Today is Earth Day, and over one billion people in 192 countries are taking action to protect the environment. From Sydney to San Jose, New Delhi to New York, Rome to Cairo, Beijing to Beirut, Amazonia to Honolulu, Washington, D.C. to Moscow, people everywhere are organizing demonstrations and rallies, demanding climate action, cleaning up their communities, meeting with their elected officials, planting trees, and teaching their children about protecting our planet in honor of Earth Day.
“Earth Day is the most powerful force the environmental movement has ever known,” said Kathleen Rogers, president of Earth Day Network. “Millions of people will be permanently recruited into the environmental movement, joining the more than a billion people who already use this day to focus on the urgent need to stabilize global greenhouse gas emissions, fight climate change, live more eco-friendly lives and protect their children’s futures.”
This year Earth Day Network is focusing on Green Cities. On Earth Day and throughout the year, cities are working with their communities to catalyze a transition to a more sustainable future through efficiency upgrades, investment in renewable energy, and regulation reform. As part of the campaign, Earth Day Network is working directly with cities across the US—from Jackson, Mississippi to Santa Fe, New Mexico—to implement sustainable programs and policies at the local level.
“For the first time in history, most people on Earth live in urban areas. Many of these cities are desperately trying to transform themselves into models of efficiency and sustainability, and some are preparing to face the perils of climate change. We’re working with these cities, local governments, citizens, and other stakeholders to convert these cities into “green cities.” That means redesigning their transportation infrastructure, modernizing their energy systems, and rethinking the way they build,” said Franklin Russell, Director of Earth Day at Earth Day Network.
Across the world, millions of schoolchildren and their teachers from around the world will take part in education, civic, and outdoor programs that will teach them about the importance of clean air and water, how to begin a lifelong practice to civic participation, and experience the wonders of nature.
In almost every country on earth, citizens will be making demands on their governments to enforce their laws and take action to solve the climate crises and begin a lifetime of staying involved. That is the legacy of Earth Day, the largest and most active citizen engagement campaign on earth.
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