Many parents are well aware of who Raffi is. This highly entertaining children’s performer is much more than just that; he is an icon. Born in Cairo, Egypt, Raffi, also known by his full name, Raffi Cavoukian, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, author, public speaker, and founder of the Centre for Child Honouring. You may remember some of his best-loved children’s classics, such as “Baby Beluga” and “Down by the Bay.” My five-year-old and I listen to Raffi regularly and love his folksy music and sweet lyrics.

More recently, Raffi has begun to really address important social issues in his work, particularly the environment. As he travels and performs, he also gives environmental talks at schools and other gatherings of young people. In his speeches and impassioned essays, he has turned out to be quite the eloquent voice for Mother Earth. Here is a snippet from one of his recent works, an essay for his organization, Child Honouring:

“Are we tweeting while Earth burns? Is climate collapse our new collective Titanic? How do we best describe the survival struggle of 7 billion in a way that connects with the public and with decision makers? The science on global warming is clear and compelling ... To convey the climate threat fully, we need a new Story.”

Tweeting while Earth burns… That is exactly what we are doing. Is it really so difficult to see?

Be sure to click the link to watch the video.

Raffi and Jack Johnson seem to be standing out among the rest of the world’s musical performers as voices of reason, insisting that we take better care of our planet, our home, through both their music as well as their lifestyles. Plenty of other celebrities may voice opposition to, say, deforestation or whaling, or be strategically photographed with their bicycles or reusable bottles of water while out and about, but none really portray their character each and every day through both word and deed like this.

I recently read that over 80% of citizens in Britain know climate change to be a real thing, a real threat that we face, while in the United States we’ll still hem hawing over the science mixed with our weird religious attachments. And when things get to the real boiling point, it will be way too late for us to save our way of life for our grandchildren. This world will likely survive us, certainly; but at the rate we are going, we will not survive it.

I hope people will take Raffi’s message to heart.