We're all in this together, let's act like it

Dear Future,

I am going to cut right to the chase because I waited until the last second to get this done. Hey, what can I say? I’m a journalist and I’m used to working on deadlines. If that deadline is too far off, it usually forces me to procrastinate because I’m used to finishing right before the absolute latest possible moment.

The thing is, I think a lot of people treat climate change like this too. They think we have all the time in the world, but many of us don’t realize that it may already be too late. Humans have always ignored or denied the things we don’t understand, and I’m not going to lie, I don’t understand a lot when it comes to climate change either. I know enough to not deny that it is very real. I also know enough to know that we need to do everything in our power to keep our planet healthy.

Whether you believe that climate change is manmade and we should all be "going green" or whether you believe it would happen regardless, it all comes down to learning a lesson of responsibility. We all have a responsibility to each other and the future, even if we won't be around to see it. Instead of bickering about who’s right or wrong, we should be banding together and securing a brighter future for this world, especially because that future will include our children and their children.

In closing, since this is a letter to the future in regards to the Paris climate talks, in December, I hope to see everyone put the greed, politics, hatred, anger, competition, ego and everything else that gets in the way of supporting our planet aside. Whether we affect the climate or not, whether we can do anything to stop the degradation of our planet or not, and regardless of your personal or spiritual beliefs, climate change is happening all around us and we have a choice to make. Let’s put our trust in the experts. It’s time to cooperate in an effort to ensure there’s a future in which to read this letter.