Earth Day Diaries Archives | Earth Day

World Bank Group Youth Summit & The Future of Skills

Johnny Dabrowski — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Johnny Dabrowski, EARTHDAY.ORG Youth Lead

Hi, this is Johnny Dabrowski and I’m the Youth Lead at Earth Day Network. Skills and education matter more than ever! Join me at the World Bank Headquarters in Washington, DC, where on June 11–12 2026 more than 300 youth delegates shared their advocacy for innovation, sustainability and finance.

Are you passionate about international development, sustainability, and digital innovation? Then this diary is for you!

If you’re interested in the upcoming Earth Day opportunities and the new Youth Climate Skills Accelerator, stay tuned and keep an eye on our socials! At the same time you can join the Climate Education Coalition today;)

“Have no regrets in your career and catch the train before it leaves!”
-World Bank President Ajay Banga opened the Summit with a message that stayed with me.

Whether your goal is to lead a global institution, launch an AI startup, or become a climate leader, your journey should start with a sense of purpose that will drive your work forward.

For many young people, it’s not always easy to know exactly what the next step should be. We may lack experience, but we can trust our instincts and make new connections and meet people that move us closer to our goals.

To improve your networking abilities, you can now apply to become an Ambassador for the My Future My Voice campaign led by EARTHDAY.ORG.

Day in a life at the World Bank Youth Summit

Remember: Everyone can make a difference. Every small step moves you closer to success.

As President Banga concluded, 50% is about luck, and the other 50% is about how we respond to it. Not everything is in our control, but we must recognize and seize opportunities when they come. Otherwise, the train moves on.

And remember – you are not alone

The Power of Teamwork

Youth Summit included an Innovation Lab, a group pitch competition focused on designing a development project. I was randomly assigned to a team – however it proved to be great luck!

The group was truly diverse, bringing together people from Egypt, the United States, Ghana, and beyond. Manufacturing wasn’t my strongest area, but this team made me feel that every contribution mattered and together we each used our unique skills to create a complete project.

With Joselle Mensah and Ibrahim Rostom from our team.

Important: As each of us brought different perspectives, strengths and ability to listen to one another we were able to succeed.

We challenged each other’s ideas respectfully and built stronger solutions through thoughtful debate, not simple compromise.

This is how the Climate Education Coalition works. A network of 150+ Youth Organizations working on green skills, advocacy training – join the world’s largest youth coalition for climate education today!

At the World Bank, we didn’t win the competition, BUT we created a strong project framework connecting young Cambodians with experienced leaders in the textile industry.

And most importantly, we strengthened our communication, time management, critical thinking, and public speaking skills!

If you are interested in further improving your skills, the Youth Climate Skills Accelerator will feature inspiring climate leaders sharing their personal insights, career journeys, and practical advice on building a successful career in climate action. Follow along and join us!

Communications and Networking

These are fundamental skills for any career.

Yes, it can be challenging, but you need to stay focused on your mission instead of worrying about what others might think. Often, the loudest critics are the ones who never take action themselves.

In conversation with Paschal Donohe, Managing Director and Chief Knowledge Officer of the World Bank Group. Funnily enough we both studied at Trinity College Dublin.

The best way to introduce yourself to the group is to show up, stand up and ask the question.
It’s simple but I always do that at youth conferences and always end up having more connections and being recognized in the room.

Then, try to be interviewed, or as I did at the World Bank, interview someone else for social media;)

Thanks to The World Bank Group’s Connect4Climate I was invited to a conversation with Sarah Nedolast, Water Security and Sanitation Partnership Manager at the World Bank.

We discussed the future of skills and the water sector. Today, 4 billion people experience water scarcity, while more than 2 billion still lack access to safe drinking water. These are realities we cannot ignore.

Soon you’ll be able to watch the full interview on the Connect4Climate profiles, the Interview with Sarah Nedolast

Meeting these challenges requires new partnerships for skills, and a new generation of people passionate about humanitarian action, climate solutions, and technological innovation in water and sanitation.

We need science and innovation, but we also need people who can communicate these solutions effectively, inspire others, and drive meaningful change.

Every day you have the power to make a difference for our planet. Every day is Earth Day. Join our movement, build your skills, and become part of the next generation of climate leaders.

A huge thank you to the World Bank Youth Steering Committee for the invitation. Especially to Marco Fayet, Jose Malbec Leighton and Hannah Rosenthal. See you next year!

LINKS:
MFMV https://www.facebook.com/share/1D7R6mWUkV/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Climate Education Coalition: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSehupPUpzQKW_HxO05CMQMjMbvFMbHCB8mO0u9k__wjH86U9g/viewform

World Bank Post on LinkedIn

The post World Bank Group Youth Summit & The Future of Skills appeared first on Earth Day.

Belém COP30 Diary, Day 5

Bryce Coon — Sun, 16 Nov 2025 19:36:00 +0000

Hi, my name is Bryce Coon. I am a former Humanities teacher and for the last couple of years, the Director of Education at EARTHDAY.ORG. I’m in Belém, Brazil for COP30. Here’s why – we are championing a simple truth: the green economy starts with climate education.

Just last week the European Union (EU)joined 60 other countries around the world that all agree with us – schools and teachers are where we will meet the climate crisis head on and empower the global work force with the green skills needed to mitigate it and power the global economy.

DAY 5 at COP30
DATE: 15th SATURDAY NOVEMBER
MOOD: Energized but sadly my final day here
WEATHER: You guessed it - yet more heat!

It took longer than usual to get to the venue as there was another Indigenous protest at the start of the day. As I arrived, I noticed more barricades were erected, and a long line of police officers stood guard, channeling the flow of delegates through just one small entrance before the path led to yet another checkpoint. As I wrote yesterday, security seems to heighten with each day.

The Indigenous community are here making their voices heard at COP30, as they fight to protect their lands and the forests they are stewards of. Our own new series, UNDERREPORTED EARTH – “TREE TALES”– IG trail – sees Tracy McVeigh from The Guardian speaks with three top investigative journalists about their groundbreaking reporting around forests: 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 rainforest ecosystems. Ana Bottallo travels deep into the Amazonian mangroves to witness how local communities fought to have their voices heard.

The episodes go live November 17/18th/19th across EARTHDAY.ORG social media on Facebook: Ep.1, Ep.2, Ep.3 and YouTube: Ep.1, Ep.2, Ep.3. Well worth a listen and helps to reveal some of what the Indigenous communities are fighting for.

EARTHDAY.ORG and the Pulitzer Center worked with Tracy Mcveigh at The Guardian to create a truly inspiring series that showcases why investigative journalism matters. All three stories are tree centric and Indigenous communities are integral to each.

With only one scheduled event, our official Blue Zone panel in the afternoon, the morning allowed us crucial time. We met as a team to consolidate our strategy for the panel and then spent time visiting key pavilions. The networking was focused, shifting from making connections to specific follow-up actions and partnerships that will extend our work well beyond Belém.

Our session had the last time slot on the Saturday before the rest day, and I was genuinely concerned about attendance fatigue. But, fortunately, we had a very good showing: a full house with a highly attentive audience and two truly outstanding panels. We split the time with our co-lead SOS-UK, and between our panels, we had representatives from the youth, corporations, government, and philanthropy. We weren’t sure if she could make it, but we were graced by the presence and brief remarks from Marcele Oliveira, COP 30’s youth champion. It was a perfect culmination of our time here.

The panel successfully touched upon two critical and interconnected topics that have rightly been receiving a lot of attention at COP 30. The first focused on the renewal of the Climate Change Gender Action Plan (GAP) and the vital conversation around green skills. We emphasized ensuring that the growth of the green economy is deeply and explicitly connected to gender equality.

The reason EARTHDAY.ORG (EDO) believes all countries must commit to disciplinary climate education is simple: to ensure that countries in the Global South, and particularly women, have foundational access to green skills. This access is essential not only to increase gender equality but to build true long-term resiliency in communities most vulnerable to climate change.

The second area of focus, climate disinformation, also proved highly relevant, especially given the “COP of Truth” theme emphasized by the Brazilian Presidency. As we are seeing an increasing and alarming spread of climate disinformation and denialism across the internet, our panel framed education as the necessary tool to combat this. It’s not just about teaching climate science; it’s about fostering critical thinking and media literacy to protect the very foundation of effective climate action. Having these crucial conversations on the main stage before the final, high-level negotiations begin felt like a necessary final push.
After the panel, I went to dinner with a group of climate lawyers. Again, learning more about the interdisciplinary nature of this work. I went to bed, woke up, and now I am at the Belem Airport.

I am exhausted but inspired and looking forward to all the COP follow-up to come! Ropo and Max are here for a few days longer working the floors, attending meetings and panels, learning, teaching and making connections, for me though it is time to head home to Washington DC.

However, like all COP participants, this is not the end; it is the start of another year of work towards activating ways to manage and mitigate the climate crisis. We have the power to make a difference – the Earth Day theme really has struck me as so true – it really is, Our Power, Our Planet.

DAY 4 at COP30
DATE: 14th FRIDAY NOVEMBER
MOOD: Looking forward to the big EDO panel
WEATHER: More heat!

Today I arrived at the venue and immediately noticed the increased security: more barricades, a larger military presence, and new procedures for entering the zones. Since the indigenous protest earlier this week, the security and protocols have changed each day. In corridors and pavilions I heard many voices reflecting on the role of this COP30.

Some believe the summit is failing to include the indigenous voice adequately, while others point to events featuring indigenous leaders, artists, and families across both the Blue Zone and Green Zone. It’s a complex issue, and while I’ve seen indigenous presence, I’m left wondering; is it enough? It’s hard to fully process in real time, but it is something for everyone to reflect on for future COPs.
My first meeting today was with Google’s Director for Sustainability, Antonia Gawel. I shared our education work at EARTHDAY.ORG, which includes our intensive efforts to embed climate education into NDCs and supporting interdisciplinary implementation. I am looking forward to following this all up at the COP.

As I left this meeting I ran into Rodolfo (Ropo) and was able to join the meeting he scheduled with Tatiana Rosito, secretary of international affairs at the ministry of finance for Brazil. We shared the case for climate education with her and discussed it. It’s important and strategies from her perspective as a policy expert and economist. This meeting, along with many others Rodolfo scheduled, highlighted the importance and value of having a local to the host country under your delegation. It is clear that in Rodolfo’s 50 years in the environmental movement that he is a well known leader in Brazil and a great asset to the EARTHDAY.ORG team.

Later I spent more time in the Blue Zone engaging with current and prospective partners, before shifting to the Green Zone. As others have noted, the Green Zone is pulsing with energy: art, music and performances led by indigenous people bring a different perspective to the day’s work. Finally, I was invited to a reception hosted by the Italian delegation where I spoke with climate foundations and entrepreneurs about a number of potential climate solutions.

On the long ride back to my apartment I am reflecting on the US involvement, or lack thereof. The absence of a US allegation has me thinking of the importance of the domestic work we are doing to bring climate education to students. The United States is a federalized system, and for this reason education could not be included in the NDC even if it was supported by the US representatives. Seeing Gavin Newsom, and listening to his speech on the importance of leaning in, “The United States of America is as dumb as we want to be on this topic, but the state of California is not. And so we are going to assert ourselves, we’re going to lean in, and we are going to compete in this space.”

As my time at COP30 is about to come to an end, this is a good reminder for the work. We are doing to support climate, education and states like Maryland and New York.

