Dear Future President:

I am a future voter and an 8th grade student at Harper Park Middle School in Leesburg, Virginia. Though my middle school career is near its conclusion, this is the first time I have written a formal letter. I would like to start by saying that I am happy to have you representing us, the people of the United states, and welcome you as our new president.

As a citizen who cares deeply about the future of our nation and the people residing within it, I would like to bring attention to some of the issues regarding our environment. One of the most pressing matters our nation faces is climate change; a part of global warming. Climate change can and will be responsible for many disasters and unnatural weather changes such as hurricanes, floods, droughts, and earthquakes. These conditions can cause challenges for families and individuals, wreck buildings, homes, and other important structures. Also, due to restrictions on resources or loss of land, water, and other materials, businesses and industries across the United States will have severe complications which could possibly lead to their failure. Less land means fewer areas we can live and work in, and may lead to overpopulation in certain districts and/or regions.

In addition to these consequences, we have our ecosystem to worry about as well. The migratory patterns of animals are beginning to get thrown off, meaning animals may end up facing conditions they are not adapted for. This could lead to massive deaths in certain species, and it could completely tip the balance of the food chains. Imbalance in the ecosystems could affect us as well, and not in a good way. Different resources used for human consumption could become limited or wiped out completely, leaving us in a panic to replace the things we depend on for different aspects of our daily lives. Loss of resources will not only make it harder on us, but it will affect our economy as well due to a rapid increase in prices.

Our planet has warmed a total of almost two degrees since 1880, and has been steadily increasing since 1909. Last year, 2015, is ranked as the warmest year. Since global warming has occurred, natural disasters have been much worse. Weather patterns, such as the unusual increase in temperature of heat waves, will occur and it is predicted that the seasons will become warmer. These conditions cause regions to suffer; abnormal rain causes flooding in some terrains and the rise in heat causes a drought in other.

Although it affects our nation as a whole, each region faces its own difficulties. The northeast will deal with high water levels, rainstorms, and the temperatures will be much hotter. Aquatic industries and ecosystems will be negatively impacted. In the northwest, there has been an increase in sea level and erosion which may eventually threaten coastal areas. More wildfires, increases in insect population and agricultural diseases are killing off trees. Extreme temperature increases cause negative effects on agriculture, energy, and the people’s health in the southeast. Drought causes increase in wildfires and a lack of water availability in the southwest, and heat will impact the cities located there. Forests, transportation methods, water and air quality, and health is affected by downpours, flooding, and extreme heat.

Although we face dire consequences if we allow climate change to continue, I believe we can stop it. Even though there is not a specific, single plan yet to stop climate change, there are ways we citizens can help reduce it. By recycling and reusing items, we can reduce the amount of waste that is burned and turned into harmful pollutants. Also, by finding alternative ways to travel, like walking, biking, or running, we reduce the amount of carbon dioxide going into our atmosphere. The same applies for reusable energy sources; we should stop relying on coal and oil as much but instead lean towards geothermal, wind, water, and solar energy to supply us power. Also, I believe it would help to more thoroughly monitor industries that produce items or give off pollutants that contribute to the Earth’s heating and climate change.

As you can see, climate change may not be affecting us as drastically now, but predictions show that everyone across our nation will be affected. It remains as one of our most pressing issues, but we have the power to stop it if we all step up and work together. I would like to thank you for taking the time to read this letter and understand my concerns for our nation and people’s future. 

Sincerely,

Anna N.