What a Writer Can do for International Earth Day
Or…here’s your assignment from The Dragon
International Earth Day is celebrated on the March (or Vernal) equinox, which is March 20-21 this year. On this day, the United Nations performs its useful function of the year by ringing a “peace bell” three times and sitting quietly for a minute. I’m sure people around the globe do nice things, also.
Here’s what I’d like to do. I’d like to take a short break from proofing the galleys for Choices Meant for Gods to get writers to do what they do best and do it for the creatures on our planet who can’t write. I encourage you to write a letter on behalf of the animals. (Come on, it’s a blog devoted to writing.) Here are the topics I’ve selected for you to choose from, but you’re certainly welcome to choose one that’s nearer and dearer to your heart.
1) Stop illegal poaching/collection (emphasis on sea turtles such as the Hawksbill would be nice, but don’t forget the tigers, elephants, parrots, etc. overseas)
2) Clean up pollution of our waterways and oceans (emphasis on trash killing marine life)
3) Stop global warming (emphasis on sea turtle nest site loss and bleaching of coral reefs)
4) End the Canadian harp seal hunt (which is under way—in other words, while you’re sitting here debating whether or not it’s convenient to write a letter expressing your opinion to someone, like Canadian Prime Minister Harper, baby seals are being beat in the head by ruthless men who feel the need to support their families by killing two-week-old animals—and this year, the Canadian government is suppressing documentation of the hunt (gee, why can’t we see the hunting practices if there’s nothing wrong with it?) by keeping anyone with a videocamera from coming within 20 meters of a seal—but, by all means, let the guy with a club or gun walk right up to the bleating creature)
I was born the year these Earth Days started, and I think that’s pretty cool. I feel a deep responsibility to conserve and protect. That includes the pookie turtles and the earth holding us. So I encourage all you visitors to The Dragon to write on this International Earth Day and do your part to help protect as well.
Now, to take away excuses:
If you feel that you can’t get a letter completed in the next few days for International Earth Day March 20, well, never fear. Start working on your letter now; do your research; send me a note so I can help you if you wish (remember, I’m an editor!); and use the U.S. celebration of Earth Day April 22 as your deadline.
Next: Here are some sites to use to find your representatives’ addresses. Printing the letter and mailing it is more effective than e-mail. Kinda like sending a Hallmark card—it says you really care.
This first site will give you windows to cut and paste your letter into for e-mailing. Again, I don’t like that concept, but it’s one option for the ultra-busy environmentalist out there.
http://www.house.gov/writerep/
Here’s a site that will help you draft a concise, coherent letter with proper formatting of the salutation and everything:
http://usgovinfo.about.com/library/weekly/aa020199.htm
The site also gives links for the physical addresses for your reps, and THAT’s a good thing.
You could also get some information/begin research on the seal hunt travesty at:
http://www.stopthesealhunt.com/site/apps/ka/ct/contactcustom.asp?c=hmKYJeNVJtF&b=412891
I don’t recommend merely “signing” the internet petition, though, as I’ve had a representative in the United States share with me what happens to such mindless pieces of mail. But you could begin your education/research with the points in this petition and draft a letter of your own for Prime Minister Harper. Keeping in mind that Canadian government officials probably don’t give a rat’s behind what mere little Americans think of their slaughter practices, my letter last year commended his countrymen on providing us south of the border with plenty of fur coats to promote Capitalism and the North American Free Trade Agreement. I made sure the letter drove home the point that his country’s support of such ideologies brought him and his people that much closer to our ideologies and congratulated him on the steps toward that enlightenment. I’m sure the letter was burned, but it sure felt good to write.
This should get you started, shouldn’t it?
Save the Earth—it’s the only planet with chocolate!
“Some days, I want all the dragons to win.”
Tags: Earth Day, International Earth Day, Choices Meant for Gods, writing, sea turtles, harp seal, dragon
Or…here’s your assignment from The Dragon
International Earth Day is celebrated on the March (or Vernal) equinox, which is March 20-21 this year. On this day, the United Nations performs its useful function of the year by ringing a “peace bell” three times and sitting quietly for a minute. I’m sure people around the globe do nice things, also.
