Letter To Planet Earth

 Vanya Agrawal

Grade 4-6MM, 7 Jurong West Street 41

Canadian International School 

Singapore, 649414

5 November 2020

Planet Earth

Third Planet from the Sun,

Solar System, Orion Arm Milky Way,

Universe

Dear Planet Earth,

My name is Vanya. You might know me as I have been living here on your surface for the last 9 years. How are you doing? I am doing well. Even though you are 4.5 billion years old you are so young and beautiful. I have always loved exploring your wonders. When I go on holidays I have seen your beauty through mountains, rivers, oceans, snow and valleys. I love going to the beaches to take a dip in your salty seas and wait on the shore listening to the ocean waves. I have gone on nature walks and hikes where I am amazed by your flowers, plants, and animals. You are so beautiful and special.

Apart from being beautiful you are so generous. You provide us with everything and our lives depend on you. You give us water, land, air, food, plants, minerals and energy. But I don’t think we humans realise how much we owe you. We are destroying the beautiful world you have created for us because of our greed. As Mahatma Gandhi once said “The world has enough for everyone's needs, but not everyone's greed.”

One of the big problems affecting you is Pollution. Our factories and vehicles are polluting your oceans, air and land everyday. This is causing your atmosphere to get warmer and warmer. Your glaciers are melting rapidly. Many of your animals and plants are endangered on land and in sea. The second big problem I have noticed is Deforestation. We are cutting down forests for wood, for setting up factories and cities. We use animal skin to make ourselves a coat or a beautiful dress or outfit, knowingly harming and killing animals. If it continues this way you will never be able to see your children ever again - the Black Rhinos, River Gorilla, Amur Leopard, and many more. Pollution and Deforestation are destroying the balance that you created over billions of years. I can understand how sad it must be for you. I am sorry on behalf of all humans, and I want to help you.

I cannot change the whole world in one day, but it all starts with “me”. If every human improves their own actions, together we can save you. Starting today, I promise that I will reduce, reuse and recycle things like plastic that can harm you. I will stop using things that are made by killing animals. I will encourage my friends and family to do the same. When I grow up, I want to find and use new ways of creating energy. We will quickly move to electric cars and solar cars that do not affect the environment and reduce pollution. Some countries are trying to ban coal mining and oil drilling. Some scientists are trying artificial clouds and artificially grown green water plants - algae, that will help in reducing global warming and help ocean life grow. It is true that we need more land but we will do it without affecting forests. The ocean is 3 times bigger than land. We will ensure that our factories are not dumping their waste into your rivers, clean the waste properly, and use it for reclaiming land. Singapore has shown that it’s possible.

I will try new ideas that can stop hurting you. It will take a long time for us to heal the damage that we have done, but we will try. I have shared my ideas with you. Whenever I see an orange sun rising, I hear a bird chirping in the morning, being able to jump in a rainy puddle and an ocean wave wets my feet, I will understand that you got my letter and you agreed with my suggestions. Thank you so much!

Yours truly,

Vanya Agrawal