We all seem to have that one relative who (loudly) denies climate change at the dinner table — the one who points to snow on the ground in November to disprove global warming, calls climate change an international hoax, or insists climate change is part of “the natural planetary cycles.”

Sigh.

It may seem futile to argue with these family members — you could say anything to them, read them every landmark climate report backed by scientists, and they still won’t change their minds.

But engaging in this sort of respectful discourse with nay-saying climate deniers — even if your uncle blindly disputes every point you make — is a step in the right direction. Our job as environmental activists (or even just someone who cares about our collective future) is to squelch anti-science rhetoric as we encounter it. To not do so could mean backpedaling on so much of the progress that scientific research has advanced.

… Or maybe you’re just in the mood to argue. Whatever inspires you to myth-bust this holiday season, here are six ways to respond to your family’s climate-denying comments. In the most respectful, loving way, of course:

1. Uncle Frank says, “Climate change is natural and normal — we’ve seen fluctuations throughout history.”

The Earth has been through a lot in the last 4.5 billion years. And yes, high levels of carbon dioxide have been released naturally in the Earth’s history. Scientists believe that mass extinctions millions of years ago may be attributed to increased atmospheric carbon dioxide, long before humans were around to burn ridiculous amounts of fossil fuels.

What we’re experiencing with climate change today, however, is far different than any warming or cooling humanity has seen — in rate and in scale. Our present climate change is occurring at an unprecedented rate.

That some of the world’s mass extinctions may have been tied to CO2 shouldn’t be a relief, though; it should be a wakeup call. Unlike in the past, we are the ones doing the damage (through the out-of-control burning of fossil fuels), not the Earth.

The good news is it’s entirely within our control to phase out fossil fuels and avoid the most devastating impacts of unchecked climate change. We don’t have to be dinosaurs, and we definitely should stop burning them.

2. When your cousin Wilma says, “Scientists can’t even agree that climate change is happening.”

Well, actually… 97 percent of scientists agree that climate change is happening and that humans are the primary cause.

To put this into perspective, in 2020, NASA climate scientist Kate Marvel stated that we are more sure that humans are causing climate change than we are that smoking causes cancer.

Perhaps you’re thinking of indecisive politicians, many of whom are backed by the fossil fuel industry. Maybe that’s why leaders are still dragging their feet when it comes to climate action — or worse, vocally denying its existence in the face of rigorous scientific report, after report, after report.

The truth is politicians have known about human-made climate change since the 1960s and fossil fuel companies have known about it since the 1950s. But leaders in the highest-emitting countries are doing next to nothing to slow climate change, let alone stop it.

3. Grandpa says, “It’s so cold outside. Sure could use some of that global warming.”

Weather and climate are two different things. Weather fluctuates from day to day, while climate is defined by long-term trends and weather averages.

So, just because it’s cold right now doesn’t mean global warming isn’t happening. The last ten years have been the warmest ten years on record, and that’s counting the bitter polar vortexes that have driven Arctic air down across North America during that period. It’s only getting worse! NOAA announced this January that the summer of 2024 was the hottest summer on record and that this August was the third warmest summer in the US in the 131 year record. 

The Earth is on track to warm a predicted 1.5 degrees Celsius in the next five years, but winter’s not going to disappear altogether in many parts of the world. Record low temperatures will just become rarer.

And while you might not lose your winter altogether, unchecked climate change will bring other major weather shifts, in the form of extreme weather events like drought, wildfire, and hurricanes that will become more frequent and more intense in our warming world.

So, bundle up and brace yourself for the extreme weather climate change brings — including the intense cold.

4. Your mom says, “Plants and animals will adapt to the changes.” (Mom, stop embarrassing me!)

Scientists believe that current climate change is occurring too rapidly to allow for species to adapt. And this is about more than the pictures of starving polar bears you see on Facebook (sorry, Mom).

Climate change threatens 35% of animals and plants with extinction in the wild by 2050. At this point, with climate change not even at its fullest force, an estimated one million species are at risk of extinction. In 2023, estimates showed that two dozen species go extinct every day.

This is because climate change is compounding the effects of other already-existing detrimental human activities like overfishing and deforestation.

A U.N. report published in 2019 ranked the top five direct drivers of the disappearance of species. Climate change was third, behind changes in land and sea use and overexploitation of organisms (all human-caused).Currently, species are going extinct at 1,000-10,000 times the natural rate of extinction. That means we could lose 35 percent of the total species found on Earth by mid-century. Can you pass the cranberry sauce?

5. Uncle Frank is back at it: “Climate change is a good thing.“

Hold my eggnog.

For many reasons — economic, environmental, physiological — climate change will have a net negative impact on the world. Research even shows we’ve significantly underestimated the severity of climate change related destruction and the subsequent financial.

 In our warming world, global economic output is expected to decrease by up to 85 percent by 2100 under the 2 degree celsius climate change scenario. In estimates from 2021, the United States economy stands to lose seven percent of potential output, with poorer nations like the Philippines and Thailand predicted to see economic growth drop by 20 percent by 2050.

But enough with the economic hypotheticals. We’re already seeing how dangerous climate change is to plants and animals as well as humans.

Higher temperatures have increased heat-related deaths. Nearly 62,000 heat-related deaths were recorded in Europe during the summer of 2022. Higher temperatures also worsen air quality, and in 2021, higher temperatures were connected to increases in some violent crimes.

But what’s just as scary are the statistics on natural disasters: Hurricanes are reaching new extremes — with the proportion of categories 4 and 5 expected to increase because of climate change. Wildfires, too, are claiming larger burn areas and increasing in intensity.

What’s so great about that?

6. Your stepdad says, “It won’t affect me or anyone I know.”

Climate impacts are already here and now, and they will only get worse if we continue to do nothing. Climate change affects individuals disproportionately, hurting the poorest and most vulnerable communities worse than others, so you may just be feeling a buffer from your comparative privilege.

Environmental justice recognizes that climate change isn’t just a physical problem — it’s an ethical one, too. The individuals and communities who will be most affected by climate change are the ones contributing the least to it.

But this is also a generational issue — you may not have to bear the brunt of our collective inaction on climate change, but let’s try to have some empathy for future generations (even if you don’t understand TikTok or selfies).

Your great grandchildren — who are currently on track to inherit a world 2.7 degrees warmer than yours and feel its effects at every stage of their life — will have to clean up the mess your generation made in their fight for survival. They’ll grow up in a world with more air pollution, more vector-borne diseases, and more extreme weather events to deal with.

The future of humanity is on the line

In conclusion, you can’t choose your family, but you can try to change their mindsets on climate change. Some of these arguments may stick; some may go in one ear and out the other.

These conversations aren’t easy, but we should try to engage in them when we can. After all, the future of humanity is on the line.

Perhaps if you convince them, your newly informed, ex-climate-denying relatives will even take action for Earth Day in 2025. That action — whether it’s participating in a cleanup, having a plant-based meal, or attending a teach-in — can help put us on a course to a greener, more sustainable future.

And if that happens, you’ll definitely have something interesting to talk about next holiday.

This blog was originally published on November 25, 2019 and updated on December 25, 2025.

The post 6 Arguments to Refute Your Climate-Denying Relatives This Holiday appeared first on Earth Day.

My favorite movie growing up was How the Grinch Stole Christmas. It is still the first movie put on every December. But Jim Carrey’s performance, though objectively stellar, is actually not the main draw. Rather the message; Christmas and the holidays are not about the things we buy, but the people we have around us. 

Somewhere along the way, this time of year has gone from being about spending time with family and appreciation for what we have, to being a massive shopping spree. The average American spends nearly $1000 just on gifts during the holiday season. The United Kingdom, Germany and France top Christmas and holiday spending in Europe for 2025, with a projected 90, 70 and 60 billion pounds sterling spend anticipated in shops and online. 

So this holiday season, EARYHDAY.ORG, challenges you to ditch the shopping and do something less boring instead! Here are 7 things to do this Christmas and holiday season:

1. I’ll Be Cleaning Up for Christmas

Community cleanups have been around as long as the first Earth Day in 1970, and they’re still one of the most immediate ways to make a visible impact in your neighborhood. With the world producing over 400 million tonnes of plastic a year (and rising), every piece you pull out of the environment matters.

Cleanups do more than make a spot look pretty. Removing trash before it breaks apart can stop up to 99% of microplastics from ever reaching rivers and oceans. There is an added bonus too that this behavior spreads! If just 5% of a community joins in, research shows the habit can go viral. 

It’s ridiculously easy to join us on clean ups: grab a bag, step outside, and start picking up trash. Or make it official by joining an EARTHDAY.ORG cleanup near you. Check our Global Cleanup Map, team up with friends or family, and give the planet a little holiday cheer. It builds community, is good exercise after all the festive food and will make you feel better, plus the planet will thank you!

2. O’ Christmas Tree, I Plant Thee

If you want a holiday gift that “pays” dividends for decades, plant a tree. One tree can absorb about 10-48 pounds of CO₂ a year, trees help to filter polluted air, cool urban neighborhoods, boost biodiversity, and even raise property values. Basically, trees are multitasking climate superheroes that don’t ask for anything in return except sunlight, water and the right to exist!

