Author: Zoe Parcells

Tis the season of giving! As Roots & Shootsers, we are well aware of all of the gifts the planet gives us; like food, water, and fresh air. One of the most important things the Earth does for us is soak up harmful levels of carbon dioxide. Humans emit 2.4 million pounds of carbon dioxide every second, so if oceans and forests did not absorb the majority of these emissions, the air quality on Earth would be killer. Every person can work to reduce their carbon emissions and make the Earth’s job easier. To give back to our planet and protect the environment we…

National Parks and monuments are more than simply public space. Presidents of the past have realized their tremendous value to Americans not only as a part of our national identity, but as a place for reflection, connection with nature, and as a right for every citizen regardless of identity. Many Americans and visitors from abroad have had some of their most profound experiences in these spaces, and they serve as a place of coming together for people of every background. Theodore Roosevelt, who helped establish 230 acres of public land, claimed about these spaces: “It is also vandalism wantonly to…

If you had told me before I walked into my first environmental activism group meeting how much public speaking would be required, I would have likely turned right around. To this day, I deal with an issue that is very common: I get really nervous when I’m speaking in front of a group. When I started my journey as an activist, I would shake so badly that it affected my voice; and that was when I was only facing a couple people at a time. I can remember a few times when I completely blanked on my talking points. This used…

Beach cleanups have been close to my heart since I was young. My mom, sister and I, our wet boogie boards and towels trailing behind us, always picked up three pieces of trash on the way to the car to “thank” the beach. As I got older I joined the phenomenon of organized beach cleanups. My school and the various honors groups within it endorsed them. Many of my peers were present, and being among these huge groups of people was invigorating. But there was one problem. When you are one in thousands of people in one area, it can…

As a young person who is highly invested in politics, the discovery that I would miss the cutoff age for the general election by eight months was a hard blow. The blow was especially difficult because I had suffered many before. I sat aside as voting for a plastic bag ban in California commenced, and the cause I cared most about was on the brink of great success or, perhaps, failure. I waited on edge many times as voters determined what amount of funding was crucial for my public school education. I was infuriated by adults who relinquished the right…