If you’re looking for some good planet-facing news this week—just as COP30 moves into its second week in Belém, Brazil—consider checking out our new series, Underreported Earth: “Tree Tales.”  The IG trail is HERE. 

Moderated by The Guardian’s Tracy McVeigh, three Pulitzer Center–supported investigative journalists reveal how they uncovered powerful stories about deforestation and conservation in Brazil and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). They discuss how each story made a difference and drove real impact.

Ana Bottallo (Brazil)

Science and Health reporter for Folha de São Paulo, Ana Bottallo shares how she left a career in biological science to pursue journalism. We learn what led her to the mangrove forests of northern Brazil —and how predatory fishing practices are putting them at risk.

During her investigation, she found that Indigenous communities are leading the fight to protect these vital forests—yet their voices were not being heard. Her reporting helped spotlight their efforts, traditions, and role in conservation. Afterward, government agencies and Indigenous communities began collaborating, and new protections were implemented for the mangroves.

Elisângela Mendonça (Brazil/UK)

Brazilian journalist Elisângela Mendonça, formerly with The Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) and now with Global Witness, traveled deep into the Amazon to investigate how beef farming —driven not just by the meat industry but also by the booming global collagen market—is accelerating deforestation. She captured firsthand footage of illegal ranches encroaching on Indigenous land and clearing forests to create pasture.

Her reporting had an impact: one major corporation vowed to stop buying from a supplier implicated in the investigation. She also encourages consumers to remain vigilant about the origins of collagen products.

Josephine Moulds (UK)

London-based journalist Josephine Moulds, reporting for TBIJ, recounts her reporting trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo to cover the government’s fossil fuel drilling auctions — auctions that threaten the Congo Basin rainforest.

Josephine spent three weeks in the DRC, meeting with local communities who had not been consulted about the auctions or their potential impacts on their lives and the rainforest.

Spanning six countries and covering 1.7 million square miles, the Congo Basin is the world’s second-largest rainforest. Yet it faces increasing pressure from logging, agriculture, and now fossil fuel drilling. Josephine’s reporting uncovered two major stories: evidence of a government minister rigging the auction, and the crucial role of Indigenous communities fighting to protect their ancestral forest.

We hope all three stories inspire discussion, as they exemplify journalism’s essential role in driving environmental awareness and positive change—and remind us why defending forests matters everywhere.

These conversations will be livestreamed by EARTHDAY.ORG on our YouTube, Facebook, and X accounts on November 17-19 at 1:00pm EST, then available for on-demand viewing. Facebook: Ep.1, Ep.2, Ep.3   and YouTube:  Ep.1, Ep.2, Ep.3.

Speak up for trees in whatever forum you can, be they trees in your local community or by supporting the work of those defending the forests of Brazil, the Congo and beyond. If you would like to support EARTHDAY.ORG’s mission further – please consider donating to our Canopy Tree Project today and if you found useful information in this article, make sure to sign up for our email list to get the latest news. Plus, please consider becoming an EARTHDAY.ORGvolunteer. We can make a difference – get educated, get inspired, get involved!

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 Does Investigative Journalism Make a Difference? 3 Stories That Prove It Does appeared first on Earth Day.

As COP 30 kicks off in Brazil and the world’s movers and shakers head to Belem – trying to agree on the best ways to mitigate fossil fuel powered climate change (yes it is real and happening) and in the process, help “save the planet.”

EARTHDAY.ORG will have a small dedicated  team on the ground, championing climate education and why it matters. Basically climate literacy teaches green skills and is helping  to power the global green economy and the transition to renewable energy. 

But COP is always a madly busy, slightly chaotic affair and we wanted to countdown to 7 of the craziest COP related facts that you might read about in the mainstream press!

7. It’s like the Olympics of Climate… with coffee and no medals

Every year, nearly every country on Earth gathers for the COP, making it one of the largest diplomatic get-togethers in the world. This year the United States federal government won’t be in attendance as among other reasons, President Trump believes that climate change, is a “con job”. But there is empirical, fact based science that shows this is not the case. What is more, 99.9% of peer-reviewed scientific papers agree that climate change is caused by human activity.

Believe it or not, the first COP kicked off way back in 1995 in Berlin, Germany. Fun fact: it’s been around longer than most of us have had smartphones—and all of today’s social media giants didn’t exist yet: Facebook (2004), Twitter (2006), Instagram (2010).

According to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), for COP26 there were 25,000 pieces of furniture used, 7,000 m² of carpet, 330 water-coolers and 1,124 toilets on site, because even climate heroes need a seat. 