But they’re disappearing fast. About 10.9 million hectares (108,000 km²) of forest are cleared each year, which is roughly the size of Iceland every single year. Urban development, agriculture, and logging are stripping away the very forests that are vital to literally millions of species, including human beings.. That’s why EARTHDAY.ORG is working to plant 60 million trees by 2030 through the Canopy Tree Project.

You can be a tree hero. Donate to help us plant a tree where it’s needed most, or plant one in your own yard or community. It’s inexpensive, long-lasting, and scientifically proven to make the planet healthier… one root system at a time.

3. No More Tinsel 

Plastic isn’t just polluting the planet; it’s polluting our bodies. Microplastics have now been found in human blood, lungs, placentas, breast milk, and even brain tissue. Once inside the body, they don’t just sit there innocently minding their own business. Plastic particles can carry chemicals that act as endocrine disruptors, and studies have linked these chemicals to increased risks of cancer, disruption to fertility, and respiratory disease. No one signed up for the $1.25 trillion in health related damages globally that plastic chemicals cause every year. 

During the holidays, plastic is everywhere, from tree decorations, to sparkle‑wrapped gifts to disposable cups at parties, even our pet’s stocking stuffers are probably plastic. A single load of laundry can releases up to 700,000 microplastic fibers because so many of our clothes are partially made of polyester, a plastic textile. 

To reduce the annual plastic explosion this holiday season, buy natural fiber materials, such as cotton, and wash holiday sweaters and festive outfits with synthetic fibers (which are all made of plastic chemicals) less frequently. 

We want to give our kids the magic of Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanza, and that should not involve plastic. Babies ingest ten times more microplastics than adults, largely from bottles and toys, 90% of which are made of plastic. Choose stainless steel or glass baby bottles, wrap gifts for kids in cloth or recycled paper instead of plastic-coated wrapping, and vacuum often.

Even festive décor can contribute: many ornaments, tinsel, and disposable cups are plastic. Swap them for wooden, glass or stainless steel ornaments, cups and tableware to cut exposure while keeping your celebrations beautiful. If you are sick of plastics – please take 2 minutes and sign our Global Plastics Treaty Petition to demand meaningful action on plastic production from the world’s government’s. . 

4. Tis the Season to Re-Gift Clothes

Before you click “add to cart” on another holiday outfit, take a quick peek at your closet. About 70% of the clothes in there are probably made of polyester, which is really just plastic spun into thread. It’s cheap, durable, and everywhere… but it comes with a massive environmental price tag.

Polyester is made from fossil fuels, and producing it requires an estimated 342 million barrels of oil every year; that’s enough oil to fill around 16 million Olympic swimming pools every year! The fashion industry as a whole pumps out more than 700 million tons of CO₂ annually, and synthetic fibers shed microplastics at every stage of their life. The pollution from our clothes ends up in our waterways, our air, our soil, and then our bodies.

Fast fashion only fuels the problem. Brands release hundreds of thousands of new items each year, encouraging us to treat clothes like disposable decor. The average person buys 60% more clothing than they did 15 years ago, but only wears the items 6-8 times before discarding them. The result? Over 92 million tons of textile waste each year and mountains of microplastics that will outlive us all.

This holidays, skip the fast-fashion frenzy. Regift clothes you no longer wear, upcycle pieces you already own, host a swap with friends, or give gently used items new life with someone who will love them. You’ll save money, avoid adding more plastic to the planet, and cut down on the emissions tied to producing something you already have.

If you want to go bigger, join EARTHDAY.ORG’s Fashion for the Earth campaign and demand that the industry clean up its act. The planet, and your closet space, will thank you.

5. Ditch the Holiday Ham for Plant Protein 

Holiday dinners don’t have to revolve around a giant glazed animal. Plant proteins are having a moment, and honestly, they’re bringing better stats to the table than most meats. Many of them pack just as much protein, use a fraction of the land and water, and produce dramatically fewer emissions. Plus, they spare you the “I need a nap” feeling that usually hits around dessert.

There’s a plethora of possibilities, and here are a few options. Take tempeh, tofu’s crunchier cousin with a 31-grams-per-cup protein punch and built-in probiotics thanks to fermentation that supports gut health and digestion. Lentils deliver 18 grams per cooked cup and so much folate  (90% of what is recommended daily) that nutritionists basically applaud when you open the bag and support your red blood cell health. Even beans of all kinds bring about 15 grams of protein per cup and come with fiber, iron, potassium, which support heart health, digestion, and even helps ease PMS and mood symptoms. And they have a soil-saving superpower called nitrogen fixation, where they pull nitrogen from the air and enrich the soil which helps farmers rely less on synthetic fertilizers. 

Replacing even one holiday meal with plant proteins can cut your diet’s environmental impact dramatically. Livestock is responsible for roughly 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and shifting toward plant-based proteins remains one of the simplest ways to shrink your carbon footprint without sacrificing flavor or tradition.

6. Movie Night is Green 

If you are scrolling through your streaming apps with nothing to watch, I have a recommendation: Underreported Earth: Tree Tales. Hosted by The Guardian’s Tracy McVeigh, three investigative journalists, each supported by the Pulitzer Center, share how they uncovered powerful stories about deforestation and conservation in Brazil and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Ana Bottallo, a science and health reporter from Brazil, highlights the mangrove forests of northern Brazil and how predatory fishing practices threaten them. Her reporting spotlighted Indigenous communities leading conservation efforts, ultimately driving new protections and collaboration with government agencies.

Elisângela Mendonça, formerly of The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, investigated illegal beef and collagen sourcing in the Amazon. Her work revealed ranches clearing Indigenous land, prompting at least one corporation to change its supply chain practices and encouraging consumers to stay vigilant about product origins.

Josephine Moulds, reporting from the Democratic Republic of Congo, exposed threats to the Congo Basin rainforest from government fossil fuel drilling auctions. She highlighted both corruption in the auction process and the crucial role Indigenous communities play in protecting their ancestral forests.

These stories show how journalism can drive real-world change and why defending forests matters everywhere. The conversations can be watched on EARTHDAY.ORG on our YouTube, Facebook, and X accounts. Facebook: Ep.1, Ep.2,Ep.3, YouTube:  Ep.1, Ep.2, Ep.3, and X: Ep. 1, Ep. 2, Ep. 3. 

You can support forests locally or globally by donating to EARTHDAY.ORG’s Canopy Tree Project, signing up for updates, or volunteering. Stay informed, get inspired, and make a difference for trees everywhere.

Looking for some lighter fare? Check out these environmental films to watch with your family,

7. Grow Your Own Mistletoe 

As the cost of food and living continues to rise, you may be looking for ways to save. Today, investing in a home garden can save money: a $70 investment in seeds and supplies can yield roughly $600 worth of produce. But your wallet won’t be the only thing helping you; so will your health and mother Earth.

Gardening provides access to fresh, chemical-free produce while reducing reliance on plastic packaging, linked to many health issues, and limiting exposure to toxins. It also helps lower food waste, promotes mental well-being, and encourages physical activity. Gardening can also contribute to sustainability by reducing the carbon footprint associated with industrial agriculture and long-distance food transportation.

Whether for fresh produce, mental health, or sustainability, gardening is an easy and impactful way to take positive action at home.

This Christmas and holiday season, let’s remember that the best gifts aren’t things; they’re actions that make a difference. From planting a tree, ditching plastic use to regifting clothes, to choosing plant-based meals, to growing your own garden, every choice counts. Celebrate with intention, give your time and care, and make the season merry not just for your family, but for the planet too.

This article is available for republishing on your website, newsletter, magazine, newspaper, or blog. The accompanying imagery is cleared for use with attribution. Please ensure that the author’s name and their affiliation with EARTHDAY.ORG are credited. Kindly inform us if you republish so we can acknowledge, tag, or repost your content. You may notify us via email at davies@earthday.org or fielder@earthday.org. Want more articles? Follow us on substack.

The post 7 Things to Do Other than Shop this Holiday Season appeared first on Earth Day.

Each year, Americans give thanks and proceed to roast about 46 million turkeys. Most people believe it’s a deep-rooted tradition with roots in the “first Thanksgiving”, but that’s not quite true.

In fact, turkey became the star of this particular holiday less because of Pilgrim folklore and more because the 19th-century willed it into tradition by Sarah Josepha Hale, a writer and editor who relentlessly campaigned to establish Thanksgiving as a national holiday. Hale is often described as the  “Godmother of Thanksgiving” and it was Hale who spent years romanticizing roast turkey as the essential New England feast. It was partly due to her efforts that President Abraham Lincoln, in 1863, declared Thanksgiving a national holiday. By then turkey was so closely associated with the idea of Thanksgiving that the rest of the country eagerly copied Hale’s menu. 

Before industrial farming and refrigeration took over, thousands of birds were literally walked to their death in massive “turkey trots” across America. 

Today, this “tradition” looks very different. Most U.S. turkeys are reared up in packed, windowless sheds and selectively bred to bulk up fast (which is why these birds can no longer fly). Because they’re bred to be so unnaturally large, they can’t even mate on their own, breeding is done by artificial insemination. Commercial turkeys’ lives last only about 14–20 weeks, before they are sent to the slaughterhouse.

