Internationally recognized in 2014, World NGO Day honors global non-profit organizations as powerful guiding forces advancing the rights of marginalized people everywhere. NGOs serve the people; when minority voices are drowned out, NGOs speak up. When drought and famine threaten families, NGOs facilitate donations and relief. And when an impending climate crisis knocks on Earth’s door, environmental organizations like EARTHDAY.ORG answer the call for change.

Let’s take a step back and trace EARTHDAY.ORG from its infancy and the very first Earth Day to the global nonprofit it has become.

The Oil Spill that Sparked Environmental Awareness

Leading up to the birth of the first Earth Day, the average American wasn’t aware that the leaded gas of automobiles, smoke and sludge from industry pipes, and raw sewage and chemicals in public waters were harming their environment and health. Smog clouding skyscrapers in cities like Los Angeles contained airborne pollutants such as lead and ozone which can trigger asthma attacks, heart attacks, strokes, cancer, and premature death. It wasn’t until after Rachel Carson’s 1962 book Silent Spring connected pesticides with public health and the environment that Americans began to wake up and connect the dots: the very industries people relied on or worked for were poisoning them.

In January 1969, fourteen months before the first Earth Day, a massive oil spill devastated the coasts of Santa Barbara, California. Images of oil soaked birds, surfboards, and blackened coastlines popped up in newspapers and on televisions across the country, exposing the devastating effects of fossil fuel disasters. Union Oil had persuaded the government to grant the company a waiver to bypass environmental protection requirements. Less than two weeks into drilling, a buildup of pressure prompted a blowout of almost 3 million gallons of oil. That’s enough oil to fill 4.5 Olympic swimming pools!

Senator Gaylord Nelson, one of the founders of Earth Day, visited the spill site and surveyed the damage. Later, as Nelson reflected on the oil spill disaster while on a plane to Berkeley, he read about anti-war student protests and teach-ins. Inspiration struck him like a bolt of lightning and Nelson founded a non-profit organization called “Earth Day” to organize his own protests and teach-ins centered on the environment.

The Roots of Change

From day one, the Earth Day movement has embraced grassroots organizing as a tool to put people first. Senator Nelson recruited activist and 25-year-old Stanford graduate Dennis Hayes to help organize campus teach-ins and scale his idea across the country. To maximize student participation, Nelson and Hayes chose April 22, a day between Spring Break and finals. 

Hayes built a national staff and spread the word with grassroots tactics. He sent organizers to college campuses, civic groups, newspapers, and community organizations to garner support. One of Hayes’ greatest supporters was the United Auto Workers who printed newsletters and covered Hayes’ and Nelson’s fledgling organization’s postage.

Soon, a wide array of organizations and faith groups joined together under the Earth Day banner. The name “Earth Day” spread like wildfire and caught widespread media attention. That very first Earth Day, 20 million Americans — 10% of the U.S. population at the time — took to the streets to fight against the industries polluting the environment and endangering human health. 

The genius of Nelson’s and Hayes’ vision for Earth Day lay in the event’s inclusivity. One of the first people recruited by Nelson to the non-profit was conservation-minded Republican Pete McCloskey. Left-leaning thinkers saw the conservative area of Santa Barbara band together behind the environmental movement and decided to join too. They hoped the movement would evolve into a larger critique of American society. 

With both sides of the aisle banding together to protect both people and the environment, their fight quickly produced results. In 1970, a year after the oil spill, bipartisan efforts paved the way for President Richard Nixon to create the Environmental Protection Agency, an agency designed to respond to future contamination disasters.

Bipartisan efforts created the first Earth Day. Democrats, conservatives, middle-class women, students, and scientists came together to demonstrate for the environment. More than 1,500 teach-ins took place nationwide, including speakers, performances, and workshops. At the University of Michigan, Senator Nelson himself spoke, and workshops ranged from “spiritual perspectives on the environment” to a computer simulation of urban growth.

Earth Day helped birth the environmental movement.

Snapshots of Evolution

The next decades capped a number of achievements for the environment, at home and abroad. The United States passed substantial environmental regulation including the Toxic Substances Control Act (1976), the Hazardous and Solid Wastes Amendment (1984), and the Clean Air Amendments (1977, 1990). These regulations aimed to tighten U.S. environmental policies by regulating the presence of toxic substances in food, drugs, cosmetics, and pesticides, governing the disposal of solid waste, and reducing air and water pollution. In 1987, all U.N. member states signed the Montreal Proclamation, marking a global commitment to protect the ozone layer.

The ’90s brought true international expansion. Earth Day mobilized over 200 million people in 141 countries to spotlight environmental issues around the world. The movement also helped pave the way for the first United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. The Summit aimed to develop a fresh blueprint for international action on environmental and development issues to guide international cooperation in the 21st century. 

From the 2000s on, Earth Day grew in leaps and bounds. Earth Day 2000 events included a talking drum chain in Gabon and major protests at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. In 2016, the U.N. chose Earth Day to sign the Paris Agreement, the most important climate accord in the environmental movement’s history. Even during COVID-19, when activists could not come together in person, Earth Day mobilized over 1 billion people online for a three-day commemorative livestream of Earth Day’s 50th anniversary. And the Earth Day movement is still going strong.

Earth Day Today

EARTHDAY.ORG has evolved into a global network consisting of volunteers, dedicated initiatives, and a robust communications team. 

One such volunteer is Bella Kagisa from Tanzania. She grew up planting trees and flowers with her father. As a child, she loved getting to know different species of plants by their biological and Swahili names. Inspired by her father’s legacy, Kagisa is now an environmental scientist, working as an ambassador for the environment and encouraging others to get involved and plant trees.

While individual volunteers support our mission locally, EARTHDAY.ORG’s global initiatives also address a spectrum of environmental issues. The Canopy Tree Project combats deforestation as well as bolstering local communities with education and economic benefits. The Climate Education campaign promotes robust climate education through school curricula, advocacy packets, and toolkits designed to empower informed decision-making and civic engagement. The Great Global Cleanup aims to connect cleanup initiatives across the world working to rid the world of waste and plastic pollution.

EARTHDAY.ORG’s hardworking communications team ties the movement and all its floating pieces together. Whether through inspirational posts on LinkedIn, aesthetic snapshots on Instagram or Facebook, or powerful statements on X, there’s a little spark of Earth-centered joy for everyone. EARTHDAY.ORG also stays up to date with news and stories, from eco-friendly Valentines day gift ideas to spotlighting the latest in biodegradable batteries — say hi to Ziggy! Want these delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for email alerts here.

