IT’S THE MONTH FOR OPENING OUR HEARTS!
Call me a Valentine’s Day skeptic. Is it just a ploy to sell me some stuff? Just the day I can make up for the 364 when I didn’t say I care? Maybe. But this month I’m taking a new look at it, and It occurs to me that Valentine’s Day is, rightly, the day to celebrate love and commitment in
all
their forms.

Agree? If so, please write to us, post on social media, send us your photos and your donations! Pour out your hearts for what you love, what you have committed to: our planet, the living beings we share it with, the moments of beauty you find in each day, and
especially
for the other great hearts who will never stop until we have protected all that we love from the climate crisis.
For the grandchildren, future generations and all life,
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Nadine,
ECA Communications Committee Member
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My love letter to my friends and fellow warriors at Elders Climate Action, by an ECA member
"How could I not love you? You give so generously of your precious time and energy. Every day you seek the best strategies, the right messages to reach all of us… elders, seniors, boomers, grandparents… and bring us together.
You have given us a vision of the power we have, if we act together, by voting (we cast nearly 70 million votes in 2018), by marching (we account for over 180 million feet), and by deploying our trillions of dollars
to end the age of fossil fuel destruction.
. You have articulated our duty to work beside the younger generations in their effort to build a sustainable future. You… no, we… together because of you, are the vehicle through which our hopes become commitments, our commitments become action. I never feel alone with my climate worries and grief because I can join an ECA call or catch your latest social media posts or make use of the valuable resources on your website. You’ve committed to my grandchildren’s future, and I’m committed to rise with you."
~ With love, Nadine, (PA)
(photo of Nadine and
granddaughter)
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"I đź’š being involved in ECA because it feels so good to be inspired by others of my generation and to get ideas and insights that I can build on in my work for life on the planet.
~Katherine (CA)
"I
đź’š
ECA because it’s leadership endured the difficulties associated with an all volunteer startup and is finally seeing the fruits of its persistence."
~ David (DC)
“I 💚 being involved in ECA because I love my children, grandchildren, community and planet, and want to protect them."
~Bill (CA)
We 💚 ECA because it gives a voice to us, the Elders! It provides a forum so that we can use our life experience and wisdom gained over the years to address the global climate crisis.Thank you ECA!”
~Shirley & Bill (CA)
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“I 💚 being part of ECA because not only is it a great resource for climate news, it connects me with like minded individuals and makes me feel like I'm not alone in my concern for this crisis.”
~ Rose (MA)
“I 💚 the posts on the Elders Climate Action FaceBook page and share many of them with members of our Florence Climate Emergency Campaign in Oregon
.
~Michael (OR)
“I 💚 being involved in ECA because I feel like I'm doing something meaningful for my grandchildren's grandchildren.”
~Sue (FL)
"I đź’š being involved in ECA because standing shoulder to shoulder with like-minded seniors who care deeply about preserving life and a future for our grandchildren enables me to have hope and sustains my belief that action can have significant and critical impact!
"
~
Maxine (FL)
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Thank You Jane Fonda!!!
ECA Maryland/DMV Chapter Members presented Jane Fonda with a Certificate of Appreciation for her work amplifying the climate emergency through Fire Drill Fridays.
Fire Drill Fridays will continue nationally in 2020.
Learn more.
Photo:
Jane Fonda (center) with ECA Members Sylvia and Leslie.
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Tell us what you have been doing for climate action. Send a 150 word (max) summary of what you've been doing and we'll share it in a future newsletter. Send to
info@eldersclimateaction.org
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Celebrate a Green Valentines Day
Do you enjoy celebrating Valentine’s Day as a way to show your love for special people in your life? Here are some tips on ways to do that while keeping a lower carbon footprint.
- Instead of buying cut flowers flown in to your town, buy an herb or flowering bulbs that can then be planted outside.
- Plant a bare roots tree with your loved ones.
- If you buy chocolates, make sure they are Fair Trade.
- Write a Letter to a Loved One to a younger person you love.
- Give a gift of carbon offsets you can purchase at places like CoolEffect.org.
- Make a donation to ECA or another climate action group in honor of your loved ones.
- Make your own cards out of old calendars, recycled papers, and mail-order catalogues.
- Wrap gifts in reusable materials.
- If you go out to eat, bring your own reusable containers for leftovers
- Attend a climate strike with your family or loved one
- Check out more ways to take action in your personal life here
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Questions for Candidates
- Please tell me what you would do to combat climate change?
- If elected will you push to rejoin the 2017 Paris Climate Agreement?

