The Society of Fearless Grandmothers Santa Barbara had planned to take climate emergency demonstrations to the streets on Earth Day 2020. But, when quarantine restrictions prevented gathering in public, the grandmothers group hatched another plan involving their children and grandchildren.

What seemed like a setback turned into an opportunity for multigenerational creativity. Family members were asked to take part in an art project, with each person creating a letter of the alphabet. The letters were assembled into messages for the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors and Gov. Gavin Newsom.

The Society of Fearless Grandmothers believes our planet’s climate emergency presents a serious threat to the safety and security of future generations.

To protect the future for our children and grandchildren, community members must act locally to stop proposed new fossil fuel projects, including the hundreds of proposed wells in Cat Canyon, trucking proposals and restarting of offshore oil-drilling platforms.

The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors will be considering applications for fossil fuel-project permits in 2020. The Society of Fearless Grandmothers is sending a clear, strong message that to be consistent with their declaration of a Climate Emergency (Dec. 10, 2019 Resolution), the supervisors must reject current and future proposals for new fossil fuel development in Santa Barbara County.

Although Newsom has stated his opposition to fracking, CalGEM regulators recently approved 24 new fracking projects in Kern County.

Three generations are sending messages to the supervisors and the governor that the current climate emergency requires immediate action to declare a moratorium on all new fossil fuel development in the state and county. We have less than 10 years to take dramatic steps to “bend the curve” on climate change if future generations are to inherit a liveable planet.