Message in a Bottle - Handwritten Messages from Drew School

Below, the students’ messages are presented in full — both as transcribed text and as the original handwritten notes.

My message to the world is..

By Drew School students, San Francisco.

“To care. Care about the world. Care about what’s been lost. Care about what’s left. I know everything seems hopeless, and it feels better to ignore the decay we’re putting on the world, but indifference will only ever perpetuate the issue. So pay attention. Pick even just one thing and care about it. Genuinely try to help. No matter how small you are in such a big world, doing something is infinitely better than not. Pay attention to the world. Love it. Care for it.”
— Finny

“I hope that by using what we learned from this project, we have a better understanding of how climate change is affecting the planet, and can use that knowledge to change the world for the better.”
— Avery

“Money and oil business isn’t worth the life of our oceans.”
— Casey

“My hope for the future is that people will stop sitting around and take action to change our climate problem for the better before it’s too late. I hope everyone will begin to consider their actions and how it affects the planet, so hopefully the following generations can experience the true beauty of our planet.”
— Julissa

“I wish world leaders understood that climate change affects the world for future generations. If we don’t do something about it now, future generations will have more work to repair and protect our planet.”
— Yini

“I hope we can come together and put an end to climate change. Because we have a better chance of success if we work together. Good luck on the rest of your trip.”
— Leon

“That I hope once the voyage is over, you are able to combine ideas given to you from all over the world and make a difference. Something I wish world leaders knew is that the oceans are a very beautiful and amazing place for people to hang out and have fun.”
— Andrew

“I hope we can get through this together. It’s a global crisis.”
— Ollie

“I hope that people will understand how important it is to protect the environment, because without it we wouldn’t have a future. Everyone deserves a clean and safe planet to live on.”
— James

“Please do not let greed get in the way of human tranquility. We, as a species, have the ability to stop climate change in its tracks. If we choose to only care about ourselves and take advantage of the things we shouldn’t, then what becomes of the next generation? Stay safe and healthy.”
— August

“Our actions have consequences, and the consequences of past generations’ actions are affecting not only us, but the world around us. Our actions will have consequences. Maybe we can’t change the actions of past generations, but we can learn.”
— MJ

“To look at the environment from all perspectives, not just one. To make sure all of the negative impacts on us are able to lessen.”
— Maya

“I believe it would be very beneficial if people focused on how to prevent climate change from affecting the sea’s temperature. Living in a coastal city, the water is very important to me and very important to many others who live in San Francisco. Our waters should stay safe and free from the effects of climate change, for us and the sea creatures.”
— Jane

“We need to understand that we are affecting not only ourselves, but the whole Earth, and we need to put in the effort and stop hurting our planet.”
— Elanore

“I wish world leaders knew to be mindful of future generations and not create problems that will hurt our planet that we will continue to live on.”
— Genesis

“I hope that world leaders protect the ocean as soon as possible because there are lots of young people with many years of life left and future generations to come. If climate change is not taken care of, the future will not be a good place to live in.”
— Matthew

“I wish world leaders knew that children do care about the environment, because it is a part of our future and can have significant impacts on us. I think that they should know kids need their help to provide them a voice to uplift their ideas on how we can make the world a better place.”
— Giana

“My message to the world is this: this is our future that you are making decisions that will impact us and our kids. By the time we are old, whole neighborhoods near the coast could be taken by sea level rise. U.S. high schoolers care about this, and we wish you did too. The problem is large corporations like Chevron releasing this CO₂, so impose more restrictions on these companies.”
— Willa

“I hope people can realize that climate change is not just a future issue, but something that is already affecting us now. We need to take action before it’s too late.”
— Grace

“My hope is that people will start to listen to scientists and take climate change seriously. If we don’t act soon, the consequences will affect everyone.”
— Jemma

“I want people to know that even small actions can make a difference, and that we all have a responsibility to take care of the Earth.”
— Twila

“I hope that after Message in a Bottle is complete, world leaders work as fast as possible to implement new eco‑friendly rules as soon as possible to save our Earth from overheating. I want world leaders to know from my perspective that doing nothing now is letting Earth die and life die.”
— Kayli

“I deeply hope our leaders take science into account and the impacts of climate change on people when making new legislation. I hope they see the planet as a resource we have the privilege to use and live on, and not just take it for granted and use it for individual profit.”
— Leo

“I hope people understand that climate change is a serious issue that affects everyone, and that we need to take responsibility now to protect our planet for future generations.”
— Stephanie

“Young people do care about the environment. We are not lazy and try our best to do what we can with our voices. We would love to have more help from adults to project our voices more (and overall support). There are a lot of youth organizations working to fight climate change and educate others.”
— Lucero

“I hope that we find a solution for climate change so we can keep our ocean clean and safe and protect our planet.”
— Nate

“San Francisco is a coastal city, which means we are directly affected by sea level rise. It is important that we do something about this issue before it’s too late.”
— Halah

“We need to leave the past behind and focus on the future and be careful.”
— Nolan

“I hope world leaders will support research into what our environment needs, set regulations to reduce common harmful practices, and educate people about the dangers our environment is facing.”
— Nolan

“As a person who has lived in San Francisco my whole life, my message to the world — and especially San Francisco — is to preserve the natural environment that we are given so we are still able to live a regular lifestyle.”
— Ryan

“Pay attention to your surroundings and realize we need to take care of our surroundings and climate change.”
— Paulette

“For a younger perspective of people to express their opinion on the topic of climate change to people who are experts in that field. Also, for the education and knowledge to be taught to middle school and high school students.
P.S. If there was an Earth where there were no microplastics, what would the differences be and how would life act?”
— Tad

“That I hope people will take climate change more seriously. Also, I hope that the younger generations can realize that they have a lot of work to do.”
— Myles

“Help stop global warming and protect all life on Earth.”
— Taylor

“People should take action and take climate change seriously, so we can do better in the next generation.”
— Nico

“I hope that world leaders will prioritize the future of our planet when it comes to climate change rather than being greedy, selfish, power‑hungry, and indecisive. World leaders must act so that younger generations can survive in centuries to come.”
— Lucas

“Take action by decreasing CO₂ emissions, spreading awareness, and even just picking up some trash would help.”
— Aidan

“I wish people would do just a bit of research on climate change. Just a bit more public understanding will allow us to do so much more to reduce or even stop its progression.”
— Zane

“We are at the point where we have the technology to completely replace fossil fuels. We have renewable energy that is sustainable, accessible, and efficient. We should listen to science and shift away from fossil fuels, not just regulate them. We have the means to make the world better — it’s time to seize those means. It’s time to replace fossil fuels and commit to the Earth.”
— Meme