There are a lot of people in Washington -- a lot of lobbyists and a lot of politicians -- who are determined to block any new laws that might reduce pollution.
Year after year, evidence grows about the damage we suffer from carbon pollution, and yet, the science deniers stay locked in place. It's so bad that we can't even have a serious conversation about the growing evidence that the earth is in real trouble.
So I have a question for you.
If we don't do anything at all to stop climate change, what do you think the world will look like 25 years from now?
Monday night, several other senators and I are pulling an all-nighter on the floor of the Senate to talk about the importance of pollution and climate change. We are going to do our best to bring attention to a topic that a lot of people in Washington don't want to talk about.
I've been assigned a block of time to talk, and I want to spend a chunk of it talking about as many stories as I can from people like you.
So take the question wherever you want: What do you think the planet is going to look like 25 years from now if we don't tackle climate change head-on? What small thing will be different? What big thing will change everything?
Make it personal or make it public. Do some research or talk about what worries you. But however you want to do it, write it up -- maybe a paragraph or two? -- and send it to me. I want to post some of your answers online and read some of your answers on the floor of the Senate because I want other people to think about this question: If we don't act, what could happen?
I think about what we could lose. I think about our natural treasures here in Massachusetts, from the Cape to the Berkshires, from hidden away gems to defining features of our great state. I think about what a more acidic ocean will mean for our fishermen, and whether we can sustain great oceanfront cities if sea levels continue to rise. I think about increasing rates of asthma and toxins that work their way into our food chain. I think about the threats to our economy and to our safety.
I also think about my three little grandchildren, and what kind of world we will leave to them. Are they going to live in a world where it's not safe to breathe the air or drink the water because powerful corporations and their lobbyists blocked real change?
Twenty-five years is not such a long time. In 25 years, what will you be doing? What about your family and friends? And what about our earth?
I'm hopeful that if we think more about the future -- if we really think hard about the path we're on and the place it leads -- then the urgency to change will be stronger and change will be within reach.
So back to my original question: If we don't make serious changes, what happens to our world? Take a minute to answer that question now.
Remember, I'm going to read as many of these stories as I can on the floor of the United States Senate, so please make them good! If you find some good research, add a link. If you want to add a picture, I'll include as many as I can. And if you want some friends or family to think about this question too, please forward the email and ask them to write. More voices will make us stronger.
Thank you for being a part of this,
Elizabeth
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