"Hello. My name is Azura. The year is 2256 on Earth. Let me tell you a couple things about the world we currently live in.

All of our trees are gone. There is no more green, there are no more seasons, the leaves do not change colors anymore. All of that is gone and has been gone. All of our oceans, rivers, and lakes have dried up and all of the potable water has been used. Everything left is either a vat of toxic sludge or plastic, oil, and styrofoam ridden. Our whole world is now skyscrapers and big sports arenas that no one has used in over 175 years.

There is trash everywhere. Where ever you look, there are large piles of disgusting trash that let off the most horrid stench you could ever imagine. The population is only about 20,000 and the only other living thing you can find on this planet are cockroaches. Almost every species has gone extinct. Nothing on this planet is usable. We cannot leave, yet we cannot stay. We have nowhere to go and nothing we can do. We are trapped in this wasteland we used to call the most beautiful planet in our solar system.

Since 2050, our ancestors have been trying to find new solar systems to live in and new planets to migrate to. Mars ended up failing us two years after it was deemed livable (it wasn't). Those same scientists thought they found a new, life-sustaining solar system over a million lightyears away.

With the help of Elon Musk, they were able to create a spaceship that could get them there in 25 years. It's been over 200 years and we have yet to hear back from them. The few scientists we have left here are about ready to give up and honestly, I think everyone is just about done with this planet. This is our reality due to our ancestors. Don't let it be yours."

This is the only Earth we will ever get. Stop and look around you or look out the window. Trees and flowers and lakes and oceans and bugs and animals. Do you really want to risk losing it all? Think about it. All it takes is for you to do the smallest things like recycling or not litter. Every tiny action you take has either a positive effect or negative effect on the world whether you see that effect take place or not. Do it for yourself, your kids, your grandkids, and your great-grandkids. Do it for all the future generations. Just like the golden rule says, "Leave it better than you found it." It doesn't take a lot, I promise.

As someone who loves natures, losing our beautiful world to pollution and ignorance hits close to home. You don't have to change your lifestyle to make an impact. Just be conscious of your surroundings and how you live your life. Think twice before you throw that plastic water bottle in the trash or you leave the water on when you are brushing your teeth. Please, just don't let Azura's Earth ever be our Earth.