being violently ripped apart to extract poisons to burn, and my friends who live in the region suffer the health threats posed by mine tailings and explosion-induced silica dust. I dedicate my life to preventing irrevocable climate change and to curtailing the excesses of corporate power because I want food security, water security, economic security, and national security for myself and future generations. I believe our democracy and nation are strengthened by grass-roots civic engagement, and I will advocate for public interests by holding my representatives accountable to people, not corporate lobbies.