So this year – Instead of the President pardoning two turkeys, why don’t we pardon them all? Here are nine tasty and soul soothing protein alternatives you can try this Thanksgiving to go full cold turkey on eating turkey!

1) Tempeh, Tofu’s Crunchy Cousin

Tempeh is tofu’s crunchier cousin; the one who definitely brings their homemade kombucha to Thanksgiving. Made by fermenting whole soybeans, it clocks in at 31 grams of protein per cup, making it one of the highest-protein plant foods around. Thanks to fermentation, it’s also full of probiotics that support gut health and digestion. 
Because it’s dense and chewy, it makes an ideal stand-in for meat, and like other soy products, it uses far less land, water, and energy to produce than animal proteins. This Thanksgiving, you can make a stuffed butternut squash with tempeh that will make even the turkey lovers get curious.

2) The Classic Nut Roast!

Thanksgiving isn’t complete without nuts and seeds which deliver protein, healthy fats, and festive flair all in one bite. Peanuts pack 38 grams of protein per cup, almonds 30 grams, pistachios and cashews 25 grams each.  Nuts also come loaded with healthy fats, vitamin E, and magnesium, helping reduce inflammation, and improve heart health.

A simple nut roast is a humble yet hearty vegetarian centerpiece for Thanksgiving, made by combining a blend of chopped nuts, breadcrumbs, sautéed onions, and garlic. The mixture is enriched with fragrant herbs like thyme and parsley, held together by eggs or a flaxseed substitute, and seasoned with salt, pepper, and sometimes a savory touch like Marmite or soy sauce. Shaped into a loaf, it is baked until its exterior is golden brown and slightly crispy, while the inside remains moist and tender. 

The aroma of toasted nuts and herbs will fill your kitchen as it cooks, promising a comforting, rich dish that pairs wonderfully with roasted vegetables and gravy. This straightforward preparation highlights the natural flavors and textures of the nuts, delivering satisfying, savory notes in every slice. It’s delicious with cranberry and all the trimmings and comes cruelty free.

3) Lentils are the Tiny Titans of Thanksgiving

Lentils may be tiny, but they pack the kind of stats that make nutritionists weep with joy. Just one cooked cup delivers 18 grams of protein along with a whopping 90% of your daily folate, a nutrient essential for red blood cell health and pregnancy support. Besides, folate lentils provide iron, magnesium, and B vitamins which are crucial for energy and immune support and they are  also loaded with fiber to keep digestion on track and help maintain healthy cholesterol levels. 

Environmentally, lentils are low-impact heroes — they require very little water, grow quickly, and naturally improve soil health as they grow. Plus lentils are affordable and you can buy them in cans or dried!  If you are a fan of Beef Wellington, you can make a really cool vegetarian alternative with lentils –  vegetarian Lentil and Butternut Squash Wellington is not only delicious but cost effective too. .

4) This Protein has Bean Around the Block 

Talk about proteins being a human diet staple and you have to talk beans!  Beans have been a reliable food source for more than 9,000 years, and honestly, they deserve a lifetime achievement award for service to the human gut.

One cup brings in about 15 grams of protein, plus fiber, iron, magnesium, and potassium which support heart health, digestion, and even helps ease PMS and mood symptoms. 

Beans are also soil-restoring superstars thanks to nitrogen fixation, a natural process that allows them to pull nitrogen from the air and enrich the soil so farmers can use fewer chemical fertilizers. They’re water-efficient, budget-friendly, and wildly popular; global bean consumption is on track to hit almost 20 million metric tons by 2026, with the industry expected to top $10 billion by 2033. Now that’s bean business!

This Thanksgiving, you can have some fun and impress everyone with White Bean Sage Vegan “Meat”balls with Pomegranate Mandarin Sauce.

5) Only Chicks We’re Having are Chickpeas

Another plant protein that’s been around for ages is chickpeas, which have been a staple in human diets for nearly 10,000 years: wayyyy longer than Thanksgiving! 

They were first domesticated around 10,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent, an area that includes parts of modern-day Syria. Chickpeas spread throughout the ancient world, cultivated in the Middle East, South Asia, Ethiopia, and the Mediterranean basin. Archaeological evidence shows chickpeas were part of diets in ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt from at least 3300 BCE onwards.

With nearly 15 grams of protein per cup, along with fiber, folate, iron, and magnesium, they’re a nutritional win from every angle. They’ve been shown to reduce hunger by up to 70% compared to refined carbs, making them a perfect foundation for a hearty holiday loaf. 
They also help lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and, like other legumes, enrich the soil through  nitrogen fixation, while using relatively little water to grow.  Chickpeas are basically the triple threat of plant proteins: filling, healthy, and Earth-approved.

6) Switching it up with Edamame

Edamame are in fact immature or baby soybeans, But there’s nothing junior about the protein they provide – 17 grams per cup, and they contain all nine of essential amino acids that your body can’t make on its own. 

They’re also rich in fiber, calcium, iron, and antioxidants, all of which support heart health and may even help ease menopause symptoms. A diet high in soy foods has been linked to lower risks of certain cancers, and like all soy crops, growing edamame uses far fewer resources than livestock. 

They cook in minutes and taste great straight out of the pod, making them the snack hero you didn’t know you needed. This Thanksgiving, put edamame & mung bean pasta with caramelized onions on the table.

7) Tofu, the Shape-Shifting Sponge

Tofu may have a reputation for being bland, but hear us out: it’s a 22-grams-of-protein-per-cup, flavor-absorbing, sustainability superstar. Made by pressing soy milk into soft blocks, tofu brings iron, calcium, and magnesium to the nutrient party, along with isoflavones that may improve bone health, reduce hot flashes, and support heart health.

Tofu is great fried in the air fryer and delicious with stir fried vegetables and sweet sticky chilli sauce. Plus tofu is very affordable!

8) Seitan (aka Wheat Meat That’ll Have You Questioning if It’s Really Vegan)

Seitan is the turkey stand-in with the most “wait, is this meat?” energy. Made from wheat gluten, it’s incredibly high in protein; about 64 grams per cup, rivaling chicken in density. 

It’s also low in fat, calories, and carbohydrates, all while soaking up marinades like a champ. It’s perfect for roasts, cutlets, or anything that begs for gravy. While it’s not gluten-free, it is one of the most convincing meat textures in the plant kingdom.

9) Already Planning for Peas

Peas often already find themselves on our Thanksgiving plates, so why not make them more than just a third rate side dish. Peas serve upwards of 8 grams of protein per cup and are high in fiber, vitamin C, and antioxidants. 

Peas grow well in cool climates with minimal weekly water, making them one of the most sustainable protein crops globally. 

They’re great for mashed pea “purée,” pea patties, or stuffing add-ins. Plus, their subtly sweet, fresh taste pairs beautifully with all the rich, cozy flavors of a holiday table — proving that sometimes the greenest dishes pack the biggest punch.

Now that you know all the possibilities, are you ready to take turkey off the menu?

Curious about the bigger picture behind the foods on your plate? Check out our new series, made with the Pulitzer Center –  UNDERREPORTED EARTH: “TREE TALES” – you can watch the TRAIL here.  Tracy McVeigh from The Guardian, speaks to three incredible Pulitzer supported investigative journalists, who dive into the global impact of meat and resource extraction on forests and communities in Brazil and the Congo Basin. 

Elisangela Mendonça, reveals how the Amazon rainforest is threatened by the beef and bovine collagen industries; Josephine Moulds, explores how fossil fuel auctions put the rainforests of the Congo Basin at risk; and Ana Bottallo, documents local communities defending Amazonian mangroves from predatory fishing.

Episodes are now out across EARTHDAY.ORG social media on X: (Episode 3: X, Episode 2  X , Episode 1: X), Facebook: Ep.1,Ep.2, Ep.3  and YouTube:  Ep.1, Ep.2, Ep.3.  For more information on sustainable food systems and regenerative agriculture, click here.

This article is available for republishing on your website, newsletter, magazine, newspaper, or blog. The accompanying imagery is cleared for use with attribution. Please ensure that the author’s name and their affiliation with EARTHDAY.ORG are credited. Kindly inform us if you republish so we can acknowledge, tag, or repost your content. You may notify us via email at davies@earthday.org or fielder@earthday.org. Want more articles? Follow us on substack.

The post Happy Thanksgiving But Maybe Give Turkeys a Break! appeared first on Earth Day.

COP30, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 30th Conference of Parties, has just begun in Belém, Brazil, making it the perfect time to ask: how did the idea of COPs get started? Why do they exist, what progress have they made, and what might COP30 achieve?

Come In Planet Earth – We Have A Problem!

In its simplest form, these meetings are about sharing ideas to tackle climate change and protect the planet. 

It really all began in 1972 at the UN Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm, Sweden,which is widely considered the starting point of modern international environmental diplomacy. One of its key outcomes was the Stockholm Declaration, which included principle 1: “Man has the fundamental right to freedom, equality and adequate conditions of life, in an environment of a quality that permits a life of dignity and well-being.” 

This is often interpreted as a recognition of the “right to a healthy environment.”

