A Promise to Future Generations

We the students of the Fourth Biennial Great Lakes Student Summit, embark on the new millenium with this solemn and heartfelt promise:

We promise to continue our quest for knowledge related to the Great Lakes and the environment.

We promise to support recycling efforts and encourage our friends and family to recycle and reduce waste.

We promise to join in community clean-ups, beach sweeps, tree plantings and other restoration efforts.

We promise to reduce our use of energy and natural resources and encourage those around us to do the same.

We promise to practice water conservation, pesticide reduction and other environmentally friendly practices and convince our families and peers to join our efforts.

We promise to make others aware of the problems of the Great Lakes and try to convince them to work towards addressing these problems.

We promise to protect habitats around the Great Lakes, especially wetlands and other environmentally sensitive areas.

We promise to make political leaders more aware of environmental issues and concerns, so that we can keep the Great Lakes healthy for generations to come.

We promise to encourage stronger and more meaningful cooperation among the Great Lakes states and the Province of Ontario.

We promise to put the needs of the Great Lakes and the environment before our own personal needs.

We promise to make a conscious effort to respect all living and nonliving components of our watershed.

Finally, we promise to give back to the Earth more than we take from it.