Tonight, I had the opportunity to write my climate story to send to Senator Mike Simpson to persuade him to commit to renewable energy and divest from fossil fuels. I wanted to share my story, and I encourage everyone to write their own and send it to your local senators and representatives! The change starts with us.
I know I am incredibly lucky to be able to say that my life has not been directly impacted by climate change. I didn't lose a family member, and I'm not THAT outdoorsy. But because I'm privileged enough to not be hurt by the climate crisis, I think it's even more important for me to get involved, because I don't HAVE to. I could continue to live in blissful ignorance.
That being said, I cannot in good conscious ignore the crisis at hand. The call to action is now, and my goal is to be a role model for those who don't HAVE to care, but SHOULD.
Recently, I took a trip to Southern California to visit colleges and escape the impermeable heat wave here in the Treasure Valley. All I wanted to do while I was there was surf, but unfortunately in the days before my trip, 17 million gallons of sewage was dumped into the Pacific Ocean at Dockweiler Beach, only a few miles from where I was. Sewage spill,s oil spills, and ocean pollution have been the main contributors to the death of the oceans, which are predicted to lose nearly all life by 2048. 27 years. I'll be 44; I don't want my children to live a life devoid of marine life. I won't get to entertain my daughters with whimsical fantasies of mermaids thriving in the depths because how could they imagine the oceans ever teeming with color and life?
Short and sweet, and all written in a single draft tonight so it is in no way perfect, but I wanted to share. Thank you for reading.