My Letter to President Obama

​Dear Mr. President,

I urge you to do everything in your power to make the upcoming UN climate change summit an overwhelming success. The White House website claims that our nation is leading the way on climate change, but we all know that just the opposite has been the case. 

Climate change may be the single most important issue of our times; absolutely nothing else will matter as the Earth's climate becomes increasingly inhospitable to human life. That our government has succumbed to the influence of a few wealthy individuals and corporations at the expense of the greater good is one of the deepest sources of shame for me as an American. It is our moral imperative to do what's right, for our nation, the people of the world, the other species that inhabit this planet, and generations to come.

As an American, an educator, and a global citizen, I will no longer take NO for an answer on this issue. Enough is enough. You must take bold measures to assure that nothing derails  the upcoming negotiations. Honestly, it is time to issue a global state of emergency. This is a fixable problem, and the time for action is now. We cannot afford to phase in changes over the next decade or two. Now, sir, now! Let's do this.

I am prepared to do my part. What are you prepared to do? Please, for the sake of billions of people, do not be soft on this issue. Whether or not our government chooses to prosecute the climate-deniers who have been allowed to misinform the public for so long, at the very least we must circumvent their pathological need to put their own short-term profit over the long-term needs of an entire planet. This is a crime against humanity and the Earth that must stop now, before you leave office. If you take a lead in ending climate change, that will be your single greatest legacy as a President--perhaps the greatest of any U.S. President. And if you do not, nothing else you have achieved in your time in office will matter one iota.

I implore you, President Obama, to do what's right: for America, for your great grandchildren, for the people of the Earth, and for the animals and plants that share this beautiful planet with us. Thanks for your time and your attention.

Most Sincerely,

Victor Shamas, Ph.D.

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