Growing up in Germany, I often wondered what my parents had done to oppose the Nazi regime in the 1930’s that led to WWII.  I was so disappointed when I found out how passive they had been. For me, this was formative.

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Ingrid Rogers
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To my beloved granddaughters, Margaret and Caroline,

In December 2019 I heard of an effort called “Dear Tomorrow” which suggests that we write a letter for our descendants explaining what we did to keep this world safe for your future. I picture you reading this around the year 2050, long after your grandpa and I are gone, wondering whether we had a part in fighting for our earth.

Growing up in Germany, I often wondered what my parents had done to oppose the Nazi regime in the 1930’s that led to WWII.  I was so disappointed when I found out how passive they had been. For me, this was formative. I vowed that I would be vocal to prevent future wars and address societal evils.  Your grandpa and I incorporated commitment to peace and justice in our marriage vows in 1972.

Most of my life I have been a teacher, writer, and activist.  In the 1980s, when the Cold War raged between the US and the Soviet Republics, I feared for human survival and tried to advocate for peace in any way I could think of.  I composed songs, wrote books and chancel dramas, gave lectures, participated in public witness for peace, and built ties to national and international organisations that sought ways to end the arms race.

I always believed that addressing the great issues of our time meant joining a movement in which many people participated. I wrote a song based on the German folk tale, “The Weight of a Snowflake,” which says that one flake alone cannot break the branch of a tree, but if enough flakes land on the branch, it will eventually fall. We had to contribute to the best of our ability as individuals, but solutions came by working alongside others. 

Climate change is about to change our world drastically.  Now, in 2020, people are saying that we have only about 10 years left to turn around a trend in C02 emissions that can lead to disaster.  Already the world is seeing a frightening increase in floods, droughts, melting ice caps, extinction of species, deforestation, fires, and devastating storms.  I want a world for you that is beautiful, with clean air and water, with biodiversity, with sustainable food production and just practices that do not harm our earth.

Your grandpa and I love nature. Part of the reason we moved to California was to enjoy the great sunny outdoors year around.  We cherish vacations we were able to spend hiking in National Parks, snorkeling in the ocean to discover tropical fish, and strolling through Open Space Preserves.  The fact that whole species are disappearing and that we as humans have set our planet is on a path where it is uninhabitable, with much of its beauty and diversity lost forever, makes me want to despair.

But there is still hope.  When I joined the Elders Climate Action network, I offered to provide leadership in Northern California and nationwide by crafting a newsletter that celebrates the small steps people are taking everywhere to combat destructive climate change.  I hope this initiative will energize people, contradict their sense that nothing can be done, and provide examples they can emulate. 

If in your life you are given a chance to make the world better, take it.  Don’t worry about whether you will succeed. Look for others to join you in the effort, and if necessary, plunge in alone until others are ready to help.  This earth is a gift. We are called to preserve it for ourselves and all living things. No effort in the right direction is too small.

With love,

Your Oma

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More Messages to the Future

 

Dear Tomorrow,

I promise to never use a plastic straw.

 

Dear future generations,

It’s never too late to make a difference. Our actions have very real consequences. We can educate ourselves, learn from our mistakes, and take action. We can hold companies like big oil and big plastic accountable for their negative impacts on the environment. We can educate ourselves and others about what causes climate change and what actions we as individuals can take to lower our carbon footprints.

 

Dear Tomorrow,

I promise I will do everything I can to help fight against climate change.

 

My Mini & Lou,

Since I first sat down with these words, a pandemic has erupted. Racial violence is reaching a fever pitch and protests are raging across the nation. It feels like the planet is succumbing to entropy, slipping further into chaos. But I write to you from a time of shifting tides.

 

Dear Alyssa,

I pray that more and more fathers will realize that to love their children well, they have to love and respect the ecological systems around them too.

 

Dear Future Ryan,

I promise to be a knight in the campaign of truth seeking.

 

Dear residents of Bedminster, Bristol UK,

We hope we did enough

 

Vitória,

Antes de realizar qualquer ação pense no meio ambiente para que suas atitudes sejam pautadas na sustentabilidade. Assim o seu pensar e agir localmente poderão resvalar na escala global.

 

Meus filhos,

Devemos conservar nosso planeta. Mas, para se fazer isso, temos que fazer isso juntos. Todos os seres humanos devem estar voltados para cuidar bem do lar em que vivemos e do presente que Deus nos deu para viver: a Terra.

 

Dear Tomorrow,

My promise is to continue to dedicate my life, my business, and my future to creating cultures that embrace environmental action not only for our own good, but the good of the countless other species hurting from climate change.

 

Dear Kaydence,

I will keep trying Kaydence, I promise. And I hope we can look back together in 2050 and smile, knowing that our Earth is healthy once again.

 

Dear Potential Future Kiddo,

To think that my choices of sustainable commuting, eating a plant based diet, and working on our City’s zero waste program likely pale in comparison to the impact of not having a baby is nothing short of devastating.  Does it make me a bad environmentalist to honor my maternal instincts?

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