All of these species create the interconnected web of life upon which human life depends. But today, up to half of all species are threatened by climate change.

Rising sea levels and warmer oceans. Droughts, fires and floods. Our planet’s biodiversity is threatened by climate change caused by humans.

That’s why Earth Day Network is working to protect our species. And we need your help. Donate to protect our species and we’ll send you the gift of a limited edition sustainable T-shirt.

• Land-dwelling species have declined by 40% since 1970.
• Marine animal populations have fallen by 40%.
• Birds populations are down 25%.
• Freshwater animals have plummeted 75% since 1970.
• 50% of the world’s coral reefs have died in the last 30 years.

You can help protect our species and shop for the holidays at the same time . . . but time is running out.

December 9th is the last day to order your t-shirt for pre-holiday delivery. At the same time, you’ll be supporting our campaign to protect our species! Colors and styles here. Kids sizes, too.
Academics may debate if we are already facing a new mass extinction. But even if that is not the case, we know that thousands of species are endangered, and most land and sea creatures are at risk.

The post A Gift that Gives Back: T-Shirts to Protect Our Species appeared first on Earth Day.

The first Earth Day in 1970 led to passage of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), preventing extinction for 99% of species under its protection. The ESA, saved the bald eagle, manatee, grizzly bear, American gray wolf, American alligator and thousands of other species.

But despite protection in the US and around the world, over 93,000 species are endangered today and 16,306 are facing extinction.

We’ve got to protect our species.

Sadly, humans cause species extinction through over-hunting, pollution, habitat destruction and carbon emissions. Species can’t cope with rapid changes in temperature and climate, severe weather and pollution of their surroundings.

It’s up to us to protect our species.

What’s worse, now the ESA is under attack! The current Administration, Congress and well-funded private groups have coordinated a concerted effort to weaken and disempower the Endangered Species Act. That’s why Earth Day Network is working to protect our species and save the Endangered Species Act.

Please help us. Get your Giving Tuesday gift today. Chose elephant or bee, in various colors and styles (kids sizes, too!). Thank you.

The post Give and Receive: Protect Our Species T-Shirts appeared first on Earth Day.

Washington, DC – In less than one and a half months, over one billion people in 192 countries will take action to protect our shared environment. All across the globe, in big cities to small villages and everything in-between, people are organizing, demanding climate action, cleaning up their local communities, meeting with their elected officials, planting trees, and teaching their children to protect our planet.

This year, in a rare and special event, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has invited every world leader to the United Nations to officially sign the Paris Climate Agreement reached this past December. It is no coincidence that the agreement is being opened for signatures on April 22nd, Earth Day.

“Earth Day is the largest, most recognizable face of the environmental movement,” said Kathleen Rogers, president of Earth Day Network. “Millions of people in dozens of different countries will become lifelong environmentalists this and every Earth Day. Hundreds of thousands will be children – our planet’s future. They will join the more than 1 billion people who already use Earth Day to focus on the urgent need to stabilize and reduce global greenhouse gas emissions, fight climate change, act locally, become climate voters, and protect their children’s futures.”

This year Earth Day Network is focusing on the urgent need to plant new trees and forests worldwide. Throughout the year, EDN sponsors and takes part in tree plantings across the US and worldwide. But this year we are raising the stakes. As we begin the four year count down to Earth Day’s 50th anniversary in 2020, Earth Day Network is pledging to plant 7.8 billion trees worldwide – one for every person on Earth! That’s incredibly ambitious, but we believe this down-payment must be made in order to combat climate change and keep our most vulnerable eco-systems from facing extinction.

“We have no higher priority this year than to make sure the United States, China, India, the EU, and all the largest CO2 emitters sign the Paris Agreement. EDN has launched a petition calling on world leaders – including President Obama — to show leadership. (You can sign the U.S. petition).We need to prove that what happened in Paris last December was not all talk. We need to take action.  Signing the Paris Agreement this Earth Day at the United Nations is just the beginning,” Rogers said. “That, coupled with our global activities, will make this the largest, most significant Earth Day in years. And it’s the perfect start in our countdown to Earth Day 2020, our 50th!”