6. When Underwater Means Literally Underwater…

The much-anticipated COP15 in Copenhagen, in 2009, ultimately ended in disappointment, failing to deliver a binding global climate agreement. Yet, just two months before the summit kicked off, on October 17th, 2009, the government of the Maldives, led by President Mohamed Nasheed and joined by 13 cabinet ministers,  staged a remarkable underwater cabinet meeting. 

Wearing scuba gear beneath the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean, the ministers signed a declaration calling for global action on climate change, symbolically underscoring the existential threat that rising sea levels pose to their low-lying island nation. It was a powerful but visually stunning way to dramatize both the reality, and gravity, of climate change the entire world faced.

5. When Fossil Fuel Delegate Numbers Explode

COP summits are basically pop-up cities? COP21 attracted over 38,000 delegates, and COP28 pulled in over a whopping 85,000. That is enough people to fill a small metropolis, complete with armies of negotiators, scientists, activists, business moguls, reporters, and lobbyists.

But the people trying to mitigate climate change are not alone. They are increasingly joined by the corporations driving climate change. Fossil fuel companies don’t just show up at COP—they roll deep. At COP28, a record-breaking 2,456 fossil fuel delegates registered, nearly quadrupling the numbers from COP27 and outnumbering delegates from almost every country except the host UAE and Brazil. That’s more fossil fuel reps than the entire delegations of the world’s ten most climate-vulnerable nations combined.​

Big names make the guest list too—Shell, BP, ExxonMobil, and Chevron have all sent teams of lobbyists, sometimes outnumbering even Indigenous representatives by seven to one. Over just four years (COP26–COP29), more than 5,5350 fossil fuel delegates walked the UN climate negotiation halls, representing 859 organizations responsible for nearly 60% of global oil and gas production.​

4. Seaweed and Menus

At COP26, in beautiful Glasgow, Scotland, the organisers made some green moves: 95% of the food served in the “Blue Zone” was seasonal and from the United Kingdom, 185 lbs of locally harvested seaweed was used as a sustainable substitute for salt in dishes, and reusable aluminium water bottles were provided for all delegates. However meat and fish were still on the COP26 menu and critics pointed out, plus the venue was reportedly not wheelchair friendly, and for many the logistics were lacking.

For COP28 (Dubai, 2023) organisers committed to a menu where two-thirds of the food would be vegan or vegetarian.

3. Asking the Fox to Guard the Chickens!

An investigation, as part of a joint probe with the Centre for Climate Reporting, revealed that the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the host of COP28, allegedly planned to use the climate talks to strike new oil and gas deals with a handful of other nations attending the summit. 

Leaked briefing documents appeared to show that Sultan al-Jaber, the COP28 president and CEO of the UAE’s national oil company ADNOC, and others in his team, were seemingly provided with talking points originating from fossil fuel firms aiming to promote business deals during pre-conference meetings. The documents seemed to outline strategies for commercial discussions on new oil and gas developments, even as international bodies like the International Energy Agency, IEA, warned against new fossil fuel projects to meet climate targets.

In response to the findings, Sultan al Jaber denied using such talking points in his meetings. A COP28 spokesman was reported as saying the documents were “inaccurate” and had not been used by COP28 in meetings.

Critics described the situation as a “breathtaking conflict of interest’. Some campaigners stressed that the level of fossil fuel representation at COP negotiations seriously jeopardizes efforts to combat climate change.

But few lessons seem to have been learned after various news outlets reported that prior to COP29 in Azerbaijan, Elnur Soltanov, the head of Azerbaijan’s COP29 delegation and the country’s deputy energy minister, was apparently filmed discussing potential oil and gas investment with environmental campaigners posing undercover as fossil fuel groups, in exchange for sponsoring the event. 

2. What About Everything Else?

One of the core goals for COP30  is to find ways to keep global warming to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels — or face much worse climate impacts. Translation: when you hear “we’ve got to stay under 1.5,” that’s not just hype, it’s the science-backed bar for “hey, let’s keep the planet liveable  for humans.” But what about all the other species that call Earth home – do we not have a responsibility to protect their right to existence too? 

Climate scientists warn that many species are extremely vulnerable even to this 1.5°C threshold. One prominent study by University of Connecticut biologist Mark Urban, published in the journal Science, analyzed over 30 years of biodiversity and climate change research. It found that if global temperatures rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, nearly 1 in 50 species worldwide (about 180,000 species) could be at risk of extinction by 2100. 

This risk increases sharply beyond 1.5°C warming, especially affecting amphibians, species in mountain, island, and freshwater ecosystems, and certain geographic regions like South America, Australia, and New Zealand.