This World NGO Day, EARTHDAY.ORG wants to say thank you for adding your voice to the fight for our planet. People power meaningful change. EARTHDAY.ORG exists to speak up and act for everyone concerned about the environment, and we will continue to stand tall for planet Earth in years to come — all thanks to you.You can be a part of EARTHDAY.ORG’s legacy by donating today. Can’t give? Check out our 50 Earth Day Tips and make sure to sign up for updates on Earth Day 2026.

The post 1 Billion Hands Make Light Work appeared first on Earth Day.

When you read an article, you might wonder if every single detail really matters –  like if an author claims that something happens 50% of the time, does it? Or if they instead write that it occurs on average 50% of the time, is that any different? Maybe you wonder whether it matters if an author is slightly ambiguous with dates, claiming that something is ‘currently happening’, when in reality it occurred three years ago. 

The truth is, in the highly scrutinized field of climate change, every fact and detail, no matter its significance, has to be correct. In this field, we cannot afford to be imprecise, or we may be accused of misinforming the public, exaggerating, or fear mongering by those with vested interests.

When we live in a political landscape where we see many of the people around us and those in power regularly dismissing well-established scientific facts as “propaganda” or  “a hoax”, it becomes even more important for us to make sure that our arguments are grounded in solid, credible science, and that we present those facts clearly and accurately so they cannot be easily dismissed.

We must hold ourselves to the scientific standards that climate change deniers reject and stay committed to portraying the world as it is, not as opponents of climate action distort it to be.

As the fact-checking and Goldman Environmental Prize nominations intern at EARTHDAY.ORG this fall, I have had the opportunity to be a part of the effort to keep everything we write honest.

In my time at EDO, five months, I have written four Goldman nominations as well as factchecked everything that EARTHDAY.ORG posted on the News and Stories page — 101 articles over the semester! Our editors are part of the process but my role has been to query every fact, data point, source and claim.  That has meant working with a lot of EDO’s staff and all of the communication interns — it has been a valuable insight into the power of climate journalism. 

At EARTHDAY.ORG, we know the coming years will bring immense change all over the globe. In order to combat climate change, countries and communities all around the world will have to reconsider how they live their lives, how they travel, work and teach. We, as individuals, will have to make significant changes to our lifestyles. If we do not, those who are least responsible for climate change will be most affected.  

Why Should You Care About Climate Change?

Although we know that climate change is a phenomenon that is impacting us now, many of its more severe effects are unlikely to be felt in our lifetimes. Anthropogenic (meaning man-made) climate change is a cumulative process that will impact people all around the world, and lead to incredible losses to heritage, culture, and land. Climate change may not hit us all at once, and it is often incremental and easy to dismiss as part of the ever changing  ‘natural’ weather cycle. 

Despite the science, politicians around the world consistently fail to take sufficient action to mitigate climate change or stand up to the fossil fuel industry. So the question is: why should you care about another degree of warming, when you might be able to live a reasonably safe and comfortable life anyway? Hopefully the articles and information we share helps to answer this important question. 

Whether you’re worried about smaller things, like being able to buy your favorite foods at the grocery store, or bigger things, like the health impacts of breathing in polluted air, the articles published at EARTHDAY.ORG can provide you with accurate and impactful information about the changes to our planet. 

If climate change is heavy on your mind and you feel lost, then perhaps reading an article celebrating activists working for a better future or one on documentaries that will inspire you to take action to protect endangered species, might help you feel less lost. Hopefully, these articles give you a sense that you are a part of something greater than yourself, and that you, too, will benefit from a greener and safer planet. At the very least, I hope that these articles encourage you to empathize with those who stand to lose everything as climate change wreaks havoc on some of the most vulnerable regions of the planet.

Despite my convictions that articles that provide accurate scientific assessments of our current situation are vital, some of my favorite articles this semester have been the ones that give us a moment to reconnect with nature and take a moment to consider the wondrous world we live in. 

Whether it is inviting us to imagine life for a critter in the forest understory or the amazing characteristics of bamboo (here I feel that I must confess that reading this article inspired me to buy my own bamboo plant), the articles published this semester remind us of all that the world has to offer and what we are fighting to protect.  

These types of articles also remind us that climate change is not only a threat to human life, but one that threatens species all over the world with extinction. Finally, they remind us of the high cost to nature, and all the incredible ecosystems that will be lost if we fail to act.

Usually, the end of an EARTHDAY.ORG article will urge you to take part in an EARTHDAY campaign or project. My call to you, the reader, is more simple. Given that we live in a world where actors with vested interests in denying climate change influence our politicians and create and spread climate misinformation, I ask you to be mindful of what you read. I also ask that you don’t take anything at face value, but invest time in educating yourself on the issues that we will have to face together as the planet warms up. 

Whether you do this by reading an EARTHDAY.ORG article, watch a Sir David Attenborough documentary, attend a climate education class at university, work on a campaign for a local official supporting environmental stewardship, or read a book on species extinction, I think we will all be better off if we take action to educate ourselves and actively cultivate an understanding of the world free from the influences of lobbyists and fossil fuel companies. But for now, this is Emma Zink, EARTYHDAY.ORG, fact checker, singing off and handing the baton to the next fact checking intern to follow me. Thank you for reading!

The post Signing Off as Your Fact-Checker appeared first on Earth Day.

With so much happening in the world, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, helpless, and even immobilized.  When it comes to the climate crisis, that feeling is widespread: nearly two-thirds of adults in America alone have reported experiencing some form of anxiety about climate change. 

But young people are the ones most impacted; in 2021, 84% of young people between the ages of 16 and 25 said they were at least moderately worried about climate change, and 59% reported being very or extremely worried. This climate anxiety doesn’t just cause unease, but triggers feelings of despair and defeatism. Which can actually stop young people from being part of the solution and acting. But this inaction does not come from a lack of care; it’s a symptom of not knowing what to do.

Earth Day is here to help! This year, April 22 was Earth Action Day; an opportunity to take any step, no matter how small, towards finding how we can all help slow down climate change.  Let’s keep that momentum going for National Speak Up for Service Day, and to inspire you EARTHDAY.ORG staff have some tips for how you can take action.

