Robin Bell

A Letter to my Grandson, Jude

by Robin Bell

Dear Jude,

Congratulations on your birth and welcome to this wonderful, strange and often confusing world! In my lifetime I have seen so much change but I can’t help but wonder what even more incredible volatility you will see during your lifetime—and what challenges you will face.

You have come into a world which is in crisis. It is my sincere hope that you and your generation have the courage and tenacity to face up to the terrible problems that previous generations, including mine, have forced upon you through our selfishness and thoughtlessness.

It is said that ignorance is no excuse, but in my defense I have to say that while I was growing up, my generation had very little idea of the threat that our exciting and ever-changing progress was posing to our very existence. It was a time of advances on all fronts—the horizons of our world were literally expanding faster than we could imagine, our opportunities grew from a simple letter to the next village to instant, visual communication to the other side of the world. Instead of the excitement of a simple bicycle trip, we became blasé about travelling faster than the speed of sound to another continent. Instead of simple home cooked meals with vegetables from our own gardens, we were tempted by the lure of fast foods. The tempo of our lives didn’t allow us time to appreciate the simple, basic things in life. We were the now generation, demanding instant gratification, regardless of the consequences.

But we didn’t realize the cost of our so-called progress.

Today, in mid-December, I can read that the temperature in the north of my new country, Sweden, is over ten degrees above freezing. That is more than double the average for this time of year. Yet outside my window, in the so-called temperate region of the country, the thermometer registers eighteen degrees below freezing and the forest is covered with thick frost. On the other side of the world you have been born in an Australia facing the worst drought ever experienced. The world is truly topsy-turvy.

Storms, drought, floods and hurricanes. Warnings of rising sea levels. The disappearance of native forests and countless animal species. The bad news comes with ever-increasing frequency. Now, after years of complacency, at last some of my generation are beginning to understand the untold damage we have caused to our home. Not only do we understand what has happened, but we are attempting to right the wrongs we have done.

But it is a truly daunting challenge. Sometimes the problems seem almost too complicated for an individual to grasp. Can it really make a difference what I do in my life? Will switching off one light when I leave a room stop that hurricane in the Atlantic? If I walk to the shops instead of taking the car, will you get rain in Australia?

No, of course these single, simple actions by themselves will not have a measurable effect on the big picture. Just as the action of a single bee will not save the hive which is under attack. But consider the effect of the combined, concerted actions of the whole hive population in response to a threat. Working together, each individual giving their own unique contribution, the colony can avert disaster.

It is just the same in our lives. On our own, a single electric light turned off is insignificant. But if we recognize that we have a collective responsibility to counter this threat to our very existence, then our combined efforts can make a difference. As individuals, we can make a difference to our world. The opportunities for change are almost as numerous as the challenges we face.

The air that I breathe is not just my air. The water that I need does not belong to just me. The actions that I take do not affect just me, but all life in my vicinity. I can choose to take actions that either destroy that life or help to maintain it. I can be selective in my shopping and choose products with non-polluting, or even better, no wasteful packaging. I can recycle my garbage and use the compost on my garden to grow wholesome, pesticide free produce. I can save energy by living in a house that is well-insulated and well maintained. I can even let the temperature inside sink by a degree or two and save energy by putting on warmer clothing.

I can utilize the natural, re-useable forces of nature such as sunlight, wind and water and still have a comfortable standard of living. I can be as self-sufficient as possible without compromising my comfort or being destructive. Although I am but one single person, I can make a difference to this world.

Your Mum and Dad have sent me your photo. It is on my desk in front of me as I write to you. It reminds me that you are so young and helpless, but I know that even so within you is the power to undo the wrongs that have gone before.

I pray that for your sake—and the sake of the world—you and your generation will grasp this opportunity before it is too late. Now you must go to sleep—you will need all your energy for the battle that is to come.

God bless you, Jude.