Across the world, millions of schoolchildren and their teachers will take part in education, civic, and outdoor programs that will teach them about the importance of clean air and water, how to begin a lifelong practice of civic participation, and experience the wonders of nature. In almost every country on Earth, citizens will be making demands of their governments to take action to address the climate crises, starting with the signing of the Paris Climate Agreement on April 22nd, Earth Day.

This is Earth Day’s legacy – the largest and most active citizen engagement campaign on Earth. To learn more about Earth Day 2016, Trees for the Earth, and how you can get involved, visit: https://archiveedn.wpengine.com/earth-day/ To sign the petition go to https://chn.ge/21bpCsi

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ABOUT EARTH DAY NETWORK

The first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, activated 20 million Americans from all walks of life and is widely credited with launching the modern environmental movement. Growing out of the first Earth Day, Earth Day Network (EDN) works with tens of thousands of partners in 192 countries to broaden, diversify and mobilize the environmental movement. More than 1 billion people now participate in Earth Day activities each year, making it the largest civic observance in the world. For more information, visit archiveedn.wpengine.com

The post More Than 1 Billion People Will Be Involved in Earth Day, the World’s Largest Environmental Event appeared first on Earth Day.

Contact:
Sara Axelrod
saxelrod@gpg.com
202-297-0177

Washington, DC (11/03/15) – Seeking to generate momentum for strong action on climate from world leaders in the final days before the UN climate talks in Paris, former US Vice President and Chairman of The Climate Reality Project Al Gore will lead the global broadcast of 24 Hours of Reality and Live Earth: The World Is Watching, airing from 6pm CET, Friday, November 13 to 6pm CET, Saturday, November 14. This round-the-clock program will unite a global audience in demanding a strong climate agreement in Paris and include presentations and performances from leading climate experts and activists and award-winning celebrities and musicians.  French leaders President François Hollande and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo will join in the broadcast, which is produced by The Climate Reality Project and Live Earth.

Anchored from Paris, The World Is Watching will broadcast live from the Champ de Mars in the Seventh Arrondissement and feature both live and pre-recorded segments from other spotlight locations in the United States, Australia, Brazil, India, Canada, China, the Philippines, and South Africa. The broadcast will focus on the local and global impacts of climate change, as well as promising solutions that can be found around the world today. In addition to President Hollande and Mayor Hidalgo, experts like glaciologist Claude Lorius, elected leaders like California Governor Jerry Brown and other special guests like film and television actor Ryan Reynolds will join throughout the 24-hour program. These include:

Government Officials

• President François Hollande, France
• Brian Deese, Senior Advisor to United States President Barack Obama
• Governor Jerry Brown, California, United States
• Ernest Moniz, Secretary, United States Department of Energy
• Steven Miles, Queensland Minister for Environment and Heritage Protection, Australia
• Mayor Anne Hidalgo, Paris, France
• Mayor Philip Levine, Miami Beach, United States

Media Personalities

• Patrick J. Adams, actor and activist
• Atom Araullo, News Reporter, ABS-CBN News
• Sarah Backhouse, Founder & CEO of Future360.tv
• Ed Begley Jr., Actor and Activist
• Sam Champion, Weather Anchor, The Weather Channel
• Barkha Dutt, Television Journalist, NDTV
• Maria Paula Fidalgo, Actor and Activist
• Porter Fox, Author and Editor at POWDER magazine
• Vanessa Hauc, Journalist, Telemundo
• Nicolas Hulot, Media Personality and Activist
• Nicolas Ibarguen, Environmental Correspondent, Fusion and Univision
• Africa Melane, Presenter, CapeTalk and 702
• Ryan Reynolds, Actor and Activist
• Calum Worthy, Actor and Activist

