Once upon a time, corporations across the land were told a story: by paying a small amount of money to help protect the forests of a faraway kingdom, they could continue releasing harmful chemicals into the air without a care in the world. 

It seemed like a fairytale — companies could help the environment without having to make any changes or compromise their business strategy. Surely, this story would have a happy ending for everyone involved! 

But was it too good to be true? To answer this, we have to go back to the beginning.

Carbon Offsetting

Carbon offsetting is a strategy often pursued by governments, industry and corporations which involves funding projects that avoid or reduce greenhouse gas emissions elsewhere, in exchange for permission to emit an equivalent amount of gases. 

These projects might involve reforestation and tree planting, or investing in renewable energy or carbon capture technology, in order to balance out the release of greenhouse gases by the gas-emitting entities. 

For example, a factory in Idaho making red widgets might fund an organization, 1000 miles away, to plant 200,000 trees on their behalf in order to offset the emissions generated from manufacturing the red widgets. 

Carbon Markets 

The mechanisms which make this possible are known as carbon markets — economic systems in which countries and corporations buy and sell the right to emit greenhouse gases. 

A key element of carbon markets is the trading of carbon credits — individual permits allowing the emission of a certain amount of greenhouse gases. In the case of carbon dioxide, this is typically one ton per credit. 

There are two main types of carbon markets: compliance and voluntary.

Compliance carbon markets, sometimes referred to as Emissions Trading Schemes (ETS), are government-regulated systems and require emitters to adhere to specific rules and established emissions reduction targets. These markets typically utilize cap-and-trade programs, involving government-mandated limits on total greenhouse emissions and how many credits corporations can buy each year in order to comply with that emissions “cap.” 

Ideally, as credits become less available and more expensive over time, companies should be motivated to start investing in clean technologies that truly mitigate climate change rather than just spending more money on buying more credits. 

The trading of carbon offset credits, on the other hand, generally takes place in voluntary carbon markets (VCMs), in which emitters are not beholden to any external emissions reduction goals or regulations.

How Offsetting Became Our Climate Crutch

Carbon offset schemes first emerged in 1988 as a way to compensate for greenhouse gas emissions, often through projects like reforestation or renewable energy. The concept gained international traction after the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, which was the first major international agreement committing developed countries to reduce their emissions. Under the Kyoto Protocol, carbon offsetting and emissions trading schemes became formal tools to help countries meet their climate targets.

In 2013, however, the European Union restricted carbon credit purchases from certain foreign industrial projects, particularly those involving industrial gases, following a collapse in carbon prices caused by an oversupply of cheap credits. In 2020, the European Union’s ETS banned international credits altogether. 

While carbon offsetting can still provide a simple and cost-effective way for companies and governments to reduce the impact of their carbon emissions, if not the emissions themselves, to comply with regulations, the carbon trade is also inherently at risk of fraud and greenwashing. 

REDD+ projects, or initiatives to reduce emissions from deforestation, are particularly vulnerable to fraud. In 2022, an investigation found that more than 90% of rainforest offset credits sold by Verra, the world’s leading carbon offset certifier, did not represent actual emissions reductions and had no real climate benefit. In addition, it was found that in many cases Verra had been significantly overstating the threat of deforestation in areas covered by Verra projects. 

More recently, in 2024 the Commodities Future Trading Commission (CFTC) issued two consent orders and filed a complaint against C-Quest Capital Impact Investors LLC (CQC), a Washington D.C.-based developer of voluntary carbon credit projects, alleging that CQC had engaged in fraudulent activity, specifically regarding their clean cookstove projects in Africa and Asia.

An investigation by the CFTC found that CQC had repeatedly reported inaccurate or misleading emissions reduction statistics, leading to the issuance of millions of carbon credits which were then sold by CQC to voluntary carbon market buyers. Kenneth Newcombe, the former CEO of C-Quest Capital, was eventually indicted on charges of wire fraud and commodities fraud, and faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. 