Tomorrow is my last day at COP and we have our official Blue Zone side event with leaders from business, youth, the COP presidency, education with representation from Asia, Europe, Africa, North America, and South America.

DAY 3 at COP30
DATE: 13th THURSDAY NOVEMBER
MOOD: Tired but exhilarated
WEATHER: Hot and humid!

Today at COP30 underscored a shift in the global climate landscape: climate education has moved from the margins to the center of the conversations.

My day revealed a consistent theme, the goal to move from policy commitments to execution. The morning began with printing and delivering press releases to journalists on the milestone achievement of more than 150 countries incorporating climate education into their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). This campaign was led by EARTHDAY.ORG (EDO) since 2017 and generously supported by Sam Rose. Even stepping briefly outside the venue into the daily life of Belém served as a reminder that global pledges depend entirely on local, tangible, human actions.

This was followed by a meeting arranged by Rodolfo Beltran, EARTHDAYORG’s Latin America Director, with Olivia Montez of the Instituto Clima e Sociedade (iCS). The conversation was energizing. iCS’s strategic approach to climate governance, social justice, and local capacity building aligns closely with the growing consensus here at COP30, climate education must be embedded not just in classrooms, but throughout communities and businesses.

A takeaway from today was the increasingly urgent demand for green skills across every sector of the global economy. This was emphasized during the panel that included Max Falcone, EARTHDAY.ORG (EDO) special envoy on climate education, and LinkedIn co-founder Allen Blue, who presented new data from LinkedIn’s Global Green Skills Report 2025. According to the report, growth in green hiring is almost two times faster than growth in the share of workers with green skills (7.7% vs 4.3%). Furthermore, green talent is far more likely to secure a job, getting hired at a global rate 46.6% above the economy wide hiring rate.

Blue underscored a striking reality: businesses are increasingly retraining existing workers rather than waiting for new graduates to arrive with the necessary competencies. The message is unmistakable – climate education must become interdisciplinary and prepare future professionals in every field.

This theme carried directly into discussions with regional climate organizations, all of which underscored the need to embed climate education into existing institutions.

The high level ministerial meeting of the Greening Education Partnership (GEP) offered one of the clearest indicators of how far the conversation has progressed. Moderated by Christopher Castle of UNESCO, the session brought together ministers, the COP30 Presidency, and leading multilateral partners.

The meeting also marked the release of UNESCO’s new report, Greening Communities: Guidance for Lifelong Learning for Climate and Sustainability Action, published on Education Day (November, 12th) this year. The report highlights that 70% of young people say they are not climate ready based on their schooling and 47% of national curriculum frameworks across 100 countries make no reference to climate change at all. It reinforces a key message from COP30 which is that youth everywhere are demanding to be equipped with the knowledge and skills to respond to environmental threats and there is a gap that needs to be filled.

At the panel I ran into, Liesbet Steer, Executive Director of Systemiq, and asked her to share her thoughts on climate education. She reinforced the stakes of our work, “Climate and education are deeply interconnected, and we must ensure that education systems deliver for climate action.” As she noted, despite the growing recognition of green skills as essential to the new economy, “less than 1% of climate finance goes to education and training, and that has to change.” The discussion made clear that filling this financing gap will determine whether countries can meaningfully implement their NDCs and build a climate ready workforce.

Seeing education elevated to such prominence was deeply significant. It reflects the persistent multiyear advocacy of organizations like EARTHDAY.ORG, which has been working to establish education as a central tool for preparing societies, especially in the Global South, for the transition to a green economy.

The day concluded at the Higher Education Pavilion with a panel highlighting the expansion of climate education into disciplines long considered unrelated to climate action. Discussions on university sports programs featuring Columbia University students and Italian faculty showed how research, stadium scorecards, and operations planning are being used to reduce emissions at sporting events. These examples demonstrate that every sector now requires a climate lens.

Finally, a strategic conversation on financing closed the evening. With more than 150 countries formally committed to climate education in their NDCs, the central challenge is no longer political will; it is funding. Multilateral institutions such as the Global Environment Facility and the World Bank will be pivotal in supporting teacher training, curriculum development, and national implementation plans.

The shift from commitments to execution is now the defining feature of COP30.

DAY 2 at COP30
DATE: 12th WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER
MOOD: Inspired
WEATHER: Still feels like a sauna

Walking into the venue it was clear security had changed from the first day following the ingenuous people’s protest that breached the security the first night. The military and police were very present but it was still quickly getting in.

Rodolfo, our Regional Director, South America, and my first meeting was with Emma Shockley, Climate Cardinals Chief Programs Officer. It was fantastic diving into their programs. I was particularly excited to hear about their training initiatives— they’re providing people with green transferable skills. It was one of those moments that really hits home: seeing organizations actively working to build the human capacity needed for the green economy is encouraging. We can’t solve this crisis without the people trained to do the work.

At the end of this meeting Djian Sadadou, the International Relations and Communications Manager, happened to walk by. We got into a quick, but important, chat about the future of climate education and the commitments made in the updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Those chance encounters are exactly why COPs are so vital—they bring together the right people at the right moment to facilitate a massive, shared goal like universal climate education.

After that, I needed to write out some notes and emails. Finding a decent spot was a little funny—I found an open seat in the computer center, but it was open for a reason: it was directly in the sun. It was funny watching everyone shuffle around the seats to avoid that one patch of direct sunlight, given the heat. Eventually, I found a shady spot and got my work done.

The next event took me near the water, and for the first time, I got a glimpse of the Amazon River. It was genuinely beautiful. Seeing those massive ships docked, including the Sea Shepherd vessel (the one that works to actively stop illegal activity in the oceans), really crystallized something for me: COPs are this fascinating mix of high-level government negotiators, passionate youth leaders, grassroots activists, and NGOs. Everyone is here, each playing a critical role.

I headed to my event that was part of a full-day program sponsored by the Alana Institute focused on nature and climate education. This is only my third COP, but chatting with colleagues revealed how significant this focus is. Education was barely a whisper in past COPs. Earthday.Org had the first-ever education pavilion in Egypt, and now, we’ve seen education and green skills pavilions in Dubai and Baku and youth and children and youth here in Belem. It’s clear that the persistent work we’ve done to elevate education to a central focus has been incredibly effective.

I listened to one panel (thank goodness for excellent translation services for the Portuguese speakers!) and then joined the stage for my own session. The topic was how global commitments can support local communities, and I got to share the news about the major jump in countries including education in their NDCs—going from about 40 to over 150!

My panel was moderated by Christopher Castle, a director in the education sector at UNESCO, someone whose name I’ve heard many times but never met. The biggest takeaway is that education is a vital tool and we must ensure that the commitments made in those global documents reach the teachers and students on the ground. Securing the financing and tools to build teacher capacity is critical.
After the panel, my colleague Rop0 (Rodolfo) and I stayed for a reception, meeting education leaders from Brazil and other countries. We were then invited to a reception by EARTHDAY.ORG’s special envoy to climate education, Max Falcone, hosted by Italy.

Aside from the delicious food, the highlight was an art installation. It was a massive platform with seating, but in the center, there was a pool of water taken from the river. The water level was set to show the projected water height 100 years from now. It was strikingly visual, the moving water demanded your attention. It was a perfect example of what we always say at EARTHDAY.ORG: we need truly interdisciplinary climate education. Every subject, including art and design, plays a critical role in shaping our understanding and motivating action against the climate crisis.

Despite the small plates at the reception, I was ready for a proper dinner. I stopped by a beautiful, 18th-century church, the Catedral Metropolitana de Belém Nossa Senhora da Graça, which was a moment of quiet reflection before grabbing a quick meal and heading home. No repeating last night’s Uber issue!

One final observation from the day: it’s interesting to see who is filling the space often dominated by the United States at past COPs. While there are fewer U.S. businesses here, the commitments of groups like America Is All In, led by figures like Governor Gavin Newsom, and the public presence of other major U.S. corporations, clearly show who remains dedicated and who is holding the line on climate action during these challenging times.

DAY 1 at COP30
DATE: 11th TUESDAY NOVEMBER
MOOD: Running on excitement and purpose!
WEATHER: Hot and Humid

A whirlwind first day in Belém for COP30! The journey started at Dulles, and thankfully, the TSA lines were totally smooth despite the shutdown. It was a long travel day with a quick layover in Bogota and then an overnight flight, but I landed as the sun was rising around 5:30 am. I found a taxi and made it to the apartment by 6:30 am. Given my no-sleep-on-planes condition, I decided to get a few hours of sleep before heading to the venue.

After waking up, I ironed everything out on the kitchen table. Heading to the venue, I decided to ditch the suit jacket and I am glad I did! The organizers actually made an official announcement that it’s more casual due to the intense heat and humidity here. It is hot and sweaty, with sudden downpours keeping things interesting.

Security was quick, and checking in for my badge was a breeze and then I went to find the lay of the land, get water, track down some food, and locate the air conditioning! It wasn’t long before I started running into familiar faces. It’s one of the best parts of COP—catching up with friends from across the globe you only see once a year.

Just as I left the venue, I got a text about Governor Newsom showing up at a pavilion. I raced back through security to catch it…which really got me sweating! My girlfriend gave me a portable fan before I left and it has been an absolute lifesaver and great for making friends! Gov. Newsom and his entourage arrived a little late, spoke quickly about the crucial need for U.S. climate leadership, and were whisked away.

After that, it was off to a gorgeous historic mansion in Belém for a reception hosted by the UN Cool Coalition. It was the perfect setting to network and discuss green energy and green jobs. To end the night, I joined some friends and my colleague Rodolfo for an Amazonian meal. The food was fantastic, but the restaurant was completely packed due to COP, so dinner was slow. Trying to leave at 11 pm turned into an Uber nightmare…no availability! After trying for ages, the restaurant eventually called me a taxi, and I finally made it home a little after midnight.

Thank goodness I ironed everything earlier, letting me just crash and grab extra sleep for an early day tomorrow!

The post Belém COP30 Diary, Day 5 appeared first on Earth Day.

We Deserve Clean Beaches

Michael Karapetian — Sat, 30 Aug 2025 08:10:23 +0000

MICHAEL KARAPETIAN

The sun dipped behind the horizon and the sky exploded into reds, blues, pinks, and an orange hue that seems to engulf everything. I’m convinced experiencing the sunset on a beach is the best way to do it.

Still, even in this natural beauty, walking back up from the shoreline I stop to pick up a plastic wrapper, a plastic bottle cap, and some plastic film that was on its way into the ocean, into a fish, and eventually back into me – before, of course, I rudely interrupted their journey and threw them into the trash.

Having led The Great Global Cleanup for the past three years, the overwhelming beauty of a beach juxtaposed with the blight of plastic is nothing new, but it’s always annoying to see. Plastic seems to find its way into the sand one way or another – either left behind by beach goers, or worse, washing ashore from the currents.

August 30th is National Beach Day in the US, a reminder that while our beaches are beautiful, they also need care to stay that way. At EARTHDAY.ORG, cleanups are part of our DNA. Over the years, The Great Global Cleanup has joined communities across the world to protect these coastlines. Here are a few of our favorite beach cleanups.

Mumbai, India

For World Cleanup Day 2024, our Earth Day Network India team partnered with the Indian Coast Guard to take on one of Mumbai’s busiest beaches. Over 1,500 volunteers turned out, joined by helicopters flying overhead to document the action.