NGO and business leaders

• Anish Andheria, President of the Wildlife Conservation Trust
• Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary-General
• Chinmaya Acharya, Chief of Programs, Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation
• Yoca Arditi-Rocha, Director and Founder, No Planeta B
• Ken Berlin, President and CEO, The Climate Reality Project
• Wang Binbin, Manager of the Climate Change and Poverty Team, Oxfam
• Keith Brooks, Clean Economy Program Director, Environmental Defence
• Ian Bruce, Science and Policy Manager, David Suzuki Foundation
• Fuqiang Yang, Senior Advisor, Climate and Energy, Natural Resources Defense Council China
• Daniela Ibarra-Howell, CEO, Savory Institute
• Claude Lorius, Glaciologist, Director Emeritus of Research at Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
• Alix Mazounie, Climate Action Network – France
• Mithika Mwenda, Head of Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance
• Evan Rice, CEO, GreenCape
• Juliette Rousseau, Coalition Climat 21
• Mauricio Ruiz, Executive Secretary of Terra Institute of Environmental Preservation
• Bittu Sahgal, Founder of Sanctuary Asia
• Wang Shi, Chairman, China Vanke Co. Ltd.
• Zhang Xiangdong, Co-Founder and CEO of 700Bike
• Adrian Yeo, CAN’s Leadership Development Program Fellow

In addition to featuring engaging stories of climate impacts and solutions, each hour of the broadcast will be punctuated by thought-provoking, knockout appearances from all-star participants (which will be announced in a separate release). The broadcast is aimed at urging world leaders to push for the strongest possible climate agreement at the upcoming UN conference in Paris and at urging people to take action in their own communities and homes.

The Climate Reality Project’s partnership with Live Earth for this fifth-annual 24 Hours of Reality broadcast will give the program an unprecedented artistic lineup and distribution platform to maximize its global reach.

“‘24 Hours of Reality and Live Earth’ is about mobilizing people around the world to help solve the climate crisis and making our voices heard in national capitols and at the negotiating table in Paris,” said Vice President Al Gore. “The UN climate talks have the potential to produce a breakthrough that changes the dangerous course on which we are presently headed and put us instead on a path to a truly sustainable and prosperous future. We want leaders from every country to know that the world is watching, and that it’s time for them to take climate action.”

“We have to get every major country to make a strong commitment at COP 21,” said Climate Reality President and CEO Ken Berlin. “The time is now for world leaders to sign an emissions reduction agreement that includes five-year reviews of their commitments, a long-term goal, and the global prioritization of renewable energy. It is time for global action—the world is watching.”

“The media landscape is cluttered, people’s lives are busy and the way people access information and connect with each other varies from person to person. To cut through, you have to provide truly compelling content and match it with multiple distribution streams that reach people in their homes and on the go,” said Live Earth Founder Kevin Wall. “The climate crisis is grave, so we are harnessing the best content and the latest in mobile, social media, and online distribution to make sure we can connect with people everywhere.”

The broadcast will be seen all over the world across numerous media outlets and platforms; more information to come in subsequent releases.

Renaud Le Van Kim and his company Together Media have been chosen by The Climate Reality Project to produce the event in Paris. The entire production is being overseen by Executive Producer Peter M. Green and his partners at ShoulderHill Events.

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About 24 Hours of Reality and Live Earth: The World Is Watching
With the UN talks in Paris (COP 21) approaching, a breakthrough in addressing climate change is finally at hand. Airing two weeks prior to the monumental  negotiations begin, the broadcast will serve to remind global leaders that the world is watching and demanding action to solve the climate crisis. The time has come for countries to take significant action and make strong commitments to reduce emissions, combat climate change. and set us on a path towards a better future. For more information, visit www.24hoursofreality.org.

About The Climate Reality Project
The Climate Reality Project is one of the world’s leading organizations dedicated to mobilizing action around climate change. With a global movement more than 5 million strong and a grassroots network of trained Climate Reality Leader activists, we are spreading the truth about climate change and building widespread popular support for solutions. Former US Vice President and Nobel Laureate Al Gore is the founder and chairman of The Climate Reality Project. For more information, visit www.climaterealityproject.org or follow us on Twitter at @ClimateReality.

About Live Earth
Eight years after the inaugural Live Earth concert spread environmental awareness and spoke up for action on climate change around the globe, Climate Reality Founder and Chairman Al Gore, Emmy Award-winning producer Kevin Wall, and multi-Grammy award-winning mega-star Pharrell Williams revived the Live Earth legacy to once again make music a powerful force for climate action in the lead-up to this year’s UN talks in Paris.

The post The Climate Reality Project and Live Earth to Engage Global Audience appeared first on Earth Day.

As Teacher Appreciation Week continues, Earth Day Network is happy to recognize Ms. Lindsey Fagrelius from Skyview High School in Soldotna, Alaska for her contributions to the Canopy Project. For Earth Day 2013, Ms. Fagrelius and her classes organized a bake sale to raise money to plant trees around the world.

