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Do you remember the good old days when we had '12 years to save the planet'? Now it seems, there's a growing consensus that the next 18 months will be critical in dealing with the global heating. The women of this age have more job equality than ever before. As a whole, we are far more accepting of differences than our predecessors. Thanks to the internet and social media, we have been afforded a greater understanding of the world because of our exposure to it. We are more informed, aware, and diverse than any other group in history. We can’t save the Earth. The Earth is going to die. It won’t be for billions of years, but the end is indeed coming (yes, religious fanatics, your day will come). What really needs saving is not the planet, but, rather, ourselves. The truth is, rather than an attempt to save the world, focusing on the environment was a way of avoiding the issue of ‘self’; it was a way of relieving ourselves of the real issue of our troubled human condition through finding a cause that made us feel good about ourselves — as the editor of Time magazine, Richard Stengel, recognised, ‘The environment became the last best cause, the ultimate guilt-free.
Dear Abuelita, I know I haven't been home for a while. You are in our lovely home in Mexico, and I'm here in the US, fighting for our future. You're probably watering the roses, taking care of the peaches and making sure your turtles are well-fed. That's one of the thingsI miss the most about home — spending time with the flowers while you tell me storiesabout your childhood.
As you know, we have been livingin New York City since 2015. But life has completely changedover the past year. At first, New York City was about museums and parks and school and friends. Now it serves as a web that connects me with all the other people who are organizing to save the planet.
Instead, there are simple things you can start doing right now to save our planet. We here at Bright Side have already started doing some of them.Join us!
You know how it started for me? It was Dad and his wisdom. Everything you taught him,he went and taught the world. All of his words aboutthe responsibility that we have as humans to live in balance with nature were passed down to me. I noticed the universaldisconnect to our planet and remembered what you once told me: 'Leave everything betterthan you found it.' I know you were talking about the dishes, but of course, that appliesto the planet as well.
I didn't know what to do at first. The world is so big, and it has so many bad habits. I didn't know how a 15-year-oldwas supposed to change anything, but I had to try.
To put this philosophy into practice, I joined the environmental clubat my high school. However, I noticed that my classmateswere talking about recycling and watching movies about the ocean. It was a view of environmentalism that was so catered towardsan ineffective way of climate activism, one that blames the consumerfor the climate crisis and preaches thattemperatures are going up because we forgot to bringa reusable bag to the store.
You taught me that taking careof Mother Earth is about every decisionthat we make as a collective. I am happy to tell you, Abuelita, that I changed everybody'smind in that club. Instead of talking about recycling, we started to write lettersto our politicians to ban soft plastic altogether.
And then, the unexpected happened: we started striking from school. I know you've probablyseen it on the news, and maybe it's not that special anymore. But at the time,it was a huge deal, Abuelita. Imagine kids not going to school,because we want people to save the world.
(Video) Crowd: Another worldis possible! We are unstoppable!
Xiye Bastida: For the firstglobal climate strike, which was called on by Greta Thunberg, I got 600 of my classmatesto walk out with me. Greta Thunberg is a teenagerwho first started striking for climate. Her boldness inspired me, and I was shocked by the realization that youth could turnpublic opinion on social issues. The movement exploded.
(Video) Crowd: Shut it down!
![Will Will](https://bestanimations.com/Nature/Water/rain/rain-nature-animated-gif-17.gif)
XB: And I becameone of the main organizers for New York, the US and the world.
(Video) XB: What do we want?Crowd: Climate justice! XB: When do we want it?Crowd: Now!
XB: I started speaking up aboutclimate justice and Indigenous rights and intergenerational cooperation. That was only the beginning, though.
The busiest week of my life will forever be the weekof September 20, 2019. Me and my friends got 300,000 peopleto strike for climate in New York. I wish you could have been there. We walked through Wall Street,demanding climate justice.
(Video) Crowd: No more coal, no more oil,keep the carbon in the soil!
XB: That same month, I wentto the United Nations Climate Summit. I spoke on a panel with Al Gore. I met Jay Inslee and Naomi Kleinand Bill McKibben and the president of the United Nations. It was the most amazing week of my life, because everyone I knew came together — all my teachers, all my classmates ... And even some of my favorite storesclosed down to strike for climate. If you had asked me why I did all of that, my only answer would be, 'How could I not?'
It's been one yearsince it all started for me, and it gets a little tiring at times. But if there is one thingthat you taught me, it's resilience. I remember that you went to Mexico Cityevery day for 30 years to get money for the family. And I know that Abuelitohas been going out for 20 years to protect sacred land from big companiesthat want to take it. A year is nothing compared to the strugglesthat our family has been through. And if our strugglesmake the world a better place, they will make us better people.
There have been some hardships, Abuelita. Out there in the world, people expect us kids to know everything, or at least they want us to. They ask questions and I give answers, as if I really knew how the world works. They want hope, and we give it. I have organized, written, spokenand read about climate and policy almost every day for the past year. And I'm just a little worried that I won't be ableto do enough, Abuelita.
We Will Save The World
For me, being 18 years oldand trying to save the world means being a climate activist. Before, maybe it meantstudying to be a doctor or a politician or a researcher. But I can't wait to grow upand become one of those things. The planet is suffering, and we don't have the luxuryof time anymore. Saving the world as a teenagermeans being good with words, understanding the sciencebehind the climate crisis, bringing a unique perspectiveinto the issue to stand out and forgetting aboutalmost everything else. But sometimes, I want to careabout other things again. I want to be able to singand dance and do gymnastics. I truly feel that if all of ustook care of the Earth as a practice, as a culture, none of us would have to befull-time climate activists.
When businesses turn sustainable, when the power gridruns on renewable energy, when the school curriculum teaches us that taking care of the Earthis part of our humanity, maybe I can do gymnastics once again. Don't you think so, Abuelita?
![How Will We Save The World How Will We Save The World](https://allbluetees.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/steelers-this-is-how-i-save-the-world-cloth-face-mask.jpg)
We can do this. All I'm trying to do with my work is give that optimistic mindsetto other people. But it's been a little hard. There is greed, there's pride, there's money, and there's materialism. People make it so easyfor me to talk to them, but they make it so hardfor me to teach them. I want them to have the confidenceto always do their best. I want them to havethe heart and the courage to love the world, just like you taught me.
I wrote this letter to thank you. Thank you for inviting meto love the world since the moment I was born. Thank you for laughing at everything. Thank you for teaching me that hope and optimismare the most powerful tools we have to tackle any problem.
I do this work because you showed me that resilience, love and knowledge are enough to make a difference. I want to go back to Mexico and visit you. I want to show you the picturesof the things that I have done. I want to show you the climate legislation that we've been able to pass. I want to smell the flowers and fight for climate justicealongside you.
How Much Is Save The World
Te quiero mucho. I love you. Xiye.
We Save You
[Te quiero mucho. Xiye.]