Dear Earth,

You make me feel safe. The scent of flowers and fruit, the feel of the wind on a boiling
day, the color of the leaves in the fall, the sound of birds chirping in the morning as though they
are having happy conversations, the taste of apples, and berries, and vegetables. Whenever I’m
out in nature, I feel as though it’s the most peaceful thing ever. Almost like a warm hug.
If you mean so much, why is it that we take advantage of your resources? It’s as simple,
yet as complicated as this; humans are selfish. We take, and take, hardly thinking about giving
back. Hardly thinking about how it’s affecting you; our only home. We are so selfish that we
continue to hurt you, even after realizing what is wrong about our actions.
Your trees are being cut down at an all too rapid pace. Over 150 million metric tons of
plastic circulate marine environments. Every day, too many animals die because of human
ignorance. There are so many things we have done wrong because of our inventions and greed.
This is not fair. I, a fifteen year old kid living on a small island, should not have to be
worrying about this. I was far from alive when all these machines, plastics and cars began to take
over. I truly do not hold any power over anyone. I can not vote, I do not have a degree, and I am
not a part of the government. The generations above me should have done something the
moment they knew about how awful they’ve been treating you.
People have had the research and proof of the damage for so long now, so why did they
let it come to this? There is no good reason to pass these problems down to my generation, this
should be their problem, as they were the ones to let it slide. Why hasn’t this been one of the top
priorities? Why do the young people, who haven’t even finished school yet, have to worry about
the effects of their laziness and mistakes?
The truth is, I’m terrified. I fear that too soon, this damage will be irreversible. I worry
about this beautiful Earth that could be broken beyond repair, and that we will all suffer the
consequences. We waited too long. There is absolutely no excuse, and no time; we must do
something.
I remember the first movie that ever made me think deeply about all of this was “The
Lion King”. The way they portrayed all of the animals struggling to live peacefully, due to the
greed of some, and how they managed to overcome it and live harmoniously once again. It talks
a lot about the circle of life, and the importance of keeping the circle balanced. I have always
been a fan of Disney movies, but because of its story, this one has always stuck out to me.
Remembering stories like that, somewhere in me, there is hope. Hope in my generation,
to push our older generations to do something about this. Hope that more and more people will
decide to speak up about this. Hope that people will choose more climate friendly options for
everything they possibly can. Hope that people will listen. Hope that we will fix this.
There is no going back to change what has already been done. Although, if we get the
right resources, and enough awareness, we can turn it around. I believe in us, that everyone will
wake up and care enough to do something. While it may not be easy, we must take action, as
there is no other option; no more excuses.
Sincerely,
Brooke Cuomo