The program launched on April 15th and lasted through Earth Day. Ms. Fagrelius and her classes set a goal to raise $400.00, one dollar for each person at Skyview. Ms. Fagrelius incentivized her students even further by agreeing to dye her hair if they hit their goal. When the final totals were added up the students were pleased to find that $400.80 worth of baked goods was sold!

When asked about how she felt about the project, Ms. Fagrelius said, “I am very inspired by all of the students who have stood up to take leadership roles in the project. It is amazing what a group of students can accomplish when they are motivated towards a goal.” Students were eager to volunteer their time selling the goods. Jesse Graham, a Marine Biology student, gave a speech about the project at the school talent show. Savannah Anchinges, in charge of advertising and make certificates, remarked, “I feel that this project is going to make a difference. It’s better than us not trying. We’re making a difference in every way we can as a school. That counts for something.” Lisa Schulz, a German foreign exchange student, commented, “Buying a cookie for a dollar, and
having that dollar plant a tree? It is worth it in the end.”

Earth Day Network commends the students at Skyview High School and Ms. Lindsey Fagrelius on their efforts to make a tangible difference in the world. We are grateful for their donation and proud to support the kind of learning that empowers our young people to work toward sustainable solutions for our global future.

Rather than focusing on large-scale forestry, The Canopy Project plants trees that bolster local economies and help communities sustain themselves. Each dollar the students raised will go to plant a tree in an area of need. Earth Day Network’s Canopy Project has planted over 1.5 million trees in 18 countries since 2010.

You can help, too. For every dollar you donate, Earth Day Network will plant a tree in an area of the world that needs it most. Click here to chip in.

The post A Bake Sale for the Canopy Project appeared first on Earth Day.

Watch the video and share it with your friends.

Also, don’t forget to check out our website earthday.org/2013 and upload a photo to The Face of Climate Change wall! Together we will personalize the massive challenge that climate change presents and help unite people around the globe into a powerful call to action on Earth Day.

The post Official Earth Day 2013 Video appeared first on Earth Day.

WASHINGTON – The global theme for Earth Day 2013 is “The Face of Climate Change,” Earth Day Network announced today. Earth Day Network, the group founded by the organizers of the first Earth Day to coordinate the annual day of action that builds and invigorates the environmental movement, said that this theme was chosen because of the need to highlight the mounting impact of climate change on individuals around the world.

“Many people think climate change is a remote problem, but the fact is that it’s already impacting real people, animals, and beloved places all over the world, and these Faces of Climate Change are multiplying every day,“ said Kathleen Rogers, president of Earth Day Network. “Fortunately, other Faces of Climate Change are also multiplying every day: those stepping up to do something about it. For Earth Day 2013, we’ll bring our generation’s biggest environmental challenge down to size – the size of an individual faced with the consequences.”

Between now and Earth Day, Earth Day Network will collect and display images of people, animals, and places directly affected or threatened by climate change and tell the world their stories. The organization will mobilize its extensive global network of Earth Day event organizers and other partners to help collect the images. But they’re also asking ordinary people to become “climate reporters” and send their pictures and stories that show The Face of Climate Change.

On and around Earth Day – April 22 – an interactive digital display of all the images will be shown at thousands of events around the world, including next to federal government buildings in countries that produce the most carbon pollution. The display will also be made available online to anyone who wants to view or show it.

The campaign is focusing heavily on social media. Organizers are asking people to tweet using the hashtag #FaceOfClimate, and “climate reporters” can also post photos to Twitter and Instagram using that hashtag for inclusion in the digital display.

“The Face of Climate Change will not only personalize and make real the massive challenge that climate change presents, it will unite the myriad Earth Day events around the world into one call to action at a critical time,” said Franklin Russell, director of Earth Day at Earth Day Network.

