Dr. King, Climate Change & Love Letters
I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. That is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.
Martin Luther King, Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech, Dec. 10, 1964
In memory of Dr. King, we have a few ideas to share with you that will help our kids honor his legacy, and show them how we can all help “defeat evil and stop it from being triumphant.”
At ClimateMama, an overarching “evil” we see in the world, is how our “right” to a sustainable future is being “defeated” by the failure of all of us to take action and responsibility for the climate chaos around us. Some of us, in particular, have a huge and oversized role that we can play in helping to right this wrong and solve the crisis we face.
Our good friends at the Open Letter Campaign have helped us, at ClimateMama, identify who some of these powerful WORLD leaders are.
As we remember Dr. King, and all he has done to change the way America and the world thinks, acts and lives, let me introduce you to two of my Climate Heroes, who through acts of selfless love for their children and all of ours, are helping change minds and build momentum towards climate solutions, and to single handedly slow down the climate crisis we are facing. They help us see what WE can do, and help us convince some very powerful leaders to take a stand and a role in solving the climate crisis.
Join us as Climate Mama Elli Sparks and Climate Papa Doug Grandt share with us why they think that we should make a special effort to remind two powerful men in particular, Rex Tillerson and Eric Cantor about why they should be our Climate Heroes!
Let’s start with some short introductions:
Eli Sparks wears many hats: Director of Development for Citizens Climate Lobby, (CCL) small farm owner, climate activist and mother who has devoted her life to sustainable farming and protecting the environment.
Doug Grandt: father, engineer, retired Exxon employee and California Air Resources Board engineer, Climate Messenger and Tar Sands pipeline protester and arrestee. Doug has written more than 350 letters to the president of Exxon Mobil, Rex Tillerson and more than 200 to President Barack Obama warning them of the consequences of global warming and asking them to “find a heart” and be strong leaders on climate solutions, for their children, and ours.
Both of these courageous people are using their voices and their actions, and they are asking for us to use ours in a show of love, to two powerful people, Congressman Eric Cantor, House Majority Leader, and Rex Tillerson, president of Exxon Mobil, by asking them to become our climate heroes.
Valentines Love Letters for the Planet, Get Started Now!
1. Grab the kids in your life and start making some Valentines Cards, it’s not too early. Send the cards to the following two addresses:
Rex Tillerson, c/o Office of the Chairman, ExxonMobil Corporation, 5959 Las Colinas Blvd, Irving, Texas 75039.
Eric Cantor ℅ Congressman Cantors Office, 303 Cannon HOB, Washington DC 20515.
(Doug suggests you also include a cute photo of your child or grandchild, as a reminder about why we are asking them to be our Valentines and our Climate Heroes.)
2. Feel free to also send US, at ClimateMama, your name, home town and zip code to info.climatemama.com and we will add your name to the Valentines Cards WE are making for these two special and powerful men.
Why Congressman Cantor?
In the United States House of Representatives, the majority leader is elected by the political party holding the largest number of seats in the House. Among other things, the Majority Leader of the United States House of Representatives typically sets the floor agenda and oversees the committee chairs. This is a very powerful position. Eric Cantor is the House Majority leader. He is also the father of 3 children.
Through her work at CCL, Elli meets regularly with members of Congress and has met with Congressman Cantor and/or his staff many times to discuss climate change and how a revenue neutral carbon tax should be part of our tool kit in fighting climate change. Here, in Elli’s words, is a message she has delivered on Capital Hill. This is a message which needs to be repeated to “powerful people” like Congressman Cantor and Rex Tillerson:
“I know saving the world from pollution isn’t all up to me. I was simply stunned (by the reality of the climate crisis). Stunned and deeply saddened. Personal change is important. I’ve got friends who farm sustainably. Others who ride their bikes everywhere they go. I shop at the farmers market and turn off my lights when I’m not in the room. However, none of these steps will make a difference unless the big players step up to the plate. All of the likely climate heroes have started working on the problem. We need the unlikely climate heroes to emerge and lead.
We need congressmen and women with strong ties to coal, oil, and natural gas. We need politicians connected to the building industry, transportation, manufacturing, and electricity. We need statesmen respected by peers in their party. We need them to lead on this most challenging of issues. We think you, Mr. Congressman, can become our climate hero.”
Why Rex Tillerson?
Rex W. Tillerson has been the Chief Executive Officer and President at Exxon Mobil Corporation since January 1, 2006 and March 1, 2004 respectively. Exxon is one of the most profitable companies in the world with reported profits in excess of $44 billion in 2012. Mr. Tillerson is the father of 4 children and in 2013 Forbes Magazine named him the 16th most powerful person in the world. In Doug’s words:
“Having common ground with Eagle Scout Rex Tillerson (both our fathers and sons are also Eagle Scouts) and having Exxon in common, we must have fundamental values that are common from our Scouting experience.
Rex Tillerson has the unique opportunity to denounce the ecocide that humanity’s burning of fossil fuels is causing to our habitat, our species and all other species which are subject to extinction.
It is a matter of identifying the values within Rex Tillerson’s heart and giving him the compelling reason to take bold courageous and moral action. I intend to do that in a loving, not hateful, way.” (For more on Doug’s campaign visit TellRex.com)
Congressman Cantor, Mr. Tillerson here’s an early Valentines Message, on behalf of all of our Climate Mamas and Papas: Please be our Valentine. It’s time for you to step up and be our Climate Hero too.
We applaud and admire the way that Elli and Doug are following in the footsteps of Martin Luther King, by using peaceful, powerful, yet loving ways to change the world.
Yours,
Climate Mama
Send us a picture of you Valentine Card and we will be happy to share it!
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