Protecting wildlife is not only a moral imperative but a vital part of keeping ecosystems resilient and able to absorb carbon naturally. As COP30 unfolds, efforts to integrate wildlife conservation and ecosystem health as key climate solutions are emerging, recognizing that a livable future depends on safeguarding all life — not just human species survival.​

1.  Why You Need to Stay Alert! 

When you think of COP as just a meeting of politicians, you’d be underselling it. Because it’s really a massive global stage where education meets policy, where civil society meets industry, and where the future of our planet gets negotiated. 

For an organisation like EARTHDAY.ORG that’s invested in climate education—seeing how policy, diplomacy, science and active citizens converge at COP is vital. 

Let’s keep watching, learning and pushing for climate education and action. Because as we all know: if the planet’s future is on the line, it is better to be in the room than outside it. If you want to support our work here are some things you can do: You can also have these free articles emailed directly to you by signing up for our email list. We don’t sell your details and we won’t share any adverts either!

If learning is enjoyable please feel free to use our CLIMATE EDUCATION assets. Take action and tell the U.S Congress: We Need Protection from Poison Pesticides and ask them to oppose Section 453 and keep our communities safe from dangerous chemicals. 

Plus, If you are interested in learning more about how to support a more pollinator-friendly agriculture industry, check out our Renewable Agriculture campaign, and discover how agriculture can be used to help the planet not harm it.Consider donating to EARTHDAY.ORG or help us plant trees with the Canopy Tree Project and help us preserve the world’s forests. But whatever you do, do something!

If you want to learn more about why forests matter – please watch our brand new series UNDERREPORTED EARTH – “TREE TALES”– IG TRAIL. 

Tracy McVeigh from The Guardian speaks with three top investigative journalists about their groundbreaking reporting: Elisangela Mendonça uncovers how the Amazon rainforest is being threatened by the collagen industry. Josephine Moulds takes us into the Congo Basin, where fossil fuel auctions are endangering one of the world’s most vital forest ecosystems. Ana Bottallo travels deep into the Amazonian mangroves to witness how local communities fought —  to have their voices heard.

The episodes go live Novermber 17/18th/19th across EARTHDAY.ORG social media  on Facebook: Ep.1, Ep.2, Ep.3   and YouTube:  Ep.1, Ep.2, Ep.3.

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 COUNTDOWN 7 CRAZY FACTS ABOUT COP appeared first on Earth Day.

EARTHDAY.ORG has been championing climate education for more than a decade, with a dedicated education team highlighting how teaching students about the climate crisis not only helps ease their anxiety about its threats but also prepares them for the rapidly growing global green workforce.

With a team in Washington DC as well as in India, Brazil and Europe – Johnny Dabrowski works based across two locations for us in Europe, Ireland and Poland, but he is always on the move, as much as his college studies allow, advocating for universal climate education in all schools.

Johnny is the coordinator of the Climate Education Coalition and a student of Politics and Geography at Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland. He was awarded the Youth Engagement Prize by the Mayor of Warsaw in 2019 and received the Sustainability Leadership Award from Trinity College Dublin in 2024. A passionate advocate for climate education, Johnny has represented youth voices at major international forums, including the G7 Education Ministers’ Meeting (2024), COP26, COP27, COP28, and the UNESCO Transforming Education Summit. He campaigns globally for the integration of compulsory climate education in school curricula. 

Q: Johnny, tell us who you are and what you do for EARTHDAY.ORG? 

Johnny:  I’m a climate education advocate, traveler, and student and while I live in Dublin, I am fromI Poland. On behalf of EARTHDAY.ORG (EDO) I co-ordinate the Climate Education Coalition, which I founded at the EARTHDAY.ORG Climate Education Hub at COP27 in Egypt. 

The coalition represents more than 100 youth and civil society organizations, including the World Organization of the Scout Movement and SOS-UK. Our goal is to make climate science an integral part of the curriculum of all schools globally and an adventurous academic endeavor for all students.

Q: That sounds like a lot – how did you first become an activist?

Johnny: My family has always taught me to appreciate the natural world. The ocean, the mountains, and outdoor activities in general have always interested me. So I have been curious about the natural world for as long as I can remember and I wanted to share this passion with others. 

This led to my decision to become an advocate for climate education across all school curricula, because understanding the world we live in is a vital skill and a primary tool for addressing the environmental challenges we all face. Since 2021, I have worked with EARTHDAY.ORG and the Climate Education Coalition to integrate climate education into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) — countries’ official climate action plans under the Paris Agreement — as well as into national school curricula.

Q: You just flew back to Ireland from Brussels – what were you doing there? 