Evan Raskin, National Campaign Manager – Campaign for Communities

Today reminds us all of the importance of speaking up; it’s one of the greatest acts of service we can contribute to our community. Each of us has the civic duty to speak up and make our voices heard in decision making at the local, state, and federal level. When we all speak up, our society makes choices that benefit all of us. 

Here at EARTHDAY.ORG, we’re speaking up for the environment and encourage you to join us. Make your voice heard by sending a letter to your Congressmembers urging them to protect families and communities by voting against a provision that would grant pesticide manufacturers legal immunity, even when their products hurt people.

It takes 5 minutes but it’s a great way to make a difference and get involved.

Lee Franklin, Volunteer Coordinator – Earth Day Champions

As Earth Day 2026 approaches we are launching the Earth Day Champions Program! Earth Day Champions are individuals who want to step up and do more to protect our health and our environment. Earth Day Champions will participate in and help organize actions like clean-ups or clothing swaps. 

But Champions can also amplify the voice of the majority of Americans who want to see MORE renewable energy, STRONG protections for clean water, air, and human health,  and ACTION to combat climate change. Champions can help us advocate for these principles at local, state, and federal levels. You can view opportunities to become an Earth Day Champion here. 

Michael Karapetian, The Great Global Cleanup Coordinator – The Great Global Cleanup

Through the Great Global Cleanup, people, especially young activists, are standing up to protect their communities from the plastic pollution that threatens their health, wildlife and our future. Across the world, young leaders are organizing cleanups not just to remove the waste that is poisoning their communities, but to call out the systems that allow it to exist in the first place. 

My favorite part of this movement is seeing cleanup organizers become the cornerstone of the environmental movement in their cities, and not just cleanup the mess, but demanding that their local leaders stop plastic at its source. In The Great Global Cleanup, speaking up for service means standing up for our rights to have a future free from plastic. 

Join us and by finding a clean up near you, or registering your own cleanup on our Great Global Cleanup map. 

Dennis Nolasco, Education Coordinator – Climate Education

As the world prepares for COP30 in Belém, Brazil, now is the time to speak up for the next generation. Climate education empowers students with the knowledge and civic skills they need to build sustainable communities, enter the green workforce, and take meaningful action on climate change. 

EARTHDAY.ORG’s Climate Literacy Petition calls on world leaders to make climate education a core component of their national climate commitments. By signing and sharing the petition, we can urge governments to ensure that every student, everywhere, has access to quality, interdisciplinary climate education.

Aminah Taariqu-Sidibe, Plastic Free Manager – End Plastics Initiative 

Plastic pollution is one of the most urgent environmental challenges of our time; devastating ecosystems, endangering wildlife, and threatening human health around the world. Microplastics have now been found in human blood, brains, lungs, and even reproductive organs, raising alarms about long-term health effects including inflammation, hormonal disruption, and links to cancer. 

Through the End Plastics Campaign, EARTHDAY.ORG is mobilizing advocacy for a 60% reduction in fossil fuel-based plastic production by 2040, education and awareness about the health impacts of the plastics lifecycle, and full accountability for industries driving pollution. Plastic pollution transcends borders and so must our response. The UN Global Plastic Treaty represents a historic opportunity for nations to come together and commit to a legally binding international agreement to end plastic pollution by regulating the entire lifecycle of plastics, from production to disposal.

Join us by adding your name to the call for a strong, binding Global Plastic Treaty. 

Aidan Charron, Associate Director of Global Earth Day – Canopy Tree Project

Reforestation is one of the most practical, powerful ways we can fight climate change, and its impact goes far beyond the environment. Through The Canopy Tree Project, EARTHDAY.ORG is working with communities around the world to plant trees that restore ecosystems, support local economies, and strengthen neighborhoods.

From the Sundarbans to the High Atlas Mountains, we partner with local leaders to ensure each tree planted reflects the needs and values of the people it serves. Whether it’s shading schoolyards, preventing flooding, or providing food and income, trees become part of the solution; rooted in place and purpose.

Join us by supporting The Canopy Tree Project; whether by donating, dedicating a tree, or helping us expand to new areas.If you are feeling inspired (as I am sure you are) you can take any of the movements above. You can also make them your own and register your action on our Earth Action Day site.

The post We Know How Solve Your Climate Apathy appeared first on Earth Day.

Opinion

Today is National Mentoring Day, the perfect opportunity to reflect on the people who teach me as much as I do them. What’s so inspiring about managing the internship program for EARTHDAY.ORG is the chance to reinvent myself and the program every semester. Lean into what worked, discard what didn’t, and further optimize processes to provide interns — undergraduates, recent grads, and grad school students — the best experiential learning journey EARTHDAY.ORG can provide.

Our interns are given real, impactful work that prepares them for professional skill applications. I’ve even been told by previous interns that the range of work — from synthesizing research to writing articles to performing national campaign outreach — has been relevant to their current roles. One intern warmed my email heart when she said her exhaustive analysis of A/B tests gave her an edge in a nonprofit digital communications job interview that she was ultimately offered.

Some highlight stories featuring some of our former interns:

• Fiona Kennedy (Spring 2022) wrote the nomination for the Earthshot finalist we nominated in 2022, the City of Amsterdam, blending research into a compelling case that advanced the nomination through the process. She currently works for Oxfam Ireland.
• Lindsey Sparkman (Fall 2023 – Spring 2024) raised over $2,500 in email fundraisers and wrote the nomination for the Goldman Prize 2024 winner, Laurene Allen, crafting the narrative through open source research.
• Yazmine Marrero’s (Spring 2025) article on Wikie and Keijo reached 190,000 viewers in just a few days and was beating the BBC on Google search for weeks. It was clear, accurate and shared information that many professionally written pieces lacked. 
• Journey Lipscomb (Spring 2023) provided the basis for the Climate Education Nationally Determined Contributions tracker by examining over 50 country NDCs. She earned a coveted research role at the Environmental Law Institute.
• Terran Fielder (Spring 2024) supplemented the one-person media team and was so successful at driving media and writing, she joined us officially as a Media Specialist once she graduated. Terran also manages the Media interns and has published over 20 articles.

I am beyond thrilled to introduce you to some of this semester’s writers. We had over 100 applicants and hired a cohort of 22 to fill out several roles in Communication & Media, Development, National Campaign, Climate Education, End Plastics Initiative, and The Great Global Cleanup. Read more about why they wanted to work with the Earth Day movement and check out their articles.

