Dear Next President,

The issue I wanted to talk about today is the destruction of our ecosystem and the threat of global warming to our beautiful earth. Humans have been cutting down our rainforests, polluting the ocean and poisoning our air. If we don’t do something about these problems soon, our ecosystem could collapse. According to the World Wildlife Foundation, “We are already experiencing the consequences of natural capital depletion”. These consequences will grow over time and soon we will see the toll they will have on our Earth. Our ecosystem provides us with food, water, medicines, and air quality. The fresh rivers we get water from are being polluted with trash. The cure for Cancer might have been discovered in the rainforest but we might never know because we are cutting it all down. By destroying our ecosystem we are destroying ourselves. The weather is also a big part of where we live. “Greater competition for natural capital will exacerbate conflict and migration, climate change and vulnerability to natural disasters such as flooding and drought”, says the World Wildlife Foundation. The world we live in now is such a beautiful place but with the effects of global warming it will not become the green and blue planet we are used to seeing today. Our air is being polluted by cars, factories, and greenhouse gases. The EPA commented, “Ground-level ozone can damage lung tissue, reduce lung function, and inflame airways”. The poisonous gases in the air can cause people to get sick and possibly die of asthma attacks. We are harming ourselves when we breathe the poisonous air outside. In my personal experience, my allergies have gotten worse since I was little because of the air outside. I have had to take extra precautions so my allergies do not get worse. Global warming has even caused animals to migrate from their natural habitat because their home is being destroyed. One of our World Wonders, The Great Barrier Reef is dying because of greenhouse gases. According to National Geographic “When waters get too hot, corals stress out and turn a ghostly white, and to survive, they must complete a marathon-like feat of endurance”. It is going to take years for the coral to regenerate and heal. The coral dying also has an impact on humans. According to Global Issues, “The US agency NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) puts the economic value even higher and says that coral reefs provide economic services — jobs, food and tourism — estimated to be worth as much as $375 billion each year”. When the Great Barrier Reef dies, Australia will not get the usual amount of money they get every year due to tourism to see the reef. With the way things are in today's society, who knows how long it will take for our world to die. That time may be shortened due to the hurt we have caused the world. This issue is important to me because I would like to grow up in a world that is clean and healthy. Some ideas that could help with making the world a better, healthier place could include green transportation, proper recycling, planting trees, conserving energy, and managing the forests around us. I hope you take my thoughts into consideration to make the world a better place to live in today.

Thank you for your time,

Madison Satterfield