Johnny: On Thursday, October 22, 2025 Europe celebrated Education For Climate Day  and as part of that event I was invited by the European Commission to moderate the opening panel, called “Global Lessons for European Learning”, at the EU Commission in Brussels, Belgium. 

I had the great honor of moderating a conversation with an esteemed panel featuring Bella Nestorova, Team Leader for Disaster Risk and Resilience at the Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO), European Commission. Mariela Buonomo Zabaleta, Senior Education Programme Specialist at the International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP), UNESCO. Eric Guilyardi, climate scientist, researcher at the National Centre for Scientific Research / Laboratory of Oceanography and Climate, Institute Pierre‑Simon Laplace (CNRS/LOCEAN‑IPSL), France, and Chair/President of the Office for Climate Education (OCE) and Dr. Iryna Nikolayeva, Lead of the “In the MOOD for Climate Action” learning programme at the Learning Planet Institute.

They are all key players in the climate education world, and it was important for me to represent EARTHDAY.ORG as it has been a key NGO supporting and advocating for this critically important mission of teaching every student about climate education.  EDO’s been championing the cause as it were even when it was not popular so that fact that I was here, proves we have helped to get this critically important issue onto the global agenda. It was a great moment to meet like minded thinkers to and represent the Climate Education Coalition too.

Q: What was discussed on the panel you moderated?

Johnny: The main theme of the whole event was how international agreements, such as the Paris Agreement and the associated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), shape national education policies. Participants agreed that the recent surge in NDC commitments to climate education must be matched with adequate climate finance in order to create a meaningful, lasting impact.  How are schools in the Global South for example going to integrate climate education into their curricula if they are not funded?

We also discussed the EU Preparedness Strategy, which plans for resilience in the face of both geopolitical tensions and natural climate disasters. We especially focused on education as a means of building resilience because students need to know what is happening when their communities are impacted by extreme weather events, like flooding and wildfires, triggered by climate change. Climate literacy, climate change and national security are all intertwined.  

You can watch Johnny in action moderating the panel HERE.

Q: Why is Europe so key to spreading the planet saving qualities of climate education?

Johnny: The broad answer is that the European Union is the most powerful economic block in the world and at the same time one of the largest greenhouse gas (GHG) emitters in the world. As of 2023, the European Union (EU) accounted for approximately 6% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, making it the world’s fourth-largest emitter after China, the United States, and India. That is down from 1990 but Europe has a huge role to play in not only limiting their own emissions but also in persuading other nations too as well.

A more climate education–focused perspective is that European leaders’ decisions on whether and how climate education is included in school curricula affect millions of students across the EU, from kindergarten through college. The most recent data from 2020, says there are approximately 93.3 million pupils and students enrolled across the European Union. This encompasses all levels of education, from pre-primary through tertiary (university) education – so that is a lot of students that could have the opportunity to be taught climate education if the EU designated it as part of their NDC.

Furthermore, Europe wields significant “soft power” in shaping how other countries approach climate education. The upcoming EU Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), which is expected to include a commitment to climate education, would be a major step forward—and one to be celebrated if it comes to pass. Such a move could influence other nations to follow suit. Importantly, this is not just a policy statement on paper; it represents a strategic and actionable direction for European countries to implement in practice. We have been pushing for this for years so it’s a pivotal moment.

Q: Why Does Education For Climate Day Matter?

It is, as it were, closing the loop. At COP21, ministers did not recognize the connections between ecology, sustainable development, and climate education in school curricula. Today, as we celebrate EU Education for Climate Day, many European countries—across governments of different political persuasions—have already integrated climate education into their curricula. We are now on the path toward incorporating climate education into the EU Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). We have an NDC Tracker where you can see which countries have adopted climate education and teaching, at what levels of commitment and who has yet to do so.

Moreover, the EU’s preparedness strategy—which has evolved in response to the war in Ukraine, disinformation, and natural disasters—recognizes climate education as a key tool to equip citizens to face crises. Today, we celebrated these significant strides.

Q: Long term what are your hopes for climate education?

Every single student on the planet should learn about climate change in an integrated way across all subjects—whether in science, math, or art. Climate education not only empowers youth to understand and address the world’s challenges but also prepares them for the workforce, making them more competitive in the job market.

This is not a partisan issue—we should rise above divisions. Whether your goal is to save the planet or simply ensure that your children are prepared for the future, teaching climate education is essential. It equips the next generation with the knowledge, skills, and opportunities they deserve. In short: it’s good for the planet and good for your kids’ futures.  Who can honestly argue against that logic?

Q: Tell us about your policy and advocacy wins Johnny?