Scuba divers collected debris drifting just offshore, while volunteers combed the water and the sand for plastic floating and buried. The end of the cleanup was met with speeches, games, and other celebrations on the sand.

Volunteers standing next to massive pile of collected waste, using heavy machinery to in cleanup, and plunging into the ocean searching for trash

Bottom/center: EARTHDAY.ORG’s Debrapriya Dutt speaking to the crown

Volunteers

Yerevan, Armenia

The shore of Yerevan Lake may not be a traditional beach, but it quickly became one of our favorite cleanup sites. For Earth Day 2024, we partnered with Maqoor, a youth-led environmental organization based in Yerevan, Armenia, to restore several spots across the country, including the beach at Yerevan Lake. The shore was covered in plastic, but the young student volunteers went straight to work fishing plastic and other waste out of the waters.

In just a few hours, we collected over 750 pounds of trash. The lake had become a collection place for plastic that flowed down the Hrazdan River. It showcased first hand how important it is to tackle plastic pollution at its source to prevent waste accumulating in spots like this.

Volunteers Pulling Trash out of the Yerevan Lake, Michael Karapetian holding a snail with plastic attached to it, and Student Volunteers sorting waste picked up

Charleston, South Carolina

Every year Make It Cute, a company founded by the actress Amanda Seyfried and her friends, hosts a cleanup on the shores of Isle of Palms, a beautiful coastal beach just outside Charleston. Amanda Seyfried and Bravo’s star of Southern Charm, Craig Conover, hosted the event, and after volunteers arrived, consisting of locals, families, and a large group of kids, the event kicked off.

The kids grabbed bags with enthusiasm and made their way toward the pier, picking up every single piece of trash, plastic, and even cigarette butts along the way. Throughout the cleanup Amanda would stop beachgoers and ask if they had any trash they wanted to discard.

The best thing about a beach cleanup, is that once you’re done you can go for a swim. After the cleanup was finished the volunteers didn’t hesitate to do just that!

Photo 1: Kids holding the trash grabbers walking towards the ocean

Photo 2: (From Left to Right) Amanda Seyfried, Michael Karapetian, Anne Hoehn, Maureen North, holding an EARTHDAY.ORG and Great Global Cleanup Banner

Photo 3: Maureen North and her son picking up trash

Photo 4: Amanda Seyfried and Greg Conover next to a Make It Cute Playhouse

Photo 5: Volunteer and his dog picking up trash on the beach

Photo 6: Amanda Seyfried holding up a bag of trash she collected

Penang Island, Malaysia

EARTHDAY.ORG partnered with The Malaysia Humanitarian Foundation on the beautiful island of Penang to host a beach cleanup, a massive tree planting, and to join the 2024 Asian Environmental Summit.

Penang Island, a tropical paradise off the coast of Malaysia, is a tourist hub. Volunteers took charge of the coastline and removed over 1,800 pounds of trash and plastic pollution.

Along with the cleanup, over 1.2 million trees were planted across the island – all 30 varieties planted were indigenous species to Penang Island.fff

Photo 1: Volunteers Picking Up Trash on Penang Island

Photo 2: Volunteer smiling next to several large bags of trash

Photo 3: Volunteers walking through the woods laughing and holding the trash they collected

Santa Monica, California

The Santa Monica Pier is an iconic staple on the Californian coastline. EARTHDAY.ORG has partnered with Heal The Bay on a few of their monthly Nothin’ But Sand Cleanups over the years. Thousands of volunteers regularly join these beach cleanups scaling across the coast line picking up trash that had almost made its way into the ocean.

Scuba Divers regularly take to the pier where they find trash that had fallen off, which often includes styrofoam cups, misfortunate cell phones, and even computers.

In April 2025, the Nothin’ But Sand Beach Cleanup brought together more than 900 volunteers to tackle pollution along the Santa Monica coastline. This event combined community action, environmental education, and celebration. Volunteers joined forces to remove 274 pounds of trash from the beach, helping to protect marine life and improve the health of California’s iconic shoreline.

Photo 1: Merle Liivang (Left), the Estonian Mermaid, and Michael Karapetian (Right) on the beach in Santa Monica

Photo 2: Trash Pulled out of the ocean from Scuba Divers

Photo 3: Volunteers holding Great Global Cleanup Banner

Photo 4: Students checking in cleanup volunteers

National Beach Day is here, and you can join the fight for a cleaner coast. Join The Great Global Cleanup, check out the Global Cleanup Map and find an event near you.

It’s not just beaches that need our help, the authority of the Environmental Protection Agency to fight climate change is under attack from within and needs your support too. Make your voice heard by telling the EPA to protect our air. And, the next time you’re at the beach, make sure to pick up a few pieces of trash while you’re there.

If you want to check out some of our other amazing events, see our underserved community cleanups here.

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THE GLOBAL PLASTIC TREATY IN GENEVA: A Rallying Cry, Not an Epitaph

Aminah Taariq-Sidibe — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 07:06:20 +0000

AMINA TAARIQ-SIDIBE
MANAGER OF END PLASTICS INITIATIVES

In Geneva this August, the world gathered once again to finalize the long-awaited Global Plastics Treaty. The stakes could not have been higher: plastic pollution is choking the environment and wildlife, pretty much poisoning us all, and fueling the climate crisis. INC-5.2, a resumed session of the fifth round of negotiations, was supposed to be the moment countries bridged divides and delivered an ambitious agreement.

From the moment I landed in Geneva on August 5th, 2025, I was filled with excitement. My first day was a whirlwind. It started with exploring the art installations and then going straight into the Opening Plenary. That evening, the Swiss government hosted a reception bringing together different stakeholders, including delegates, scientists, and civil society. It was a great reminder that the global community is in this together, no matter our role.

Aminah on the UN Cour d’honneur in Geneva for INC 5.2

The days that followed were a testament to the dedication of activists coping with the frustrating realities of bureaucracy and multilateralism. August 6th found me energized, participating in coalition morning meetings and plunging into Contact Group 1. There, amidst discussions on plastic products and chemicals of concern, the limitations of the UN’s consensus model became clear, and the statements from some nations were concerning. Yet, the energy of collaboration persisted as I moved to Contact Group 3, focused on finance and capacity building.

Contact Group room at Palais de Nation

Aminah with civil society folks at the Women’s Delegate Lunch

On August 7th, optimism prevailed. We had coalition calls every morning, and Contact Groups consumed most of the day. The influence of the Contact Group chairs on the conversation was undeniable, which highlighted for me the human element of these complex negotiations. A bright spot was the Women’s Delegate Lunch where I made some great connections. Later, I attended CIEL’s press conference on fossil fuel and chemical lobbyists, which underscored the other forces at play.

Luckily, my time in Geneva wasn’t just about the Contact Groups. August 8th was particularly impactful, starting with a special meeting for People of African Descent, addressing the disproportionate environmental impacts on the global Black diaspora.

This was followed by a powerful press conference for Affected Groups Aligned for Justice, where Indigenous Peoples, waste pickers, and unionized workers demanded a binding treaty that centered on justice and rights. These moments, which were filled with real emotion and unwavering conviction, solidified my commitment to the movement.

Aminah with frontline community representatives and members the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

Observer demonstration

Resistance to a bad treaty continued to build on August 9th with a coalition demonstration, where we demanded a stronger treaty before the second Plenary.

There was also a deeply moving observance of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, which reminded me of the rich cultural heritage and profound connection that these people have to the Earth and which must be protected.

On August 10th, negotiations took a much needed break, and I spent the day recharging with a picnic in the park and exploring the city. Then, on August 11th, I had the incredible honor of speaking at “The Stories We Carry” press conference. Sharing my perspective on the impact of plastic pollution on people of African descent and our role in the treaty was a profound experience for me.

Aminah at The Stories We Carry Press Conference, August 11, 2025

My final sessions in Geneva, Contact Group 1 on health, brought my journey to a close, leaving me with a mix of exhaustion and a sense of determination. My time at INC-5.2 was more than just meetings; it was a testament to the power of collective action. I was able to connect with incredible people while on the ground, and it gave me the motivation to keep working hard.

The Reality of Negotiations

Nevertheless, what was meant to deliver a treaty ended with talks collapsing. INC-5.2 adjourned without consensus, without a roadmap forward, and without the commitments scientists and communities say are essential to curb the plastic crisis.

From the beginning, INC-5.2 was filled with procedural wrangling. Hours that should have been spent on topics like production cuts, toxic chemicals, and financing were swallowed by debates over rules of procedure. The Like-Minded Countries (LMC), a coalition of countries like Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Russia that advocates for downstream waste management and recycling, refused to support global measures and did not want a global regulatory approach. Saudi Arabia, the U.S, and other petro-states also pressed for consensus-only decision-making, a tactic that caused paralysis. Because if every country has to agree to move forward on a proposal, it means that it only takes one or two countries to block that progress. So what is the point?

Behind the scenes, the fossil fuel and petrochemical lobbies were working hard. At least 234 fossil fuel and chemical industry lobbyists (up from 221 identified at INC-5.1) registered to participate in INC-5.2. Lobbyists worked to water down the treaty text and shift conversations away from plastic production. Their influence was felt in the Chair’s draft text proposal, which, instead of binding measures, leaned on voluntary actions and left out critical issues like plastic production cuts, health protections, climate connections, and human rights safeguards. Leaving out health is particularly concerning because without explicit health provisions, countries are not required to assess and manage risk across the full plastics life cycle which can misdirect prevention and just transition.Transparency was another problem. Civil society groups, who traveled from across the globe to represent frontline communities, were often excluded from key rooms.

Spoilers vs Champions

But the story of INC-5.2 is not just about failure. It is also about resilience, solidarity, and the clear refusal by countries and civil society to accept a treaty too weak to matter.

If petro-states were spoilers, others emerged as champions. High-Achieving Coalition (HAC) countries, including the European Union, Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS), Colombia, Peru, Rwanda, and Panama made it clear they still support a Global Plastics Treaty, but will not sign a bad one. HACs rejected the Chair’s weak text, sending a signal that they would rather walk away than endorse a treaty that legitimizes inaction. Additionally, they joined civil society in calling for majority-vote decision-making when consensus fails.

The highs also came from the unwavering resolve of civil society. Despite being sidelined, organizations converged their voices to speak out and have their reality considered during the negotiations. There were creative demonstrations and expert insight being presented during the week. I believe the consistent organizing and statements from civil society had a huge impact on ensuring an effective treaty.

What Comes Next

History shows that global treaties are rarely easy. They are forged through struggle, setbacks, and persistence. The Paris Agreement followed years of failures and the Montreal Protocol came after fierce battles with industry. The plastics treaty will be no different.

INC-5.2 was a setback, yes. But it also made one thing clear: the world will not settle for a treaty that fails to address the root of the plastics crisis. Civil society, frontline communities, and ambitious governments have drawn a line in the sand.

Although INC-5.2 ended in disappointment, it also clarified what must happen next.

First, the process itself must change. Negotiations cannot continue under rules that allow one or two countries to veto progress while billions suffer the consequences. Majority voting mechanisms must be adopted when consensus fails, and civil society must be guaranteed meaningful access.

