Dear son/daughter,

I’ve been passionate about climate change ever since my own mother started buying us the National Geographic magazine and made us read through it. At first I wasn’t into it at all but by the time I turned 14 I was an avid reader. I used to watch the NG channel as well and read as much about climate change as I could get my hands on. The things I was reading about were terrifying. It seemed to me back then that if we don’t do something NOW , the world as we know it will come to an end by the year 2030. 10 years have passed now and the world doesn’t seem to be coming to an end, and not much has changed except maybe that there is no more snow on Christmas. Science suggests Europe will get colder so maybe the days of snowy winters are actually coming back.

Anyhow, I’ve tried my best to reduce my carbon footprint and emit as little carbon dioxide as possible. I recycle ever since I was 15, I don’t have a car and drive one maybe once a year, I use bicycles as a mean of transport or public transportation (I don’t currently have a bike but it is a priority), I am a vegetarian since 6 years now, I stay informed on the topic and follow the news regarding developments towards renewable energies.

Fighting climate change is my passion and I hope to turn it into a full time job. I hope I won’t disappoint you or my future self. I am sorry for the mess we’ve caused! People today don’t take this very seriously. They’re like yeah climate change sucks but I’ll just have my burger and drive my car around and leave the lights on and laugh at anybody doing an effort and hope for the best. This makes me so sad and outraged sometimes, it’s hard to even describe it. Especially when it comes from people that are close to me.

Because, you see, we can all make a tiny change that will together have a great impact. I just know it! And we just sink in our routines and problems and ignore the big picture. I once lived in India to get the big picture perspective. I should do this more often. Whenever I get caught up with problems that get solved in a day or a couple of days even. Keep in mind how much more other things matter.

I hope you are better and wiser than me, than us all living today really. And I especially hope you exist. Because the way things are now, it seems quite selfish bringing children into this world, when we are on the brick of destroying it.

Love,
Ioana