2012 was marked by many climate change milestones. Arctic sea-ice cover reached a record low in September, a new high-water mark in a long-term decline. The United States experienced its hottest year ever; this, after the World Meteorological Organization announced that the first decade of this century was the hottest on record for the entire planet. Public perception of extreme weather events as “the new normal” grew as unusual superstorms rocked the Caribbean, the Philippines and the northeastern United States; droughts plagued northern Brazil, Russia, China, and two-thirds of United States; exceptional floods inundated Nigeria, Pakistan, and parts of China; and more. Meanwhile, international climate change talks stagnated. But glimmers of hope for a political solution began appearing in recent months, perhaps most notably in U.S. President Barack Obama’s high-profile promises to tackle climate change during his second term.

This is why organizers say that 2013 is ripe for a major push to confront climate change.

Each year, more than one billion people participate in Earth Day-related activities, making it the largest civic observance in the world. On and around April 22, communities across approximately 192 countries voice their concerns for the planet and take action to protect it.

“We’ll harness that power to show the world The Face of Climate Change,” said Russell. “And we’ll call on our leaders to act boldly together, as we have, on this critical issue.”

To learn more about Earth Day 2013 and The Face of Climate Change, go to archiveedn.wpengine.com/2013.

Earth Day Network mobilizes over one billion people in 192 countries through year-round advocacy, education, and public policy campaigns to protect the environment. archiveedn.wpengine.com

The post Earth Day 2013 – The Face of Climate Change appeared first on Earth Day.

Looking for something to do with kids this Earth Day?  Check out Pennies for the Planet — a powerful tool for motivating kids of all ages to learn about and become engaged in protecting biodiversity.  Our friends at the National Audubon Society, where EDN Education Director Sean Miller was once a Conservation Leadership Fellow with their TogetherGreen program, are running this incredibly exciting program!  P4P kids raise funds for conservation and conduct environmental projects in their own communities. By teaching young people about threatened ecosystems and wildlife, Pennies for the Planet strives to connect young people and families with the environment and provide ideas about how they can help protect it.

Change collected from now through August 2011 will be divided equally among the following three conservation projects:

·         Protecting habitat along Nebraska’s Platte River, a critical nesting and foraging site for majestic Sandhill Cranes, and endangered Whooping Cranes, Least Terns and Piping Plovers.

·         Boosting Monarch butterfly habitat in Arizona so these unique creatures can rest during winter months and reproduce in the spring; and

·         Helping beach-nesting birds along Mississippi’s Gulf Coast combat future breeding challenges from the effects of the recent oil spill, as well as on-going threats from beachgoers and lack of vegetation.

Nearly $58,000 has been raised through Audubon’s Pennies for the Planet in the past two years! Each penny donated is also an Act of Green in partnership with EDN’s global campaign, A Billion Acts of Green®. Over the last decade, in conjunction with several other environmental organizations, Pennies for the Planet has helped tens of thousands of young people nationwide raise thousands of dollars to support species and habitat conservation. Pennies for the Planetmaterials, including a full color poster and educators guide, a newsletter for kids, and a participation form with incentives and awards are available for download from www.penniesfortheplanet.org for classroom or at-home use.

The post Pennies for the Planet appeared first on Earth Day.

Earth Day Network Selects 17 Conservation and Environmental Organizations to Carry out the Avatar Home Tree Initiative

WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 11, 2010)– Today Earth Day Network announces partners in 15 countries who will join in planting one million trees in 2010 through the Avatar Home Tree Initiative.

The Initiative is the result of a partnership between Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and Earth Day Network, the international non-profit organization that coordinates Earth Day annually and works year-round on climate change, environmental education and broadening the environmental movement. The Avatar Home Tree Initiative, announced by director James Cameron on Earth Day April 22, 2010 in conjunction with the debut of the Avatar Blu-ray & DVD, will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support sustainable development on six continents, while also increasing public recognition of the vital role that trees play in preserving life on Earth.

Projects were selected by Earth Day Network, after a four month vetting process, based on the strengths of each organization and the benefits they provide to local environments and people. The projects focus on planting trees where they are most needed and providing opportunities for people of all ages to actively participate in protecting the environment. In countries like the United States and the Netherlands, trees will be used to improve urban air quality, provide urban animal habitats, supply fruit as a healthy food source and create a healthier environment for local citizens. In other countries like Brazil, Mexico, Canada, Spain and Haiti, where timber and vital forests have been depleted due to exploitation or natural disasters, partners working with the Avatar Home Tree Initiative will help replenish devastated areas and support local economies. The Initiative’s tree plantings will also support innovative environmental education programs for youth in countries including France, Germany, Sweden and Japan.

