Xiye Bastida: If you adults won't save the world, we will

If you adults won't save the world, we will

In a deeply moving letter to her grandmother, Xiye Bastida reflects on what led her to become a leading voice for global climate activism -- from mobilizing school climate strikes to speaking at the United Nations Climate Summit alongside Greta Thunberg -- and traces her resolve, resilience and profound love of the earth to the values passed down to her. "Thank you for inviting me to love the world since the moment I was born," she says.

Inspired by family wisdom and a longing for home, a teenager helped lead over 300,000 people in a climate strike through New York City. She found that real change requires collective action and resilience, not just individual habits. Navigating doubt and exhaustion, she draws strength from her heritage and a belief that hope and optimism can spark a global transformation. Her journey shows that even teenagers can shift the climate conversation and inspire adults to act.