Letters to President Obama: Kids and Environmental Action

In the middle of November, President-elect Barack Obama gave a very cool talk about climate change on his blog. We listened to it and really liked it when he said how much he cared doing something about what is happening to our planet as it gets warmer and warmer when he gets to be our President.

Listen to President-elect Obama talk about all of this on his Weblog at http://change.gov/newsroom/entry/president_elect_obama_promises_new_chapter_on_climate_change/

Hearing this gave us an idea. Since we are involved with a lot of environmental issues in our hometown of Cambridge, Massachusetts, we decided to write to President-elect Obama and tell to let him know how glad we are that he is going to be our President and tell him about what we are doing so he can get a sense of how kids want to be taken seriously in all of the change that is going to have to happen. So much of what is going on now is going to affect what it's going to be like when we are grown-ups. We think kids like us should be included in finding a way to make this a better place for all of us to live. So we wrote our letters, which we will show you, and we are urging you to write to him, too. And if you want to send us your letters -- talking about what you are doing in your community to make the world a better place for us to grow up in -- we'd love to read them and share them with others who will come to our blog.


Letter to President Obama
Roots & Shoots: The Obama Connection

Dear President Obama:

My name is Mia and I am really happy you will be our next President. I live in Cambridge, MA where I am part of a Roots and Shoots group called "The Sprouts of Hope." Roots and Shoots is an organization started by Jane Goodall for kids all around the world. She started Roots and Shoots (http://www.rootsandshoots.org/) in Tanzania with just a small group of kids. It has grown and grown and now there are Roots and Shoots groups around the world.
Jane Goodall started this group because she knew kids wanted to make a difference in their communities but they didn't know how. The idea was kids, like those in Roots and Shoots, are small, but if they want to they can make a big difference.

You have shown the world than anyone can be President. We know that what we do can make a difference. That is why we are trying to make our school greener. We are helping to start a composting program in our school in addition to other projects we do.

"Yes We Can!" is how we are introducing our program. At our Cambridge public school, King Open, you are a big figure. In the beginning of the year, you could hear "Obama 'O8" ringing through the hall and see it on stickers, buttons, and T-shirts students word proudly. When me, my mom, and two friends made calls to get out the vote the day before the elections, we knew even our calls (we mostly got answering machines) were making a difference.

As an environmental group that does projects to make our community more green, we will really appreciate the things you are going to do as President to make our country more green.

Congratulations!

Sincerely, Mia and The Sprouts of Hope


Letter to President Obama: Helping the Environment

Dear President Obama

We are so glad and happy you won the election! We are the Sprouts of Hope, a Roots and Shoots group (http://www.rootsandshoots.org/). The Sprouts of Hope is an environmental group. We were very excited when we found out you had won. We think you will help with all our environmental issues, such as global warming.We have recently won the Cambridge GoGreen Award for all of our activities. http://www.cambridgema.gov/CDD/et/ggm/gg_bawhist.html

We have done plenty of things such as organizing Waste-Free Lunch Days at our school. We have done a "Stop Global Warming" walk as part of the nationwide StepItUp campaign. In January, our school is going to be the 1st school in Cambridge to start composting.

As Sprouts, we really admire you and hope you will help make a positive change in the environment.

Sincerely, Kaya in the Sprouts of Hope group

P.S. Tell your daughters hi! We think your daughters are really awesome? The Sprouts of Hope are 7 girls, ages 11-13, in Cambridge, MA

Outstanding
Believe
Awesome
Makes change
Amazing