Julie McConnell sits down with Cece Horbat to discuss all things environmentalism. As someone who has been interested in the environment after watching NBC commercials about recycling, Cece is now majoring in environmental justice at the University of Michigan’s School for Environment and Sustainability.

Responding to the article “Five Ways to Make the Outdoors More Inclusive,” Cece finds a correlation between the diversity of the environment and the human population and feels that it is inherently wrong that some people do not have equitable access to the resources that the earth has to water, whether that’s clean air, water, or even healthy. This lack of equity may be due to a variety of factors such as geographic location, economic stress, and/or lack of education.

What also comes hand in hand with this lack of access to the outdoors is the lack of awareness of how humans are impacting the environment. Although the topic itself may be complicated and overwhelming to tackle, Cece encourages people to start by reflecting on their individual choices. It starts with consciousness and the willingness to educate yourself about how you can be living more sustainably, whether that is reusing plastic bags or even buying a reusable boba straw. There is not a one-size-fits-all solution and you have to figure out what changes you can make in your everyday life that works for you. As Cece said, “We all deserve a safe and happy place that gives us what we need, and the earth does that, so we need to respect it in the best way that we can.”

CECE HORBAT is a Chinese Adoptee from Albany, NY. Aside from her love for a good deep discussion about adoption, she's passionate about the environment. CeCe is pursuing her masters degree at the University of Michigan studying Environmental Justice. When she's not drowning in homework, you can find her in search for the best new food place while sipping some boba and petting a dog.

Instagram: @treehugginasian
LinkedIn: @chorbat

Summary by Joanne Nguyen