Darby Burgett

Darby Burgett is a senior at Washington and Lee University majoring in Environmental Studies and double minoring in Law, Justice, and Society and Poverty and Human Capability Studies. She has previously interned with the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Legal Aid of West Virginia, and Bata Singapore.

You can read Darby’s articles here. 

Zach Cohen

Zach Cohen is a current sophomore at the University of Wisconsin-Madison double majoring in Political Science and English. With a deep interest in environmental justice, he’s passionate about using writing and research to explore how policy can shape a more sustainable, equitable future. Zach is especially drawn to work that bridges advocacy and communication, and he hopes to grow as a storyteller who can help make complex climate issues feel personal and urgent.

You can read Zach’s articles here. 

Bryndís Davis 

Bryndís Davis is a senior at the University of Michigan double majoring in Creative Writing & Literature and International Studies with a concentration in Global Health and Environment. She has previously written for AllMusic, an Ann Arbor based online music resource. 

You can read Bryndís’ articles here. 

Thomas Ferguson

Thomas Ferguson is a senior at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill studying Environmental Studies and Public Policy. His previous roles include research, program management, and writing.

You can read Thomas’ articles here.

Sophia Forster

Sophia Forster is an entering senior at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, studying English and Political Science. She has written for the Heyde Center for the Arts – a local community arts organization in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin – readunwritten.com, a blog that uplifts Millennial and Gen Z women, and Wisconsin Progress, an organization that recruits and trains political candidates. 

You can read Sophia’s articles here. 

Revati Gelda

Revati Gelda is from Tivoli, NY and holds a B.A. of English from Binghamton University. Her work has been published in the university’s newspaper Pipe Dream, as well as Hudson Valley Magazine and The Daily Catch. 

You can read Revati’s articles here. 

Greta Merril

Greta Merrill is a junior at American University majoring in International Studies with a regional focus in sub-Saharan Africa and minoring in Environmental Science. She has a strong interest in environmental policy and sustainable development, shaped by academic studies and hands-on experience, including a recent internship with the U.S. House of Representatives. Greta is passionate about making climate issues more accessible and engaging through writing and research. 

You can read Greta’s articles here. 

Kavya Murugesh 

Kavya Murugesh is a fourth-year undergraduate student studying psychology and public policy at the University of California, Riverside. She is an East Bay Area native who enjoys being outdoors, baking, crocheting, thrifting, trying new coffee shops, and reading.

Kavya’s first article is scheduled to be published by October 29, when we will link to her author page.

Nichole Radcliff

Nichole Radcliff is a senior majoring in International Affairs with a concentration in International Environmental Studies and minoring in Public Health at the George Washington University. She is especially interested in the global impacts of climate change and the intersection of environmental sustainability and public health. 

You can read Nichole’s articles here. 

Jocelyn Richards

Jocelyn Richards is a senior at the University of Colorado Boulder, pursuing a major in Environmental Studies and a Journalism minor. With a background in both scientific study and creative communication, Jocelyn is drawn to projects that humanize environmental issues and make them more accessible to broader audiences. She’s especially interested in using multimedia tools, like film and writing, to highlight stories of resilience, community, and ecological connection.

You can read Jocelyn’s articles here. 

Hailey Rodriguez

Hailey Rodriguez is a junior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she is pursuing double majors in Media and Journalism (with a concentration in Journalism) and English (with a concentration in Writing, Editing, and Digital Publishing). She is also minoring in Environmental Justice. Her writing has been featured in The Daily Tar Heel, UNC’s student-run newspaper.

You can read Hailey’s articles here. 

Evlin Walsh

Evlin Walsh is a junior Screenwriting student at Chapman University with a double minor in Environmental Science and Film Music. Evlin believes deeply in the power to be found in the intersection of science and journalism – each allowing the other to be understood. 

You can read Evlin’s’ articles here. 

Chaowen Zheng

Mark Zheng is a Chinese international student at Georgetown University, studying Government and History on a pre-law track. With aspirations to become a policy advisor or legal practitioner, Mark brings a strong research background and a deep interest in language and historical analysis. He previously studied at the University of Florida, where he authored a research paper on the 1889 Milwaukee Anti-Chinese Riot. Mark has also worked as both an oral history and metadata intern, and has extensive experience tutoring students for essay competitions. He is passionate about using historical understanding to inform legal and policy solutions in a global context.

Chaowen’s first article is scheduled to be published on November 19, at which point we will link to his author page.

Thanks to all of our interns for their endless enthusiasm, hard work, and and smarts. We truly could not do this without you! If you are interested in interning, check out the job description which includes information on how to apply.

If you can’t intern with us but still want to support us you can join our Social Squad.

The post Introducing the Fall 2025 Interns 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.

As world leaders gather in New York for Climate Week, the urgency of their task has never been greater. This year’s summit arrives on the heels of the third-hottest summer ever recorded in the northern hemisphere (surpassed only by 2023 and 2024) and a season defined by extreme weather disasters that made the climate crisis impossible to ignore.

The Palisades Fire tore through Los Angeles, leveling homes in affluent communities where the impacts of climate change had typically felt more abstract and remote. More people died from wildfire smoke in the US last year than from car crashes. Across the country, unprecedented flooding devastated towns from Asheville, North Carolina, where entire communities lost their homes and businesses, to Camp Mystic in Hunt, Texas, where 20 young campers and seven adults tragically perished.

Despite mounting human suffering and the nation’s top scientists sounding the alarm on the health impacts of climate change with new studies, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin, is now moving to dismantle the very foundation of U.S. climate policy. He proposes eliminating the EPA’s Endangerment Finding — a cornerstone ruling that recognizes greenhouse gases as a threat to public health and gives the agency the authority to limit pollution from vehicles and power plants. Zeldin’s move flies in the face of science, law, and basic morality

United in Action

This is why EARTHDAY.ORG joined with the Climate Action Campaign (CAC), and dozens of allied organizations to deliver over 225,000 public comments to the EPA, in person, urging them to uphold the Endangerment Finding. On September 17, we gathered at the U.S. Capitol for a press conference that underscored just how high the stakes are.

In a room filled with journalists and climate advocates, eight members of Congress—from Maine to Texas—spoke candidly about how climate change is already harming Americans of every background, through rising seas, collapsing fisheries, emerging diseases, and worsening wildfires.

