Editor’s Note: This piece was the second 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 has started college in the year 2075.
Dear student,
Congratulations on getting accepted to college! Although, I know it has not been easy. Not many people are afforded this opportunity anymore, not like they were in 2024, when I first began my education. People don’t want to leave the house anymore, as the temperature as soared to astronomic heights. I’m writing this as an apology, on behalf of everyone; because really, everyone should be apologizing. It is not fair that you were not afforded the same opportunities because people made the mistake of not prioritizing the health and safety of our planet. I’m sorry that the people we put in power turned a blind eye to you. I’m sorry that the people in my day cared more about money, economies, and industries than your future. But why does my apology matter, if the people who lit the fire that engulfed our society into a ruin of climate crisis, would not apologize to you? Even after seeing the devastating effects. They benefitted, they got the money, the power, they built their industries, and their selfishness benefitted them. They were not just ignorant. There were signs all around, fires swept away forests left and right. Glaciers were massive pieces of ice in the Antarctic that were made from the accumulation of snow on mountains. They were melting. Our oceans were at a normal level and were not swallowing coastlines like they are now; they started to rise. I remember the first time I acknowledged that climate change was becoming a crisis. My mom was a huge advocate for climate change, so I already had some knowledge on the topic, but like everyone else, I too turned a blind eye. I was young, immature, and did not see how advocating struck out as a benefit to me. It was the beginning of March, and I remember walking outside and it was surprisingly super warm out. Back then, March was one of the colder months. It shocked me, as it was a drastic change to what I had known, and it quickly made me realize the disaster ahead. You deserved better, but this letter is not to discourage you. I am so proud of you, that throughout everything, you have not settled for less despite the circumstances. You still matter, your future matters even though people have never treated it like it does. You can still accomplish so much. I do not want our failures to set you back, more than they already have. Every single person living before 2029, when the damage we caused became irreversible, is complicit. There was not a single way anyone could truly escape the subject of climate change. It was embedded in classes, in speeches, in government affairs. People knew, and that is what breaks my heart the most. People knew what was going on, but instead of taking the time to be a voice to the matter they became bystanders. They became an accomplice to the murder of our planet.
Sincerely, Luna Crockett
Luna Crockett (she/her) is a second-year student at Salem State University. Luna is studying Biology with a concentration in Marine Biology. A fun fact about Luna: her favorite sea creature is a turtle!
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