Second, ambition must be reasserted. Civil society and high-ambition countries are united in their demands:

Binding cuts to plastic production.
A global phase-out of toxic polymers and harmful chemicals.
A just transition for workers and communities dependent on the plastics economy.
Dedicated financing mechanisms, including a new fund to support low- and middle-income countries.
Explicit protections for health, human rights, and the climate.

Third, governments must respond to public opinion. Surveys show that more than 80 percent of people worldwide support cuts to plastic production. Citizens understand the scale of the problem. Now leaders must act on that mandate rather than bowing to petrochemical lobbyists.

Finally, the failure of INC-5.2 must not be mistaken for the end of the treaty process. It is a pivotal moment, a warning shot that a weak treaty will not pass. The INC Chair has confirmed that the negotiations will resume in a future session (INC-5.3).The movement for a strong plastics treaty is global, organized, and resilient, and it is not going away.

To learn more visit our End Plastics page. Add your voice, demand action from your leaders, and stand with the global movement fighting for a future free from plastic pollution. The fight is still on to end plastic pollution.

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 THE GLOBAL PLASTIC TREATY IN GENEVA: A Rallying Cry, Not an Epitaph appeared first on Earth Day.

International Youth Day: How Young People Can Drive Positve Climate Action

Johnny Dabrowski — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 16:21:52 +0000

International Youth Day: How Young People Can Drive Positive Climate Action

International Youth Day, observed each year on August 12th, serves as a global reminder of both the challenges and the tremendous potential of youth.

Around the world, young people are rising to meet the climate crisis head-on. As the generation that will inherit the most severe consequences of climate change—especially with the increasing likelihood of surpassing 1.5°C of warming—youth must be empowered with the skills, funding, and opportunities to lead. Climate-related hazards are already disrupting young lives through school closures, extreme weather, and displacement. Between January 2022 and June 2024, a minimum of 404 million students faced school closures due to extreme weather events, according to the World Bank Report Education for Climate Action

At the same time, youth have become powerful advocates for change. A landmark advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice—initiated by young activists from the Pacific Island of Vanuatu—affirmed that a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment is essential for the enjoyment of fundamental human rights. This important ruling underscores the urgency of climate action grounded in justice for future generations.

Today, more youth organizations than ever are engaged in the UN climate process. Between COP21 in Paris and the recent COP29 in Baku, youth attendance has increased more than 50% as part of the registered UNFCCC constituencies. At EARTHDAY.ORG, the Climate Education Coalition has united over 100 youth-led civil society groups across the globe. The youth movement is growing.

New organizations join the Coalition every month and the COP30 Youth Climate Champion has supported our goal to prioritize youth and green skills at COP30. The global civil society campaign has led to climate education being embedded in the agenda of the UN Climate Change Conference in Belem. The key question now is: how do we keep up the momentum in an increasingly unpredictable world?

International Youth Day: This Year’s Theme

This year’s official commemoration of International Youth Day takes place in Nairobi, Kenya, with a focus on “Local Youth Action for the SDGs and Beyond.”The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations in 2015, set a global direction to protect the planet, end poverty, ensure peace and prosperity for all by 2030. At EARTHDAY.ORG, we focus on two closely connected goals: SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 13 (Climate Action). Together, they are essential to equipping young people with green skills and the climate knowledge they need to thrive in a transforming world.

This year also marks the 30th anniversary of the World Programme of Action for Youth, which has helped shape global youth policy. Its principles will influence preparations for the upcoming UN Summit for Social Development in Doha, Quatar this November. Both events will chart a clear path for investing in youth and embedding their priorities within the final phase of Sustainable Development Goals implementation. Despite the prevalence of social media, young people still face significant barriers when trying to be heard. That’s why the conversations in Nairobi will prioritize real investments in youth and the empowerment of future generations at the local governance level.

As recognized in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) latest opinion, protecting a healthy environment is not just good policy— it’s an obligation of states. Governments, as signatories to numerous human rights treaties including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, are obliged to address climate change for the sake of current and future generations.

Youth Are At The Heart of Global Climate Advocacy

Young people are central to the UN climate process, and their leadership continues to grow. At the UN Bonn Climate Conference in June this year, the Climate Education Coalition and EARTHDAY.ORG called on governments to prioritize funding for youth-led innovation and education. Alongside the COP30 Presidency Youth Climate Champion Marcele Oliveira, we have emphasized that youth and education must be central to the agenda at COP30 in Belém, Brazil.

On August 14th, the Coalition will host a consultation with Marcele Oliveira, proposing a co-hosted side event with the COP30 Presidency in Belem. We’ll also identify ways youth can contribute to key processes like the Leaders’ Summit and the Sustainability COP.

Our advocacy, launched back at COP26 in Glasgow, helped secure climate education on the COP30 agenda. But the work is far from done—now is the time to ensure climate finance reaches education and youth projects, especially in vulnerable communities.

Empowering the Next Generation: Green Skills & Education

A just transition to a sustainable future depends on one key subject – climate education. From classrooms to communities, the need for climate education and green skills is more urgent than ever. At EARTHDAY.ORG, we draw inspiration from our roots: in 1970, Denis Hayes, then just 25 years old, mobilized millions for the first Earth Day, helping drive the creation of the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and the Environmental Education Act.

Today, Earth Day reaches over a billion people annually, and young advocates remain at its core—leading campaigns, innovating climate solutions, and influencing policy. Under the theme “Our Power, Our Planet,” Earth Day 2025 was a spotlight of a youth-led action. We’ve supported member organizations of the Climate Education Coalition in Bangladesh, Nigeria, and Barbados to run grassroots climate campaigns focused on advocating governments to integrate climate education in the curricula.

As an educator in Nigeria, I believe that climate-literate students will be the leaders of tomorrow. A well-informed public is key to supporting environmental policies—and Africa, already facing the brunt of the climate crisis, must invest in climate education today.

Anjola Ayodele
Founder, ClimateHub.org, Climate Education Coalition member Tweet

The Power of Youth-Led Change

Climate change is already endangering the education, jobs, and wellbeing of young people—especially in the most climate-vulnerable regions. But youth are not passive victims. They are organizers, educators, and innovators. They are leading protests, influencing policy, and building solutions.

At EARTHDAY.ORG, we remain committed to supporting youth leadership through the Climate Education Coalition and other global campaigns. This International Youth Day, let’s recommit to investing in education and empowering youth to shape the future they deserve.

As we look ahead to COP30, let’s ensure that young people are not only heard—but are driving the solutions forward.

If you’re ready to join this movement, sign up to be part of the Climate Education Coalition and take part in the upcoming meeting with the COP30 Youth Climate Champion: Coalition Membership Form

Other Pathways to Action: Get Involved

There are many ways for youth to take action with EARTHDAY.ORG and beyond:

Apply for our Fall 2025 Internship
earthday.org/internship
Join the Climate Education Coalition
Sign up here
Get active on your campus with the Campus Coalition
earthday.org/campaign/campus-coalition

Use the Earth Hub: Toolkits, petitions, and resources
earthday.org/earth-hub

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Schools Tree Day: The Time I Planted the Seeds at School

Dennis Nolasco — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 04:29:26 +0000

Schools Tree Day: The Time I Planted the Seeds at School

Date: March 2024
Weather: Chilly and crisp as an apple
Mood: Ecstatic

Today is Schools Tree Day, a great day to discuss how firsthand lessons can make a difference in the climate space.

Held annually on the last Friday of July, Schools Tree Day is part of Australia’s broader National Tree Day initiative. It’s a day when students of all ages get their hands in the soil and plant trees; supporting local biodiversity and taking direct climate action.

But it’s more than just planting. By pairing an outdoor activity with classroom learning, Schools Tree Day makes climate education tangible. Hands-on learning makes climate education more personal and memorable, connecting the lesson to real-world actions students can take. By using their own two hands, students not only contribute to their community, but deepen their understanding of ecosystems, the role of trees in carbon capture, and how local action can contribute to global change.

This past spring, EARTHDAY.ORG brought the spirit of Schools Tree Day to Neabsco Elementary School in Virginia, thanks to a partnership with Volkswagen Group of America. Our two organizations, along with the enthusiastic and helpful hands of these kids, planted dozens of fruit trees around the school’s campus.

It was a biting March morning when students at Neabsco Elementary School gathered around a newly dug hole. Led by a local tree expert, the students learned about best practices for planting the tree such as how to form a divot in the soil and making sure that the hole is deep enough for the roots to take hold. For many of them, it was their first time planting a tree.

Teachers integrated the project into their science and literacy lessons, teaching about the role of trees in combating climate change, improving air quality, and providing fresh fruit for the Neabsco Elementary community to eat. But perhaps the biggest impact came from the sense of pride the students felt in giving something back to the planet.

One teacher shared, “Some of our kids don’t get many opportunities to be outside or to feel like their actions matter. Planting this tree gave them a sense of purpose and now, every time they walk by, they’ll remember that they were part of something bigger.”
I was given a classroom of eager and excited third graders to help guide through the planting process. At first, they were hesitant to get their hands dirty—nervously hovering around the shovels, unsure of how to begin. A few wrinkled their noses at the smell of fresh soil, and one asked if worms were going to pop out. But once that first shovel of soil hit the ground—and the tree started to take shape, everything changed. Suddenly, students were taking turns digging, patting down mulch, and proudly announcing, “This one’s my tree!” Others asked how tall they’d grow, and whether birds would build nests in them.

In just one morning, you could see a transformation take place. Curiosity turned into confidence and planting turned into pride. It reminded me how natural it is for kids to care for the world around them when they’re given the opportunity. They didn’t just plant trees that day; they planted a sense of connection and responsibility that will grow along with every branch and leaf.

Growing the Movement

This project is just one example of how EARTHDAY.ORG stands to help schools turn climate education into climate action. From professional development for teachers to global policy campaigns, we are working to ensure that the next generation is not only informed but inspired.

To learn more about the root when education meets action, explore our Climate Education page for tools to bring climate literacy into your school community. If you are looking to take some tree action of your own, join us by supporting The Canopy Project to help reforest the planet. Together, we can grow a greener, more informed future.

The post Schools Tree Day: The Time I Planted the Seeds at School appeared first on Earth Day.

Mapping the Environmental Movement: My Week at the Esri User Conference

Michael Karapetian — Fri, 25 Jul 2025 03:53:23 +0000

Mapping the Environmental Movement: My Week at the Esri User Conference

Hic Sunt Dracones – Here be dragons. Once used on old maps to mark dangerous or unknown territories, this phrase was shown during a presentation at the Esri User Conference, the largest Geographic Information Systems(GIS) conference in the world, and it stuck with me.

Steve Jewett and I were here to present EARTHDAY.ORG’s mapping systems that showcase environmental events happening all around the world. This phrase stuck with me because not long ago, much of the environmental movement remained invisible and uncharted. No one was tracking actions globally. But through our systems at EARTHDAY.ORG, we’ve begun to change that; we now have over 40,000 events captured around the world, with the goal of tracking every action and showcasing how powerful this movement really is.

We were ready to share what we’ve built, and to learn a lot from this amazing community.

Day 1: Sunday, July 13
Weather: Another Beautiful Day in San Diego
Mood: Thrilled

A 3:30 a.m. wake-up call is never fun, but when you’re on your way to one of the biggest and most important conferences of your life, it’s hard not to be excited. My 6 a.m. flight took off, and I used the time en route to San Diego to map out a few goals for the 2025 Esri User Conference. We’d be presenting on Thursday, and our main objective was simple: get as many people to our session as possible. This meant connecting with the 20,000 attendees traveling to the city. We were up to the challenge.

