Hi everyone, I’m Pauline and I’m a sophomore at Baruch who is currently majoring in Marketing. A hobby of mine is drawing and I also really enjoy watching Studio Ghibli movies. A text that made a lasting impression on me from my childhood was Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax. This book stuck with me because it taught me so much about the importance of trees and how wildlife are affected by humans cutting down trees. When I read this as a child, I had yet to learn about the environment so I was unaware that trees were more than just a part of nature. But after reading the book and seeing how the animals were harmed by deforestation and by the construction of factories, it made me understand how important it was to not only conserve trees, but also to keep the water and air clean. I remember feeling sad about what happened to the animals and it was that sadness that stuck with me years later, making this book a text that was hard to forget. After revisiting this book again recently as I read it out loud to second graders, it got me thinking about the ways in which I contribute to the climate crisis and how I could find more eco-friendly alternatives to what I use. I’ve researched, learned, and talked about global warming in the past and I like to think that The Lorax was what started my interest in learning more and teaching others about global warming and the importance of trees, wetlands, etc. While it was me feeling sad for the animals that made the book stuck with me as a child, I think what stuck to me now as I reread The Lorax was the desperation that could be heard through the words on the pages. By addressing the main character as “you”, it sounded as if Dr. Seuss was talking directly to us, pleading us to care and take action against those that are responsible for deforestation. And it’s this desperation that has made The Lorax have a lasting impact on me.