To the inhabitants of the planet Earth 100 years from now…
I’m sorry.
I’m sorry that the planet is in ruins in the future because of what we humans did in the past.

I’m sorry that the air you breathe is stuffy and suffocating year-round and world-wide. I’m sorry that you can see with the naked eye the jet-black smog that covers the once-pure air like a blanket, smothering all the life beneath it. I’m sorry that you and your children and your children’s children constantly have to wear breathing masks whenever you step foot outside. I’m sorry you will never be able to experience the purity of a breath of fresh air on the first few days of spring, or be able to breathe in the cool, crisp air whenever summer turns to fall.
I’m sorry that the climate is messed up because of us, the summer that used to be mild being too hot to even go outside and the winters that used to be cold, but bearable now being unbearably cold and oh-so-long. I’m sorry that there are no more springs and falls and during the used-to-be spring and fall months, it is just a tug-of-war between the icy cold winter and the swelteringly hot summers.

I’m sorry that most – if not all – of the trees are gone and that you will never be able to sit in the shade of a tree during the deadly-hot summers. I’m sorry that you will never be able to harvest fresh berries or apples off of a newly-blossomed tree. I’m sorry that when you tried to plant a tree, it died within months due to the poor growing conditions that plague your region. I’m sorry if you’ve never even seen a tree in person before, only knowing how they look from pictures through the screen of your device…

I’m sorry that you haven’t seen a squirrel in years. That you haven’t seen one butterfly go through your area in a long time. I’m sorry that endangered animals are becoming extinct and animals that used to be considered “common” now prowl the streets desperate to survive. I’m sorry that you’ve become one of those desperate animals…

I’m sorry that the water you drink is unclean and the food you eat is making your family sick. I’m sorry that you have to boil the water you purchase or get from the tap before drinking it and even then it’s still not enough to rid the liquid of harmful bacteria and grime. I’m sorry that the apples and oranges and strawberries and melon and tomatoes and cucumbers and every other fruit and vegetable that used to be relatively safe to eat now has to be scrubbed now before you ingest it, and even then the lingering pesticides and chemicals used on it while it was growing still make you sick.

Finally, I’m sorry that you have to constantly live in fear. That you walk the streets everyday thinking wistfully of the wonderful homemade meals your mother used to make you, but having to make do with the measly, unhealthy boxed meals that you stocked up on from your local grocery store. I’m sorry that at night you dream of pure droplets of water hitting the tip of your tongue, but have to deal with the reality of filthy water once you wake up. I’m sorry if the efforts that many people, including myself, made to live clean and environmentally conscious lives weren’t enough to stop this miserable nightmare from coming true.

I’m sorry we couldn’t do more.
I’m sorry I couldn’t do more.
I’m sorry…