Our mapping systems are managed in a partnership with The Environmental Alliance, founded by Steve Jewett. I first got into environmental work by interning with him years ago for his other organization, National Cleanup Day, so collaborating with him was a full-circle moment.

The first thing we did was head straight to the mountains for a hike. Steve and I put a sign at the bottom of the trail that read Cleanup in Progress, and with our pickers and a bucket in hand, we started the hike picking up trash along the way.

Steve had an ulterior motive: to make me a better salesman. I am by no means shy, but Steve is on another level. He had been a wildly successful salesman in a previous life, and was determined to get me warmed up for the conference. Between the two of us, we carried over 2,000 business cards sharing our contacts and presentation details for Thursday. The hike was our warm-up.

If someone thanked us for picking up trash—and many did—that was our opening. Steve would jump in and say, “Hey, Michael has something for you,” and I’d have to continue with a pitch about Earth Day, cleanups, our mapping systems, and hand them a card.
We finally made it to badge pickup, had a few conversations with conference-goers, and headed to our first social of the week: EDGE – Ethnically Diverse Geospatial Engagement, a networking event focused on diversity in GIS. There, we met up with our mapping consultants, Dympatic, and one of their head developers, Jessica, who would be presenting with us on Thursday.

After chatting for hours, we called it a night. Early Monday morning we would be off to the races.

Day 2: Monday, July 14
Weather: Bright and Sunny - Wow, what a beautiful day in San Diego
Mood: Inspired

The Plenary is the highlight of the Esri User Conference. This is where Jack Dangermond addresses a crowd of 20,000 people live, plus another 60,000 tuning in from around the world. As someone still new to the GIS world, it was wild to see how much people revered this man, and the empire he has built. I soon understood why.

The event opened with a video, and the famous Earth Rise photo that showed Earth hovering in the black of space. How special was that tiny little dot full of life, and full of us.

“We are living in challenging times,” Jack said to the crowd of 20,000 people. As an environmentalist and activist I deeply felt the weight of his words. He continued, “The difference between a normal person and a hero is this: A hero gets up and does something.”

What does this have to do with maps? Turns out, a lot actually. The power of maps (or the “Power of Where,” as Esri puts it) allows us to take complex data about the world around us, analyze it, and use that data to design a future that is equitable, just, and sustainable. The professionals in the room ranged from civil engineers to defense analysts to conservationists and humanitarians. Each using GIS to help the world function.

Our systems at EARTHDAY.ORG allow us to map the environmental movement on a global scale. It helps us to organize what is happening, when, and where, from cleanups to round table discussions, so we can make an actionable difference in shaping our future. People often tell me they don’t feel like the work they do in their communities moves the needle. But that feeling disappears when you zoom out and see a map dotted with millions of others doing the same work.

After the plenary, we went to the area where universities were tabling, spoke with a dozen of them, inviting them and their students to attend our session. Then it was off to the map gallery, where we were handing out cards like madmen.

The night ended with our second social, GUiCE: GIS Users in Clean Energy, hosted by Dympatic. Met a lot of people, handed out more cards, made it back to Steve’s house, and crashed.

Day 3: Tuesday, July 15
Weather: What? Yet another beautiful day in San Diego?
Mood: Focused

I came downstairs first thing in the morning to see Steve already at it. The conference had an app that allowed you to message attendees directly, and Steve had already messaged 100 people. We had ten meetings scheduled for the day and I haven’t even had coffee. It’ll be another productive day!

We head to the Expo hall full of companies from all over the world showcasing their products that use GIS. We had our meetings, and explored the hall.

Eventually Steve and I split up. I ducked into a few sessions to learn more about how GIS works in the nonprofit and humanitarian space. The day ended with yet another social: The GIS for Good social. My kind of people. The food, made up of the best empanadas I’ve ever had, matched with some phenomenal varieties of salsa. We spent the night talking to people from all over about our work, made great connections, and possibly some good friends too. Hopefully, they show up to our session.

Once we made it back to Steve’s house, we crashed again.

Day 4: Wednesday, July 16
Weather: Oh my goodness, it’s YET another beautiful day in San Diego
Mood: Slipping

At this point, we’re three full days (and three socials) in. We’d talked with hundreds of people about our work and theirs, made friends, business connections, and had several people confirmed to come to our session. Today’s mission was to practice our presentation in the presenter hall and check out a few sessions from our friends.

Coffee in hand, we set up in the hall to rehearse. We’d been practicing for weeks, but today something clicked. I didn’t need notes. I didn’t need guidance. I knew everything on our slides by heart, and then I realized why. I had pitched our session, Earth Day’s mission, and our mapping systems to hundreds of people in the past three days, each time in a slightly different way. I knew it by heart.

Later that night, we attended our fourth social of the week: the Young Professionals Network social (Steve came as an “honorary” youngin’). There, I got the chance to speak to Jack Dangermond. We had a quick but meaningful conversation.

Steve and I promised we’d end the night early as we had to present the next day. But then they brought out a massive roasted fish for everyone to share… and of course, we weren’t going to let that go to waste.

Made it back home… eventually. Crashed.

Day 5: Thursday, July 17
Weather: Have I mentioned that it’s a beautiful day in San Diego
Mood: Cooked.

Exhausted from the hard work the past few days, I grabbed coffee at the conference center and we set up at the practice area. We ran through our presentation several times and nailed each one. We were ready. We just hoped our hard work to connect with people paid off and people would show up.

It was finally time for the session, and looking around the room, I realized about two-thirds of the audience were people we’d met during the week and personally invited. These were the right people who were genuinely interested and who were the right connections to continue to build our work.

We crushed it. The presentation had energy, flow, and crowd work. And most importantly, we got each person deeply invested in our work, our mission, and our vision for the future. The questions afterward were thoughtful and engaging. It was a genuinely fun exchange of information.

To celebrate the week, Esri hosted a massive party at Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres. We explored the stadium, met up with many of the people we met throughout the week. No better way to end the conference.

Day 6: Friday, July 18
Weather: Cloudy
Mood: Proud and deeply satisfied

Ending on a great note, Steve and I made it to the closing ceremony, where Jack was going to address the crowd one last time.
Jack reflected on the impact of the conference and left us with more wisdom. He reminded us that we no longer see our world as just a rock floating in space, but as a living ecosystem. It’s the foundation for all life and everything we know. With the power of data and knowledge, we have the ability to create the world we want. One that is more just, safe, and sustainable for all.

The week leaves me with a lot to reflect on. First, I now have hundreds of ideas swirling in my head for how we can improve the systems and maps we use to better serve the global environmental movement. And, most importantly, to continue to bring resources to the communities that need it most.

Second, the work we do at EARTHDAY.ORG is vital to protecting the environment and our shared future. It’s needed now more than ever.

Third, I’m deeply grateful to have had this experience, and to have spent it alongside my mentor and friend, Steve. I’ve known him a long time, yet he still had a lot to teach me. I now feel like I can talk to anyone, anywhere, at any time. Thanks, Steve.

With no official socials that night, we created our own. We went out with Steve’s wife and our friend Bill Willoughby, co-founder of National Cleanup Day and another mentor of mine.

The sunset on San Diego, despite the clouds, and I left the city with new ideas, friends, and experiences to shape the work I do at EARTHDAY.ORG.

Time to use what I learned and get back to work.

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Keep DC Green! A Day of Climate Action at City Hall

Evan Raskin — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 13:00:07 +0000

keep dc green! a day of climate action at city hall

On Monday, July 14, the first vote will be held by the DC City Council on Mayor Bowser’s proposed budget cuts, which strip millions of dollars from crucial environmental programs that residents depend on for their health and financial wellbeing. The DC environmental community has fought back in full force, and I’d like to share with you how we’ve stepped up and how you can too (spoiler: the best thing you can do is call Chairman Mendelson at 202-724-8032).

Bright and early on an unseasonably warm morning (thank you climate change!) on Monday, June 16th, I headed to the Wilson Building, Washington DC’s city hall, for the DC Green Budget Day of Action. The front steps were awash in a sea of green with over 100 leaders representing nearly every local and national environmental group based in DC. I could hardly be surprised by the turnout, as on the previous Friday, the city held a hearing on the environmental budget which received over 11 hours of testimony from myself and others ranging from seasoned climate activists to high school students speaking up to secure the future they deserve. The words of one student echoed in my head as I approached city hall: “[the proposed budget] is robbing the next generation of our future!” That morning, we all stood united, ready to defend years of hard work that had elevated Washington into a leading example of urban conservation and climate action.

This is the worst budget that I’ve seen on climate, energy, and our environment—and we have to reverse it. We have to resist. We have to fight back.

Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen Tweet

The budget proposed by Mayor Bowser threatened to not only halt this progress but dismantle it; funding for the Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) would be cut by 24% (closer to 40% when accounting for lost federal matching dollars, according to Councilmember Allen), more than any other area of government. The remaining funding would be enough to preserve staff, but nothing more; virtually all programs, from building renewable energy to public health initiatives would come to a grinding halt.

The energy was high as the Day of Action began with a rally and press conference. Leaders spoke with unwavering determination, speaking to a sidewalk packed with journalists about how each blow to the DOEE not only sets our city back on its climate commitments, but also wounds our communities as well, by eliminating services they depend on for public health and financial stability. This message was backed up by Councilmembers Charles Allen and Matthew Frumin, who joined us on stage to tell the media just how important these programs are to Washington’s future. “This is the worst budget that I’ve seen on climate, energy, and our environment—and we have to reverse it. We have to resist. We have to fight back,” said Allen.

As the press conference concluded, we split off into advocacy teams, each focused on a different priority topic. In the spirit of the ‘Our Power, Our Planet’ theme for Earth Day, I naturally chose to join the advocacy team focused on energy topics. With about 20 members on the team, our remarkable group size would be sure to catch the attention of the council members and their staff that we would meet today.

As the energy team, our advocacy was primarily focused on the Sustainable Energy Trust Fund (SETF), which is paid for as a fee on every DC resident’s electric bills and provides the funding for beneficial programs such as:

Healthy Homes Act, which ensures that low-income families aren’t forced to choose between living in a healthy environment and paying for expensive home repairs and appliance replacements.
DC Sustainable Energy Utility (DCSEU), which helps residents and businesses cut energy costs through efficiency upgrades.
Affordable Housing Retrofit Accelerator, which improves energy performance in affordable multifamily housing, helping to reduce utility and housing costs.
DC Green Bank, which helps DC businesses and community institutions invest in solar power, energy-efficient buildings, sustainable transportation, and stormwater resilience.
Workforce development programs that prepare DC residents for well-paying green jobs.

The proposed budget would divert about $70.1 million (not including $18 million in lost federal matching funds), or about three quarters of the entire fund away from its intended purposes to be used elsewhere, such as paying the city’s own electric bills; however, the fee charged to residents would not decrease. Instead of the fund covering expenses for residents, the residents would be covering the city’s expenses instead!

Additionally, we fought to preserve laws that ensure that the city’s future will be built on a sustainable foundation, such as the Building Energy Performance Standard, Greener Government Buildings Act, and Clean Energy DC Building Code Act, all of which ensure that DC’s built environment respects nature and climate. We also worked to safeguard the Solar For All program, which only just last year on Earth Day, the city announced an expansion to serve an additional 19,000 households; today, its future is now uncertain.

