MESSAGE FROM THE FUTURE III

 

ME in VOICEOVER: Thinking about all the things that could have been and should have been did not help us back then and will not help us in any other problem we will be facing in the future. I was born right at the end of the 20^th century, I was busy learning about other things, so Climate Change did not interest me until I was fourteen or fifteen and then when the News talked about the Paris Agreement and also President Trump being elected as US president, that there is something happening. Something, that can be prevented but probably will not, as we do not have enough people who are willing to do it. For all I know, I did not try my best, living in the US for five years, I should have done more, inspired more, tried to change more people’s opinions.

What did help us was the urgency that seemed to emerge in the years after the pandemic and the election in 2020. By far not early enough, as the damage was already irreversible but early enough so we can learn from it and thrive again, in a world in which we are coexisting on planet Earth, with every living organism it inhibits, instead of exploiting, tearing down and taking everything, it has to offer.

The first thing that we had to learn and that will always be true, is that just because we are the most powerful species on this planet, we are not entitled to anything. We have to use this power so we can develop ideas that help everyone. As Naomi Klein quoted Mr. Donald Trump in her book on page 259 “I really don’t like their policies of taking away your car, taking away your airplane flights […] or you’re not allowed to own your cows anymore”. It was statements like these, that made the journey so much harder, as it made people not only underestimate Climate Change as a whole, but also think that fighting for a greener future is taking away their life quality and only serves to punish them.

            

 

 

We had to realize that this was never about our own personal wishes and struggles. Especially, the privileged in our society had to realize not everything is about them, money does not buy everything, and they are not untouchable. The pandemic in 2020 was a great representation on how we deal with issues if they demand action from us and how our lives can be changed if we decide to listen. Depending on what part of the government or what party something is coming from, people decide if they want to believe it or not and if they want to sacrifice some of their personal freedom.
We had to realize that political affiliations should not determine our actions and if we are going to follow suggestions by the government and believing in what they are wanting us to do.

We had to realize that our media can be and is biased, also depending on where they are at on the political spectrum, which means that unilateral news consumption can be dangerous to the unity of our society. 

We had to realize that just because we have the strongest economy, the best technology and most innovative cities, we are not safe from the changes in the climate. Unfortunately, that is exactly what we needed to come to all the realizations above. 

We saw wildfires, hurricanes, and tornadoes. We saw endangered species dying out, we saw houses being destroyed by natural catastrophes, we saw drought, hunger and people losing their lives. We saw so much loss, despair, regret and most of all, realization.

 

Of course, not everyone, everywhere, this is just not how the human species works, but enough to turn this thing around and get to where we are now.

We are driving affordable electrical cars; we found an environmentally sustainable solution for the batteries that charge them.

 

We are seeing the benefits of renewable energy and have defeated oil and gas companies not only in sustainability, but also affordability, lucrativeness and job opportunities. 

We are creating more work in this sector than ever and even though there is more technology, there is still a demand on workers. 

 

We have come back to the same level of life quality, if not even more, than prior to the changes. People appreciate nature more, the outdoors, the time with their loved ones. Everything comes with a prize, but you can still drive big trucks, live in a fully air-conditioned house, get your fast food at a drive-through, it is just all happening with a good conscious and with the understanding of what we are doing and where all these things are coming from.

 

There is still a gap between rich and poor but that does not mean, there is exploitation, inequality and less life quality. It means that universal healthcare helps us being safe and healthy, that money does not determine where you go to school or what job you will have. It means that they can do whatever they want with it and travel and buy nice things, but it is not to the disadvantage of others. 

 

I can say that I live in a world in which I feel valued, I feel truly free, healthy and safe. I feel like I have clean air to breathe, I have an important part in keeping our planet clean and I make a home for the seven trillion people that will be born over the next 50,000 years. 

 

Still, I do not believe that future generations will think that we have been good ancestors. There has been so much evidence of what was coming, but we chose not to believe in it. We knew about the dangers and we still waited until the last minute to do something about it. I think we are not the worst, because we still realized the importance of the situation and turned it around, but we are definitely not a role model. 

 

To the future generations, I urge you to think critically, to choose unity over selfishness and to believe in the things that are right in front of you. You will be rewarded with something even greater, with even more great relationships, happiness and completeness. Your grandchildren have bigger shoes to fill as they will have to maintain our planet, they have to use even better technology and innovation to make the world a better and more sustainable help. To be there for people all over the globe and hopefully even make living conditions equal around the world. I wish there to be happiness and unity and a connectiveness between everyone, no matter where they are from and who they are.