Senator Ed Markey, of Massachusetts, warned that repealing the Endangerment Finding would eliminate regulations that “will kill jobs, cause families to shell out more for gasoline, and hurt our kids with asthma attacks.” 

Representative Chellie Pingree, of Maine, spoke to the collapse of her state’s fishing economy and the spread of climate-driven diseases: “It impacts our lives every single day. It’s impacting our economy and our livelihood.” 

Rejecting the influence of corporate profiteers, Senator Alex Padilla, of California, reaffirmed his commitment to constituents: “We refuse to allow corporations to speak louder than our kids and our neighbors. We’re seeing industry profits rise while communities burn down. And we’ll keep speaking out. We’ll keep standing up to what we know is wrong, because too many lives and future generations depend on it.“

The most powerful testimony, however, came from children. One girl declared, “Kids want the EPA to protect our health and future. Our generation is expected to live through three times as many climate disasters as our grandparents, and we’re already living through them.” 

An impassioned boy pleaded, “To every adult listening today who cares about children now and our lives in the future, we are asking you to please protect the Endangerment Finding and our future.” Their words were a reminder that climate change is not an abstract threat. It is impacting the lives of real people, in real time.

Delivering Public Outcry

After the press conference, we carried box after box of public comments to the EPA headquarters. Though the agency has recently weakened many avenues for public input, we refuse to let these voices go unheard, even if we have to deliver their comments by hand. 

As we set the boxes down in the EPA’s lobby, recently adorned with an austere presidential portrait, it was a good moment to reflect on everything we had heard at the Capitol from both seasoned elected leaders and young activists alike. Every person who spoke did so because they or their communities had already suffered loss because of climate change. Their message was clear: denying the causes, reality and dangers of climate change is not just a policy failure, it is an act of harm that results in destroyed homes, lost livelihoods, and shattered futures. If the Endangerment Finding is repealed, lives will be lost.

All of this unfolds on the eve of Climate Week NYC, beginning September 21. These global summits have often been criticized as inaccessible and toothless, more about speeches than solutions. But with the Endangerment Finding under direct attack, it is no longer enough for leaders to merely acknowledge the climate crisis.

The EPA is doing everything it can to deny the terrible costs of climate change, and we need the participants of Climate Week to help set the record straight. They must speak up and act, and they must do so with the same urgency that millions of families already feel in their lungs, their wallets, and their communities.

Want to make a difference? On a related issue, you can speak out by writing to strongly oppose Section 453 of the Interior Appropriations Bill, which would grant pesticide manufacturers broad legal immunity, even when their products cause harm.

The post Smoke on the Hill: Saving Climate Protections appeared first on Earth Day.

In the United States, it seems that many of us are taking every citizen’s right to vote in political elections for granted. In the 2024 presidential election, about 36% of eligible voters did not cast their ballots and in local and congressional midterm elections, the number of voters that show up to the polls in the U.S. biggest cities for example is often much lower.

Perhaps we have forgotten that for many of us, the right to vote had to be fought for. Just over 200 years ago, mainly only white Christian men with property could vote in most states. By the 1820s–1850s, property requirements were abolished, but voting was still largely limited to white men. The road to universal voting rights was long and slow. 

In 1870, the 15th Amendment barred voting right discrimination on the basis of race, allowing Black male citizens the constitutional right to vote, although it allowed individual states to determine the specific qualifications needed for suffrage. This meant that in reality many barriers such as literacy tests, poll taxes, grandfather clauses, violence, and intimidation, kept Black men away from the polls in the South for example.

 It wasn’t until 1920, that the 19th Amendment granted women  the right to vote, though in practice many women of color still faced local and state restrictions. In 1924, the Indian Citizenship Act recognized Native Americans as U.S. citizens, imbuing them with voting rights, though some states continued to block them from voting for decades.

In 1952, the McCarran-Walter Act allowed all Asian immigrants  to become citizens and therefore vote. The 26th Amendment in 1971, lowered the voting age from 21 to 18, extending the right to millions of younger Americans.

At EARTHDAY.ORG, we know how the power of voting has never been more important. This National Voter Registration Day, we wanted to share how the experience of voting for the first time impacted some of our staff.

Evan Raskin, National Campaign Manager, EDO

“My first time voting was as a freshman at American University, where I cast my ballot in the 2016 election by mail. For students like me, voting by mail was truly a lifeline; it allowed us to participate in democracy even while we’re away from home, and it ensured that I could make my voice heard at a formative moment in my life. For me, filling out that ballot was more than just paperwork; it was my first real chance to influence society by formally engaging in civics. It gave me a sense of empowerment, a new opportunity to do something meaningful about the issues I cared deeply about. Growing up in Massachusetts, we learned that our revolutionary roots were defined by the public fighting for democracy and self determination by any means necessary. Casting my first ballot by mail allowed me to not only have a voice in national decisionmaking, but also gave me a voice in the community that had taught me so much about the importance of civic responsibility.

On Election Day itself, my friends and I walked through my Washington D.C. neighborhood, and felt the energy and excitement from people of all ages who were eager to take part in shaping the future. As we passed a local polling location housed in a church, we heard an elderly election worker call out to us. “Go get ’em boys!” he cheered with a tip of his hat. He may not have known that our ballots were already cast, but his sentiment still rang true. Democracy flourishes when we all support each other to have a voice. This is what it means to complete one’s civic duty.”

Dennis Nolasco, Education Coordinator, EDO

“I still remember the first time I voted. Back in 2010, during my senior year of high school, my government teacher made us study and take the U.S. citizenship exam as part of the class. At the same time, my dad was studying for his own U.S. citizenship test. We spent hours together at the kitchen table going over questions, quizzing each other, and stressing over whether we’d both pass; me for my grade, him for his future American citizenship.

Thankfully, we both succeeded! I passed my class, and not long after, my dad passed the real thing. By 2012, we were both eligible to vote in a presidential election for the very first time. On Election Day, on a cold November morning, we woke up early and walked together to the local elementary school polling place; the very same school I had attended as a child. I had memories of my parents dropping me to go to school here and now we were going to reach another milestone together. I remember how excited we were: getting our voting plan together, standing in line with our neighbors, sipping the coffee from the thermos my mom had provided. When I cast my ballot and got my “I Voted” sticker, I felt proud. That pride multiplied when I looked over and saw my dad wearing his.

