A Better Tomorrow
Welcome to my first newsletter. Only continue reading if you are okay with explicit language and actually care about human beings. (To view a source, click on an underlined phrase or photo).
Hello,
Let’s just cut right to the chase: I’m scared.
I’m scared because I know that if our world stopped producing carbon emissions at this exact moment, our oceans are still going to rise, natural disasters are still going to intensify, and ice sheets are still going to melt. We are at a point of no return.
I know that if some day in the future, I have a child, he or she will live an incredibly different life than I did.
They will most likely live in a world where extreme weather events are the norm. Where countries will be going to war over food, water, and livable land. Where millions of climate refugees will be left at borders, begging to be let in. Where our planet’s lands and oceans will be stuffed to capacity with waste. A world without coral reefs, as well as one million other plant and animal species.
I know that for generations, children have been living better lives than their parents did. But now, for the first time, that pattern is at risk to end.
I ask myself — Do I even bring another human into this world someday?
Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Scientists predict that 70-90% of all coral reefs will disappear within the next 20 years because of climate change and pollution. The Great Barrier Reef (above) is currently home to more than 9,000 species.
I’m worried, too.
I’m worried about what our society will look like if we continue down the path we are on. Because I know that when any crisis hits, (including the pandemic we are currently experiencing), it’s the poor and colored who are hit the worst.
The underrepresented, the ignored, and the marginalized members of our society. They are at the greatest risk of climate change, which is a threat they have no control over, and something they have had very little to do with.
I’m worried because the man “running” our country, (no I won’t call him a president), who has reversed 72 environmental regulations (clean air and crystal clean water my ass), has made it clear he doesn’t care about the lives of the most vulnerable, or about you, me, my future child or anyone not in the top 1%. This has been made crystal clear during the last 8 months of the pandemic.
He has never taken the pandemic seriously and he will never take climate change seriously. He knows he is safe for the time being, and for his lifetime, he is probably right. When the next natural disaster strikes, he can escape on his private jet to his second home, where he can dine on his McDonald’s and diet coke. (Notice how I said private jet and not Air Force One).
When storms continue to hit harder, and food and water become even more scarce, it will most likely be white and wealthy Americans who will be able to get out and stay alive.
Because of our country’s history and continued pattern of white privilege and systemic racism, it’s disproportionately the white and wealthy who typically have access to health care, homes that are storm protected, have not been forced to live in flood prone areas because that’s all they can afford, have the resources to rebuild their home or relocate, and have access to their own transportation.
Think of Hurricane Katrina: more than 1 in 3 black households and nearly 3 in 5 poor black households in New Orleans didn’t have a vehicle before Katrina even arrived. Meanwhile, you had this:
In 2005, George Bush flew in his Air Force One closely over the destruction of Katrina, while millions of Americans suffered below. (No, he didn’t stop. And yes, so sad he had to cut his month long vacation short at his Texas ranch.)
When we really think about it, are we at all surprised nothing has been done about climate change?
We have a political system dominated by leaders who are white, rich, and privileged. We have a capitalist economy that profit billions of dollars off of our planet’s limited resources. We have billionaire CEOs who fund the campaigns of politicians who are supposed to protect the people.
They’ve only protected themselves, not us.
They know it’s not them who suffers the most from climate change. They know how the future will unfold if our planet continues to bake. They see a future of the survival of the fittest, or perhaps — survival of the richest.
Is this the future we want?
I don’t. But just recently I was hit with a 100mph fastball right to the chest:
Reality check, Maddy: You have done nothing.
You have done exactly what the fossil fuel industry wanted you to do. You have been consumed with minimizing your “carbon footprint” which was a PR success invented by British Petroleum, BP. You recycle, avoid eating meat and ride a bike, and you think you are making a difference. You aren’t. Climate change is worsening by the day around you.
Your home state of New Hampshire, as well as six other states, recorded the hottest July ever this year. California, where you hope to attend grad school for the next two years, has experienced the worst wildfire season on record this summer. About 136,000 football fields of forest have been burned within a 20-45 minute drive from school. Your relatives are now fearful for you to live there.
Wake up and smell the smoke, Maddy.
You need to make a change in your life, and actually do something of significance. Now.
And that’s how I got here. Writing this newsletter.
With any monumental shift in our society, whether its civil rights, women’s rights, LGBTQ rights, it all started from people becoming knowledgeable and aware of the injustices around them, and making a stand for change. It started from the ground up — from people who were sick and tired of nothing being done.
We can do that.
We can be those dreamers who are seen at one moment in time as radical, but who history looks back on and says, “Thank you” instead of “How could you?”
We can change the course of the fire.
How we will do it
Each newsletter will address one or more of the following:
Knowledge: A topic related to climate change.
Awareness: What’s going on in the news?
Action: What’s something you can do to invoke change?
Today’s action:
Six days until the most important election of our lives. I repeat, the MOST IMPORTANT ELECTION OF OUR LIVES.
How can we take action?
Are you registered to vote? Not sure if you are? Need to locate your polling place? Find early voting locations? Locate a dropbox for mail-in votes? Click the button below to help you out.
Do you know the positions other than the presidency that will be on your ballot? Take the time to learn about your governor, senators, representatives, and local officials, and see what positions are up for election. The local and state levels are just as important in implementing change. We want to elect progressive leaders up and down the ballot. Click the button below and type your state into the search bar.
This is also an awesome link to see if there are progressive candidates running in your state:
Last but not least, I want to leave you with a challenge. I want each and every person reading this newsletter to take out their phone. Get off Tinder and TikTok for a few minutes. This is all I want you to do: text five people you know and see what their plans are for voting. This could be your brother, sister, aunt, uncle, grandmother, cousin, friend, teammate, coworker, neighbor, or ex boyfriend. I don’t really care if it was a bad break up. Trump for another term is worse then any break up. If you want to challenge yourself, see how many you can do! Leave a comment below with how many people you were able to reach out to!
Art by La Morena, Jewelz, AJ Larson, Felicia and Dominic DeLeon
Photograph by Caitlin O’Hara at The Guardian
That’s all I’ve got for today.
Please feel free to email, comment, or slide in my DMs whenever you have any questions, feedback, or even if you just want to chat. The more conversations we have with one another, the more we are working towards a better tomorrow.
With peace, love, and a middle finger to the fossil fuel industry,
Maddy
p.s. Don’t you want this lil’ protester to have a livable future filled with snowballs?
Well done Maddy!
Maddy, this fantastic. I am so proud of you for doing this. It is too easy to become paralyzed by the enormity of the problem. Educating people is a positive step. I am on a personal tirade about plastics and the environment. And don't get me going on our president. It's amazing to think that the same country who elected Obama could elect such a morally absent leader. We must win on Tuesday. Everyone I know is voting, so let me know if there are other things I can do to support you.