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Shelby Jacobson
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Dear Tomorrow,

I write from a friend’s house in Lehigh Acres, Florida, with Hurricane Irma, the strongest storm ever produced by the Atlantic, swirling around me. They so generously offered us shelter in their home, as ours could very well be underwater once the storm surge hits. Barely two weeks ago, Hurricane Harvey ravaged Texas, with stories and photographs coming from Houston and the surrounding areas making headlines across the globe. Behind Harvey and Irma come Jose in the Atlantic and Katia in the Gulf of Mexico.

Even more shocking than the quantity of hurricanes is their sheer, specifically those of Harvey and Irma. This is not normal. It is, however, a symptom of a sick planet, of climate change caused not by our planet’s natural cycles, but by humans who, for centuries, have been more concerned with splendor than sustainability. Humans that put convenience over conservation, and profit over people.

We’ve gotten better over time, as more and more begin to recognize how our actions have negatively affected the planet, we’ve developed new technologies and new methods through which to save our home. However, none of this matters if we can’t inspire a passion for Earth and in future generations. If we don’t do that, we have failed, regardless of any tangible progress we make towards a healthier home.

So, Tomorrow, I promise to do everything in my power to inspire you, to lead you, and to leave you an Earth that is healthier than it was when I first came into it. To paraphrase Terry Tempest Williams, what matters most is not what you’re willing to die for, but what you’re willing to live for. I am willing to live for the betterment of the planet I love so dearly, and I hope my life implores you to do the same.

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More Messages to the Future

 

Queridos amigos sobrevivientes.

Quiero pensar que ustedes serán la diferencia, que tomaran más actos sobre el asunto y no dejaran que nada los detenga.

 

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I am often faced with the question: why do I care so much about this pale blue dot that we inhabit?

 

Dearest Gray,

When I asked you why the purple Violet called to you, you told me it was “magic”. I hope that you can still find the magic of life. I hope, despite everything, it is still in abundance.

 

Dear Tomorrow,

I promise I will bring permaculture designs to my community.

 

Dear Ellie,

My heart is an ocean of love for all the children facing a life of climate catastrophe.

 

Dear Tanuj,

The time has come to question ourselves as citizens about our own actions and the legacy we are leaving behind.

 

Dear Future Family,

As I’m sitting here trying to think of the best words to say to you all, I am thinking of one major thing: that I can only hope that you all get to experience the incredible beauty created by our planet.

 

Dear Tomorrow,

I promise composting in my house and getting an EV for my first car.

 

Hi buddy,

I can now see that the solutions are there, that a transition of the magnitude that is needed, is possible.

 

Dear Makena,

Sweetie, you deserve clean air, water and soil. You deserve to thrive in an environment that supports you.

 

Dear future loved ones,

As I sit here and write to you, I’d like to share with you something more horrifying than a few boos – our current home, Earth.

 

Dear Tomorrow,

I promise to try to set up crowd funding for grants to people with realistic proposals to fight climate change.

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