John,
My name is Xiye Bastida and I am a 17-year-old Climate Justice Activist.
Four years ago I had to leave my home in San Pedro Tultepec, Mexico. Unprecedented rainfall flooded my town, which prevented me from going to school. The climate crisis forced my family to choose, at 13, between staying at home or live in a healthier environment.
In New York City I have rallied, lobbied, and testified at City Hall to protect our livelihoods. I've joined with youth around the world walking out of class to demand real leadership and accountability from our elected officials.
But it's not enough for the youth to demand change on our own. We need everyone to stand up and say no, we will not stand by and let any more homes be destroyed — like we’ve just seen in the Bahamas in the last 24 hours.
We need everyone to join us on September 20th for the Global Climate Strike. There are hundreds of Climate Strike events being planned across the country. Click here to find one near you — or host one yourself.
In 2017 there were over 18 million climate refugees1. If we don't do anything by 2050, there will be hundreds of millions of people2 forced, like me, to leave their homes by increasingly devastating storms, floods, fires and heat waves.
It doesn't have to be this way. We know what the solutions are — we just have to implement them. The problem is that governments have chosen to listen to fossil fuel billionaires rather than protect their people. But we, by acting together, have the power to take our future back.
After college I want to get a masters and a PhD — that's what I want to worry about in 10 years — not where I'm going to live.
The climate crisis is already our past and our present. We cannot let it be our future.
In solidarity,
Xiye Bastida - Fridays for the Future NYC
PS - Want more information about the Climate Strike? Join the online Hype Webinar next Tuesday, Sept 10 to get more information about what the Climate Strike will be like.
1 - Climate change and disaster displacement, UNHCR
2 - 143 Million People May Soon Become Climate Migrants, National Geographic
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