For me, voting was something I had the privilege of being born into. For my dad, it was something he had to earn through years of hard work, determination, and resilience. Sharing that first voting experience with him made me realize just how meaningful the right to vote really is.”

Terran Fielder, Media Specialist, EDO

“From a young age, I was involved in the voting process, even before I was eligible to cast a ballot. In my last two years of high school, I would aid other students in registering to vote. And they allow minors to work at the polls, so from the time I was 16 I was joining my mom in helping community members to cast their vote. 

The first time I got to vote myself was in the 2020 election.  I was chomping at the bit to use my voice. Unfortunately, this  ended up being super anticlimactic, because if you remember by November of 2020, most of us were locked up due to Covid.  The action I had been waiting for ended up boiling down to dropping my mai- in vote into the mail box. Nevertheless, I put a lot of time, thought, and effort into the process. I researched every candidate, the policies they supported and those they were against. 

My parents are the ones who bestowed upon me the sense that voting was a responsibility and a privilege  – a civic duty no less, and every night leading up to the election, our dinner table conversation was filled with discussion and friendly debate over who were the best choices for the offices. It wasn’t until I received my “I Voted” sticker in the mail that I realized my opinion had been counted, and an overwhelming sense of pride drifted over me.”

Lee Franklin, Volunteer Coordinator

“Just a little over two months after I turned 18, I voted for the very first time in the Town Council and Mayoral elections of Chapel Hill in November of 2015. 

This election was special to me, not only because it was my first, but because the mayoral candidate who eventually won actually hailed from my neighborhood. She also had run for County Commissioner several years before, in an election which my father had also run in. So, I was familiar with the candidates and because of my dad, had a special interest in local politics. My best friend and I had even been attending town council meetings together for fun in the preceding months. We started doing it for a Boy Scout merit badge, but we thought it was interesting, so we kept going afterwards.

One of the most important issues under consideration was the construction of new developments right next to my neighborhood. The election was at the crossroads of so many difficult issues: how to manage population growth in a small community, how to preserve and expand affordable housing, and how to prevent increased runoff that could lead to flooding of neighborhoods downstream.

In high school my friends and I spent so much time wandering the swampy creeks and forests behind my neighborhood. I had waded through miles of creeks, slogged through marshes, encountered A LOT of trash, and seen the water levels rise during rainstorms. So I was very interested in preventing increased runoff caused by development. And in the long run, I wanted to daylight a portion of a creek that ran below a stripmall at the center of the proposed development, so that I could walk through the bed of the creek uninterrupted from my neighborhood all the way to the lake that fed it a few miles upstream.

I’m happy to say my preferred candidate won and served as mayor for eight years. She brought a necessary perspective to the difficult process of growing a small town that people wanted to move to. And she oversaw that growth in a responsible way. I still hope one day they will daylight the creek under the stripmall. This past June, a tropical depression caused flooding in the shopping center so severe that it lifted cars and put dumpsters through storefronts.”

Sarah Davies, Director Communications & Media, EDO

“I became a US citizen last year and while I was too late to vote in any elections back then I was excited to register. I recently ordered a new driver’s licence and took the opportunity to do just that, register to vote, at the same time. It could not have been easier or more efficient.  My new licence and voting card arrived in the same week and it made me feel like I truly am a citizen now. More so than even receiving my U.S passport for some strange reason, I think because it’s not passive, it empowers me to act. 

Nothing is more powerful than making your voice heard, no matter what you believe in or who you vote for, it’s just so important to turn up. I don’t believe in the idea that not voting is a ‘statement’ – people fought and died for this privilege and I really believe every single citizen should use this important honor, that only we have, and get out there and vote.  If you cannot be bothered to vote you cannot complain about the results afterwards if you don’t like them. And in some of these elections every single vote counts so make the time and do it – VOTE!”

Our Voice, Our Power, Our Vote!

Voting is one of the most powerful tools we have to shape our future, but it’s not the only one. After you cast your first ballot, your voice can continue to drive change in countless ways. One of them is by speaking up for strong climate action.

Right now, the EPA’s authority to regulate climate pollution is under threat. This authority comes from what’s called the Endangerment Finding, a critical tool that has allowed the U.S. to take meaningful steps to curb greenhouse gas emissions for years.

Weakening or eliminating this authority would undo decades of progress. If we want cleaner air and healthier communities, we need strong climate policies and public support to back them up.That’s where you come in. Add your name to our public comment in defense of the EPA’s ability to act on climate.Your voice matters; not just at the ballot box, but every time you speak up for a better future.

The post The Time We Cast Our First Vote appeared first on Earth Day.

Today marks National Live Creative Day — a chance for individuals and communities to step outside of their daily routines in an effort to spark new ideas, discoveries, and interests. Creativity can be found all around us, and by challenging yourself to think differently and experience the world through a new lens, it can lead to fresh perspectives and initiatives. 

While today is a day dedicated to letting your imagination run free, that shouldn’t stop you from immersing yourself in creative endeavors year-round. In fact, EARTHDAY.ORG’s social media team shows their artistry everyday through their posts across Linkedin, X,  TikTok, Facebook, YouTube. and Instagram, which collectively have nearly 1 million followers. 

Each post not only aims to be visually eye-catching, but informative on key environmental issues too. Just like their bio reads, “Earth Day, every day,” they apply the same notion to National Live Creative Day and are creative every single day! 

Here are five unique posts that showcase EARTHDAY.ORG’s Instagram to be both an educative and creatively charged space.

The Gluttony of the Fashion Industry

To raise awareness on the fashion industry’s contribution to pollution, a striking image depicts a life size billboard of a woman, out of her white blouse spills thousands upon thousands of clothes. These items pile on top of one another to create a mountainous display perfectly visualizing the overconsumption of the fast fashion industry. This jarring photo is a nod to the 100 billion garments a year that are produced, 87% of which ultimately head to landfills or incinerators. 

It should come as no shock that SHEIN, an online-only fashion retailer that dominates the fast-fashion space, is printed in large bold lettering across the billboard. As of 2023, the company became the biggest polluter in the fashion industry, with its emissions almost doubling at the rate of its revenue.   

In general, clothing consumption has increased by a whopping 400% in the past two decades, and this image serves as a visual reminder of these terrifying statistics and offers an obvious solution — buy less fast fashion!

