Dear Future Me,

I am writing this letter to hold myself accountable for my actions regarding our planet and the climate crisis. Climate change is the most pressing issue in our world today simply because it is about our world, our home. If we don’t step up and start holding large corporations and the government accountable, we will not save our planet.

It is also important to recognize what you can do to change/alter your lifestyle to benefit the planet. I have recently become more aware of all the different ways I can help save the planet. I have grown up in a family that recycles and composts, but as I meet new people, I have noticed that they don’t all do the same things. I have recently shared my knowledge with them to increase the number of people that are limiting what is thrown into landfills. I have shared with them what you can and can’t recycle and compost and explained the environmental benefits of both actions. I have also purchased a set of reusable bamboo utensils to keep in my backpack for whenever I am eating in a place with plastic utensils. I have focused on thrifting clothes, buying things second-hand, upcycling, and buying more sustainable options. I have tried to limit the things I purchase online and have tried to support more local businesses. These actions can require more work and be more time-consuming, but in my opinion, they are very worth it.

I will always put Earth first because it is my home. The planet is beautiful, and we need to keep it around. I want to have the opportunity to read this letter. I want to share it with future generations. I don’t want to ruin the world and reach a point of no return. We need to value our earth and show appreciation. I am writing this on April 17th, 2021; next Thursday, the 22nd, is Earth Day. Every day should be Earth Day. We need to appreciate our home more frequently than we do.

During the fall of 2020, I drove across the country to live with my aunt in Tucson, AZ. During this moment, I realized how truly diverse our world is. I was in awe with all of the beauty and diversity that surrounded me as I drove by. Before this journey, I cared about the earth and climate change and took actions to help the planet, but my passion only grew after I traveled across the country. I decided that encouraging myself to act positively wasn’t enough; I needed to encourage others. I needed to help more people recognize the beauty of our world and the reasons we need to cherish it.

This letter is holding me accountable for that. Holding me accountable to encourage others to make small lifestyle changes that have massive impacts. I can’t stress this enough- the earth is our home; we cannot destroy it.