“Earth Day Network is proud to collaborate with this diverse group of dedicated partners on the Avatar Home Tree Initiative, working together toward reforestation in areas of need,” said Kathleen Rogers, President of Earth Day Network. “We all have a responsibility to protect the world’s natural resources from man’s exploitation and reforestation is intrinsically tied to local sustainable development and environmental awareness.”

“At the core of Avatar lies a message of empowerment and self-discovery,” said Mike Dunn, President Worldwide of Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. “Our initiative to plant one million trees allows us to promote a healthy, sustainable planet, while hopefully empowering others to get involved.”

Each of the million trees planted under the Avatar Home Tree Initiative will be added to Earth Day Network’s Billion Acts of Green, a campaign to reward and inspire simple individual acts as well as larger corporate, governmental and organizational acts with the goal of measurably reducing carbon emissions and supporting sustainability. Additionally, the trees planted in this initiative will be pledged towards the UNEP Billion Tree Campaign, a worldwide tree planting initiative facilitated by the United Nations Environment Programme.

The Avatar Home Tree Initiative is also part of Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment’s parent company News Corporation’s Global Energy Initiative, a company-wide commitment to reduce impacts on climate and engage global audiences with the environmental issues. Through a unique code found inside the Avatar Blu-ray/DVD, fans will be able to adopt one of the one million trees being planted.

Go to earthday.org/Avatar to learn more about the following unique projects that Earth Day Network and the Avatar Home Tree Initiative are supporting.

Australia

Landcare Australia will work with national parks and landcare groups to help restore vulnerable areas of metropolitan New South Wales and Victoria, focusing on areas with unique and threatened animal species.

Belgium

Vereniging voor Bos in Vlaanderen, or Organization for Forests in Flanders, will combat the environmental effects of intensive livestock and agricultural production by working with private landowners in Flanders to reforest their properties.

Brazil

To combat agricultural expansion and urban sprawl, SOS Mata Atlântica Foundation will work with local communities to plant native trees as a means to restore the Atlantic Forest, one of the most biologically diverse and severely threatened forest ecosystems in the world.

Canada

Tree Canada has joined the Avatar Home Tree Initiative to restore 800 hectares (1,976 acres) of pine forest of southeastern Manitoba on land that was devastated by hurricane-force winds in 2005.

France

With its bi-cultural mission, Kinomé’s Trees & Life program will help 9- and 10-year-old children in southern France plant their own trees. For every tree the children plant in France, kids of the same age in Senegal will plant two trees, thus advancing global reforestation and intercultural awareness.

Germany

The Berlin Energy Agency’s environmental youth organization, ClubE, will plant trees in southern Berlin as part of its mission to raise awareness among young people about sustainable development and lifestyles and to promote job opportunities for young people in the green economy.

Haiti

Trees for the Future, a U.S.-based organization that works with Haitian farmers to bring degraded lands back to productivity through the planting of beneficial trees, will work with communities to plant fruit and other native trees using sustainable agroforestry practices. Their work will help combat centuries of environmental degradation and natural disasters, including the catastrophic January 2010 earthquake.

Italy

The community and Municipality of San Giovanni in Persiceto have recently taken on the Cassa Budrie reforestation project. They will restore and preserve a local wetland and forest located on a major flood plain, helping to promote local water security and prevent oil erosion. Other objectives of the project are biodiversity recovery and the creation of a local carbon sink to combat global climate change.

Japan

To create a sustainable future, a tailored tree-planting projectin a Japanese schoolwill give students and teachers the opportunity to plant trees on their campus and engage in related environmental education and school greening activities.

Mexico

Sierra Gorda Ecological Group (SGEG) has been working since 1987 to protect the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve, the most ecologically diverse protected area of Mexico. The SGEG will work with local communities and farmers to reforest both agricultural land and pristine forests. Local communities will also directly benefit as local watersheds are restored.

The Netherlands          

Stichting wAarde, or the Earth Value Foundation, will work with local youth to plant trees in areas around Amsterdam and Utrecht. The trees planted will not only engage youth and communities in learning about their local environment, but will also improve air quality, create healthier outdoor spaces and restore urban habitats for wildlife.

