Originally published on the CGS blog on August 17, 2015.
Letters to Jake Series, Letter #8
Dear Jake,
I am writing this letter in the car as Papa and I drive home after a visit with you and the twins. I liked going to the Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC as well as going to the county fair in the countryside near your home. At the museum I especially enjoyed seeing the dinosaurs and other animals that are now extinct. My favorite parts of the fair were riding on the Ferris wheel with you, where we could see the beautiful countryside all around us, and watching the 4H children care for their farm animals.
Our two trips in one week were a good reminder of how wonderful and how precious life is on planet Earth. We need to take care of the earth’s resources like air and water that are important for human life as well as the life of all animals, trees, and other plants that share our planet with us.
Pope Francis just wrote a very long letter entitled “On Care for Our Common Home.” In this letter he reminds all people that we are responsible for taking care of Earth.
Pope Francis is concerned about the growing threat of climate change. Scientists believe that Earth is getting warmer and that clean water is getting scarce in some places.
Humans need to do all they can not to add to the warming and to protect the water so there is enough for everyone. Children like you and the 4H children we saw at the fair can help their parents by reminding them to reduce their use of the earth’s resources, reuse items instead of throwing them away, and recycle whenever possible. Wealthy countries like the U.S. need to help make sure everyone in poor countries has access to healthy drinking water.
The U.S. can play an important leadership role to help prevent climate change when many nations meet in Paris in December to negotiate a new binding international agreement. This will take place at the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21). We all need to show support for the US to reduce our greenhouse emissions as soon as possible.
Pope Francis also suggests that the global community needs better structures in place to care for our world. He quotes Pope Benedict XVI: “There is urgent need of a true world political authority, as my predecessor [Pope] John XXIII indicated some years ago.” The reference here is to Pope John XXIII’s letter called “Peace on Earth.” In that letter, John XXIII called for a transformation of the United Nations into a public authority for the world community to prevent wars and nuclear destruction. Francis sees the same need in his concern for the environment.
My friends and I promote the idea that transforming the United Nations into a United Federation of Nations would be the best way to meet this urgent need. I am writing letters to Pope Francis, explaining this idea to him.
Take good care of yourself…and your portion of planet Earth!
Love,
Gram
