As a teenager in the 1990s, I was surrounded by campaigns for recycling and protecting the environment. I thought I wouldn’t have to live through the effects of climate change. Now, it seems we’re headed toward the dystopian future sci-fi and scientists warned us about.

Puerto Rico is a territory of the United States but a distinct place all its own, and it pains me to think my homeland might be lost to a climate catastrophe. Hurricane Maria, which struck in 2017, made it clear that Puerto Rico is not prepared for climate change, and even though we’ve seen some progress, I fear it might be too little, too late.