Dear Seedling
First place winner of Earth Days Creative Writing Contest
Editor’s Note: This piece was the first place winner of the Earth Days Creative Writing Contest. Climate change presents a profound threat to our natural and societal systems. The threat will affect generations to come, calling us to reflect on the Iroquois Confederacy philosophy that our decisions today should consider the next seven generations. Students were given a prompt to write a letter to a student who is starting college in the year 2075.
Dear seedling,
Hopefully this reaches you, despite the clunky manner in which it’s delivered. I tried my best to access a system that wouldn’t jeopardize your local water supply. I wanted to offer some brief environmental history before you begin this novel academic journey. There was a framework we used to utilize… Sustainable Development Goals? Seventeen of them, to be exact. The mere thought of it takes me back, sounds like utopia, before that crushing realization sours the memory. Originally the aim had been to reach all seventeen goals by 2030, giving us fifteen years since their onset to achieve this. By 2025, ten years in, only about 17% progress had been made; the year extended to 2050. When that didn’t come to fruition, as you might remember, we shifted the goalposts again, striving for 2075. That’s right; if our progress continues to lag, it’ll be the third alteration to the date. But then again, nobody’s tracking anymore. That all fizzled off after the onset of WWIII. We had a president and colleagues who didn't understand core scientific concepts, whether that be simple biology, or historical climate patterns. Emotion drove the major decisions which situate us here today. We were pulled from global sustainability initiatives, plunged deeper into late-stage capitalism, and growing conflict led to this unrelenting siege of violence you unfortunately bear witness to, and face on a daily basis.
We used to have lightning bugs, on breezy summer nights. Bird songs and bee stings. Funny-looking beetles camouflaged into mossy tree bark. Snow days! Do you remember your early years, when we still had snow? Now all we hear is the ever-present droning of weather regulators, despite still waking up every morning to an auburn haze of smog. I wish this ideological landscape could finally crack. The issue runs deeper than surface-level; we need psychological core samples drilled up, analyzed for why it is we continue to prioritize ego-centricity over eco-centricity. In due time, this planet will purge us from her skin. The marshlands will resuscitate, the reeds growing ever stronger as muskrats and dragonflies reclaim their rightful roles in the ecosystem. A post-human world is one road towards recovery, but it doesn’t have to be the only one. The truth is, we’ve had the solutions for decades upon decades. I’m sure you know that. And I’m sure you also know the barriers to implementation stem from power and privilege. I am sorry. Sorry we couldn’t do more. Sorry you have been forced to suffer at the hands of the past. The climate crisis has proven to be the most difficult undertaking of any generation, yours being nowhere near the exception, and that is an exhausting reality. The good news is, you’ve found yourself in an institute dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge, the advancement of science, and the realization of truth. You are a seedling, sowed in a well-made garden bed. What you need now is clean water. Don’t let your well be poisoned.
Much love, Your mentor
Alex Pappas is a sophomore majoring in Geography with a concentration in Environmental Sustainability. I'm also passionate about nutrition and exercise science, veganism, social justice, and all things art!
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