Dear Sir/Madam: I am young. I am one of the people of the future, and like the twenty thousand generations of humans who came before me, have the right to breathe air that smells sweet, to drink water that runs pure and free, to swim in waters that teem with life, and to grow my nourishing food in rich, living earth. I have the right to inherit a world unsullied by toxic chemicals, nuclear waste, or genetic pollution. I have the right to walk in untamed nature and to feel the awe that comes when I suddenly lock eyes with a wild beast and remember that I too, am just an animal made of dust from the cosmos. You hide in your offices, protected by your jargon, while in the real world forests vanish, species perish, human lives are ruined and lost, and essential water supplies are tainted forevermore. I accuse you of gross negligence in the management of our planetary household. We have all known that since its inception that your measure of economic progress, the Gross Domestic Product, is fundamentally flawed and incomplete. It has, however, been allowed to become a global standard, reported day by day in every form of media possible. I accuse you of recklessly supporting the illusion of progress at the expense of human and environmental health. And so I beseech you, members of parliament and teachers of neo-classical economics, to end this performance. I beseech you, and my peers, and our global community: Do not mistake money for wealth. My future is worth more than short-term political alliances with oil companies that will end in ecological ruin, and death. Stop taking technological risks, however seemingly miniscule, that may backfire catastrophically in times to come. Please do not burden us with your deferred planetary debts and depleted pension plans. Please stop using it all up. In turn, I promise to do the same. I wish these rights to be granted to every human on this our only earth, from this day forward. I do this in the sacred hope that our human spirit will endure forever. Sincerely, A concerned citizen/voter/consumer.
Posted on: Sat, 30 Aug 2014 17:33:27 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015