So while the Stockholm conference didn’t create COPs, it set the scene for their creation by sparking global environmental cooperation between countries and paving the way for the Rio Earth Summit in 1992. Here leaders wrote the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC), an international agreement acknowledging that the planet is warming and that all countries must work together to address it. Finally we had some teeth!

We Have Lift Off

In 1995, the first COP took place, cunningly named –  COP01 – it took place in Berlin, Germany, where the focus was mainly on setting up the Berlin Mandate, which recognized that some countries, having contributed most to greenhouse gas emissions, needed to take stronger action to reduce them.

The work wasn’t finished, so leaders met again in 1996 at COP2 in Geneva, Switzerland . Around 155 countries participated, with more than 1,500 representatives from governments, intergovernmental organizations, and NGOs. At this meeting, countries agreed that the science was clear: climate change is real and driven by human activity. There was no fake news about climate change being a theory. It was rightly recognized as real and happening.

Interestingly, given that this year the United States federal government will not be at COP30, at COP2, the U.S played a key leadership role, shifting its position to support a legally binding agreement under the Berlin Mandate.  With the problem clearly defined and international consensus growing, it was finally time for countries to take meaningful action.

The Race to Slow Down Climate Change

At COP3 in Kyoto, Japan, in 1997, leaders agreed on a landmark deal: the Kyoto Protocol. Think of it as the world’s first “rulebook” for climate action, setting targets for rich, industrialized countries to reduce their greenhouse gas, GHG, emissions, with each country’s target based on how much it had historically contributed to climate change.

These greenhouse gases are mostly released by human activities and they act as an unwanted planet blanket – trapping heat and warming the climate up.  The main gases are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and some synthetic gases used in industry and refrigeration.

We need to fast forward to COP11 in Montreal (2005), where the Kyoto Protocol officially came into force. For this to happen, enough countries had to ratify it — and together, they had to account for at least 55% of the greenhouse gas emissions produced by developed countries in 1990, ensuring that the world’s biggest polluters were part of the agreement. 

Notably, the United States never ratified the Kyoto Protocol, it was the ratification of Russia in 2004 that finally meant the threshold needed for it to take effect was met. Yep you heard that right, Russia. 

At the same meeting, leaders also launched the Montreal Action Plan, a roadmap to extend the Kyoto Protocol beyond its first commitment period which ran from 2008 to 2012. As well as outline plans for deeper emissions cuts in the next phase, meaning countries would aim for stricter targets to further reduce their contribution to climate change. The ​​United States supported the Montreal Action Plan at COP11 in 2005, even though it had never ratified the Kyoto Protocol. 

What Did All This Talking Actually Mean?

During the first commitment period, 2008-2012, developed countries were expected to reduce their GHG emissions by 5%, from 1990 levels.  COP15 (2009) in Copenhagen, Denmark was a damp squib and a much need binding agreement to follow Kyoto, didn’t happen.

The turning point came at COP21 in Paris, France (2015). Nearly every country in the world signed the Paris Agreement, pledging to keep global warming below 2°C, and to aim for 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. A few countries, including Iran and North Korea, have still not signed, while Turkey and Nicaragua joined later. The United States signed under President Obama, later withdrew under President Trump, rejoined under President Biden, then withdrew again under President Trump in 2025.

But in 2015 every signatory country made its own climate plan, known as a Nationally Determined Contribution, or NDC for short, outlining how they would limit global warming to well below 2°C target. NDCs are officially updated every 5 years.

After skipping 2020 due to COVID, COP26 took place in 2021 in Glasgow, Scotland. Some countries pledged to end deforestation of 85% of the world’s forests by 2030, some agreed to cut methane emissions by 30%.

At COP27 in Sharm el‑Sheikh, Egypt (2022), a major milestone was reached with the Loss and Damage Fund, providing money to help countries hit hardest by climate change. It was also here at COP27 that EARTHDAY.ORG made a big impact amplifying the need for climate education in all schools, with a dedicated Climate Education Hub Pavilion. 

Put simply, climate education builds a much needed green skilled workforce.  The World Bank estimates the global green transition could create around 100 million new jobs, with India alone seeing 35 million green jobs by 2047. The global transition to clean power is driving this need for skilled workers as renewable energy investment reached over $1.8 trillion in 2023 alone, and renewable energy jobs tipped 16.2 millions worldwide the same year.

Education is King

The good news is that climate education is gaining traction. In the 2020 NDCs, only 40 countries mentioned climate or environmental education in their strategies for mitigation, adaptation, or resilience. By October 2025, after years of dedicated campaigning by groups like EARTHDAY.ORG (EDO), 152 countries now meaningfully include, reference, or institutionalize climate education. The European Union, all 27 nations just added it to their NDC mirroring EDO language. 

EDO also launched the Climate Education Coalition, bringing together over 100 youth organizations worldwide, championing the planet saving qualities of teaching climate education. But w indeed your support – please add your name to our Climate Literacy Petition. Help us make our voices louder!

Plus, EARTHDAY.ORG has a presence on the ground at COP30. If you would like to speak to our team, contact our Director of Climate Education, Bryce Coon at coon@earthday.org or feel free to email our Regional Director of Brazil and South America, Rodolfo Beltran at beltran@earthday.org. He is fluent in both Spanish and Portuguese. 

COP30 in Brazil?

COP30 is a milestone. Thirty years of climate talks have seen global emissions still rising, and the 1.5°C target slipping out of reach. To succeed, countries must deliver ambitious, credible climate plans, close the climate finance gap, support developing nations, and heed the signals of the natural world.

Which is why President Lula of Brazil wants to put nature and Indigenous leadership at the center of the talks. Many are calling this the “Forest COP” and a chance to show the world that protecting forests is not just symbolic, but crucial. But Brazil faces what some call the “Brazilian paradox.” On one hand, it champions forest protection and renewable energy. On the other hand, it has recently approved new oil exploration projects at the mouth of the Amazon River. 

While there is a tension between economic growth and the urgent need to shift away from fossil fuels, countries like Colombia are already moving to phase out oil exploration. If Brazil follows suit, the region could lead the next decade of climate solutions.

If you want to learn more about why COP30 must take meaningful action to protect the world’s forests, check out our newest series. EARTHDAY.ORG, in collaboration with the Pulitzer Center, will jointly present Underreported Earth: Tree Tales from November 17–19. The series features conversations with Pulitzer Center investigative journalist grantees sharing their powerful forest stories from Brazil and the Congo Basin. Tracy McVeigh of The Guardian, global development desk and editor of foundations and philanthropic projects, will go behind the scenes with investigative journalists to reveal how they uncovered compelling stories about deforestation and conservation and why these stories matter to us all.

This article is available for republishing on your website, newsletter, magazine, newspaper, or blog. The accompanying imagery is cleared for use with attribution. Please ensure that the author’s name and their affiliation with EARTHDAY.ORG are credited. Kindly inform us if you republish so we can acknowledge, tag, or repost your content. You may notify us via email at davies@earthday.org or fielder@earthday.org. Want more articles? Follow us on substack.

The post Everything You Wanted to Know About COP30 and Were Afraid to Ask appeared first on Earth Day.

Every five years, the European Environment Agency (EEA) takes stock of how Europe’s environment is basically doing. The new 2025 State of the Environment report paints a mixed picture.

While Europe has made real progress in cutting greenhouse gas emissions and reducing air pollution, nature remains under heavy pressure. Biodiversity continues to decline, ecosystems are being overused, and the impacts of climate change are intensifying.

Nature & the Economy Inseparable

The EEA report makes it clear that nature and the economy are deeply connected. As of 2023, around 72 percent of Eurozone companies depend heavily on at least one ecosystem service, while about 75 percent of all bank loans go to firms that rely on at least one ecosystem service. Together, this has accounted for €4.2 trillion in corporate loans.

But the costs of inaction are staggering. The EEA estimates that failure to fully implement EU environmental law drains €180 billion per year from the EU’s economy by driving pollution, ecosystem degradation, and inefficient waste handling. 

The damage isn’t only financial. Air pollution still represents one of Europe’s biggest health challenges, with related costs reaching around €600 billion every year — roughly 4 percent of the EU’s GDP. Cleaner air could save both lives and money, underscoring how tightly human health and environmental health are linked.

Green Jobs: The Bright Spot in the Data

There is good news though. Europe’s green economy is growing quickly, and employment in environmental sectors is rising faster than in the wider labor market. In 2023, Europe contributed 21% of the world’s turbine and manufacturing renewable energy jobs, a massive 1.8 million careers. The environmental goods and services sector employed 6.7 million people full-time in 2022.

Looking ahead, the EU’s green transition is expected to create up to 2.5 million additional jobs by 2030. The transition to sustainability, in other words, is also a transition to new work and opportunity.

These insights set the stage for Education for Climate Day, held this year in Brussels on 23 October. Our very own Johnny Dabrowski was on the panel “Global Lessons for European Learning” alongside experts from the European Commission, UNESCO, CNRS-IPSL, and the Learning Planet Institute. This discussion explored how international climate commitments — such as the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) — shape national education strategies, how schools can build disaster resilience, and how climate education strengthens Europe’s competitiveness in a green economy.