We are close to embedding climate education and green skills in the EU NDCs and well over 60 other nations outside of the EU group, including the Vatican, have adopted climate education in one form or another into their NDCs. 

So EARTHDAY.ORG and the Climate Education Coalition have truly changed the political narrative around climate education with relentless campaigning and advocacy. This is a big win. Through hours of bilaterals, a zillion press conferences, working at COPs, countless petitions, advocay, engagement and media coverage we have finally changed the way the public and more importantly in this NDC fight, how policymakers think of climate on the curricula, for the better. It’s not a niche subject anymore!

Q: How do you feel about COP30?

Climate education is on the COP30 agenda, there are two entire days dedicated to discuss green skills and education. That is good news and my colleagues Bryce Coon, Director Education at EDO, Rodolfo Beltran, EDO’s Regional Director South America (who is based in Brazil) and Max Falcone, our Global Advisor, will be in Belém fighting for climate education integration into every country’s NDC..

However there will likely not be a global, major declaration of countries universally backing the teaching of climate education. It’s a huge pity, as so many countries are now showing their support with inclusion type language in their own NDCs. I believe EDO and the Climate Education Coalition will keep pushing for it and promote the NDC adoption via our team’s work at Side Events and our endless advocacy and communications support. Stay tuned;) We will win in the end!

Q: If you had one dream for CP30 what would it be?

For green climate funds to give one billion dollars to climate education in the curricula, especially to nations in the global south countries especially who need funding. The Global South pays a high price due to climate change, which is largely being driven by the countries in the North. 

Q: Long term what will be your ambitions for you, president of Poland?

I am really happy with my current role!  Sometimes I wake up in the beautiful Trinity campus, go for a sea swim, then to lectures and by the end of the day I depart for a climate conference somewhere new.  I don’t believe it’s real and it can feel like a dream. 

But it’s my life and I owe this mission and my success to my family and my closest friends, to whom I’m truly grateful. They are always there for me. I would love to continue on this path, and connect geography exploration, biodiversity protection and diplomacy. Nevertheless, regarding the Polish Presidency, life is a great adventure, so never say never;).  Dziękuję, że poświęciliście czas na przeczytanie tego tekstu!

If you are a student or a youth facing group or organization and you want to get involved in supporting EARTHDAY.ORG’s climate education initiative and even join the Climate Education Coalition, you can contact Johnny here: Dabrowski@earthday.org

Remember the principles of climate education are straightforward: it involves teaching students globally, from K-12, and through college, about the climate crisis, its causes, and ways to mitigate it. By integrating climate education across all subjects—art, math, science, and languages—the issues of climate change will become an unavoidable part of the curriculum. And importantly give young people the skills they will need to thrive in the green economy and the global workforce.  

You can find out more on the subject in EDO’s report Climate Education vs The Climate Crisis report. There is also a two page summary of this report: The Case For Climate Education in Europe, as well as a version in Spanish.  Plus, EARTHDAY.ORG produced an NDC Guide that outlines how climate education can be added to a nation’s NDC.

The post Our Man in Brussels appeared first on Earth Day.

On April 22, 2025, EARTH DAY will mark its 55th anniversary— a perfect moment to reflect on how Earth Day has made a lasting impact on our planet and proof that an engaged public can change the world for the better.

A Little Bit of History

Firstly, we have been championing policy changes around the world for over five decades, but the Earth Day movement started in the U.S back in 1970, co-organized by EDO’s founder and then student activist, Denis Hayes.

Hayes was recruited by Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson to organize a series of campus teach-ins to mark a day of environmental action, but Hayes was challenged to scale the idea up so that it appealed to the broader public as well as college students. 

Picking the actual day was their first big decision. They chose April 22, which was on a Wednesday in 1970, falling between Spring Break and Final Exams, the idea being that this would most likely maximize student participation at least. They decided to name the day too – hence Earth Day was born. It immediately started to garner media attention on television news, radio and in newspapers across the country.

Oil spills, raw sewage, toxic chemical dumps, rampant pesticide use, the degradation of important habitats and wildlife loss were all stories beginning to hit the headlines and creating a sense of deep-seated concern that not enough was being done to protect the environment. Earth Day effectively became a rallying cry for other organizations and the public to get behind to collectively demand change and government action. Hayes built a national staff of just 85 activists to promote events across the U.S and invite everyone to make their voices heard. They did. 

Mass Movements = Policy Change

That first Earth Day inspired 20 million Americans — at the time, 10% of the total population of the United States — from all walks of life and of all political persuasions to take to the streets and demand protection against the impacts of 150 years of unaccountable industrial development.  All at a time that predated computers, social media, and cell phones. Even today it remains one of the biggest secular events in American history.  

