To the generation after mine,
It has always seemed like a hopeless effort. Sometimes it seems every person with the power to enact change has refused to do so. From those in our governments, to our leaders in technology, and energy, and discovery, to economic giants and political behemoths, we have asked them to let this world of ours live on. We have asked them to let our descendants live in a brighter future. And the answer always seems to be “No.”
But we have not been discouraged. Because in reality, they cannot give us the same answer forever. And by the time you read this, we aim to have done what they should have, whether or not their answers changes. Because change doesn’t just come from those in power–it comes from the masses that resist the urge for complacency.
We won’t let our planet, our home, be decimated. Most predictions tell us that by your time, it will be too late. But that is only if we don’t act. We are putting more pressure on our officials. We are making greater strides in healthy technology. We are organizing our communities, our states, our entire nations to ensure that our water is clean, our food is ethical, our forests are protected, our energy is renewable, our emissions are minimal, our wildlife endures, our cities are green, and that our societies are just.
What we expect by your time is that progress will have been made. We do not expect the world to be doomed as it would be without action. We hope that enough change will have been made to give you all a fighting chance. And most importantly, we do not expect you to be leading that change alone. We will still be there, with you, older but just as dedicated.
It is easy to become discouraged. Though positive change is not inherently a slow process, all social movements have been slow, because there will always be resistance. But when you encounter that resistance–and you will, regularly–know that you must respond just how we have had to these past 50 years. With love, and sternness, and most of all, courage. Because that is what the resistance fears the most. We who came before you promise that we will do the same while we wait for you. Know that you will never be alone.
