I do believe that the collective power of everyone’s best efforts can curb the worst effects of climate change, and provide you with a more stable and secure future.

You are young and have a rich future ahead of you. I am retired and aiming for a high quality of cultural life and comfort with whatever time remains to me. I do not want to see a world whose elders sacrifice your future for their short-term needs and personal gain. So it’s up to you and me to speak out.

Saiba que enquanto eu tiver vida, minha voz não calará para alertar o mal que estamos fazendo agora para as nossas gerações futuras…

Tonight at bedtime, you asked, seemingly out of nowhere, “why are the glaciers disappearing?”

I vow that I will try to make a difference every day, so that you may enjoy the world as I have.

We only have 11 years left until the damage done by climate change is irreversible.

I know that the 2019 version of me (today that is) wished and hoped for that I did all within my power to turn the world around without loosing sight on the beauty of being alive.

To think that my choices of sustainable commuting, eating a plant based diet, and working on our City’s zero waste program likely pale in comparison to the impact of not having a baby is nothing short of devastating.  Does it make me a bad environmentalist to honor my maternal instincts?

Creo que debo hacer más. Por ello, he decidido escribir esta breve carta para empezar un proceso en el que vaya escribiendo más cartas, conforme vaya teniendo más claridad de mis posibles contribuciones.

You are so small. So innocent. So beautiful. For you and for everyone else, I will try harder.

Maya, my love, I promise to be courageous. I promise that when I face a decision, I will think of how it will impact you and your future. I promise that I’ll also step outside my individual decisions and add my weight to the forces that shift culture and systems.

So today, my strong and spunky girl, I promise you this: I will stay vigilant and flexible. I will spread the word.