Opinion: I wrote President Biden a letter about climate change. He replied.

Northup is a fifth-grader at Ashley Falls School. She lives in San Diego.

On Monday, Nov. 8 at 2:55 p.m., I opened a letter that would change my life. Why? Because the letter was from the White House. I’m Jorie, a 10-year-old who is so excited to share with you my thoughts and feelings about sending a letter to President Joe Biden, and actually getting a letter back in response from him.

A lot of people would start by going over how they felt when they got the letter, but I’m not like every person. I’m my own person with my own beliefs. Of course, I will tell you what I wrote in the letter. I will also tell you why I wrote the letter.

I love nature. Everything in it is so fascinating. I love the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park, and I want to work there as a zookeeper one day.

One of the things I have learned at the zoo is how all of the animals depend on each other. They are all part of the food chain.

However, humans are destroying forests, and that threatens every element of the food chain, not only in that forest, but also in places near that forest. And losing a forest in one country can even impact things across the world. We need to take action now. That’s why I wrote to the president.

Some might say that a kid can’t make a difference. But I know what a difference a kid can make because of my role model, Greta Thunberg, a teenage climate and environmental activist from Sweden. She makes big differences all across the world. She’s gone to many places to speak and to very important meetings with world leaders. If she can do it, so can I.

Because I love nature, I had to take action, so let me now tell you what I wrote in my letter. I wrote to President Biden on April 28, asking him to make laws to stop deforestation and help many things related to nature. I wrote about poaching, how many animals were going extinct because of the use of guns. I told him my wish to eliminate guns and have guns destroyed and illegal. If guns were gone, our world won’t have to fear the people who may break into our homes, and animals wouldn’t go extinct. I also wrote about putting more restrictions on cutting down trees in forests because we, humans, are destroying forests to build things like malls that we don’t even need.

Those were the main things I wrote about in my letter.

That was what I told the president because I wanted to do my part and help save the Earth. I am worried that if I wait until I grow up, the world will be worse and it will be harder to save it. I encourage kids like me to learn as much as possible about nature and its inhabitants.

Fast forward to that Monday when the letter arrived in my mailbox in response.

I felt excited at first, but also nervous. I wondered, was it really from the president? I couldn’t be sure. Then I felt overjoyed when I opened and read the letter. President Biden had responded and thanked me for writing. He told me that even kids at my age can change the future. I never knew that writing that original letter would really change my life.

In my letter, I told President Biden that I expected to see action on my proposals. Now, thanks to the COP26 meeting that finished last week in Scotland, the president and other world leaders have said we won’t have deforestation by 2030, which is very soon. They listened to me and people like Greta.

It may not be as big as ending poaching, but it’s one big step toward a land of peace and nature.

I won’t lose hope that we are going to reach that world I dream of, and I also hope that you readers have a change in heart, a change in mind, and a wonderful day.