- What have you done to promote legislation on climate change?
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Voting Tips
- ECA is non partisan and we will never tell you how to vote or who to vote for.
- Register to vote and register before the deadline in your state. Check your Supervisor of Elections or Secretary of State. Check this link for your state, How to Register to Vote | USAGov, Register to Vote | 2019 Elections‎ or Online Voter Registration | Single Process with One Form.
- If you have already registered you can get dates for Primaries, Run-Offs and the General Election, Register to Vote | 2019 Elections‎
- If you are registered and would like reminders and pledge to vote for the environment, Elders Vote for the Climate
- Absentee and mail in ballots are an option in 38 states
- Need a ride to the polls, check League of Women Voters, Uber, Lyft and other transportation services. Some offer free rides to the polls
- Read the ballot carefully
- Do you need special assistance, the Voting Rights Act and the Americans With Disabilities Act provides for a person of your choice to give assistance for people with disabilities when voting
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Climate change is scary. Talking about it productively doesn't have to be
.
Convincing someone to adopt your values and worldview is basically impossible. Instead, look for places where your values are already aligned
by Karin Kirk in the USA Today (January 24, 2019)
Read the full article here.
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Climate Reality Leadership Corps
Upcoming Trainings
Train with former Vice President Al Gore as a Climate Reality Leader and learn how you can inspire action for climate solutions in your community and beyond
Las Vegas, Nevada: March 8-10, 2020.
Apply for the Las Vegas training
,
San Antonio: April 14-16, 2020, Raleigh, North Carolina: June 29-July 1, 2020, Detroit, Michigan: August 11-13, 2020, Orlando, Florida – September 3 - 4, 2020
The training is
free
, you must provide your own lodging and transportation.
Learn more
.
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Have you shared your story with the ones you love expressing why you care about climate action?
Elders Climate Action and DearTomorrow have partnered together to collect your climate stories for the
Letters to Loved Ones in 2050 project
. This is an opportunity to take a moment and write a letter to your loved one, grandchildren or great grandchildren and let them know what you did when you realized the significance of climate change.
Write and share your letter today. S
trengthen elders voices through the sharing of our own stories, inspire others to get more engaged on climate change, and help build our network. Letters are shared through various methods including social
media and through exhibitions. DearTomorrow is also working to create a long-term archive to preserve this important period of time for future generations.
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dear llewyn,
beloved grandson…
(Excerpt from ECA member Kurt's letter to his grandson)

"
I am so very sorry that the legacy that has been left to you is an Eaarth that has been so deeply damaged, whose social systems are in such chaos, whose economics is so tangled and inequitable, and where strife and conflict are rampant. I can only say that I devoted myself to doing as much as I could to make it better, to provide for a just transition, and to fight those forces that continued to exploit the Eaarth with extractive methods, methods that always also included oppressing some people–because those doing the oppression believed that they were better and deserved more.
You are very dear to me and from the moment you were born, I knew that as your Gumpa (grandfather) I had a special relationship with you that was separate from your mother and your father. I felt myself reaching over them, the very minute you were born, to you … connecting to you with a bond of love and commitment. It was a profound experience that has been a guiding light for me in many ways–ways that allowed me to be more courageous in fighting for what is healthy, beautiful, and for what holds the Eaarth and all its living forms and gorgeously intricate ecosystems with respect and love
."
Your loving Gumpa (Kurt)
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Elders Promote the Vote
Elders Climate Action is committed to increasing the power of pro-climate, pro-environment voters in the 2020 election and all future elections. That is why ECA has formed
Elders Promote the Vote,
a partnership with the Environmental Voter Project - to contact millions of these pro-environment voters with a clear get-out-the-vote message.
Join us and get started
-- (anonymously)
text voters from home!
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ECA National Call
4th Tuesday of Each Month
February 25
7:00 PM (ET) | 4:00 PM (PT)
There’s Something Funny About Climate Change
with
Peterson Toscano
Comedian, Storyteller, and Climate Action Figure, Peterson Toscano will lead a lively discussion about the roles storytelling and comedy can play in our climate work.
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Join Us for Climate Tea & Talk
Join us for monthly casual climate conversations and talk with other Elders about the climate issues, solutions and strategies that matter most to you.
Second Tuesday of Each Month
6:00 PM (ET) | 3:00 PM (PT)
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Join Us for an ECA 101 for New Members Call
Join our monthly call to learn more about the mission, vision and action opportunities at Elders Climate Action.
Fourth Wednesday of Each Month
5:00 PM (ET) | 2:00 PM (PT)
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