September 20 2016

Dear Future President,

Global warming/climate change is a huge threat to our environment now, and will only worsen throughout my generation and generations to come. I’m writing to you today in hopes that by the end of my letter, you and I will share the same concerns on global warming and you will make it one of your priorities during your presidency.

President Obama, in his 7.5 years in office, believed that climate change was one of the greatest threats to our future. He recently said, a majority of Americans have come to believe “that climate change is real, that it’s important and we should do something about it.” I think that getting Americans to pay attention, to agree and believe that global warming does in fact exist, and is an enormous threat to our planet, was a battle all by itself. You, future president, have the attention of the people who can make a difference. Now is the time to make changes and put forth actions to help slow down the effects of global warming.

One of my biggest concerns is pollution. Pollution is caused by the burning of fossil fuels, such as oil, gasoline, and coal. If pollution is not controlled, Americans run the risk of having to wear masks due to bad air quality, just like the people in China do currently. Our air quality is also a threat to our oceans. The harmful gases from pollution are absorbed by our oceans which makes the water more acidic, negatively affecting the marine life and the animals on land. I live in fear that our next generation will never see a polar bear. I live in fear that the next generation will have to wear masks when outdoors.

Polar ice caps and glaciers are melting. This is causing sea levels to rise, which will submerge many islands and the coasts of the USA. In my lifetime I don’t want to see this happen. If we do not take steps in this direction, we will find ourselves losing land. The truth is, humans are responsible. We need you to help reverse what we’ve done. We the people need laws, and bills to be passed to help guide Americans in taking steps toward slowing down global warming.

I do not want any of this happen, and I hope you don’t either. This is a serious issue that we need to address immediately. Global warming could destroy our beautiful nature and change our day to day world that we know. I am optimistic and hopeful that you will help be part of the solution. Are you going to let this country down? No, we are going to turn global warming around and take steps to fix what we’ve done! Your family, your children and grandchildren are my peers. We want our future to be beautiful, bright and healthy. Please help us by taking global warming seriously and making it one of your priorities.

Sincerely,

Emma Kropke