Philip's Letter

Grandparents,

Dear (Great) Gran and Grandad

I am writing to you in 2023 from the 2040s. Do you wonder what my world is like? The world you left to me. The world I have inherited from all of you.

• Every year, from April to October, it is unbearably hot here and the heat kills lots of people.
• We have long droughts, water shortages and wildfires so farmers’ crops suffer and harvests are small.
• Food is in short supply and many more people are going hungry.
• Large parts of Africa and elsewhere are uninhabitable and millions of people have moved north. The boats never stopped coming.
• It’s hard to find jobs and social services don’t work properly anymore.
• People are more angry and violent so we don’t feel safe.

Your world seems like a golden age to us.

Please write back and tell me what you are doing to prevent climate change.

Do you try to find out about climate change and its effect on me?
How often do you talk to your friends and neighbours about climate change?

How often do you e-mail your MP and local councillors with your concerns about climate change? Do you write or speak to them instead? Why not?

Do you know how to find a local environmental group? Why haven’t you joined one?
Do you go to any meetings, demonstrations or marches about climate change?
(I don’t expect you to glue yourself to anything or break the law! Just go along.)

Do you worry enough about the future to do anything about it?
How much do you care about me?

Put your letter in a safe place so that in twerty-five years I may find it.

With love from your (great) grandchild.

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