With our talking points and strategy now set, we headed into the ornate marble halls of the Wilson Building to meet with the City Council and make our voices heard. The day started with a hallway meeting with Councilmember Parker’s staff, during which we called for the preservation of the SETF, emphasizing how the Healthy Homes Act provides vital protection from the worst forms of indoor air pollution to populations who are most at risk. We then headed to Ward 7 Councilmember Wendell Felder’s office, where Allison Ewing—a member of our advocacy team and a Ward 7 resident—shared how access to solar power was a transformative opportunity for her family. “Last summer, we decided to [install solar panels] at no cost of our own. Previously, because we are a multigenerational family, we have kind of a big house. Our utility bills could be, at the worst, they were like $600 a month but once we got the solar panels installed, our utility bills have gone down to like $16 a month, and we get refunds. So that’s been wonderful. Some of our neighbors have been able to also go solar, and that’s been exciting.” Allison’s story made a real impact on the councilmember, who represents a district in DC which has historically been economically disadvantaged; Councilmember Felder made clear that our advocacy was heard and that he understands the opportunity renewable energy poses to improve the lives of everyday people. The day continued at a swift pace, moving from office to office taking meetings with anyone who had an available staffer to lend us an ear.

Determined to make ourselves heard by as many members of city government as possible before the day was over, we persisted tirelessly with barely enough time for water between meetings. Even if our feet were tired, we stayed motivated to put one foot in front of the other, as each meeting was well worth it; every single person we met with voiced their recognition that climate action is important and that DC residents are counting on these services for the best possible quality of life.

Our conversations in city hall were met with a level of support that left me feeling confounded; in a city that has historically been a leader on climate change, with many of its council members still in support, how did we find ourselves in this position? With time running out to reach our climate goals, why does the mayor appear to be prioritizing a $1 billion deal to renovate RFK Stadium at the expense of sustainability programs that decarbonize the city and are relied upon by her constituents just to get by? At a time when DC is mandated under the Clean Energy Omnibus Act to achieve 100% Tier 1 renewable energy by 2032, this budget gives the local government no chance to deliver. If passed as-is, this budget guarantees failure for not only our climate goals, but for the people who depend on this work most.

The situation may look dire, but I left the Wilson Building that day feeling hopeful, uplifted that several councilmembers we had spoken with had promised to fight to maintain vital climate programs and had voiced that we were likely to see some success in our top priorities. This is what happens when everyday people make their voices heard; as the 2025 Earth Day theme reminds us, it’s Our Power that shapes the future of Our Planet. Your power can make a difference in your community. Sign up as a volunteer and we’ll send you information on advocacy opportunities along with resources, training, and support to take action in your city. Anyone can be a climate champion—take it from Benjamin Abel, our newest intern whose first experience with advocacy was at the DC Green Budget Day of Action: “I was able to participate in sharing community concerns in person with councilmembers, and it made me feel like I was having a real impact in a way that I never have before. To anyone considering attending such an event: Go! Only by making our voices heard can we make a difference.”

Looking for how you can make a difference today? Contact Chairman Phil Mendelson at (202) 724-8032 or pmendelson@dccouncil.gov by July 28 and let them know that restoring funding to DC environmental programs, especially the Sustainable Energy Trust Fund, should be his top priority. So far, Mendelson has restored about $20 million to the environmental budget in response to our advocacy, and the more he hears from us, the more likely we are to see further progress. We must ensure the council hears our message

The post Keep DC Green! A Day of Climate Action at City Hall appeared first on Earth Day.

EARTHDAY.ORG IN ACTION UP ON CAPITOL HILL: THE BIG LOW DOWN ON PLASTIC HILL WEEK

Aidan Charron, Evan Raskin, Aminah Taariq-Sidibe — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 13:00:15 +0000

THE BIG LOW DOWN ON PLASTIC HILL WEEK

On June 10, 11, and 12, 2025, several key staff members from EARTHDAY.ORG (EDO)—Aidan Charron (Associate Director), Aminah Taariq-Sidibe (Manager, End Plastic Initiatives), and Evan Raskin (National Campaign Manager)—joined other campaigners and volunteers for Federal Plastic Policy Hill Week.

While on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., they met with lawmakers and their staff to advocate for a range of proposed plastic-related legislation, including the Farewell to Foam Act, the Reducing Waste in National Parks Act, and the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act (BFFPP). Here’s what happened on the Hill—and how it all went down:

Diary from the Hill: Aidan Charron
Day 1: Tuesday June 10, 2025
Mood: Nervous & Excited
Weather: Hot as Hades! Of course…

Day 1 of EDO’s Federal Plastic Policy Hill Week. I wake up early, a bit nervous, but excited to see who from our Break Free From Plastic coalition will show up. Formed in 2016, the coalition includes organizations like Greenpeace and Oceana.

Aminah, Evan and I met up with everyone at the kick off meeting in the basement of an office near the Capitol buildings and I am happy to see that it’s a really good turn out. We quickly split up into our respective groups; each is given a name – I am in Team Gibbon (we went with animal themes)!

My group is composed of campaigners from all over the United States, including Louisiana, Texas, Philadelphia, Michigan, and Georgia. We all said our ‘hellos’ and then set off for the Cannon House Office Building to meet with Rep. Seth Magaziner from Rhode Island. He’s previously supported our efforts on Farewell to Foam, the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act, and a strong global plastics treaty, so we expect a quick and supportive meeting—and it is. His office confirms their continued support. We grab a small bite to eat in the Cannon before walking across Capitol Hill to the Hart Senate building.

At this point, I am slightly regretting wearing my suit jacket, and I have a newfound respect for people who are suited up every single day and who somehow avoid overheating. Once inside the Hart building, we head directly to the office of Connecticut’s Sen. Richard Blumenthal and speak with him briefly outside. Then, we sit down with his extremely friendly (and up to date ‘on all things plastic’) staffer. Looks like we have his support around all three pieces of pending legislation – Farewell to Foam, Reducing Waste in National Parks, and reintroduction of the Break Free From Plastic Act.

Diary from the Hill: Aminah Taarique-Siddibe
Day 1: Tuesday June 10, 2025
Mood: Excited to advocate for plastic policy on the Hill!
Weather: Perfect weather to fight for the environment

My group, Team Giraffe, has three congressional office meetings booked for Day 1 – and we all share the same vision – we are here to advocate for stronger national policies addressing the growing crisis of plastic pollution. I’m excited as it has been a while since I’ve been on the Hill meeting our elected officials.

Our goal is to promote effective, science-based solutions to the plastic crisis – which means extended producer responsibility, reducing the production of single-use plastics, and regulating chemicals of concern are all on the agenda. Plus, supporting environmental justice communities disproportionately affected by plastic waste and incineration are key. Something my team knows all too well given they are from frontline communities in Ohio, Kentucky, and Mississippi, and their personal stories of how the plastic industry has impacted their communities really hits home.

Our first meeting is with California’s Rep. Kevin Mullin who has co-sponsored the Farewell to Foam Act and Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act (BFFPPA). So clearly, we have his support, but it is always good to let our lawmakers know that we appreciate their actions and work on plastics.

Next up, and to be honest the highlight of the day for me, is meeting with Michigan’s Rep. Rashida Tlaib. In 2018, she became one of the first of two Muslim women ever to be elected to Congress! It’s wonderful to meet her in person.

Tlaib is a longtime advocate for environmental protection policies, who passed legislation protecting her constituents from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly called PFAS. PFAS are not technically plastics, but they are synthetic chemicals with strong carbon-fluorine bonds, giving them plastic-like durability and resistance. They are often used as coatings or additives to make materials water- and stain-resistant, but chemically, they differ from traditional plastics like polyethylene or polypropylene.

Finally, we head off to meet Illinois Rep. Sean Casten’s staffer, Nikki Roy. When I introduce myself as part of EARTHDAY.ORG, he immediately shares that he was just 13 years old for the very first Earth Day back on April 22nd, 1970. He recalls learning about environmentalism for the first time through that momentous event, telling us that the following year at school, he had a “hippie” teacher who was passionate about sustainability. They brought him to the very next Earth Day in 1971. Nikki said that from then on, he knew he wanted to work to protect the environment.

It’s incredible how powerfully Earth Day impacted him and so many others, leaving a lasting mark. His work with Rep. Casten, who has co-sponsored the Farewell to Foam, BFFPP Act, and the Reducing Waste in National Parks Act, is evidence of that.

Diary from the Hill: Aidan Charron
Day 2: Wednesday June 11, 2025
Mood: Ready
Weather: Don’t ask!

Another early morning meeting to prepare for a day full of meetings and chug a few cups of coffee. Then time to head off directly to the Hill for my first meeting – this time in the Longworth House Office Building.

We were meeting with freshman representative George S. Latimer of New York. He is an original co-sponsor on Farewell To Foam, and after meeting with his knowledgeable staffer, who led the first rounds of legislation on Reduce Waste in National Parks Act, we felt like we were in great company. We discussed different ways to communicate on the legislation and on plastics generally before leaving for our next meeting in yet another building, this time the Rayburn House Office Building.

Navigating these buildings is like trying to figure out how to get through three different mazes, with zero instructions, all while wearing a blindfold with an incessant buzzer. This buzzer, officially known as the alert system, signals to members of Congress what votes, quorum calls, or other important legislative actions are coming up or about to start. This buzzer is played in congressional offices and hallways—so you cannot escape it and it is frankly a little unnerving!

But we made it through the maze, and the buzzing, to our next meetings with the offices of Rep. Bill Foster of Illinois, Rep. Sharice Davids of Kansas, and Rep. Sylvia Garcia of Texas. All of the representative’s teams were extremely receptive to our talking points, especially around health and plastic. Our meeting with Garcia turnedout a little differently from the others because a member of my group is a constituent of theirs and after speaking with a staff member we got the opportunity to meet Rep. Garcia face to face.

Despite this being the first time on the Hill for Caro Bustos, a BFFP fellow, she spoke out on behalf of her community against plastic pollution. I was really impressed at how she told Rep. Garcia, politely but firmly, about the risks plastics pose and the potential consequences if substantial legislation is not passed. Garcia was receptive and we hope to get her support in the 119th congress. It felt like a potentially important win.

Diary from the Hill: Evan Raskin
Day 1: Tuesday June 10, 2025
Mood: Energised
Weather: Kind of hot!

The room is buzzing with energy as I arrive at the kickoff meeting at the Cannon House Office Building. I am greeted by a constellation of faces both familiar and new; after four consecutive years, this nationally dispersed movement has grown into a community.

While many participants are part of the local ecosystem of environmental advocates, many others come from further afield. Within Team Grouper — my advocacy team for the week — we had four DC-area locals, one member who had flown from deep in the heart of West Texas, and another who had driven over 30 hours from Mississippi to attend this Hill Week and represent his community.

Our team has three congressional meetings scheduled today – Rep. Donald Beyer from Virginia, Rep. Mike Ezell from Mississippi, and Rep. David P. Joyce from Ohio. Joyce, who co-chairs the House Great Lakes Task Force and has long been a champion of Lake Erie, represents a district that borders the Cuyahoga River, which not only flows into Lake Erie but is also famed for helping spark the first Earth Day when the river caught fire in 1969.