By the end of 1970, that very first Earth Day led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of important environmental laws, including the National Environmental Education Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Act and the Clean Air Act. Two years later Congress passed the Clean Water Act.  In 1990, the U.S strengthened the Clean Air Act Amendments to tackle acid rain and air pollution, inspiring similar laws worldwide. So, it was fitting in 2016 that Earth Day was the day chosen to mark the opening day of signatures for the Paris Climate Agreement.

You can hear Denis Hayes talking about his latest activism with Kathleen Rogers, President of EARTHDAY.ORG, here on 22 Minutes With… 

Living Greener

But EARTHDAY.ORG’s work to promote Earth Day as a force for change is not just about driving policy change designed to protect the environment – Earth Day is proud to be a gateway to all kinds of environmental activism across the world. From our global  initiative A Billion Acts of Green, launched in 2010, which has inspired over 3 billion acts of environmental stewardship to the Great Global Cleanup, launched in 2020, which has inspired over 16 million volunteers in just four years to collectively remove nearly 100 million tons of trash—primarily plastic—from our communities.

If you want to support our work in our 55th year, please spread the word about our campaign by reposting about us on social media. We are active on, IG, LinkedIn, You Tube, X and Facebook.

Learning to Be Green

We are too the global leaders in advocating for the universal teaching of climate education in all schools and our report Climate Education vs The Climate Crisis makes a compelling case for why we believe this is so important in managing the climate crisis. It counters misinformation as well as equipping students with the skills they will need for careers in the ‘green economy’. 

With over 95% of U.S. schools and a billion people worldwide observing Earth Day, this movement is uniquely positioned to advocate for climate education and has been championing individual nations across the world to include the teaching of climate education in their Nationally Determined Contributions, known as NDC’s.

Setting the Theme

As well as these core campaigns, EARTHDAY.ORG sets the theme for Earth Day every year and in 2024 chose, Planet vs Plastics, which shifted the global conversation on plastics so that it did not just cover plastic pollution and its impact on wildlife but also included its impact on human health, via microplastics and their toxic chemicals. By highlighting how these substances threaten human health, our reports, Babies vs Plastics and Pets vs. Plastics drove media widespread coverage on a critically important issue. 

For 2025, EDO has chosen ‘Our Power, Our Planet‘ as the Earth Day theme, aiming to triple global electricity generation from renewable sources by 2030.

Renewable energy comes from replenishable sources, like the sun, which do not produce greenhouse gasses and therefore do not drive climate change. It is energy that ends our reliance on fossil fuels and the damage they cause to both our environment and human health.

Through our new campaign, Earth Day Global Conversation, we will collaborate with the media, communities, mayors, and local leaders to drive the support and uptake of renewable energy. We’ll highlight how solar, wind, geothermal, hydro, and tidal energy benefit both the planet and our health, promote energy equity, and are already creating millions of new jobs worldwide with many more to follow.

If you want to support our work, sign the Our Power, Our Planet Renewable Energy Petition HERE.  Join us in urging governments worldwide to prioritize tripling renewable energy by 2030 and help us reach 55,000 signatures by Earth Day 2025.

For the Love of Trees

Lastly, through our Canopy Project we have planted millions of trees. In Mexico, Uganda, South Africa, Bangladesh, Madagascar, and the precious Sundarbans mangroves of India Working with local communities we have used your generous donations in the places that have most needed them to reforest. If you want to support our tree planting efforts, please consider donating to Earth Day. 

All your contributions directly fund our initiatives in planting trees, backing renewable energy advocacy, campaigning for the inclusion of climate education in all schools globally, and supporting our community-based action. For 55 years you have walked with us and helped to create this powerful movement, make this the biggest observance of Earth Day yet and get involved!

Photo Credit: Rocky Mountain News Photographs, Denver Public Library

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.

The post Earth Day Turns 55 In 2025 appeared first on Earth Day.

Marie Sallois

Georgina Grenon

Every 7th, of every month, we ask the questions you’re all thinking for a 2 minute read that gives you the low down on the latest stories.

With the 2024, Paris Olympics gearing up to start on July 26th we caught up with some of their senior team to see how important sustainability is to these Olympics. Here’s our conversation with IOC’s’ Director of Sustainability Marie Sallois and Georgina Grenon, Director of Environmental Excellence, Paris Olympics 2024.

1:  When the Olympics come to town, it can often mean an explosion in building projects to create stadiums and infrastructure. How is the 2024 Paris Olympics mitigating this?

