Dear Friends,

Thank you once again for attending my recent presentation on Climate Change. 
Hopefully, the presentation not only increased your awareness and understanding 
about this important issue, but also conveyed a sense of hope and optimism about 
what we can accomplish if we work together on this issue. As discussed, I have 
attached a list of things we can do as individuals to make a difference. 

I hope that you found my presentation to be apolitical. At its heart, global 
warming and climate change are not, or at least should not be, political issues. 
It is perhaps first and foremost a moral question. What are we prepared to do 
when the world’s best scientists warn us that we are faced with serious threats 
to the sustainability of our planet, and to the livelihood and welfare of not 
only millions of people currently sharing this planet with us, but of 
generations yet unborn. 

The Earth’s climate system has demonstrably changed on both global and regional 
scales since the pre-industrial era. We can no longer pretend that human activity, through the rapid burning of fossil 
fuels, has little or no impact on the worldwide changing climate conditions.

The issues are complex, and there are no easy solutions, but we have time and we 
have the technologies, we just need the will to act. Although we have time, 
there is a finite window of opportunity to address this issue.  What we choose 
to do, or not to do, in the next ten years may well determine the fate of future 
generations.

Addressing the climate crisis affords us a number of unique opportunities. To 
begin with, we have a tremendous opportunity to do what no generation has done 
before, to tackle an issue greater than any other humankind has ever faced. 

In addition, we have the chance to revolutionize the global energy sector in the 
same way we did with communication and information technologies. Over the next 
decade we must lead the global energy revolution. It will not only address the 
critical issue of climate change, but it will result in the generation a fantastic amount of jobs and wealth in the emerging global 
alternative energy market.

We must transform the global energy systems from traditional fossil fuels to 
renewable forms of energy. If we fail to do so, we threaten serious harm to the 
Earth’s delicate climate and ecological systems, upon which all life depends.

The time has come to make a concerted effort toward reducing our dependence on 
foreign oil, which will have the dual benefit of freeing ourselves from the yoke 
of “petropolitics” and encouraging freedom and social justice in many oppressed 
countries of the world. If not for climate change, we have a responsibility to 
do this for our children and grandchildren.

“Keep them alive with thee,” Genesis 6:19. 

Although we may able to find the technologies to adapt to the increasingly 
dramatic climate changes, we will leave behind many of the species that share 
this Earth with us. These rapidly changing climate patterns are placing 
tremendous stress on our wildlife, marine life and biodiversity. We are changing the patterns established over thousands of 
years. In the past, species have been able to evolve, to adapt to gradual 
changes in their habitats and foods chains over long periods of time. 
Unfortunately, these things are changing much too rapidly for them to adapt and 
as a result we are now experiencing a rate of endangerment and extinction 
unmatched in our history. 

Addressing the climate crisis provides us with the unique opportunity to 
reassert our role as a world leader. We must join together to make a difference 
within our communities, local, state and national communities. And, we must join 
the rest of the world in meaningful dialogue. We must work in cooperation and 
trust with the international community, but more importantly, we must lead it. 

Throughout our history we have shown the world that there is no end to our 
commitment or the resources that we will bring to bear when confronted with a 
challenge that we believe is just. The 20th century has been called the “American Century,” but as we enter the 21st century, we can ill afford to 
rest. The need for our moral leadership in the world, especially on this issue, 
is greater now than ever before.

Through a combination of conservation, mitigation, innovation and adaptation we 
can take prompt actions that will help blunt the most harmful consequences of 
global warming. However, we must dedicate our resources toward projects to 
develop new, more powerful and dynamic energy technologies, projects on the 
scale of commitment that past generations undertook to harness the power of the 
atom, and to put men on the moon. Think about it, we went from having no space 
program to walking on the moon in less than 10 years! That is an example of what 
we are capable of when we are at our best. We need an Apollo Project for 
alternative energy. 

Each of us have gone through life making great efforts each day to minimize 
risks and to avoid dangers that are far less likely to have an impact on our 
children’s lives than is climate change. The alternative, to not take action, and to be remembered as the 
generations that made a conscious and selfish decision to leave the hard work 
and sacrifice to future generations, or worse yet, to remember ourselves as the 
first generations who chose not to do everything within our power to leave the 
world a better place for our children, unacceptable.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “There is an invisible book of life that 
faithfully records either our vigilance or neglect.” Each of us must challenge 
ourselves to err on the side of audacity, to confront the climate crisis with 
strength and commitment, so that our actions will forever by logged on the side 
of vigilance, and not that of neglect. 

I will continue to make my time available to anyone that is interested. Please 
feel free to pass my information along to any groups that you think might 
benefit from this discussion.

Once again, thank you for your time, and thank you for your interest in this 
important issue. 

Frank Parkinson  (734-678-7268) 
Volunteer for The Climate Project
www.theclimateproject.org
 

The_Not_So_Little_Book_of_More_Things_We_Can_Do.doc