To my future children,

I don’t even know how to begin this letter without thinking about how we let it get this bad in the first place. It’s fall right now and Chicago is beautiful this time of year. I’m looking out at trees turning vibrant colors of red, orange, and yellow. Do you still have trees? Or, even seasons for that matter? I wonder about these things the more I hear about the consequences of our destructive actions towards our precious Earth.

2017 was a devastating year for our planet, children. Between massive hurricanes and earthquakes these unnatural weather patterns are destroying entire countries, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t scared. This was the year of enlightenment for many people who began realizing that it may already be too late to reverse the damage that is already done. However, our politicians are the ones who hold real power to make these changes, but refuse to believe climate change even exists.

I hope when you grow up things like islands and mountains still exist. The world is such a beautiful place and it scares me to think magnificent things like the rainforest may end up being just a thing you learn about your textbooks because they are simply gone. I also hope by then people have stopped laughing when you bring up recycling or global warming, or else the planet had probably already filled with trash and the last glaciers have melted. Do you even know what a glacier is, or is it some chapter you skim over in your biology book because it doesn’t pertain to your life anymore? Hopefully by the time you’re around I have finally convinced your grandparents that global warming is real. I am no saint by any means, I’m a consumer like the rest of the world but I am trying to change my life for you.

My future children, you deserve to see the world in all its glory but this is the last stretch. Our generation needs to be the one to turn back this devastation because we are truly running out of time. I promise that I will make our environment a top priority from now on by spreading awareness and voting for the people who care about promoting sustainability and economic growth without sacrificing the environment. I know that our planet cannot handle many more years like 2017.

P.S. – To future me: It seems impossible right now, but keep fighting.

With love,

Kat