MARIE SALLOIS:
One of the critical recommendations of the IOC’s reform program, Olympic Agenda 2020, is to make the best use of, and improve, what is already available. This includes requiring hosts to keep construction to a minimum. Paris 2024 has taken this approach to heart, reducing and reusing wherever possible.

GEORGINA GRENON:
We applied this principle throughout the Games and, of course, also when it comes to venues. 95 percent of competition venues are already in place or will be temporary. Reduced construction is one of the key levers we chose to reduce our carbon emissions. Our aim is to halve them compared to previous Games, aligning with the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

2.   The Seine has been so polluted that since 1923, it has been illegal to swim in it! This year, you are aiming to hold swim races in the river! How was that made possible?

GEORGINA GRENON:
The potential for the Seine has always been there. The Paris 2024 Organizing Committee, the French government and the city of Paris understood early on that the Games were an opportunity to get the Seine clean again. Since the Games were awarded to Paris, a taskforce led by the State and the City of Paris was put in place, and a significant investment was allocated to fix the root causes of pollution. That’s an investment for all Parisians to be able to swim in the Seine from 2025 onwards. The Games serve as an accelerator.

MARIE SALLOIS:
We are pleased to see that the Olympic Games are accelerating efforts to reduce pollution in the Seine and restore public bathing in the river. This approach is in line with the IOC’s ambition to ensure the Games create long-term benefits for the residents. The scale of this endeavor is enormous and could become an important part of the Games’ social and environmental legacy, which will potentially benefit Parisians for generations to come.

3.   At the 2012 Olympics, there were fears that athletes and spectators wouldn’t be able to get to events easily due to congestion. How is Paris handling getting people to the Games?

GEORGINA GRENON:

All Paris 2024 venues will be accessible by public transport. Public transport frequencies will be increased when compared with a similar period in previous years but will remain below a “normal” month of November, for example. In addition, more than 400km of cycle paths are being added, along with 20,000 secured parking slots for bikes. All this is to encourage cycling as a transport to and from the venues.

4.   Is there a food waste management system for the Paris Games?

MARIE SALLOIS:

To cut global emissions, the world must change the way it produces and consumes its food. Paris 2024 will show an example of how it can be put into action and how to reinvent catering for sport events and deliver nutritious and tasty food.

GEORGINA GRENON:
We are set to serve up 13 million meals and snacks, with half of the average carbon emissions of a “standard” French meal. This ambitious goal will be obtained mainly through 4 levers: doubling the amount of plant-based ingredients, local and seasonal sourcing, halving the use of single use plastics and fighting food waste. So, yes, food waste management is an important component of the Paris Food Vision, with measures including the optimization of orders and stock, redistribution of unsold stock to local associations, with which conventions are already signed, the collection and composting of biodegradable waste, and awareness raising on food waste issues.

5.   How are you limiting the use of single-use plastics at the Games?

GEORGINA GRENON:

Paris 2024 is one of the world’s largest catering events and it therefore wants to set an example.  The overall aim of Paris 2024 is to cut the use of single-use plastic in catering by half compared to previous Games. Half of the 18M beverage servings will be served without any single-use plastics. There will be no disposable tableware at the Olympic Village restaurant, a massive effort knowing it will serve 40.000 meals a day, it’s the world’s biggest!

6.   Have you done anything in Paris that might surprise people in terms of sustainability?

GEORGINA GRENON:

Most of the most important changes to make these Games more sustainable won’t necessarily be visible to people, hence the importance of making them somehow visible.

But, for most people, probably the most surprising aspect of these Games in terms of sustainability will be to realize that it is possible to stage a major sporting event while reducing its environmental impact and increasing its social benefits, and to see that in many details through their spectator experience : getting to the venues by public transport, entering the venue with their own reusable bottle (it’s forbidden normally in France), seeing a different food offering to choose from and not touching a single-use plastic bottle, noticing the venue was made of wood or recycled plastics, etc.

These Games are truly setting new standards in terms of staging more sustainable events and, at the same time, they will still be spectacular. Imagine watching your favorite sports at some of Paris’s most iconic historical sites – the Eiffel Tower Stadium, the Grand Palais, the Concorde, Palace of Versailles, and more…Paris 2024 is proving to the world that it is possible to stage a spectacular event by doing more with less, doing it better and with long-term benefits in mind.