Spain

Plantemos Para el Planeta, or Trees for the Planet, ambitiously aims to reforest Spain by planting one tree for every Spaniard. The group will work to reforest the south-eastern Costa del Sol, which was ravaged by wildfire in 2009, and will also create recreation spaces for individuals to appreciate the beauty of nature.

Sweden

Under Sweden’s Forest in School program, children and their teachers go on excursions to plant spruce, pine, birch and beech trees in northeast Sweden with professional guidance and intensive environmental and reforestation education.

United Kingdom

The UK is one of the least wooded countries in Europe with only four percent native woodland cover. Leading woodland conservation charity, The Woodland Trust is encouraging community groups across the UK to transform their local area by planting more native trees for the benefit of local people, wildlife and the environment as part of the Trust’s ‘More Trees, More Good’ campaign. Communities can apply for free tree packs and receive support via an online advice center.

United States

New York City

MillionTreesNYC plants trees throughout New York City’s five boroughs, focusing on low- to middle-income communities to increase green spaces and improve urban environmental health for area residents. MillionTreesNYC will participate in the Initiative through their fall Reforestation Day’s city-wide tree plantings.

San Francisco

Since 1981, Friends of the Urban Forest has helped San Franciscans to plant and care for street trees and sidewalk gardens, thereby supporting the health and livability of the urban environment. The organization is currently focused on plantings in low-income neighborhoods, resulting in increased community interaction and cooperation.

Los Angeles

TreePeople is a Los Angeles based non-profit whose mission is to improve the urban environment of the city by planting trees. TreePeople’s Fruit Tree Program will provide low-income families, school children and community residents with a source of free fruit to help alleviate hunger, address childhood diabetes and obesity, improve nutrition, and provide shade, beauty and cleaner air now and for decades to come.

Through the planting of one million trees in these target countries, the Avatar Home Tree Initiative will help create a more sustainable planet for all living things across Europe, Africa, the Americas and Asia. Individuals will learn more about their role in nature, low income families will have access to a better quality of life, communities will take action on behalf of the planet and the local and global environment will be restored and preserved for generations to come.

About Earth Day Network

Earth Day Network was founded on the premise that all people, regardless of race, gender, income, or geography, have a moral right to a healthy, sustainable environment. Our mission is to broaden and diversify the environmental movement worldwide, and to mobilize it as the most effective vehicle for promoting a healthy, sustainable environment. We pursue our mission through a combination of education, public policy, and consumer activism campaigns.

Earth Day Network’scampaignsand programs are predicated on the belief that an educated, energized population will take action to secure a healthy future for itself and its children. The organization has a global reach with a network of more than 22,000 partners and organizations in 190 countries. Earth Day Network is a 501(c)3 organization located in Washington, D.C.

About Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment

A recognized global industry leader, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment LLC (TCFHE) is the worldwide marketing, sales and distribution company for all Fox film and television programming on DVD, Blu-ray Disc (BD) and Digital Copy as well as acquisitions and original productions.  The company also releases all products around the globe for MGM Home Entertainment.  Each year TCFHE introduces hundreds of new and newly enhanced products, which it services to retail outlets — from mass merchants and warehouse clubs to specialty stores and e-commerce – throughout the world.  Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment LLC is a subsidiary of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, a News Corporation company.

# # #

Contact:

Justine Sullivan

Earth Day Network

+01 (202) 51800044, ext. 15

sullivan@earthday.org

James Finn

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment

+01 (310) 369-2940

james.finn@fox.com

Kavita Smith

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment

+01 (310) 369-8435

kavita.smith@fox.com

The post EARTH DAY NETWORK SELECTS 17 CONSERVATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS TO CARRY OUT THE AVATAR HOME TREE INITIATIVE appeared first on Earth Day.

Thought Leaders and Celebrities Join One Billion Citizens Worldwide to Take Action for Earth Day 

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 21, 2010 – More than one billion people globally will observe the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, taking part in events and rallying to call for action on climate change. Earth Day Network, the international nonprofit organization that coordinates Earth Day activities globally and its partners are driving action through park clean-ups, climate petition drives, meetings with locally elected officials and much more. In Washington, D.C., members of Congress and leaders from the faith, labor, civil rights and business communities will gather on the National Mall for a 40th anniversary event. Around the world, Earth Day Network and its partners are orchestrating large events in New York City, NY; Rabat, Morocco; Kolkata, India; Buenos Aires, Argentina and Tokyo, Japan for Earth Day.

