I recently found letters, written mostly in a language that I don’t speak, addressed to my great-grandparents, who were working in coal mines in the Rocky Mountains. The letters came from family back in Europe, writing to their loved ones who had crossed the ocean for more opportunities. My great-grandparents worked so hard in their new homeland, and they strived to give their kids a better and safer life, away from the dangerous mines.
Each of us has come from a family line that fought for our ability to survive and to thrive against great threats and obstacles.
This is our day to fight for the next generations. The climate facts could not be more dire. Sea levels are now expected to rise by one foot by 2050, and cataclysmic weather threatens our safety.
In 2050, I hope that my kids will be in the prime of life, maybe raising their own children. Today, we have to fight for all children’s right to have a safe and healthy climate — just as our ancestors fought to make a safe and healthy life for us.
President Biden and Congress have a powerful plan to fight climate change in the Build Back Better Act — but this plan is currently mired in negotiation. Powerful forces want to chip away at our investment in a stable climate. This is the time to back up President Biden as he continues to push for the strongest possible investment in climate, justice, jobs, and clean energy.
Don’t let your voice be drowned out by corporate fossil fuel lobbyists. Send a message to encourage President Biden to speak out strongly on climate in the State of the Union Address on March 1, and to keep fighting for significant investments that will deliver on climate, justice, jobs, and clean energy and that will protect our health and environment.
I am compelled by the parallel between my great-grandparents’ struggle to emerge from a life of coal mining and our present-day struggle to emerge from an energy economy powered by coal and fossil fuels. My great-grandparents purchased farmland and were able to send their daughters to college. My grandmother used her education to help run a family farm, administer a local bank, and manage the Mt. Baker National Forest in Washington State.
These relatives did not give up — they fought to make a better life for me, and in turn, I will not give up on making a better life for my children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
And for yours too.
Tell President Biden: Keep Fighting for Strong Investments in Climate, Justice, and Jobs