The Summer I Became Informed on Environmental Issues 

The Summer I Turned Pretty, a coming-of-age and romance TV series, is currently airing its final season, and discourse on the show is prevalent across social media platforms. 

In a carousel style post, EARTHDAY.ORG combines the show’s dreamy and blissful summer aesthetics with short phrases, even using the same font as the series, that inform their audience of small, but impactful steps they can take to preserve and protect the planet. A few include, “the summer I realized likes don’t change the planet, action does,” “the summer I cared about what chemicals are in my products and food,” and “the summer I stopped waiting for billionaires and started saving the planet myself.”  

When Musician Meets Ocean

In celebration of World Oceans Day, EARTHDAY.ORG collaborated with legendary Beatles drummer, Ringo Starr, in creating merch inspired by his song “Octopus’s Garden.” 

The black and white artwork featured a cartoonish depiction of an octopus holding a watering can over a bed of flowers. Under the design read, “an octopus’s garden needs clean water” — referencing the continued initiative to keep our oceans clean.     

The Harsh Reality of Marine Captivity 

In an Instagram reel that garnered over 70,000 views, EARTHDAY.ORG brought awareness to the pressing issue of two orcas — Wikie and her son Keijo, along with 12 bottlenose dolphins, that are at risk in a crumbling and dangerous marine park in France.  

In 2021, France passed a law that banned whales and dolphins from being held in captivity and live shows, which ultimately led to the park’s closing in January of 2025. However, just a month later, it was revealed by France’s Ecology Minister that a site had not been secured for these mammals. These creatures have continued to be housed in unlivable conditions as their tanks fill with algae and the weak structure of the tanks’ walls has caused sediment to seep into their water.     

The video, which combines somber instrumentals, footage of the harsh reality these animals are living through, and short captions for each clip, work to build a narrative of EARTHDAY.ORG’s commitment to condemning the practice of holding marine mammals for captivity. 

In the caption of the video, they tell viewers to write directly to France’s President, and urge him to uphold the country’s promise of ending marine captivity and find a fixed, humane, and sustainable home for these animals. Thousands of people responded and wrote to Macron.

Extra! Extra! Read All About EPA’s Latest Propaganda Proposal!  

In 10 slides, EARTHDAY.ORG breaks down why The Environmental Protection Agency’s latest Endangerment Finding Report is littered with “misinformation, cherry picked stats, and blatant lies.”  

The Endangerment Finding, which was legally established in 2009, is the scientific foundation for regulating greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change. The EPA’s attempt to overturn this would essentially seize them from protecting individuals and the planet from known harmful pollutants.

To spotlight this cause for concern, each slide includes a different portion of the EPA’s report and offers a “fact check” section that debunks the EPA’s argument of reconsidering The Endangerment Finding.

The Billionaire Bride to Be

Just a few weeks ago, global popstar sensation Taylor Swift, announced her engagement to NFL football player, Travis Kelce.   

In light of this development, EARTHDAY.ORG wasted no time reminding the internet that Swift squarely fits in the top 10% of the world’s wealthiest individuals, with her net worth to be estimated at $1.6 billion.  

In a meme-like format, the post displays the couple cozying up with the caption, “just a quick reminder, you are significantly closer to being a climate refugee than a billionaire.” 

As of May, a study published in Nature Climate Change found the top 10 percenters to be responsible for two thirds of global warming since 1990. Perhaps the most glaring finding was that climate impacts do not only stem from global emissions, but can also be directly linked to lifestyle choices, which are an indicator of wealth. 

Get Involved! 

Want to create art, graphics, etc. for Earth Day? Email communications@earthday.org to get started. 

You can also be part of the Earth Day social movement by joining the EARTHDAY.ORG Social Squad? Sign up to get periodic emails of posts for you to share with your friends.  

The post Aesthetic Meets Activism: How Creative Instagram Posts Spark Climate Conversations appeared first on Earth Day.

Swap Ideas Day is a national holiday celebrating the value of exchanging among people. At EARTHDAY.ORG, EDO, we see our environmental legacy as proof of the power of collective action and shared knowledge to safeguard our planet. While every individual holds real power and influence, the climate crisis requires collective action. When voices unite, they form a movement capable of creating meaningful change.

Here are five ideas that EARTHDAY.ORG has shared with you to solve some of the planet’s biggest challenges:

1. Join the Great Global Cleanup & Add Your Event to Our GGCU Map! 

The Great Global Cleanup, GGC, aims to help rid the world of waste and plastic pollution by amplifying, supporting, and connecting the powerful work of the Great Global Cleanup movement. Plastic pollution impacts human health as well as causing environmental pollution and hurting wildlife.

EARTHDAY.ORG, EDO, is championing a reduction in plastic production of 60% by 2040, recognizing that we must address the plastic problem at its source. Make your voice heard and Sign the Global Plastics Treaty petition to call on governments around the world to create a brighter future, one without plastic pollution.

EDO has mapped out existing cleanup events taking place around the world. Please use the Global Cleanup Map to identify and register for a local cleanup in your community. The map serves as both a tool for participation and a visual representation of the global movement’s reach and impact. If there isn’t an existing cleanup nearby, we encourage you to organize a new cleanup.

2. Join Our Email List

One of the simplest ways that ideas are shared is through EDO’s email list. We send newsletters featuring our research-backed articles and lots of action ideas that you can take to renew your commitment to supporting the health of our planet. 

Each email is an exchange of ideas: we share information with you about our campaigns and opportunities for environmental advocacy, while you share your ideas with us when you join our campaigns and contribute your unique voice to them.

Sign up for EDO’s email list here. Email lists are the best ways to hear what we have to say directly in your inbox, so we encourage you to sign up, especially if you’re not sure how you want to get involved.

Right now we are adding the EARTHDAY.ORG to the chorus of voices speaking up to protect the powers of the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA. Add your name to our public comments on EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin’s reckless intentions to gut the Agency’s own ability to regulate greenhouse gas pollution, by rescinding the Endangerment Finding.

3. Back Climate Education

EDO’s Climate Education campaign is grounded in the belief that this critically important education plays a transformative role in teaching the next generation how to best care for the planet. It envisions a world where every student is given a robust climate and environmental schooling that prepares them to be informed citizens and effective environmental stewards. Our campaign calls on policy makers at local, national, and international levels to support students and teachers by adding comprehensive climate education onto every school curriculum. 