“In 1970, 20 million people poured into the streets on the first Earth Day to demand environmental change and truly launch the modern environmental movement,” said Denis Hayes, Global Chair Earth Day 2010 and the first Earth Day organizer. “Now Earth Day has become a global phenomenon with extraordinary influence to harness the voices of millions and shape environmental policy in the U.S. and worldwide.”

“Earth Day’s 40th anniversary promises to be the largest yet and the climate issue gives it greater urgency,” said Kathleen Rogers, President, Earth Day Network. “The world is focused on topics such as climate change and how we want to shape our environmental future to bring about green jobs, renewable energy and a new green economy.”

In Washington, D.C., the epicenter for the first Earth Day in 1970, Earth Day events on the National Mall will once again act as a rallying point for the nation. Activities for Earth Week conclude with The Climate Rally on April 25, when global thought leaders, elected officials, Olympic athletes and celebrities including NFL player and television personality, Dhani Jones; AFL-CIO President, Richard Trumka; film director, James Cameron; Olympic gold medalist, Billy Demong; producer, Trudie Styler; Reverend Jesse Jackson; author, Margaret Atwood and many more will bring the 40th anniversary of Earth Day and the issue of climate change to an international stage.

“The 40th anniversary of Earth Day is an opportunity that we must seize to bring the issue of climate change and clean energy to the forefront of the U.S. legislative agenda,” said Rogers. “We must harness the Earth Day moment to reinvigorate the environmental movement and drive actions that will solve climate change and protect the planet for future generations.”

Earth Day Network events for the 40th anniversary of Earth Day include: 

Earth Day 40th Anniversary:  April 22 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Members of Congress and environmental and industry leaders will speak on the Mall in honor of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. Speakers include: Senator Maria Cantwell (WA), Senator Thomas Carper (DE), Congressman Earl Blumenauer (OR), Ken Salazar, Secretary of the Interior; Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education, and Denis Hayes, Earth Day 2010 Chair and 1970 Organizer.

The Climate Rally:  April 25 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

The Climate Rally will capstone the nine-day event with performances from world-famous musicians Sting, John Legend, The Roots, Jimmy Cliff, Passion Pit, Bob Weir, Willie Colón, Joss Stone, Robert Randolph, Patrick Stump, Mavis Staples, Booker T, Honor Society and Tao Rodriguez-Seeger.

Earth Day Around the World
Through the Global Day of Conversationprogram, Earth Day Network is working with more than 370 mayors and locally-elected officials and their constituents in 39 countries to discuss and exchange ideas on the issues of climate change and community sustainability. New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg and Las Vegas Mayor, Oscar Goodman are among the officials leading environmental dialogues with their constituents.

On Earth Day, The Kingdom of Morocco will also announce an unprecedented National Charter for Environment and Sustainable Development, the first commitment of its kind in Africa and the Arab World.  The charter will guide policy in the country and future laws on natural resources, the environment and sustainability. Seal, Hoba Hoba Spirit, Najat Atabou and a group of Moroccan artists who are composing a special song for the earth will perform along with world-renowned speakers at an unparalleled Earth Day event in Rabat on April 24.

Earth Day 2010 Online Resources
EarthDay.orgis the digital action center for individuals and groups who want to organize around the common message of progress and sustainability for Earth Day and beyond. Visit Earthday.orgto find or register service and advocacy events in your community, link to existing partnerships and campaigns and view the schedule of events through April 25.

Underwriters Laboratories is Earth Day Network’s Official Safety, Sustainability and Standards partner. P&G’s Future Friendly, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and Siemens are the U.S.co-presenting sponsorsof Earth Day 2010.

About Earth Day Network
Earth Day Network was founded on the premise that all people, regardless of race, gender, income, or geography, have a moral right to a healthy, sustainable environment. Our mission is to broaden and diversify the environmental movement worldwide, and to mobilize it as the most effective vehicle for promoting a healthy, sustainable environment. We pursue our mission through a combination of education, public policy, and consumer activism campaigns.

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