Dear future me,

Tonight seems like any other night, watching TV with my dad, but little does he know I am on the verge of tears, terrified for my future and the future of this planet. I am 19 years old, and I am angry. The fact that people in my generation are forced to carry the entire weight of the world and the future of our planet on our shoulders is absurd. It is unfair that no other generation has had to worry about the future of our civilization to the extent that we have, or has had to question whether or not it is even ethical to have children, afraid that the effects of climate change might lead to an inhospitable way of life for them.

Tonight marks a milestone for me, in the hopes of making many more throughout the next 50 years. Tonight, I pledge to do my best to take care of this amazing planet so that it can be preserved as beautiful, vibrant, and as lively as it is now. I will start recycling better in my home, cutting down on my meat consumption, choosing alternative transportation more frequently, and I also want to join an environmental club and spread awareness! My biggest hope is that whatever state our planet may be in in 50 years, I can look back and at least say that I tried — that I made the best effort I could.

Send Your Own Message

More Messages to the Future

I pledge to take the bus.

To my precious children

I want clean air, clean energy and muddy feet for you. I want this for all children.

Dear Tara,

Each of us only has so much power and the problem is HUGE, but I worked at this every day.

To my beloved granddaughters, Margaret and Caroline,

Growing up in Germany, I often wondered what my parents had done to oppose the Nazi regime in the 1930’s that led to WWII. I was so disappointed when I found out how passive they had been. For me, this was formative.

Dear future generations,

Past generations took all the trees, polluted all the water, fished all the fish, and hunted all the animals so that there’s almost nothing nice left.

Dear Tomorrow,

The transformation of human consciousness

To my Beloved Future Children,

Be fearless – do not be afraid to talk to each other and do not be afraid to fail.

Dear Finley,

I wonder if in 2050 we will be looking at a future where fear from the changes at hand has caused people to hate rather than love and provide hope. Perhaps in that world we will we no longer comprehend the biblical texts in a meaningful way. Will climate change be the end of the epoch of God?

Hey Kiddos!

My hope for you is that all our legislative efforts and care for the environment makes a difference so that we can wipe asthma out of our family.

To earth & its inhabitants,

Its been heavy on my shoulders since I found out about the state of climate woes as a child.

Dear Potential Future Kiddo,

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?

To My Dear Grandchildren,

Be assured that in the upcoming election, I will cast my vote for your future – for elected officials that recognize climate risks and are willing to promote and vote for legislation that will stop environmental damage and begin to heal our planet.

View All Messages