The event, hosted by the European Commission’s Education for Climate initiative, had more than 700 participants registered and streamed live from Brussels reaching over 130,000 followers. 

Looking Ahead to COP30

As Europe prepares for COP30, the message from the EEA’s report and from this year’s education initiatives is clear: protecting nature is not only an environmental goal — it’s an economic and social one. A healthy environment supports strong economies, stable societies, and resilient futures. And education is the bridge that links awareness to action.

Investing in climate literacy today means investing in a Europe that can thrive tomorrow.If you agree, pledge your support here. 

This article is available for republishing on your website, newsletter, magazine, newspaper, or blog. The accompanying imagery is cleared for use with attribution. Please ensure that the author’s name and their affiliation with EARTHDAY.ORG are credited. Kindly inform us if you republish so we can acknowledge, tag, or repost your content. You may notify us via email at davies@earthday.org or fielder@earthday.org. Want more articles? Follow us on substack.

The post Europe’s €600 Billion Air Problem appeared first on Earth Day.

It’s Halloween, which means costumes, candy, and scary movies. Fear turns to fun on October 31 because Halloween lets us seek scary thrills that can’t hurt us. When we feel like threats are closing in on us and things are getting truly scary, we just turn off the TV and turn on the lights. But there is one terror that we can’t escape, no matter the time of year.

We’re talking about climate change! Here are five of the scariest, most bone-chilling facts about climate change to get you in the mood for terror this season (and hopefully also scare you and your fellow trick-or-treaters into action to address it).

1. Within the next 2 decades, global temperatures are likely to reach 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

In its highly-anticipated Sixth Report in 2021, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) stated that a certain amount of global warming is locked in and is irreversible. They reported that from 2011–2020, the global temperature had already reached 1.1 degrees Celsius above 1850-1900 levels. 

In 2024, global temperatures rose above 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels for the first time, and if this trend persists, we will have failed to reach our climate goals established under the Paris Agreement. As climate change becomes more severe, it is predicted to increase the frequency of “fire weather”, kill 70-90% of coral reefs at 1.5 degrees Celsius warming, and raise our sea levels globally by .3 meters above 2000s level.

Scientists estimate that we are on track to reach the 1.5 degree Celsius threshold by 2030 and reach the “tipping point” for climate change. Although the 1.5 degree threshold is considered by the signatories of the Paris Agreement as an acceptable level of global warming, every “extra bit of warming increases the severity of many weather extremes, ice melt and sea-level rise.” Yet, little has changed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It’s like the movie Don’t Look Up; we know what’s happening but we aren’t doing enough to change the outcome.

In 2019, global carbon emissions from fossil fuels and industry reached a high of 36.44 billion metric tons. In 2020, emissions from fossil fuels and industry fell by 5.8 percent due to COVID-19 and the resulting economic crisis. Despite that year’s reverse trend, however, 2022 emissions were back up to 36.8 billion metric tons. In the latest estimates from 2024, fossil fuel and industry emissions reached a new record high of 37.41 billion metric tons of CO2.

Four years later, Professor Forster’s eerie words still hold true.

2. The last 7 years have been the warmest on record

In 2023, NASA announced that the summer of 2023 was the hottest summer on record globally, surpassing the intense heat experienced in 2016. One year later, 2024 is confirmed by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) as the hottest year on record. 

And not only is food security severely at risk because of climate change, but our human security is as well. With temperatures rising due to climate change comes the risk of heat stress, the leading cause of weather-related deaths. 

As we enter the spooky season, the Washington Post reports that it will be an unseasonably hot one in the US. As a marine heatwave amplified by long-term global warming sweeps across the US, we are likely to experience temperatures above seasonal averages, with the Ohio Valley, Appalachians and Northeast predicted to experience 10 to 20 degree deviations.

 “Whether one year is a record or not is not really that important — the important things are long-term trends,” said Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) Director Gavin Schmidt. The current long-term trend is that each year is getting hotter and hotter. 

Are you scared for our future, yet? Well get ready, because it’s going to get even scarier.

3. Our extinction rate is currently estimated to be 1,000-10,000 times the natural rate.

Imagine dressing up as a frog for Halloween and having to explain to younger generations what a frog was and why it’s gone. Currently it is estimated that  41%  of all amphibians species are at risk of extinction due to climate change — so this could be a reality if we don’t act soon.

Extinction is a natural phenomenon, claiming about five species per year. But some experts suggest we’re in the midst of the sixth mass extinction — one that is caused mostly by human activity.

According to a 2023 report, 48% of species are declining and on their way to extinction. It also revealed that the 33% of species listed as non-threatened by the IUCN Red-List are actually decreasing. By mid-century, over one third of the total species found on Earth are predicted to disappear because our extinction rate is currently 1,000 to 10,000 times the natural rate. In 2024, 21 species were declared extinct by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, which tragically included the beloved Bachman’s Warbler.

Allowing this to continue is “a crime equivalent to tossing books from the Library of Alexandria thoughtlessly into a fire, erasing the shared inheritance of all mankind,” according to the National Institute of Environmental Health Science in a review from 2009.

Species diversity is crucial for ecosystem resilience, and without it, ecological communities will not have the strength to withstand change — especially not the change we’re throwing at them.

4. Climate change is already happening, and it’s detrimental to human life, too

The impacts to human health are much scarier than any child-eating clown movie.

Rising temperatures — coupled with cities that lack the capacity to minimize the accumulation and generation of urban heat and the increasing population of elderly — have increased heat-related deaths, according to an article published in 2024 by the World Health Organization.

A 2018 report concluded that the lack of adaptive capacities and effort toward reducing emissions threatens human lives and the national health systems people rely on, by pushing services to their limit and disrupting core infrastructure. Vulnerable communities are already being hit first and worst.

But hyperthermia is not the only risk climate change brings to human life. Pollution worsens air quality, and as of 2021, has been reported to be responsible for 1 in 8 deaths worldwide. This makes air pollution the second leading risk factor for death worldwide. 

A warming world also increases the intensity of natural disasters.

According to NASA, extreme wildfire activity has more than doubled worldwide.  This year, California saw one of the most destructive wildfires in US history in terms of loss of life, structural damages, and acres lost. In 2024, an intense wildfire in Chile killed 136 people, making it the deadliest disaster in the country since the 2010 earthquake and tsunami. Not only are the fires themselves deadly, but the smoke they produce is as well. As of this year, smoke from wildfires in Canada and the American West are predicted to cause more than 40,000 premature deaths per year. This is more than all the fatalities from car crashes in 2024. 

Hurricanes are reaching new extremes, too. According to scientists, 84% of Atlantic hurricanes between 2018 and 2023 were, on average, 18 mph stronger because of climate change. It has become immensely more difficult to escape these storms unscathed, and it will only get harder in the future.

Have you noticed that the Halloween season doesn’t feel the same either? If we can’t wear a full costume without sweating then something is wrong, right?

That’s because climate change is shifting the seasons. Over the past five decades, the vegetation season has become lengthened by an average of one month. This means that spring arrives earlier, while fall is delayed. This not only affects Halloween, but it might affect your Christmas plans too! Because of this change in seasons, many popular ski destinations around the world are forced to make their own artificial snow to stay open.

This change in season not only makes dressing up in a full-body werewolf costume uncomfortable but also disrupts the natural interactions between species, their habitats, and their migration patterns. 

BOO!

5. Many leaders still aren’t taking it seriously.

The world has been aware of climate change at least since the IPCC formed in 1988. Scientists and the public rallied around environmental policy, but many global governments had a different idea.

They were going to ignore it.

Countries contributing the most to global emissions have the best chance of curbing climate change, but leaders are doing little to address it.

Although it has been seven years since the Paris Agreement entered into force, none of the world’s major economies are on track to keep global warming well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

To outline steps to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build resilience to climate change, parties submit Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) every five years. February 10 was the deadline to submit updated NDCs, however, some countries failed to submit theirs, including many of the world’s major polluters. Although the US submitted their NDCs, they have since withdrawn from the Paris Climate agreement. Climate literacy is among the climate goals that have missed the mark. Climate literacy (as supported by an integrated K-12 curricula) is needed to prepare youth with an understanding of the climate crisis and skills to create solutions, yet not one country has thoroughly addressed it within its NDC.

Everyone may die at the end of horror movies, but we don’t have to.

We’re not in a Hollywood studio, helplessly in the hands of sadistic screenwriters. We can actively choose to change the ending of our story — and for that we should feel hopeful.

In 2019, younger generations took matters into their own hands and started striking for the climate. They skipped school completely to plead for an end to inaction toward climate change and demanding world leaders to undertake environmental reforms. A 2021 study revealed that 83% of people aged 16-25 feel that we have failed to take care of our planet and concluded that it is vital for governments to take “urgent” action against climate change. In June of this year, UNICEF described this eco-anxiety as “an emergent mental health problem.”

The next UN Conference of Parties (COP30) will be held this November. In this international meeting of heads of state and governments and stakeholders, countries will have an opportunity to heighten their ambition on climate change. 

After decades of inaction on climate change, we don’t have any more time to spare before it’s too late. Join the movement and add your voice to this urgent call for change. You can sign the Global Plastics Treaty petition, and spread the word to your friends! Or, you can donate to our Canopy Project, which organizes tree plantings all over the world, and take the effort not to buy clothes that promote Fast Fashion.

