Ever since I can remember the thought of what my future could hold terrified me.

When I think about names for my future children I can’t help but wonder what world I will be bringing them into, when I think of what jobs I want to do when I’m older, I’m also thinking if in a world deep in the climate crisis if that job will even be possible.

I don’t think other generations can understand the feeling of impending doom we have had to deal with. The phrase our world is dying is so common to me it doesn’t even register anymore.

When I think about my future, not only do I feel scared but also angry. I’m angry because we have known about climate change for years and years yet nothing changes, politicians make open ended policies with dates like 2060 and people around me don’t seem to care. I’m angry because I know if we all made a change now and actually put effort in we could stop climate change but we choose not to because we have become too comfortable and stuck in our ways. 

As children we would read books and watch movies that tell the story of the world being threatened and all hope seeming to be lost but at the last second humanity would pull together and save the world. As we read and watched there was no question in our mind that if faced with that situation we would act the same, but here we are and we do nothing. 

When we feel surrounded by people who don’t seem to care it’s very easy to become discouraged and feel as if your impact and your decisions don’t matter, but they do.

Vote for people who care and will act, buy second hand and make do, be careful where you put your money, sign petitions and most importantly, care. 

“…and most importantly, care.”

Essay by Ellice Lawrie 

Dunedin