Yes, you heard that right — the river caught fire due to the high concentrations of industrial waste and oil that had been dumped directly into it. The river became an environmental and public health issue, and by catching fire it helped trigger the first Earth Day march in 1970. Clean water and air is a necessity, and a river on fire makes both impossible.

It’s this drive for public health that led our advocacy back then and still does today. We met with every Congressional office on our list to ensure that they understood that each and every one of us is directly affected by plastic exposure, and we cited EDO’s groundbreaking Babies Vs Plastics report to illustrate the message..

For Representative Ezell, this message hit particularly close to home. Artis, our Team Grouper member from Ezell’s district in Mississippi, operates an oyster farm whose harvests have been contaminated by persistent microplastic pollution. Ezell enjoys oysters and other seafood and has demonstrated support for this vital industry, so he understood that he is almost certainly ingesting microplastics as a result of pollution in his own district.

We highlighted not only the health risks associated with this exposure, but also the enormous price tag it carries. In 2018 alone the US spent a quarter trillion dollars, a full 1.22% of the country’s GDP, on plastics-associated healthcare costs. This combination of public health and economic messaging supported by personal accounts from constituents left a mark and received bipartisan recognition. Our message was heard.

Afterwards, all three teams met up to debrief the meetings, take a group photo in front of the Capitol, and prepare for the next couple of days.

Diary from the Hill: Aminah Taariq-Sidibe
Day 2: Wednesday June 11, 2025
MOOD: Feeling more confident
Weather: Clear skies and a clear vision

It was an earlier start on the second day of Hill Week, and we havea packed diary – with meetings at the offices of Rep. Valerie Foushee of North Carolina, Rep. George Whitesides of California, Rep. Val Hoyle of Oregon, and Rep. Jennifer L. McClellan of Virginia. Rep. McClellan’s office stood out as the one most actively supporting plastic regulation.

Having said that, I felt more prepared for these meetings, and my group, Team Giraffe, got into a great flow for these presentations. We adapted our approach from the previous day by starting the discussion by asking the representative or staffers what they knew about plastic pollution and policy. This allowed us to address the gaps in their understanding, empowering them to ask us questions. It is a tactic I will use again. Some of the people we spoke to were more candid about the current efforts and challenges of their office, which I really appreciated. But these meetings underscore the HUGE knowledge gap about plastics. It takes time to really understand all the nuances and intersections, so I think we really helped educate today!

Diary from the Hill: Evan Raskin
Day 2: Wednesday June 11, 2025
MOOD: Ready for a packed day!
Weather: Cooler

Day Two of Hill week is a marathon for Team Grouper: We have meetings with the offices of Rep. Katherine Castor of Florida, Rep. Kelly Morrison of Minnesota, Rep. Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico, Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, and the United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW).

Even with such a long day ahead of us we were determined to make every meeting matter, and our efforts would pay off; staffers showed real concern about the dangers of microplastic exposure. I began each discussion by emphasizing that our coalition is advocating for policy to improve the health and wellbeing of their constituents. I stress in every meeting that the worrying thing about microplastics is they are not only widespread in nature; they are just as ubiquitous in our own bodies. And have been found in our circulatory, respiratory, and found in endocrine systems as well as there being evidence they can cross the blood-brain barrier.

This leads to health issues ranging from hormone disruptions to cancer. However, the reproductive issues associated with microplastics, such as infertility and miscarriage, especially caught the attention of congressional offices on both sides of the aisle. Microplastics have even been found in breast milk and placentae.

For this reason, I was especially grateful to speak with the office of Rep. Castor, whose background includes healthcare advocacy, and the office of Rep. Morrison, who spent 20 years as an OB-GYN before being elected to Congress. I think these meetings really hit home the most! Was Team Grouper exhausted – yes. Was it worth it – yes!

Diary from the Hill: Aminah Taariq-Sidibe
Day 3: Thursday June 12, 2025
MOOD: The end is in site
Weather: Hot Hot Hot

Day three of Hill Week is a packed day with Rep. Mike Levin, Rep. Pete Aguilar and Rep. Sara Jacobs, all from California, Rep. Morgan McGarvey from Kentucky and Rep. Blake Moore, from Utah, Rep. Suzan K. DelBene from Washington.

I begin the day with coffee and a shot of espresso to keep the energy going! We advocate for federal policy to regulate plastics in every meeting, shared facts and never stopped talking!

Each office has different levels of knowledge about the plastics crisis and different levels of engagement with environmental policy. Some are long-time champions, others are less engaged. This difference in priorities reflects how diverse the United States is – ideologically and geographically which is all part of the process.
Today, Team Giraffe got the chance to speak with our first Republican, Rep. Moore, who gave us his perspective on what key messaging and issues were relevant to his constituents. For example, Utah introduced legislation to regulate PFAS, but through the lens of controlling trade with China and economic benefit.

I think bipartisan support is possible, especially when realizing the impact of plastics on public health and the economy. Most of the representatives we spoke to this week saw the necessity for bipartisan support on plastic legislation.

It is clear that our elected officials are aware that environmental issues do exist around plastics even if they do not understand all of the details. This reinforced for me the importance of our work. Education and advocacy are both critical to the fight against plastic pollution. I believe that the conversations that were had during this Hill Week made a real difference and had a powerful impact on some of our elected leaders and I am honored to have been a part of it.

Diary from the Hill: Aidan Charron
Day 3: Thursday June 12, 2025
MOOD: Tired
Weather: Muggy

It is the final day of Hill week and I am definitely feeling it. For whatever reason, I can sit through 20 meetings in a row with my colleagues and barely break a sweat, but running up and down the halls of Congress and speaking with these offices takes it out of me. But it is the final day. I power through breakfast, drink a few strong coffees and it is off to the Hill.

I check my schedule and I am relieved to see all but one of my meetings are in the Rayburn House Office Building. One by one, we head to the offices of Representatives Marcy Kaptur of Ohio, Frederica S. Wilson of Florida, Mark DeSaulnier of California, and finally Bonnie Watson Coleman of New Jersey.

Most of today is seamless, except for our final meeting when we are forced to run through two buildings and what feels like miles of tunnels, only to arrive a few minutes late at Rep. Coleman’s office. Despite this, their staffer spoke with us for longer than originally planned.

This last meeting brought a ton of hope, because of the extra time, and she expressed direct interest in our ‘Babies vs. Plastics’ report. Another day of well received messaging: hopefully it will help to trigger action on plastics in this Congress!

Diary from the Hill: Evan Raskin
Day 3: Thursday June 12, 2025
MOOD: Fulfilled
Weather: It’s becoming a blur!

The final day! I know Aidan and Aminah are tired and I have hardly seen them since we kicked off but it is Day Three at last!

It was another packed day with meetings throughout the halls of the House of Representatives, meeting with Louisiana’s Rep. Cleo Fields, Illinois Rep. Robin L. Kelly, Rep. Chellie Pingree from Maine, and California’s Rep. Sam Liccardo.

Meeting with Rep. Liccardo’s office was a particularly fulfilling experience, as I had previously met the Congressmember when I welcomed him as a guest on my panel in 2022 at COP27, the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Sharm El Sheikh Egypt. Back then, he was the mayor of San Jose, California and had already established himself as a leading figure in subnational climate action; that leadership appears to have only grown stronger now that he has been elected to federal office.

It was also particularly meaningful to meet with the office of Representative Fields, as his district in Louisiana is near Cancer Alley, an area along the Mississippi River blighted by industrial pollution due to the high concentration of petrochemical plants. It is considered the front line in environmental justice issues in the US associated with plastic production and disposal. Field’s legislative staff mentioned that our meeting was the first time they had heard in-depth about some of these issues, which they were particularly grateful for considering Rep. Fields’ advocacy for community based air quality monitoring.

As the third and final day ends, I took a moment to reflect upon our progress since the 2024 Hill week. This year, we returned to Capitol Hill even stronger, our advocacy teams more tightly coordinated, with the coalition taking on even more meetings with congressional offices, well over 100 this time.

In every single meeting it was clear that our society has reached an understanding that microplastic pollution is real, widespread and that each and every one of us is affected by it personally, a sentiment that was nowhere near as visible last year.

This consensus would have been unthinkable just a few years ago, but consistent advocacy and media attention, both on and off the Hill, has created a backdrop of public concern over plastic chemicals and microplastics that transcends party lines. It’s no secret that passing legislation in the 118th Congress faces unprecedented challenges, but nonetheless I left the 2025 Hill Week certain that we are making steady progress towards breaking free of plastic pollution.

The post EARTHDAY.ORG IN ACTION UP ON CAPITOL HILL: THE BIG LOW DOWN ON PLASTIC HILL WEEK appeared first on Earth Day.

Cleaning Up and Tracking Trash in Rock Creek Park

EARTHDAY.ORG — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 15:11:17 +0000

Cleaning Up & Tracking Trash in Rock Creek Park

Date: Thursday, June 5, 2025
Location: Washington, D.C., Rock Creek Park
Weather: Hot and Humid
Mood: Curious and Excited

Rock Creek Park is a 1,754 acre city park located in the capital of D.C. Officially designated as a national park in 1890, it was the third ever national park created by the government. Unlike the other early national parks, Rock Creek Park was intended as an urban park to preserve natural space within the city and prevent urban encroachment.

On Thursday, June 5, from 3 to 5 PM, along with Sarah Davies, our Director of Communications and Media, and Aminah Taariq-Sidibe, our Manager of End Plastics Initiative, I had the opportunity to care for this special slice of history.

We weren’t alone. Representatives from Rock Creek Park were present, along with members of 5 Gyres, an organization dedicated to ending plastic pollution through science and advocacy.

3:00PM – Arrival on site

When we arrived, the park looked surprisingly clean at first glance. But we knew better. We’ve learned that from other clean ups that once you start looking for trash, you can’t stop seeing it. Everywhere!
So we geared up, with gloves, grabber tools, reusable tote bags, and headed off in pairs to begin scanning beneath the trees and bushes. Within minutes, it was clear: what looks clean isn’t always clean. We started finding trash, and a lot of it. Plastic bottles, lots of fast food chain cups and boxes, cigarette butts, the dreaded single use water bottles, a mass of broken glass and some miniature gin bottles! We were off the trash races as it were!

3:15PM-5PM – Get this trash out of here!

We didn’t just pick up garbage; we collected data. Using 5 Gyres’ TrashBlitz app, we logged everything we found. This free tool lets volunteers like us track the types of trash they are finding based on materials, location, and even brand.
This data then becomes part of a global dataset used to understand waste and help shape effective plastic policy at local, national, and international levels. It’s also hoped that one day it will hold the plastic polluters like the soda and fast food industry to account. They bear none of the cost of picking it up, or the damage it does to our health and wildlife. That’s just plain wrong.

4 PM:

We did find a brand new tennis ball that we donated, with the owner’s permission, to a very friendly golden lab called Bella, But she ran off with it before we could get a photo! At least some trash can be sort of recycled!

So we geared up, with gloves, grabber tools, reusable tote bags, and headed off in pairs to begin scanning beneath the trees and bushes. Within minutes, it was clear: what looks clean isn’t always clean. We started finding trash, and a lot of it. Plastic bottles, lots of fast food chain cups and boxes, cigarette butts, the dreaded single use water bottles, a mass of broken glass and some miniature gin bottles! We were off the trash races as it were!

3:15PM-5PM – Get this trash out of here!

