Dear Dave…

After the excitement of My Make Do and Mend Year’s first ever giveaway, and announcing the Winners and their wonderful messages, I thought it was only fair that I share with you MY Message in a Bottle.

I decided to cut out the middle man of my MP, and go straight to the top. I decided to write the Rt. Hon Mr D.Cameron PM, and will send it in my very own personalised Ecover bottle!

I am under no illusions that the Big Cheese himself will actually read the letter. No doubt it will be read by one of his many minions helpers, who will then cut and paste some government eco-babble, and quote several long winded documents and policies that prove what a wonderful job this government is doing for the environment.
Just a quick note to say I feel a bit like I am government bashing at the moment, and I not really a very political person. I don’t really care whether the current government is a Coalition/Conservative/Labour/Lib Dem (they all seem much of a muchness these days anyway, as they are all so scared to actually make any big decisions) I just care whether they are not they have the balls to make a stand and do the right thing as far as the future of our planet is concerned. Here endeth my non-party political broadcast…

And here beginneth my rant message:

Dear Mr Cameron

 I am writing to you to express my heartfelt concerns about our planet and the environment and the way your government deals with environmental issues.

 I am scared Mr Cameron. Very very scared.

I am not an environmental scientist, but anyone can see that our planet is at a tipping point. Climate change is a reality. It is happening. We cannot stop it. BUT we can take action to slow it down and to minimise the impact it will have on our lives and on those of our children.

 As I have said, I am not an environmental scientist, but I am a mother, and I don’t want my children to turn around to me in 30, or 40, or 50 years time, and ask me why our generation didn’t see it coming.

 My children, all our children, are going to be looking to us when they are grown, and asking us this, and other very difficult questions about the legacy we have left them.

 As a family, we are trying to do everything that we can.
But we are just one family.
The changes I make as an individual, and that we make as a family, will not be enough. I can shout about it and try and educate others to do the same thing, and if everyone did, then it could have an impact.
But climate change is a HUGE all-encompassing issue, and it needs each and every one of us to be doing everything that we can. Individuals, businesses, councils, and governments.

 There aren’t many people, who as individuals have the power to make decisions and make things happen that can actually have an impact on these issues.
You are one of those people. 

YOU as the Prime-Minister of this country, have the power to make a real difference.

 What will you say to your children when they ask you in 30 years time what you did about climate change?

“Why you didn’t do more to stop it, when you were PM?

Why you didn’t invest more heavily in renewable energy?

Why you supported fracking?

Why didn’t you take the very easy step of placing a levy on plastic bags? One very simple, very easy step, that could have had a BIG effect.

Why didn’t you champion a Green Economy?

Why did the UK government vote against the restrictions on the use of neonicotinoids that could be killing our bees?

Why did you allow your Education Secretary to cut Climate Change from the curriculum. Did you not think we deserved to know what you were doing to OUR planet?”

“Why could you not see that Climate Change was THE most important issue of your time in government? “

 “Why Dad, when you were PM, did you not do more to save the world?”

 Every child thinks their father is a super-hero.

 You actually could be.

 The UK should be at the forefront of a charge to save the planet and slow down climate change.
We should be thinking big, and aiming to be the first zero-waste country, the first carbon neutral country.

 You could make this happen.

 Stand up and be counted Mr Cameron. you have an amazing opportunity here to really make decisions that matter. To make decisions that, without wanting to sound melodramatic, could actually save the world.

 YOU ACTUALLY COULD BE THE CHANGE.

 Yours sincerely

 Jen Gale
My Make Do and Mend Year
www.mymakedoandmendyear.wordpress.com

PS. You may be wondering why this letter arrived in a bottle of Ecover washing up liquid.
It is a Message in a Bottle. My message to you, containted within the bottle, AND Ecover’s very own Message in a Bottle about closing the loop on plastics recycling.

It’s a bit long I know. But what do you think? Am I going to be invited up to No. 10 for tea and cake anytime soon..?!