Here’s what I’d like to do. I’d like to take a short break from proofing the galleys for Choices Meant for Gods to get writers to do what they do best and do it for the creatures on our planet who can’t write. I encourage you to write a letter on behalf of the animals. (Come on, it’s a blog devoted to writing.) Here are the topics I’ve selected for you to choose from, but you’re certainly welcome to choose one that’s nearer and dearer to your heart.
1) Stop illegal poaching/collection (emphasis on sea turtles such as the Hawksbill would be nice, but don’t forget the tigers, elephants, parrots, etc. overseas)
2) Clean up pollution of our waterways and oceans (emphasis on trash killing marine life)
3) Stop global warming (emphasis on sea turtle nest site loss and bleaching of coral reefs)
4) End the Canadian harp seal hunt (which is under way—in other words, while you’re sitting here debating whether or not it’s convenient to write a letter expressing your opinion to someone, like Canadian Prime Minister Harper, baby seals are being beat in the head by ruthless men who feel the need to support their families by killing two-week-old animals—and this year, the Canadian government is suppressing documentation of the hunt (gee, why can’t we see the hunting practices if there’s nothing wrong with it?) by keeping anyone with a videocamera from coming within 20 meters of a seal—but, by all means, let the guy with a club or gun walk right up to the bleating creature)
I was born the year these Earth Days started, and I think that’s pretty cool. I feel a deep responsibility to conserve and protect. That includes the pookie turtles and the earth holding us. So I encourage all you visitors to The Dragon to write on this International Earth Day and do your part to help protect as well.
Now, to take away excuses:
If you feel that you can’t get a letter completed in the next few days for International Earth Day March 20, well, never fear. Start working on your letter now; do your research; send me a note so I can help you if you wish (remember, I’m an editor!); and use the U.S. celebration of Earth Day April 22 as your deadline.
Next: Here are some sites to use to find your representatives’ addresses. Printing the letter and mailing it is more effective than e-mail. Kinda like sending a Hallmark card—it says you really care.
This first site will give you windows to cut and paste your letter into for e-mailing. Again, I don’t like that concept, but it’s one option for the ultra-busy environmentalist out there.
http://www.house.gov/writerep/
Here’s a site that will help you draft a concise, coherent letter with proper formatting of the salutation and everything:
http://usgovinfo.about.com/library/weekly/aa020199.htm
The site also gives links for the physical addresses for your reps, and THAT’s a good thing.
You could also get some information/begin research on the seal hunt travesty at:
http://www.stopthesealhunt.com/site/apps/ka/ct/contactcustom.asp?c=hmKYJeNVJtF&b=412891
I don’t recommend merely “signing” the internet petition, though, as I’ve had a representative in the United States share with me what happens to such mindless pieces of mail. But you could begin your education/research with the points in this petition and draft a letter of your own for Prime Minister Harper. Keeping in mind that Canadian government officials probably don’t give a rat’s behind what mere little Americans think of their slaughter practices, my letter last year commended his countrymen on providing us south of the border with plenty of fur coats to promote Capitalism and the North American Free Trade Agreement. I made sure the letter drove home the point that his country’s support of such ideologies brought him and his people that much closer to our ideologies and congratulated him on the steps toward that enlightenment. I’m sure the letter was burned, but it sure felt good to write.
This should get you started, shouldn’t it?
Save the Earth—it’s the only planet with chocolate!
“Some days, I want all the dragons to win.”
Tags: Earth Day, International Earth Day, Choices Meant for Gods, writing, sea turtles, harp seal, dragon
Labels: Choices Meant for Gods, Earth Day, writing tips
posted by Sandy Lender | 8:26 AM
1 Comments:
Hi Sandy - I found your blog because of your insightful comments about the atrocities of the seal hunt. I wanted to invite you and your readers to visit the new IFAW website which is aimed specifically at ending the seal hunt; it's at www.StopTheSealHunt.com. Visitors to the website can take action by sending emails to Stephen Harper and ambassador to the US, Michael Wilson. You're also welcome to download some banners, video clips, etc. Oh, there's a blog as well -- I hope you'll stop by and say hello :)
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