Dear John,

We set this site up to send encouragement to support you to go to Copenhagen.

It seemed to have some success... so we are encouraged to keep it going.

We want to support you to be a brave courageous and honorable leader, and there are some new policies on the table that threaten your reputation as a good leader.

We want to support you to work hard to protect the things that we hold dear, to guarantee 'thriveability' for all New Zealanders - today and in the future.

We have great hopes for you as a leader, and now is your chance to shine. There's a special role for you in the Big Work of our time. We know that it's hard work, but we are confident that you are up to it. Go on John, make us proud.

We stand behind you.
With love,
Us

Would you like to send John Key (New Zealand's Prime Minister) a love letter too? You can share a letter with John on this website by clicking here www.dearjohn.org.nz/submit You can upload pics as well! Invite your friends to write a letter too. Copies of all these letters will also be given directly to John Key.

Saturday, December 19 2009

Dear John,

My father showed me the article in the newspaper saying that agriculture and the smokestack sector would be shielded from paying for climate change. He simply nodded his head at the statement that you pledged only a 10-20% emissions cut by 2020 and said that “Oh well, New Zealand is such a small country it can’t afford to do what the bigger countries will - pledge an ambitious target and then do nothing.” His final comment was the most chilling of all: “You might as well get ready for global warming.”

I was ten days too young to vote at the last New Zealand election and I’m angry that I feel I can do nothing to help with what is going on at Copenhagen, that I can do nothing to change what is the most pressing issue in our world today.

I don’t want to grow up to become cynical of politicians, cynical of democracy and cynical of the system I live in. More importantly, WE don’t want to grow up to live in a world devastated by climate change. Please, prove my father wrong.

Yours faithfully,

Alec Dawson