WILD BLUE PLANET
(A non-profit project of the
International Humanities Center)
A Statement of Support for
the Global Warming Youth Education Project
We live today on a troubled planet. The issue of global warming
has been at the forefront of news media coverage in recent
months. This is due in no small part to the release of Al Gore's
award-winning documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth," which brought to
light the reality of this severe environmental condition and its threat
to the future of the human race, as well as other life forms on planet
Earth.
The focus of most global warming education has been to offer adults
various strategies that can be applied to help reverse this climatic
trend. These suggestions center around alternative energy
technologies - such as hybrid cars, compact fluorescent light bulbs,
solar panels, and green architecture - in order to reduce mankind's
dependency on fossil fuels, a chief component of global warming.
However, the populations that will be most affected by this crisis in
coming years - children and youth - are largely being left out of the
mix. Action must be taken immediately to prepare this sector for
the planetary legacy of toxic waste, depleted natural resources, and
unwise energy infrastructures created by, and which will be passed down
from, older generations. Dealing with such an inheritance will be
no short order for today's young people. Adapting to, and
attempting to reverse, global warming will prove to be a challenge like
no other for both current and future generations.
What must our youth be thinking when they consider what lies ahead?
Surveys show that feelings of hopelessness, lack of control, and
depression are common. It is important for adults to acknowledge
that a crucial, specific need exists for our children to be educated
about global warming, as well as other health and environmental crises
facing their world. The goal of such instruction would be not
only to foster an understanding of these issues and their causes, but
also to teach what can and must be done in order to create a
sustainable future. It is essential that we cultivate capable
leaders now in our young populations in order that they be prepared to
handle and solve the emerging planetary conditions which will
inevitably be faced in their adulthood.
The global warming learning program proposed by Wild Blue Planet aims
to train leaders in the quest to reclaim a beautiful, healthy
planet. With proper guidance, children will be in a position to
make suitable life and educational choices early on, encompassing areas
such as college majors and careers that can best contribute to their
environmental goals.
In signing this letter, (I/WE/my organization)
____________________________ offer(s) support and encouragement to Wild
Blue Planet's Global Warming Youth
Education Project, which would involve setting up a network of
childhood learning programs and educational resources to help today's
youth address the issue of global warming and related health and
ecological topics. Schools and home-schooling
groups, religious and spiritual institutions, and community centers
would be some of the viable venues in
which such teaching could take place. I/WE support, as well, the
idea that such learning programs be funded by either or both government
and private sources. In addition, I/WE would be willing to
participate in, and provide for young people, a variety of
workshops, classes, and presentations on these global issues.
I/WE/my organization acknowledge(s) that global warming is a planetary
crisis that cannot be ignored, and furthermore, must be acted upon
promptly. It is our responsibility to educate the next generation
about how the wasteful use of resources affects populations and
ecosystems worldwide. This trend must be reversed immediately.
______________________________________________________________
Name of Individual (Print, then Sign)
______________________________________________________________
Organization or Company
_______________________________________________________________
Address (including city, state, & zip code)
_______________________________________________________________
Phone
_______________________________________________________________
Email
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Dated