This Halloween we must face our fears. The human-made monster that is climate change won’t go anywhere if you just close your eyes or turn off the TV. Action and advocacy are the only way to flip the script — and not wind up like your favorite victim at the end of the horror film.

The post 5 Climate Change Facts to Scare You Into Action This Halloween appeared first on Earth Day.

Art has always had a seat at the environmental table. The first Earth Day in 1970 featured everything from protest posters to poetry readings. Before that, moving photographs of the damage caused by the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill helped ignite the movement. And now, celebrities like William Shatner, Ringo Star, Amanda Seyfried, and Zac Efron use their voice to promote climate action through Earth Day.

Students too use art as their voice for action and that is because art does what science often can’t. Arts stirs emotions, captures attention, and gives people something to believe in. 

That’s exactly what International Artist Day is here to celebrate. Founded in 2004 by Canadian artist Chris MacClure, this day honors artists for the way they shape culture, challenge perspectives, and make the world more beautiful. It is about more than gallery walls or museum halls. It’s a reminder to artists of all kinds that at its heart, art is activism.

Art That is Doing What Politicians Won’t

The Land Art Generator Initiative (LAGI) is charging the art scene with a creative current: renewable energy. Artists Elizabeth Monoian and Robert Ferry founded LAGI to challenge creatives across the globe to design public artworks that also generate clean power.

Since its inception, LAGI has hosted worldwide competitions in major cities like Abu Dhabi, New York, and Copenhagen. The goal? Turn energy infrastructure into something that powers both cities and imaginations.

One standout design is WindNest, a group of rotating pods made to capture both wind and solar energy. This art installation was made for the city of Pittsburg, and If approved it could produce enough power (8,000 kWh) for 260,000 people to charge their phones with just the sun and the wind each year!

Another eye-catching proposal is Windstalk. This piece makes you feel like a tiny ant, with a field of tall, flexible stalks that sway with the wind like oversized blades of grass. As the wind blows, the motion of each stalk generates electricity – a process called piezoelectricity. At night, the stalks gently glow, reflecting the energy they’re producing by dancing in the breeze. In fact, they are projected to produce enough energy (20,000 MWh) to power 1,800 U.S. homes for an entire year. An extra bonus; when it rains, water collects at the base of the art installation, which helps nourish a garden of native plants. 

Then there’s Solar Hourglass, and no, it’s not for keeping time. Imaging two mirrored saucers, facing each other and having a staring contest. With their mirrors, they are meant to “catch” sunlight. These mirrors reflect and bounce the sunlight into one superpowered beam, kind of like when you use a magnifying glass to make a bright dot on the sidewalk. This crazy hot beam is captured and turned into energy, and makes enough power for hundreds of homes. The project is estimated to produce enough energy (7,500 MWh) to run 2,200 electric cars for a year.

PULLQUOTE: “If we’re serious about 100% renewable energy, it will reshape the way our cities look. So why not make them beautiful?” Robert Ferry, CoFounder of LAGI – The Guardian

While many are still in development, cities like Glasgow are already working with LAGI to bring these visions to life.They show the potential for art to literally light up the planet.  

Earth Day Knows Watts Up with Inspiration

The Land Art Generator Initiative is certainly impressive and creative, but art for the climate isn’t new. For Earth Day it’s part of our roots. In 2025, EARTHDAY.ORG tapped environmental artist Alexis Rockman to create something unforgettable. With the theme Our Power, Our Planet, focusing on the global adoption of renewable energy, Rockman generated a powerful image of a solar panel rising above a joyful, diverse crowd, surrounded by a thriving forest. It perfectly captures the year’s theme and the urgent hope that renewable energy can bring us together, with people power.

PULLQUOTE: “Humans are an almost entirely visual species, and art can and should convey complex and highly emotional images that go directly to our hearts…There is still time to make a difference.” Alexis Rockman

In a time when data can be overwhelming and headlines exhausting, art cuts through the noise. It reminds us what we’re fighting for. It turns facts into feelings. It invites everyone into the climate conversation with beauty.

So on this International Artist Day, whether you’re a painter, poet, designer, or just someone who appreciates consuming art, you can make a difference. Sign our Renewable Energy Petition to voice your support for a triple in renewable energy generation by 2030. 

The post Art and Renewable Energy Are a Power Couple appeared first on Earth Day.

When it comes to protein, most people think they need to reach for the steak or the chicken. The tasty truth bomb is plants can satiate your protein cravings, and more. 

Raising animals for food is responsible for 14.5% of greenhouse gas emissions across the world and is expected to account for nearly half of global emissions by 2030. Livestock guzzles water, uses up land, and leaches pollutants into our air and water. 

Not to mention, the way we treat farm animals is abhorrent. 90% of the world’s agricultural  animals are living in factory farms, confined in cramped, barren cages or pens that prevent basic natural behaviors. Every year, 100 billion animals are killed for their meat and other parts of their bodies. To make matters worse, roughly 84% of antibiotics given to factory-farmed animals are not used to treat illness, but to promote growth or prevent disease in overcrowded conditions. What is more, these practices are strongly linked to the rise of antibiotic-resistant “superbugs,” which were connected to 975,000 human deaths in 2019. 

In contrast, plants like beans, lentils, tofu, and nuts are the quiet eco-heroes of your pantry, feeding your body and healing the Earth at the same time. All without animal cruelty. Here’s a lineup of 7 delicious, nutrient-packed, planet-friendly proteins ready to revolutionize your plate.

1) Beautiful Beans

Beans have been a staple in human diets across the world for over 9,000 years, and it’s no wonder why. Whether you’re into black beans, pintos, navy beans, or the adorably named cranberry bean, this humble legume delivers big-time benefits. They are packed with fiber, iron, magnesium, potassium, and plant protein (one cup packing around 15 grams of protein). All these nutrients help your heart, support your digestion, and can even help ease PMS and depression symptoms.

But what really makes it the “magical fruit”? Beans are a soil restoring superfood. In a process called nitrogen fixation, they have a symbiotic relationship with bacteria in the soil that can convert nitrogen from the atmosphere into a form plants can use. This means farmers can use fewer chemical fertilizers, which can leach into our foods and water. 

Beans also use less water than raising livestock, making them ideal for growing in dry, arid climates. Plus, beans are much more affordable than meat  – talk about saving green while eating green! 

Which is why the bean market is booming: by 2026, global bean consumption is expected to almost reach 20 million metric tons, with the industry projected to pass $10 billion by 2033. So yes, the future is looking pretty… bean-tiful.

2) Cool Chickpeas 

Chickpeas, sometimes known as garbanzo beans, have been the backbone of Middle Eastern diets for almost 10,000 years. These little beige powerhouses are full of almost as much protein as beans, along with fiber, folate, iron, and magnesium. 

Chickpeas reduce the risk of cancer, keep you feeling full, and even support heart health by lowering bad cholesterol. One study found that women who ate chickpeas felt 70% less hungry compared to those who ate white bread. That’s hummus with a side of appetite control!

Environmentally, chickpeas shine too. Like beans and other legumes, they’re nitrogen fixers that enrich the soil instead of depleting it. They’re also water-efficient and adaptable to various climates; an ideal crop in a warming world. 

3) Let’s Eat Lentils

Lentils may be tiny, but they’re mighty, delivering nearly 18 grams of protein per cooked cup. They’re also one of the best plant sources of folate, which is a crucial nutrient for healthy pregnancies and red blood cell formation. In fact, one serving gives you 90% of your daily folate needs! 

They’re also packed with fiber, which keeps your digestion humming and your cholesterol in check. They’re also budget-friendly and quick to cook. Like other legumes, lentils are environmentally low-impact champs. They require very little water, grow quickly, and naturally boost soil health. 

4) Essentially Edamame 

Edamame, basically baby soybeans, are one of the few plant proteins that are complete, meaning they contain all nine essential amino acids. Just one cup gives you 17 grams of protein, along with fiber, calcium, iron, and a healthy dose of antioxidants. These little pods support heart health, may ease menopause symptoms, and are linked to lower risks of certain cancers.

Soybeans like edamame use fewer resources than livestock because they grow fast and enrich the soil, they’re an eco-efficient choice too. Plus, they’re snackable straight out of the pod! 

5) Try Tofu 

Tofu often gets a bad rap, but this soy-based wonder food deserves a serious comeback. Made by pressing soy milk into blocks (kind of like cheese), tofu delivers nearly 22 grams of protein per cup, along with iron, calcium, and magnesium. 

It’s also low in calories and high in isoflavones, which are compounds that can support bone health, reduce hot flashes, and maybe even improve heart health.

Tofu’s environmental footprint is also way smaller than meat. Producing soy protein emits up to 25 times less greenhouse gas than beef. And with tofu’s ability to absorb flavors like a sponge, it’s as tasty as it is sustainable. Scramble it, fry it, grill it; the world is your oyster-flavored-tofu.

6) Tasty Tempeh 

If tofu is the soft-spoken sibling, tempeh is the crunchy older cousin. Made by fermenting whole soybeans into a firm cake, tempeh is higher in protein than tofu, clocking in at a whopping 31g per cup. Thanks to fermentation, it also contains probiotics for gut health and helps improve digestion.