This data then becomes part of a global dataset used to understand waste and help shape effective plastic policy at local, national, and international levels. It’s also hoped that one day it will hold the plastic polluters like the soda and fast food industry to account. They bear none of the cost of picking it up, or the damage it does to our health and wildlife. That’s just plain wrong.

4 PM: We did find a brand new tennis ball that we donated, with the owner’s permission, to a very friendly golden lab called Bella, But she ran off with it before we could get a photo! At least some trash can be sort of recycled!

“I really like how 5 Gyres has integrated technology into citizen science with the TrashBlitz app. It's a great example of how everyday people can contribute valuable data to inform policy and drive change.”

Aminah Taariq-Sidibe
Manager of End Plastics Initiative at EARTHDAY.ORG

4:30PM

We have a quick catch up with Aminah who is logging everything she finds with admirable accuracy. I notice they are finding the tiny stuff nearer the river side of the park and we seem to be finding the bigger trash items on the edges of the park, where it borders the side-walk. Clearly people just use the park as a dumping ground for their fast food lunches. Slightly annoying as there are loads of trash bins.

5:00PM By the end of the afternoon, we had picked up and logged 494 items! Which amounted to two large sacks of waste! Of those items, over 3/4 were made of you guessed it – plastic. The top offenders; fast cups and food wrappers, bottle caps, glass bottles and a ton of cigarette butts.

You might not know this but cigarette butts are a major source of plastic pollution because their filters are made from cellulose acetate, a type of plastic that does not biodegrade easily and can persist in the environment for years.

When littered, these plastic filters release thousands of microplastic fibers and leach toxic chemicals into soil and waterways, harming plants, animals, and potentially entering the food chain. Despite their small size, cigarette butts are the most commonly littered plastic item worldwide, making them a significant and dangerous form of plastic trash. And we found a zillion!!!! Not good.

Another top polluter were tiny plastic pellets called nurdles. Nurdles, which are the pre-production pills in many plastic products, are a growing concern as they are small enough to evade casual detection but large enough to wreak havoc on wildlife by leaching plastic chemicals into the environment. These pellets were found near the river bed and likely washed from upstream plastic production plants, like RCR01.

Cleanups like this one serve more than the environment; they connect us to nature and to each other. It’s social, it’s impactful, and — in its own way — it’s actually fun. Having said that, we wish we didn’t have to do them and could go for a hike instead!

“I didn’t realize how big Rock Creek park is but to have this lush, green open space in the middle of an urban setting is a true blessing. We need to take care of it. So we will be back!”

Sarah Davies
Director of Communications and Media at EARTHDAY.ORG

At EARTHDAY.ORG, we believe that we must end our dependence on plastic and save the panel and us, from plastic pollution. That starts with awareness, continues through action, and is sustained by data. Our trash data tells the story of what we let infect our environment. Join us as we commit to End Plastic Pollution and consider setting up your own clean up event HERE.

The post Cleaning Up and Tracking Trash in Rock Creek Park appeared first on Earth Day.

Earth Day Diaries Archives | Earth Day

World Bank Group Youth Summit & The Future of Skills

Johnny Dabrowski, EARTHDAY.ORG Youth Lead

The Power of Teamwork

Communications and Networking

Belém COP30 Diary, Day 5

Bryce Coon, Director, Education Initiatives, EARTHDAY.ORG

DAY 5 at COP30 DATE: 15th SATURDAY NOVEMBER MOOD: Energized but sadly my final day here WEATHER: You guessed it - yet more heat!

DAY 4 at COP30 DATE: 14th FRIDAY NOVEMBER MOOD: Looking forward to the big EDO panel WEATHER: More heat!

DAY 3 at COP30 DATE: 13th THURSDAY NOVEMBER MOOD: Tired but exhilarated WEATHER: Hot and humid!

DAY 2 at COP30 DATE: 12th WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER MOOD: Inspired WEATHER: Still feels like a sauna

DAY 1 at COP30 DATE: 11th TUESDAY NOVEMBER MOOD: Running on excitement and purpose! WEATHER: Hot and Humid

DAY 1 at COP30 DATE: 11th TUESDAY NOVEMBER MOOD: Running on excitement and purpose! WEATHER: Hot and Humid

We Deserve Clean Beaches

Penang Island, Malaysia

Santa Monica, California

THE GLOBAL PLASTIC TREATY IN GENEVA: A Rallying Cry, Not an Epitaph

The Reality of Negotiations

Spoilers vs Champions

What Comes Next

International Youth Day: How Young People Can Drive Positve Climate Action

Johnny Dabrowski, Earth Day Consultant

International Youth Day: How Young People Can Drive Positive Climate Action

International Youth Day: This Year’s Theme

Youth Are At The Heart of Global Climate Advocacy

Empowering the Next Generation: Green Skills & Education

The Power of Youth-Led Change

Other Pathways to Action: Get Involved

Schools Tree Day: The Time I Planted the Seeds at School

Dennis Nolasco, Education Coordinator

Schools Tree Day: The Time I Planted the Seeds at School

Date: March 2024 Weather: Chilly and crisp as an apple Mood: Ecstatic

Mapping the Environmental Movement: My Week at the Esri User Conference

Michael Karapetian

Mapping the Environmental Movement: My Week at the Esri User Conference

Day 1: Sunday, July 13 Weather: Another Beautiful Day in San Diego Mood: Thrilled

Day 2: Monday, July 14 Weather: Bright and Sunny - Wow, what a beautiful day in San Diego Mood: Inspired

Day 3: Tuesday, July 15 Weather: What? Yet another beautiful day in San Diego? Mood: Focused

Day 4: Wednesday, July 16 Weather: Oh my goodness, it’s YET another beautiful day in San Diego Mood: Slipping

Day 5: Thursday, July 17 Weather: Have I mentioned that it’s a beautiful day in San Diego Mood: Cooked.

Day 6: Friday, July 18 Weather: Cloudy Mood: Proud and deeply satisfied

Keep DC Green! A Day of Climate Action at City Hall

Author: Evan Raskin

keep dc green! a day of climate action at city hall

EARTHDAY.ORG IN ACTION UP ON CAPITOL HILL: THE BIG LOW DOWN ON PLASTIC HILL WEEK

Authors: Aidan Charron, Evan Raskin, and Aminah Taariq-Sidibe

THE BIG LOW DOWN ON PLASTIC HILL WEEK

Diary from the Hill: Aidan Charron Day 1: Tuesday June 10, 2025 Mood: Nervous & Excited Weather: Hot as Hades! Of course…

Diary from the Hill: Aminah Taarique-Siddibe Day 1: Tuesday June 10, 2025 Mood: Excited to advocate for plastic policy on the Hill! Weather: Perfect weather to fight for the environment

Diary from the Hill: Aidan Charron Day 2: Wednesday June 11, 2025 Mood: Ready Weather: Don’t ask!

Diary from the Hill: Evan Raskin Day 1: Tuesday June 10, 2025 Mood: Energised Weather: Kind of hot!

Diary from the Hill: Aminah Taariq-Sidibe Day 2: Wednesday June 11, 2025 MOOD: Feeling more confident Weather: Clear skies and a clear vision

Diary from the Hill: Evan Raskin Day 2: Wednesday June 11, 2025 MOOD: Ready for a packed day! Weather: Cooler

Diary from the Hill: Aminah Taariq-Sidibe Day 3: Thursday June 12, 2025 MOOD: The end is in site Weather: Hot Hot Hot

Diary from the Hill: Aidan Charron Day 3: Thursday June 12, 2025 MOOD: Tired Weather: Muggy

Diary from the Hill: Evan Raskin Day 3: Thursday June 12, 2025 MOOD: Fulfilled Weather: It’s becoming a blur!

Cleaning Up and Tracking Trash in Rock Creek Park

Terran Fielder, Media Specialist, EARTHDAY.ORG

Cleaning Up & Tracking Trash in Rock Creek Park

Date: Thursday, June 5, 2025 Location: Washington, D.C., Rock Creek Park Weather: Hot and Humid Mood: Curious and Excited

3:00PM – Arrival on site

3:15PM-5PM – Get this trash out of here!

4 PM:

3:15PM-5PM – Get this trash out of here!

4:30PM

DAY 5 at COP30
DATE: 15th SATURDAY NOVEMBER
MOOD: Energized but sadly my final day here
WEATHER: You guessed it - yet more heat!

DAY 4 at COP30
DATE: 14th FRIDAY NOVEMBER
MOOD: Looking forward to the big EDO panel
WEATHER: More heat!

DAY 3 at COP30
DATE: 13th THURSDAY NOVEMBER
MOOD: Tired but exhilarated
WEATHER: Hot and humid!

DAY 2 at COP30
DATE: 12th WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER
MOOD: Inspired
WEATHER: Still feels like a sauna

DAY 1 at COP30
DATE: 11th TUESDAY NOVEMBER
MOOD: Running on excitement and purpose!
WEATHER: Hot and Humid

DAY 1 at COP30
DATE: 11th TUESDAY NOVEMBER
MOOD: Running on excitement and purpose!
WEATHER: Hot and Humid

Date: March 2024
Weather: Chilly and crisp as an apple
Mood: Ecstatic

Day 1: Sunday, July 13
Weather: Another Beautiful Day in San Diego
Mood: Thrilled

Day 2: Monday, July 14
Weather: Bright and Sunny - Wow, what a beautiful day in San Diego
Mood: Inspired

Day 3: Tuesday, July 15
Weather: What? Yet another beautiful day in San Diego?
Mood: Focused

Day 4: Wednesday, July 16
Weather: Oh my goodness, it’s YET another beautiful day in San Diego
Mood: Slipping

Day 5: Thursday, July 17
Weather: Have I mentioned that it’s a beautiful day in San Diego
Mood: Cooked.

Day 6: Friday, July 18
Weather: Cloudy
Mood: Proud and deeply satisfied

Diary from the Hill: Aidan Charron
Day 1: Tuesday June 10, 2025
Mood: Nervous & Excited
Weather: Hot as Hades! Of course…

Diary from the Hill: Aminah Taarique-Siddibe
Day 1: Tuesday June 10, 2025
Mood: Excited to advocate for plastic policy on the Hill!
Weather: Perfect weather to fight for the environment

Diary from the Hill: Aidan Charron
Day 2: Wednesday June 11, 2025
Mood: Ready
Weather: Don’t ask!

Diary from the Hill: Evan Raskin
Day 1: Tuesday June 10, 2025
Mood: Energised
Weather: Kind of hot!

Diary from the Hill: Aminah Taariq-Sidibe
Day 2: Wednesday June 11, 2025
MOOD: Feeling more confident
Weather: Clear skies and a clear vision

Diary from the Hill: Evan Raskin
Day 2: Wednesday June 11, 2025
MOOD: Ready for a packed day!
Weather: Cooler

Diary from the Hill: Aminah Taariq-Sidibe
Day 3: Thursday June 12, 2025
MOOD: The end is in site
Weather: Hot Hot Hot

Diary from the Hill: Aidan Charron
Day 3: Thursday June 12, 2025
MOOD: Tired
Weather: Muggy

Diary from the Hill: Evan Raskin
Day 3: Thursday June 12, 2025
MOOD: Fulfilled
Weather: It’s becoming a blur!

Date: Thursday, June 5, 2025
Location: Washington, D.C., Rock Creek Park
Weather: Hot and Humid
Mood: Curious and Excited