I Was a Teenage Tree-Hugger

The story of my failed attempt to save the world

Seahorse Key, Florida. Photo by author.

“And I….. never let the water run!” The earworm refrain echoed through my head for years as I made sure to turn off the tap while I brushed my teeth.

My school’s annual Earth Day festivities were filled with cheesy songs about the evils of using too much water or not cutting up our six-pack rings. They…