Tempeh is dense, chewy, and perfect as a meat substitute due to its texture. Also, like other soy products, it needs much less land, water and energy to grow than animal proteins. 

7) Natural Nuts 

But enough about soy! Nuts are nature’s protein-packed energy bites. Peanuts (technically legumes) lead the pack; with about 17% of its nutrients coming from protein, carrying 38 grams of protein per cup. 

Meanwhile almonds (30g/cup), pistachios (25g/cup), and cashews (25g/cup) follow closely behind. Pistachios are even a complete protein, meaning they have all the essential amino acids your body can’t make on its own. Nuts also come loaded with healthy fats, vitamin E, and magnesium, helping reduce inflammation, and improve heart health.

From a climate perspective, nuts have a significantly lower carbon footprint than animal proteins; groundnuts account for more than 40 times less emissions than beef. While they do require water, they last a long time when stored correctly, reducing food waste.

Eat Plants, Be Kind to Animals & Save the Planet (and Pass the Hummus)

By choosing plant proteins over eating  animals, you’re reducing greenhouse gases, saving water, preserving land, and can give you all the nutrients you need. Plus, it’s delicious, affordable, and what is really key – it’s kinder to animals.

Help keep our plant proteins clean! This Earth Day, we’re calling on you to take action to protect what is on your plate.. Speak out against Section 453 of the Interior Appropriations Bill, which would give pesticide companies legal immunity;  even when their products cause harm. It’s a step backward for the environment, health, and justice. Join us in honoring the legacy of those who’ve fought to protect people and the planet.

Your fork is powerful. Let’s use it to plant the seeds of change.

This article is available for republishing on your website, newsletter, magazine, newspaper, or blog. The accompanying imagery is cleared for use with attribution. Please ensure that the author’s name and their affiliation with EARTHDAY.ORG are credited. Kindly inform us if you republish so we can acknowledge, tag, or repost your content. You may notify us via email at davies@earthday.org or fielder@earthday.org. Want more articles? Follow us on substack.

The post 7 Powerful Plant Proteins That Pack a Punch appeared first on Earth Day.

As the world moves toward COP30 in Belém, Brazil this November, a powerful movement is gaining momentum across the world; the call to put climate education onto school curricula, making it a central pillar of national climate strategies. 

Among the leading voices in this aim is Peru’s Minister of Environment, Juan Carlos Castro Vargas. In an exclusive conversation with Rodolfo Beltrán, Regional Director of EARTHDAY.ORG Brazil, the Minister laid out a compelling case for why environmental education must be at the heart of the region’s climate response.The timing of his message could not be more significant.

Over 400 million students globally have seen their schooling adversely impacted  by extreme weather events in the last few years alone, especially in low- and middle-income countries that are least responsible for global emissions. As we continue to feel the very real effects of climate change,  the question is no longer whether climate education matters, but whether governments are smart enough to act on it in time.

Climate Education and NDCs: Why They Matter

Nationally Determined Contributions,(NDCs), are the heart of each country’s climate strategy under the Paris Agreement, adopted in December 2015. They outline steps a nation will take to cut greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change. These plans are updated every five years and the next NDC submission drafts are due at Cop 20 this year. This will be their third reiteration. 

The Paris Agreement itself, in Article 12, highlights education, training, and public awareness as essential to meaningful climate action.  Currently 85 countries’ explicitly note a plan to integrate climate education in their NDC in one form or another. The Vatican has just announced its inclusion of climate education in their NDC.

This is over a doubling of the 40 nations that committed to climate education back in 2020, but we still have progress to make. Education is one of the most powerful tools we have for shifting behaviors that will heal the planet, preparing future workers for a growing green workforce, and building resilience in communities on the front lines of climate impacts.

Climate education isn’t just about future generations. It’s also about equipping today’s workforce with the skills needed for a rapidly changing economy. The World Bank estimates that a green transition will create around 100 million new jobs globally. India alone could see 35 million green jobs by 2047. But to fill these roles, workers need new green skills. To earn them, they need the support of every nation’s educational system.. 

Despite climate education proving crucial to winning public support for climate friendly government policies worldwide, climate education remains drastically underfunded. In 2020, education made up just 1.3% of total global climate-related development assistance. Without pledged support in nations’ NDCs to commit to climate education efforts, it seems we are stuck in a cycle of underfunding this integral tool in climate action.  Climate education is not a nice-to-have, it’s a must-have. This is why EARTHDAY.ORG is urging all countries to include education in their NDCs.  

Rodolfo Beltran, the Regional Director of South America, EARTHDAY.ORG, spoke with Minister Juan Carlos Castro Vargas, Minister of Environment of Peru for his insight in this important subject.  

The timing is key as just days earlier, Peru hosted the XXIV Meeting of the Forum of Ministers of Environment of Latin America and the Caribbean in Lima; a historic session that brought together environment ministers from 33 countries to chart a bold, united path forward. Minister. Vargas, was this year’s President of this influential group. 

The Forum, established in 1982 is Latin America and the Caribbean’s most important platform for environmental diplomacy, concluded with the adoption of a sweeping regional agenda to tackle climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. This will not only guide their regional priorities, but also prepares a united front for their forthcoming global negotiations at COP30.

Rodolfo Beltran, the Regional Director of South America, EDO: As Peru concluded its presidency of the Forum, what do you consider the most significant achievements, particularly during this final meeting in Lima?

Minister Castro: Firstly, the Lima Ministerial Declaration, establishes as key points, the implementation of all the NDC measures from each country and how they are confronting the climate crisis. Secondly, it is extremely important to implement measures that lead to ecosystem restoration and, above all, freshwater ecosystems, since we are all concerned about water security. 

Another important point is advancing environmental culture and education. Everything that can be achieved through policies or strategies is linked to culture. If citizens themselves do not take responsibility for controlling pollution, no progress can be made. 

Finally, I believe the consensus among countries is that all of Latin America and the Caribbean are looking toward a better future, one that delivers well-being to the population, with emphasis on ecosystem protection—especially the great Amazon ecosystem.

Rodolfo Beltran: The Lima Declaration highlighted gender, indigenous knowledge, circular economy, and sustainability education. How can public awareness and education be scaled to empower communities?

Minister Castro: Environmental education in many countries is still very incipient, and it is important to strengthen it so citizens realize they are key to ecosystem and environmental conservation.

Government efforts through policies, strategies, or mechanisms to restore rivers or ecosystems will not succeed if the population continues to devalue ecosystems, using them as dumpsites for waste. In many major Latin American and Caribbean cities, rivers are used as waste dumps. Therefore, citizen participation must be active, and countries must implement important mechanisms to reach people effectively.

Peru, for example, has a Directorate within the Ministry of Environment dedicated to Education, Culture, and Environmental Citizenship, which works with communities, environmental promoters, industries, and companies to change mindsets. This has led to the single-use plastics ban gaining traction with local governments and companies, changing production methods. Many supermarkets no longer use plastic utensils, replacing them with biodegradable materials. Local markets are also working with municipalities, helping people understand their role. This is a long-term effort, but countries are committed to making progress.

Rodolfo Beltran: Organizations like EARTHDAY.ORG are promoting the inclusion of climate education in updated NDCs. How can governments and civil society collaborate to make education a pillar of climate action?

Minister Juan Castro: The XXIV Forum of Ministers of Latin America and the Caribbean has been key to seeing where countries stand, what difficulties they face, and whether governments truly have the will to solve problems through their initiatives.

Minister Juan Castro: The Forum is important because it gives Latin America a space to place many of its problems on the table and seek joint solutions. Discrepancies among countries will always exist, but the richness of the Forum lies in how differences create opportunities for joint and multilateral work, learning from one another to strengthen our mechanisms and policies to solve the climate crisis affecting all ecosystems in the region.

How can governments work with associations? Civil society has an important role in these policy- and strategy-making spaces. Their participation, when aligned with government policies, is key to advancing.

Civil society contributes to implementing NDCs through energy transitions, ecosystem protection, and more. But it is important to distinguish civil society contributions—clear and constructive proposals—from activism that seeks only to block or protest. Youth and civic groups are crucial, but their contributions should build and complement national policies.

Civil society must also help reach populations, shifting mindsets on issues like water use. In facing future water challenges, civil society’s role is critical—preventing waste, valuing water resources, and promoting new behaviors toward them.

Rodolfo Beltran: The Forum adopted several regional action plans to tackle climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. How will these measures bring long-term benefits to the region?

Minister Castro:The idea is to establish strategies and mechanisms for ecosystem restoration. Many ecosystems in Latin America are degraded, especially forests, and the goal is to begin pushing concrete actions rather than just declarations of conservation or protection.

Several countries, such as Peru, already have concrete actions for ecosystem restoration. Peru has advanced green finance that promotes bio-businesses and eco-businesses. It has management plans for communities aimed at conserving two million hectares of Amazon forest, and agroforestry projects to recover more than seven million hectares currently deforested through community-based agroforestry mechanisms, benefiting the people.

