Lisa Gardner's Letter

To my little men, Barnaby and Hugo,

I’m writing to you in the hope that you’re living in a world where kindness towards other people, animals and nature is simply a way of life. I grew up in the countryside, as you did, and I’m forever grateful that like you, I had a childhood that was immersed in nature, where I learned that we are simply another species, part of the animal kingdom not set apart from it or more valuable than it.

I knew a world before climate change was fully recognised, but even then we were beginning to see changes; species disappearing, plants flowering at the wrong times, droughts, wild fires and famines. I want you to know that as your parents we did absolutely everything we could to reverse this situation and stop climate change.

I hope it worked! I hope your future world is full of wildlife, and lush with plant life, where climate change action is no longer considered “ hippy”, niche or not applicable, but mainstream.

I hope that in your world the governments of the world will have finally woken up to the crisis that began in the 70s, put their differences aside and committed to protect our planet for the sake of future generations, both animal and plant. The damaging use of fossil fuels will have ceased, replaced by cheaper and less damaging renewables ( like our solar panels and air source heat pump). The “fast fashion” economy of consumption will have been replaced by local, sustainable economies that encourage sharing rather than greed, that prize happiness rather than GDP, that support everyone, not just the wealthy few. The protection of natural resources and species will be seen as vital, not just by campaigners but governments because ecosystem services such as those provided by intact rainforests will be assigned the worth they truly deserve.

I hope I’m there to share this world with you and look back on all the changes the human species has made to turn the clock back, to live within our resources and to embrace a life living in harmony without planet.

I love you both so much that it breaks my heart to think that you’ll be living in a world that is anything less. This is what you and all future generations deserve, not a broken planet, struck with poverty, natural disasters, extinctions and stripped of resources.

Your generation will either witness the fall or the rise of our planet. I hope with all my heart that whoever reads this letter makes it the latter.

All my love,

Mummy xxx