Authenticity and Passion Motivated by Love: An Urgent Climate Emergency Call to Action

The passion of two grandmothers, motivated by love, was front and center of their presentation.

“Dreams of Tomorrow” (from a private, personal collection)

I must tell you: I was absolutely blown away, even though I missed the wine. Please read on.

When I accepted the invitation for an evening meeting concentrating on the necessity of immediate action for the climate emergency, I was not thrilled. I would be working a full day, was on deadline for an article, followed environmental safety measures, and longed for a “feet up, glass of wine, good movie” few hours, as did my husband, who made it clear that after his own long day, this use of time was not on his Hit Parade either. However, one of the presenters was my daughter’s mom-in-law. So we accepted: Arriving a few moments after the program began, we missed the wine.

This mild disappointment out of the way, all reservations went puff — replaced by gratitude. Although information provided was not new, complex detail was clear and concise. Beyond that, what really hit home was the urgency of a presentation addressing the protection of our children and their children’s lives. To say we were deeply touched by the sincerity and authenticity of the two presenters misses the point. We were propelled.

To quote, Vickie Seitchik, “As I was turning eighty, deeply moved and motivated by my son David’s climate research and writing, I decided that I would dedicate my life to educating people about the climate emergency. “

A Terrifying Future

Have you ever experienced the overload of “death by power-point”? You would not on this evening. Vickie and her fellow activist, Joy Hockman, used handmade posters, easy to see and understand. The change was a delight, the information provided terrifying. For those who welcome a precise, urgently needed tutorial as much as we did, I have crystalized primary points:

During the last 11,600 years, the Holocene Era, our planet’s average temperature, identified as the Goldilocks Zone, has been not too hot and not too cold: we do not freeze or burn to death; our crops feed us and an eco system supports us.