Oliver Jeffers

A million and a half years after finding a box of matches, we haven't totally burned the house down.

Yet.

The chances of being here are infinitesimal.

Yet here we are, perils and all.

There have never been more people living on Earth, using more stuff.

And it's become obvious that many of the old systems we invented for ourselves are obsolete, and we have to build new ones.

Here we are on Earth.

And life on Earth is a wonderful thing.

It looks big, this Earth, but there are lots of us on here.

Seven and a half billion at last count, with more showing up every day.

Even so, there is still enough for everyone, if we all share a little.

So please, be kind to us.

When you think of it another way, if Earth is the only place where people live, it's actually the least lonely place in the universe.

There are plenty of people to be loved by, and plenty of people to love.

We need each other.

We know that now more than ever.

Good night.