Dear Future President,

Earth is dying. That is the easiest way to explain what is happening in the world right now. With the presence of pollution, deforestation, and depletion of natural resources, action must be taken to assure the survival of the natural world and the beings that inhabit it. As a seventeen-year-old teenager currently living in the United States, I fear for the future of our land. I believe that we need to push for more solar energy, wind power, and geothermal energy.

With 97% of climate scientist believing in global warming, the time to take action is now. While the normal citizen could drive less and walk more to help earth’s environmental issues, what can the government do for the climate changes happening right now? We are polluting our own land with our trash and we are destroying our own atmosphere. I remember going to the beach as a kid and seeing clean sand and beautiful wildlife. Now when I go to the beach I see garbage and polluted areas of land. The last time I went to the beach, I saw a seagull with a bag wrapped around its neck. If we want to protect our land, then the time to take action is now.

Deforestation is another daunting problem affecting the environment in the world, but specifically the United States. With the United States being a leading country in the production of softwood and hardwood lumber, it is evident that many forest have been killed. I believe that the United States should spend less time trying to destroy our land and try to preserve it. Not only do I think the United States government should take care of its own land, but it should also look to protect places around the world. About seventeen percent of the Amazon forest has been cut down in the past fifty years and at this rate it will only rise. I think that the United States should help more with different programs and organizations around the world that attempt to stop issues like deforestation and water scarcity. Besides protecting land in the States and around the world, the United States government should look to provide clean water to every citizen. The fact that there are cities in the United States without clean water in 2016 is ridiculous; these are problems that should be addressed first before dealing in foreign affairs. How can we spend money on issues that don’t happen in the United States when we have citizens without clean water to use?

Putting money into organizations that help with protecting our land is important, but that won’t solve everything. I think it’s imperative to get the citizens involved by having more advertisements and more exposure of recycling, water reduction, and the problems with deforestation. So while I do want the government to do more to protect our land, it is also good to remember that we should all do our part in protecting the environment. With more money going into cleaning our country, parents can rest easy knowing their children will not have to worry about polluted air and dirty cities in their kids' future. So now I pass this question onto you, the next president: what will you do to protect our land and our children’s future home? How can you make sure our children have a future?

Sincerely, Joshua