Oil in the ice, my message to Obama

Dear Barack Obama,

Right now, you have a chance to leave a legacy for us all. So, I wanted to share my story with you to remind you of what’s possible.

I grew up in Brisbane — Australia’s biggest country town. My childhood was spent in a big house with animals and siblings to play with. I’m privileged to have gone to a small independent school that promotes equality, respect for the environment, open communication and freedom. Our parents taught us the importance of education, self-expression and love for all creatures. Although the world I lived in was idyllic, it was real and it was there that I learnt what is possible. Love, security, freedom and family.

I lived in this bubble for a long time, shielded from some of the harsh realities of the world. But gradually I began to understand a world with war, poverty, abuse and environmental destruction. I learnt about things that went against everything I had known. Things that opposed the values I had been taught. My faith in the world was challenged.

As I left childhood, I learnt about climate change, a problem that continues to grow and challenge all of my values. But for a while, I still believed that people around the world shared my values, so there was no way our governments would fail to act.

I was let down, over and over again.

Later, I learnt about corruption, greed and people’s ability to disregard another’s life. As the climate science spelt out the terrifying risks in even more detail, I realised that we were all being let down. Somehow, it was okay for the powerful few to cast aside our values when there was a profit to be made. I was told that my beliefs were idealistic and unattainable. But I know what’s possible. And I know it’s the person you are, not the president you are, who shares my vision for powerful changes in our society too.

It seems to me that the increasing climate change catastrophe is a product of governments’ inability to say ‘no’ to the fossil fuel industry. We’re told a world without compromising equality, education, our heath, or even the safety of other species is unattainable.

But living your values is a choice we all make. We all have the ability to help create the world we want to live in. We all have the ability to ignore people when they tell us we have to compromise our values to fit into “society”. I know that’s why you decided to run for office, you wanted to make a difference. It’s why I’m writing to you right now.

You are in an extremely important position at a time when the fate of humanity teeters on a knife’s edge. And today, you have the choice to stand by your values and say no to the industries that are compromising our future. You have the opportunity to help create a world that refuses to compromise the fate of people living in low lying areas, people living off the land, people who will face fires and floods and the survival of entire species, just so a small number of people can get rich. And you’re not alone.

6.7 million people all over the world have already spoken out against drilling in the Arctic. Together, we will not stand by and let you and Shell sacrifice of one of the most pristine areas in the world. We do not consent to compromising the livelihoods of the Inupiat people. We do not consent to compromising a safe future for everyone. And we do not consent to compromise the survival of Arctic species. We all share this planet and we all share the future. This is not about nations’ political agendas. It’s about creating a just world.

Today, you are a world leader. I invite you to stand with us for a better world. Use your executive power to say no to drilling in the Arctic, to stand for climate action and leave behind a legacy we can all be proud of.

Sincerely,

Zoe Buckley Lennox, 21

On the Greenpeace Esperanza, in the middle of the Pacific (right behind Shell’s Arctic oil rig). Go to http://savethearctic.org/live to find out where.