As I stated in my first letter to great grandkids who are yet to be born, my purpose in writing to you (born between 2025 and 2035) is to give you my perspective on the state of the world and to shed light on the person you someday will refer to as one of “my great grandparents.” These letters will not seem very relevant to you in your earlier years, but they may be of some importance by the time you are 50, somewhere about 2075.
May, 2021
Dear Great Grandchild:
My generation is gradually waking up to the damages being done to our environment. For the past several years, we have been experiencing changes in the weather as evident by longer periods of drought and lengthier and more severe storms. But deniers cling to the belief that “this is just another cycle of nature.”
My generation of men like me don’t seem to be too concerned about climate change. They likely are more troubled about keeping the status quo with no changes that might affect their own income and social standing. I wonder where their concern might be for the well being of their grandkids and great grandkids.
Great grandkids, it should be noted that your parents and grandparents have been more attentive and knowledgeable about climate change.
In the meantime, scientists at NASA have concluded that earth’s temperatures are indeed rising which, in turn, is causing more extreme weather and storm conditions. Unlike the previous five extinctions of life on planet earth, the next extinction of life may be caused by its human inhabitants.
Polution
These scientists are telling us that pollution from burning coal and driving cars is a major reason for raising ocean temperatures. Ice glaciers are melting, and the earth is heating up. (I have been to Alaska twice in 30 years and have personally observed the melting glaciers.) In order to curb this trend, we are belatedly starting to drive electric cars, reducing oil and coal burning, and taking advantage of solar and wind energy.
I would imagine that you are shocked at the rather primitive measures that we took in the early 2000s. I also anticipate that your methods of transportation and energy production are vastly different in 2075; as different as my birth year 1940 to the present time in 2021. In 1940, there were no jet planes, no interstate superhighways, and travel in buses and trains was common.
In fact, futurists have predicted that you great grandkids might not have, or need, your own car. If you do have a private mobile, it is likely “driverless.” You might even be transported underground or in the air. Right?
Garbage
It was only within the last 20 years that recycling became fairly common. What happened to our garbage? We filled plastic bags with our waste and garbage trucks picked them up and buried them in landfills. I am told that much garbage is also dumped into the oceans. It is only a matter of time that the earth will be filled with human garbage.
The likely solution to the garbage problem will be to recycle almost everything or compost it. I presume that you are now doing something like this.
I sincerely hope that my generation has not irreversibly messed up the environment. The balance in nature requires that we protect ourselves by protecting all plants and animals, a concept that is not evenly shared by many thoughtless people in the year 2021. These people are likely the same ones who think that the pandemic is a hoax and refuse to wear face masks or be vaccinated.
I would very much like to talk with you as you are entering your middle age. Unfortunately, this will be the sole communication that is possible for me – through my letters to you. I am hoping that you have the chance to have long talks with your grandparents: Jacqueline, Tom, John, Bob, and Eric. They know us well enough to tell you many stories about great grandma Dolores and me. You should know that all of them are story tellers who have been known to embellish their tales.
Please stay close to all of your relatives. You will find that this will be priority number one.
I will write another letter to you in the next few weeks about another topic that is important at this time. We are in a contentious time, a time of drastic differences of opinion. Can you imagine that shades of skin color can divide people? I am sure that you find this mind boggling.
With love,
Great Grandpa Tom (aka “Poppy”)
Braidwood Beginnings 