7.   What about the next Olympics in LA; will sustainability be key there too?

MARIE SALLOIS:

Yes, focus on sustainability is a key part of our strategic roadmaps, Olympic Agenda 2020 and Olympic Agenda 2020+5, which require the Games to be more sustainable. Paris 2024 is the first Games to be fully aligned with Agenda 2020, but of course they will not be the last. The Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028 are going for a “radical reuse” strategy, meaning that 100 percent of the venues will be existing or temporary. The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, for example, will be used for the third time at an Olympic Games, having been used in 1932 and 1984. In fact, Los Angeles organizers say the 2028 Games will focus not on buildings but on people: athletes, fans, and the LA community.      

The post Just 7 Questions: A Conversation with the Paris Olympics appeared first on Earth Day.

April 23rd is International Book Day, so there’s never been a better time to read the books that champion planet Earth.

Here’s EARTHDAY.ORG’s 2024 eclectic list of the books we love. Some of them inspire action, some make us think about the world in a different way, some had a massive impact, and some are just fantastic reads. So, grab a mug of tea and settle down…

1. Silent Spring (1962) by Rachel Carson

Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring was published in 1962, and it is hard to overestimate the impact of this truly seminal book.

Carson had risen through the ranks to become the editor-in-chief of all U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service publications and published two very well received books, The Sea Around Us in 1951 and The Edge of the Sea in 1956.  

But she left her job to focus all her efforts on writing her third book, which would become Silent Spring.

Carson painstakingly documented the science and impact of agricultural pesticides and insecticides on wildlife and argued that we needed to recognize the harm they were causing. Carson made the point, that we were facing the possibility of a Spring would one day fall silent because the insect, and bird populations, would be decimated by the chemicals we were pouring onto the land.

Her book was an instant sensation and President John F. Kennedy himself read it. Carson redefined our relationship with the planet and the natural world, empathizing the idea that we are custodians of this planet.

The book would instigate the banning of the insecticide DDT, and Carson is one of the most important figures in the environmental movement — perhaps the mother of it.  So much of what she said back then could be applied to the plastic industry today.

2. Last Chance to See (1990) by Douglas Adams and Mark Carwardine

Adams is most famous for writing the multi-million selling book series, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and Carwardine is and was a respected zoologist. The two strangers met in Mauritius in 1985 on an assignment for The Observer newspaper, to write about the Aye Aye, the world’s rarest nocturnal lemur.  

The men bonded so well they decided to continue their adventures and track down other endangered animals, hence the name of their resulting book, published in 1990, Last Chance to See. It is a deeply funny, moving, and poignant read that, while capturing the madness of what they pursued, also highlighted the plight of species on the brink of extinction.

Some of the animals they saw did not survive in the wild, like the Northern White Rhino, but some species did survive. A few, like the Rodrigues Fruit Bat from Mauritius, have even seen their numbers rise from 100 to 3,000.

Adams, sadly died of a heart attack in 2001.  No matter your point of view about the world and man’s role in it, this book is worth reading.

3. The Lorax (1971) by Dr. Seuss

The Lorax was published in 1971, just a year after the very first Earth Day.

There’s something magical about a creature that declares its entire existence is to guard Truffula trees. But it is perhaps even more remarkable that Dr Seuss — real name Theodor Seuss Geisel — wrote this inspiring book in just 90 minutes while on a trip to Kenya to watch elephants.

The Lorax is a small, increasingly desperate little soul trying to battle a voracious industry that will only be content to see every Truffula felled. The Lorax begs an uncaring public to help him, but it is only as the Truffula’s near extinction that people wake up to a world without them. 

At the time the book was not hugely popular, but as the conservation movement grew and Lady Bird Johnson, started to name-check the Lorax — it took off. It would go on to sell over 1 million copies and perhaps is more relevant today than it was 50 years ago.

4. Life as We Know It (Can Be) (2024) by Bill Weir

Bill Weir’s Life As We Know It (Can Be), published in 2024, started its genesis as a series of letters written on Earth Day to his baby son River, but slowly morphed into a full-blown book.

As CNN’s Chief Climate Correspondent, Weir has travelled the globe witnessing firsthand mankind’s impact on the planet, from hurricanes to wildfires to melting ice caps but in this lyrical book, while not shying away from the losers in this changing landscape – he found the great adaptors too. All of us need some hope, sometimes and this book brings it.

5. On the Origin of Species (1859) by Charles Darwin

Widely considered the foundation of evolutionary biology, it’s impossible to overstate the importance of this book. Darwin made the ground-breaking observation that population of species evolve over time through a process of natural selection. Individual creatures inherit different traits and those that possess traits that make them more suited to their environment and therefore able to breed, passing these traits on to their own offspring. Over time, this allows species to evolve, even into new species.

The most incredible thing to remember about Darwin that he wrote this it in a world that did not know about DNA, the mechanism that makes natural selection possible. It’s also, at times almost poetic.

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