To the future generations-

This is a beautiful planet that we live on. It is such a wonderful place to call home. Although I grew up in boring, flat Illinois, I still loved that place and found it to be a wonderful place. I loved experiencing all of the seasons – hot summers, windy and cool autumns, snowy winters, and rainy yet mild springs. I loved traveling and being out in nature. It is humbling to be surrounded by natural landforms. From rock climbing mountains in Colorado, to swimming in the oceans of Florida, to sledding down hills at home, it was fun to experience the outdoors.

Climate change is an issue that I hold very close to my heart. It is a very important issue that I want all of my loved ones to address right now so you all can experience the planet the way we did. I became a vegan at age 18 to help not only myself and my health, but the animals on our planet, and our environment. I have always urged my friends to be conscious about their decisions in regards to our planet. I think that climate change is a real problem that needs to be taken care of – fast. It saddens me to know there is a man in office that does not believe climate change is real – it is devastating to see how global warming and our greedy decisions are harming people. I have always found it important to step in when the earth needs help, cleaning it up after myself, paying a carbon tax to offset my carbon footprint, and exploring sustainable purchases whether it is in regard to clothing, food, etc.

I hope you are able to see the world in which we did, and not in distress. There are so many debates and fights about the reality of climate change, causing tension between the people of our world. I want you to experience a world that is sustainable, thriving, and quite frankly, doing better than we are now. It is worrisome to see how much this planet has declined since I have grown up, and I want that to be reversed as soon as possible so that you are able to grow up in a world where Earth’s ecosystems are thriving. I want people to keep sustainability close to them, and understand that we cannot demand too much of our planet. I want us to reach a balance in which we can use Earth’s resources, but also give back.

I promise to continue leading a sustainable life, and improve my life choices as much as possible in regards to this planet. I promise to educate those around me about climate change and the realities that are soon to come, and the ones that are already here. I promise to fight back against those who destroy our earth and continue to believe that climate change is inevitable and cannot be reversed. I promise to do everything I can to leave this world in better condition than we left it.