We have recognized that the Amazon ecosystem is crucial not only for generating resources for the population but also as the main generator of water that flows to the Andes and then down to the coast. Thus, maintaining freshwater ecosystems is critically important—preventing contamination of water sources and ensuring water availability and quality. Freshwater ecosystems are recognized as a strategic resource for all countries’ development. Without water, there can be no development; without water, populations face severe problems.

Additionally, strong work is advancing on infrastructure for waste and methane control, since methane is one of the gases released from decomposing organic matter. Over 50% of waste is organic, which presents an opportunity to create value through composting and other mechanisms. Countries like Chile and Peru have made progress—Peru, for instance, has closed 52% of its gaps in solid waste management. However, investments remain insufficient in many countries, especially in the Caribbean, due to lack of financing.

It has also been recognized that progress is impossible unless waste generation itself is controlled through environmental education and culture among the population—the very people generating waste. Looking ahead, many countries are moving beyond landfills to new systems, including waste incineration, as is the case in Peru.

Rodolfo Beltran: With 33 countries aligned under a renewed environmental agenda, how do you see this unity strengthening Latin America and the Caribbean’s position in global negotiations, especially COP30?

Minister Castro: The idea of the Forum of Ministers of Latin America and the Caribbean is that we can bring a single voice as a region to international events, especially COP30, which relates heavily to financing. Some countries have advanced more than others in proposals, but the main idea is that much of the climate finance discussed and approved at COP30 should remain in Latin America and the Caribbean, since we are not the world’s major polluters.

It was made clear that Peru, for example, contributes only 0.56% to global pollution—not even 1%. Yet Peru and other countries receive the impacts of climate change despite being the least responsible. Therefore, we need financing to implement restoration of ecosystems, infrastructure to capture methane, energy transition, and water crisis management. Financing is available, but we must go as a united Latin America.

This is why the Lima Ministerial Declaration should be presented at COP30, so each country can support it collectively. The plan is also to present the declaration at the 7th session of the United Nations Environment Assembly in Nairobi.

Rodolfo Beltran: The Forum emphasized species conservation, including a regional plan for jaguars. Why are emblematic species so important, and how does this relate to broader restoration goals?

Minister Castro: In species conservation, we are all included. The Jaguar Conservation initiative has united almost all of Latin America and the Caribbean around this emblematic species and others that are recovering.

This is directly tied to ecosystem restoration, since it requires restoring habitats and ensuring connectivity between ecosystems so species can recover. There are ongoing efforts across the region to restore ecosystems and habitats for important species.

Peru has examples of species once nearly extinct and on the red list of threatened species—such as the white-winged guan, whose habitat has been restored, increasing its population by 50%, as well as the rhea (Suri) and the tapir. These experiences can greatly contribute to jaguar conservation. This initiative underscores the importance of ecosystems and their connectivity, uniting Latin America and the Caribbean around the jaguar and efforts for its conservation, particularly in the Amazon biome.

Rodolfo Beltran: Minister, thank you for your time and insights. We are proud to see Peru, and Latin America as whole,  leading the world on protecting the planet and educating the next generation on these critically important issues.

Thank you to the Ministers, Vice Ministers  and Representatives of these nations for taking part in The Forum: Argentina, Bahamas,Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Saint Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Venezuela, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Grenada, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, NIcaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, St. Kitts and Nevis, Tinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Guatemala and Jamaica. 

A Two-Decade Fight for Climate Education in NDCs

Still, global inclusion is far from complete. Many major emitters, including the United States, have yet to include climate education in their NDCs.

EARTHDAY.ORG’s own Rodolfo Beltran and Bryce Coon, our Director of Education, will be on the ground at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, ensuring that climate education remains firmly on the agenda. 

Alongside ministers, negotiators, and civil society, they’ll be pushing for the inclusion of education in every single nation’sNDC. You can keep track of progress with our Climate Education NDCs Tracker. 

The post EARTHDAY.ORG EXCLUSIVE: Peru’s Minister of The Environment Juan Castro Vargas Backs Climate Education  appeared first on Earth Day.

October 5th is World Teacher Day, the perfect opportunity to honor all those educators who have shaped our lives for the better. Today, we’re celebrating the incredible educators who’ve inspired, challenged, and championed us through every chapter of our lives. After all, teaching isn’t just about textbooks and test scores; it’s about lighting sparks, opening minds, and guiding young hearts through the adventure of growing up.

Here are some of our favorite teacher (or teaching) moments celebrated by EARTHDAY.ORG’s own staff – some of whom are former teachers!

Eggi Triyadi – Campaign Specialist 

My favorite teacher was my high school art teacher, Mrs. Rina. What I remember most from her is the importance of trusting yourself in whatever your craft is, and learning to love the process. She showed me that to be great at anything, you need to value the journey, and that’s something I still carry with me today. 

While the finish line is important, the process of getting there matters even more. That always puts things into perspective for me, and I thank Mrs. Rina for that.

Emily Walker – Senior Education Coordinator

I have quite a few favorite teaching moments from my own career as a teacher, but the ones that stick out are often not related to academics. Teaching elementary school students is by far my favorite group to teach because they want to build connections with you and others. This means I had many moments of bursting into tears from laughter or utter surprise. This happened often with my students as they are curious and uncensored at that age. 

The small moments – in the morning when a previous student would stop by my classroom to say a simple “hello” or when a student drew a picture of me and my dog. Those small bits of connection they showed were my favorite moments. 

Bryce Coon – Director of Education

My favorite high school teacher was my social studies teacher, Mr. Beach. I took a number of courses with him—economics, world history, world religions—and he taught them all with a unique passion and introspection. He had a gift for connecting his lessons to the larger picture, always ensuring he was helping us become better versions of ourselves. 

I recently had the chance to reconnect with him and share how my own journey came full circle. It was a powerful moment to tell him that his inspiration is what led me to teach for 11 years and how my current role with EARTHDAY.ORG is impacting students around the world through our climate education programs.

Sarah T Davies, Director Communications & Media

I had a brilliant biochemistry teacher when I was at Aberystwyth University, going back to college as a mature student, don’t ask me why! He was wonderfully open to being challenged if we didn’t understand anything, which was often for me! I was struggling to grasp something called Beer’s Law (to be precise, the Beer-Lambert Law) that had nothing to do with alcohol but is vital for doing biochemistry properly.

It states that the absorbance of light by a substance in solution is directly proportional to the concentration of that substance and the length of the path the light travels through the solution. Yep, you have to learn how to use it because it’s this law that’s widely used to determine the concentration of molecules in a sample.

I plucked up the courage to tell Dr. Lamb that basically none of us understood the formula, including me, and he set up a special ‘Beer Law Bootcamp’—it was a game-changer. Come the exam, I think everyone in the class scored over 90% on that section, and it was all thanks to Dr. Lamb’s kindness and willingness to understand that we weren’t stupid, just confused. I still love biochemistry with a passion, which feels bizarre as I was useless at chemistry at school!

Dennis Nolasco – Education Coordinator

My favorite teaching moment was when I was teaching English Language Learners and I had a student from Germany, Nikolas. He hated reading, did not enjoy practicing his English and appeared pretty disinterested in class. 

However, I learned that he loved soccer and invited him to join our after school soccer club which I ran. He had a blast playing and felt more comfortable speaking English and quickly made friends. Soon, in class I recommended graphic novels about soccer such as “Booked” by Kwame Alexander. Nikolas devoured the book and soon started asking me for more book recommendations about other topics. At the end of the year, Nikolas gifted me a German National Team soccer jersey. 

I learned that even the most seemingly disinterested student can become engaged when given the right opportunities!

Aminah Taariq-Sidbe – Manager of End Plastics Initiative 

My elementary school teacher, Brad King, taught me to love STEM. I loved when he instructed us on how to build rockets, or when we would project stars in a dark room and teach us about space. He passed away this year, and I hadn’t gotten the chance to thank him as an adult. But I know I will carry on his legacy of educating and inspiring the love for science. 

Terran Fielder – Media Specialist

Sometimes, everything aligns and the right teacher shows up with the right lesson at exactly the right time.

I’ve always loved learning about history, especially how it shapes culture and drives innovation. During my junior year, I took U.S. History with Mr. Brewer (coincidentally, at the height of my Hamilton the Musical obsession). I was fully invested in the subject, but memorizing dates? Definitely not my strength. That said, thanks to Hamilton, a few key ones stuck.

I’ve never been shy in class, but I’d hold back if I wasn’t sure of the answer. On the first day, Mr. Brewer asked when the U.S. declared independence. I blurted out, “1776!” From then on, he encouraged me to take risks, to speak up, and to trust myself, even when I wasn’t 100% certain.

When it came time for the big state exam, I got sick and was worried that everything I’d worked so hard for would fall apart. But I passed with flying colors…not just because Mr. Brewer was a great history teacher, but because he taught me something even more lasting: confidence.

To all the teachers out there: thank you. The world needs you, and we see and appreciate everything you do.If you’re an educator passionate about making a difference beyond the classroom, we invite you to join us at EARTHDAY.ORG. Help us bring climate education to every student, everywhere. Explore our free resources, get inspired, and become part of a global movement to empower the next generation through knowledge and action.

The post Teachers are Our World appeared first on Earth Day.