g a l l e r y . 
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#climatestrike (long post!!) -> swipe! . A year ago I got back from Raja Ampat, the most impactful trip of my life. That’s where I met Yano - he was 4 years old then. We couldn’t communicate through words much, but we would sit in a hammock and I would read to him anyway, or we’d walk to the water and marvel at a family of clownfish, or take a trip on a longboat to go fishing. Yano’s family calls their islands “the last paradise” and they couldn’t be more right. I saw the most pristine, untouched nature, was invited by locals to come and experience their traditional ways of living, sleeping in little bungalows and going fishing during the day to feed the family. I got to witness a piece of heaven. One that will disappear, if nothing changes. Raja Ampat has the most bio-diverse marine ecosystem in the world. The reefs are still alive, but I was told by a local that he could see them slowly bleaching year by year. And with the sea levels rising, eventually those islands will be submerged under water. If destroying whole species and their habitats isn’t enough, let’s talk about a home to future generations, like Yano and his sisters. Yano’s family, just like many coastal populations, will not only lose their cultural heritage and lifestyle because they depend on agriculture, mariculture, and fishing, they will also lose their homes as sea levels are starting to drastically rise. This breaks my heart. I’m not a saint and I am well aware that often I don’t do nearly enough. But I’m trying - to change my lifestyle, eat less meat, join beach cleanups, take part in online petitions, reduce the waste I produce, follow accounts like @sealegacy, and @wwf to know what’s happening to this planet. Next Friday, I will join the Global Climate Strike March in DTLA (there is one today too!). Most importantly, I want to talk about it with all of you more. I want for us to teach the next generation of humans to be better than we have been to this planet. I want to demand from our leaders that they take action. That this will be made a priority. What will ever make this a priority? #climate #rajaampat #globalwarming #savetheplanet #future #nature #climatecrisis

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