In a decade I want to be able to submerge myself into the salty kiss of the ocean without the fear of getting sick.

I want to open my eyes and see coral reefs and fish of all colors playing together in harmony. In a decade I want to climb trees and look over the skyline without my vision being clouded with smog. I want to look at the news and not see California up in flames, while my friends back East are locked in from snow. In two decades I want to take my children to see the teeming life in the amazon rainforest. I want them to learn about polar bears with the knowledge that such a magical species coincides on our planet, instead of seeing pictures of they used to be.

When it comes to climate change, It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the size of the problem, but that does not mean we should ignore. Those of you who believe that humans should not be held accountable for this problem need a wake up call. That’s like going to your neighbors house, taking all their food and trashing their furniture and leaving without saying thank you or cleaning up. It is human emissions from fossil fuels that continue to raise the overall temperature of our planet, resulting in increasingly worse storms, droughts, wildfires, and floods. To my friends in California, take a look outside. While this pineapple express storm currently hitting us left the skier in me ecstatic for some fresh powder in Tahoe, it is just another reminder of extreme weather patterns caused by a warmer atmosphere. Since 1880, our global temperature has risen by 1.53 degrees fahrenheit, and perhaps the worse outcome from this increase in temperature is our rising sea levels and ocean acidification. Countries like Bangladesh are already facing the threats of sea level rise, and soon enough many other coastal regions will too if the problem is not addressed. Not to mention that under the rising sea, too much carbon absorption has left the entire cast of finding nemo struggling and coral reefs dying. 3 billion people rely on the ocean for their food, and even if you are not one of those people, 50% of our oxygen comes from the big blue. I’m not going to address anymore statistics, but I hope this brought attention to what is at stake: not just our planet's well being, but our own.

The way things are going, the future I long to be a part of is not plausible. 2017 is the time for change, and frankly the last time a real change can be made. We are the first generation to firsthand see the effects of climate change, and we are also the last generation who are able to do something about it before the damage becomes irreversible. I have just mentioned a few of the problems we are facing. If we want to see change, it is up to all of us to educate ourselves and spread our knowledge. Bringing awareness to the problem is the first step we must all take.

I have always considered myself to be an environmentalist. I was raised to appreciate the beauty of the Earth and to take responsibility for protecting the beings that we share this planet with. I take steps in my own life to limit my waste of precious resources, make sure that I am well informed about this topic, and always try to spread my passion to the people around me so that they too would do their part in helping out our planet. However, I am not naive. I know that my group of friends recycling trash we see on sidewalks and taking short showers isn’t enough to stop an Iceberg in Greenland the size of Manhattan from breaking into the sea. I know that even if I reached out to every person I know about my concerns for our planet, it still wouldn’t be enough. That is unless those people relay their newfound knowledge to everyone they know, and the chain continues. This is where I am reaching out to those reading this. In 2017, social media is a more powerful platform than ever before. It connects thousands of people and is the quickest way to spread news. We can make memes go viral overnight, so why not try and use these powerful resources to spread awareness?

Another tool that I believe will make 2017 a more successful year in the battle against or changing climate is creativity. To all the creators out there, I urge you to use your talents to capture environmental issues and share it for the world to see. I truly believe that the best way to spread change is through art. History has shown us that art has been the medium that has sparked revolution and change. Not to mention that it is a form of expression to capture things bigger than mankind; and it is safe to say that the issue at hand is quite vast. It’s controversial and gets people talking. I believe that it very well may be the spark to ignite global conservations. Now I’m not saying that everyone should go out and paint murals of sea turtles caught in plastic, or write ballads about algae blooms. What I am saying is that everyone possesses a creative talent; whether that be writing, photography/videography, drawing, music, and even if you are denial of your creative skills, you can share others work. Kill two birds with one stone. Get out there and make some kickass art and leave people passionate about saving our climate.

With the combination of new content and the power to share it with people through the click of a button, I have hope that 2017 will be the year that we start seeing changes. If I have inspired you to take action in anyway do your planet and the other organisms you share it with a favor and start creating and talking! Your planet needs you.

Below is an article highlighting some artists who beautifully capture some relevant environmental problems: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/15/environme...

http://louismasai.com/projects/the-art-of-beeing/