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Dear Van

calamityschild's picture

Mr. Jones,

Recently, I read your article, "Greening the Ghetto." I'd like to thank you for bringing together the notions of environmentalism and poverty. From personal experience, I know that being poor is a hard life to have in the first place, but that environmental crises are only going to exacerbate the problem for the great number of impoverished people in the world. I liked what you had to say about using the environmental movement to add jobs, and to direct those employment prospects where they're needed most. 

Mr. Jones, I don't have a real home. I don't really stay in one place much. See--I've been travelling, and doing activism on behalf of the planet and my friends, who are also activists with me. We've been organizing demonstrations against corporations that manufacture genetically modified strains of crops. We've targeted businesses that control the agricultural markets and people that have been instrumental in the promotion of GMO foods. Recently, we've taken action against the NuLife potatoes that have been introduced to farmers. Screw those. But, honestly, I'm getting more and more frustrated with it. When I read about the work you've beeing doing with the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, and I've been thinking: maybe this is the work I want to do from now on. I'm tired of travelling and having to struggle to get by. I want a more or less permanent home, and I want to work more closely with communities.

I was so inspired by your story about the interactions you've had with students and politicians. I totally believe you. I believe that economic and environmental issues can be resolved with the same actions, and I want to be a part of your next move. So Mr. Jones, my question for you is, are there any openings for me in Green for All? I can't think of a cause I identify with and want to be a part of. I want to help build a coalition to work with Washington and with impoverised areas to create economic opportunities. I don't think that being poor should prevent a person from taking part in the movement to save the earth. I've done a lot of working in engineering and inventing, too. I could even work on technologies to improve affordability and efficiency so that people of lower-incomes can green their homes, too. I want to come up with community solutions that make ecological and economic sense. I just need help moving on to the next stage of my career, and I think you're the man to help me.

I hope to hear back from you in the future.

Sincerely,

Geek