The Climate Education Coalition is a global alliance of over 100 youth organizations committed to equipping current and future generations to tackle the climate crisis through climate literacy. Their mission is to promote responsible solutions to mitigate climate change by advocating for compulsory climate education in schools worldwide. Join the Coalition here and follow them on Instagram to hear about their progress and share ideas.

To support global efforts for climate action, EDO has developed a Climate Education NDC Tracker to monitor the inclusion of climate education in each nation’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). NDCs, or Nationally Determined Contributions, are each country’s official climate action plan outlining how they will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build resilience to climate change under the Paris Agreement.

The Paris Agreement is a global treaty, adopted in 2015, by nearly all countries to limit global warming to below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, aiming for 1.5°C.

4. Re-Post Our Social Media

In today’s world, social media is one of the fastest and most effective ways to swap ideas – for example, there are around 1.3 billion photos shared on Instagram every day. EDO actively shares its ideas across multiple platforms, including Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and TikTok. 

The Earth Action Day Social Media Guide takes you through three easy steps to make a difference via social media. You can take Earth Action Day action or create your own pledge for the Earth any day of the year, not just on Earth Day.

5. Read and Share Our Articles

EDO writes articles practically every day to share information with you about current environmental news and practical ways for individual action. 

With information coming at us from all directions, it’s become harder than ever to know what’s actually true and what’s worth our attention. Our goal is to share valuable information with you that is both accurate and understandable.

Our articles cover a spectrum of topics – from How Do I Use AI and Protect the Environment? to 6 Arguments To Refute Your Climate Denying Relatives to Lost in Limbo: Saving Wikie and Keijo – Earth Day – in bite-sized pieces so you can fit them into your day without feeling overwhelmed.

Plus, you can re-share them, post them, use them on your own websites and publications –  completely free of charge!

A Day to Share, a Movement to Build

The power of Swap Ideas Day lies not in a single day of exchange, but in the ongoing commitment to collaborative problem-solving that it represents. Together, we can share ideas – and swap a future burdened by climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation for a sustainable and thriving planet. Every positive idea shared and every smart action taken brings us closer to this vision. Exchange ideas with us every day to build a more sustainable world and create lasting change. Be part of the Earth Day.

This article is available for republishing on your website, newsletter, magazine, newspaper, or blog. The accompanying imagery is also cleared for use. 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 Give Us 5 (Ways EARTHDAY.ORG Exchanges Ideas With You) appeared first on Earth Day.

The 2024–2025 school year was one of the most impactful yet for EARTHDAY.ORG’s Education Team. From expanding global engagement to advancing policy victories, we worked tirelessly to ensure that climate education reaches every classroom. Here are five of our biggest achievements this year:

1. Launching the First Ever Earth Day Showcase

For the first time, EARTHDAY.ORG invited schools worldwide to participate in our global Earth Day Showcase, encouraging students to take action on pressing environmental issues such as plastic pollution, renewable energy, fast fashion, and sustainable food systems.

Over 600 educators from 112 countries engaged in Earth Day in Schools activities, guiding students as they created community based projects. Student-led actions spanned the globe from a renewable fashion show in Namibia reimagining waste materials into clothing, to Plastic Free Lunch Day campaigns in Virginia, to waterway advocacy projects in Pune, India. Schools in Guam, Shanghai, and beyond brought Earth Day to life with creative student projects that amplified environmental awareness within their communities.

This Showcase gave young people the platform to lead, innovate, and inspire, carrying on the legacy of the first Earth Day in 1970 when students demanded action for the planet. You can read all about it here.

2. Expanding the Earth Month Calendar

For the second year running, EARTHDAY.ORG partnered with organizations including the
Council on Foreign Relations and SubjectToClimate to launch our interactive Earth Month Calendar.

This digital resource provided educators, students, and community groups around the world with daily activities, events, and resources throughout April. Widely used across classrooms and nonprofits, the calendar has become a global hub for Earth Month engagement and climate learning.

3. Creating the Schools Guide to Climate Education

To support teachers with accessible, professional development resources, we launched the Schools Guide to Climate Education. This guide equips educators with practical strategies to integrate climate education across all subject areas and grade levels. The best part is that it allows educators to take an existing lesson and integrate core concepts of climate education into the lesson. 

The guide was featured and demonstrated at major national conferences, including the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA Conference), where it reached hundreds of educators seeking innovative approaches to teaching climate change.

4. Strengthening Partnerships with Schools, Nonprofits, and Organizations

Collaboration was at the heart of this school year. We strengthened partnerships with schools and nonprofits, both locally and globally. In Prince George’s County, Maryland, we tabled and presented at the Student Environmental Alliance Summit at Bowie State University, engaging directly with students and teachers. 

We also collaborated with the Organization of American States (OAS) to share climate education resources in Latin America and the Caribbean, amplifying the importance of integrating climate literacy into regional education systems.

Globally, our team contributed to webinars and virtual events cohosted by partners such as Take Action Global, McGill University, and the Canadian Wildlife Federation, reaching tens of thousands of students and teachers.

5. Driving Policy Change Domestically and Internationally

Policy advocacy remained a cornerstone of our work. Domestically, we supported House Bill 3365 in Oregon, submitting testimony to both House and Senate Education Committees and mobilizing our educator network in support of the bill. The legislation passed both the Oregon House and the State Senate and was signed into law in July 2025 marking a major milestone for U.S. climate education. We continue to make in roads by working tracking and advocating for climate education bills currently being considered such as those in Massachusetts and Maryland as well as being founding members of the Coalition for Climate Education Policy (CCEP).

Internationally, we created our Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) Tracker, highlighting the critical role of climate education in meeting global climate commitments. By engaging with international partners, we worked to keep education central to the climate policy conversation. As NDCs continue to come in this year, we will continue to update the tracker and make sure that education is at the center of many of these commitments. 

Looking Ahead

From empowering students through the Earth Day Showcase to shaping climate education policy, the 2024–2025 school year proved that collaboration and innovation are the keys to building a more sustainable future.

At EARTHDAY.ORG, we remain committed to ensuring every student, in every classroom, has access to high-quality, comprehensive, and interdisciplinary climate education. Together, we are helping to raise a generation ready to tackle climate change and protect our planet.

This article is available for republishing on your website, newsletter, magazine, newspaper, or blog. The accompanying imagery is also cleared for use. 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 5 Achievements for Education at EARTHDAY.ORG appeared first on Earth Day.