Another related concern of carbon offsetting is the negative impact on developing countries. Some experts have warned that carbon offsetting could easily become a new form of “neocolonialism,” in which developed countries are telling developing countries how to take care of their land. This is particularly a concern with reforestation projects, through which developed countries or corporations replant trees on land belonging to Indigenous groups or other communities in order to reap the benefits — i.e permission to continue polluting. 

Also known as “green grabbing,” this practice of appropriating land or other resources in the name of environmental action is not only unfair to the communities to which they rightfully belong, but is ultimately disingenuous with regard to how these countries and companies are procuring their emission rights. 

Carbon Markets of Today

At the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference, 195 nations negotiated the Paris Agreement, a climate treaty aimed at limiting global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius. Article 6 of the historic treaty established a new framework enabling voluntary, international cooperation in order to achieve climate targets. 

Despite the concerns regarding carbon trading, Article 6.4 outlines the Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism, in which countries can buy and sell greenhouse gas credits. This new system was ultimately meant to be more transparent and effective than the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism. While still skeptical of international carbon credits, the EU was heavily involved in the development of Article 6 regulations. 

In recent weeks, the EU has been considering allowing international carbon credits once again. This would permit EU countries to buy credits from organizations that are facilitating projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions overseas and apply those reductions to the EU’s goal of reducing emissions by 90% (compared to 1990 levels) by 2040. The publication of this target, however, has been delayed until the summer of 2025 due to criticism as overly ambitious, despite the fact that it is still below what it needs to be if the EU is to meet its emission reduction goals outlined in the Paris Agreement.

The EU is also in the process of developing a Carbon Removal and Carbon Farming (CRCF) Framework, in which emitters will be able to purchase offset credits by investing in carbon sequestration and permanent removal technologies. The European Commision plans to recognize certification schemes and begin issuing credits by 2026. 

While international credits may seem like a promising way for countries to more easily reach emissions targets, concerns remain regarding whether these credits will result in true climate progress. 

Last month, Carbon Market Watch — a non-profit carbon “watchdog and research” organization — conducted an assessment of the first batch of credits planned to be released under Article 6.4 of the Paris Agreement: they found that less than 1 of 27 credits (about 3.7 percent) is likely to represent true emission reductions. 

None of this should be surprising. As is the case with so many fairy tales, something cannot come from nothing, and everything has a price. If we want to live “happily ever after,” we must stop relying on magic wishes and take our climate future into our own hands. 

EARTHDAY.ORG empowers individuals and communities around the world to do just that — become activists. Making the switch to renewable energy is critical to securing a healthier and more sustainable future for all, but we need YOU to make your voice heard! Get involved in EARTHDAY.ORG’s many climate campaigns, sign the Renewable Energy Petition, and contact your local and federal lawmakers to make clear that the time for change is right now. 

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This week, Washington D.C. hosted its first-ever Climate Week. The five-day event brought together community members of all backgrounds, including scientists, policymakers, and nonprofit organizations, to engage in reflection and conversation on a wide variety of climate-related topics. The week’s events revolved around five main themes and took place at six central hub locations. 

April 28 — Climate Innovation and Technology, ROSEI

Day 1 focused on emerging climate technology and innovations, and was hosted by Johns Hopkins Ralph O’Conner Sustainable Energy Institute (ROSEI), and the National Public Utility Council — DC Climate Week’s theme partner. 

Following opening remarks, Sir Andrew Steer, the former President and CEO of the Bezos Earth Fund, gave a welcome keynote speech. The day’s subsequent events, including panel discussions and 30-minute “lighting rounds,” explored emerging climate technologies, from innovations in renewable energy and grid integration to decarbonization of supply chains. 

April 29 — Policy and Advocacy, MLK Jr. Memorial Library

Day 2 featured a series of events on renewable energy policies, green infrastructure, the intersection of climate and national security, and environmental justice. The day’s events were hosted at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library at Metro Center and presented by Tech For Climate Action, an events services brand known for their organization of large-scale climate event series around the world. 

With over 300 attendees throughout the day, the Policy & Advocacy Day served as the flagship policy convening of DC Climate Week 2025. 

Speaker events included a keynote fireside chat with U.S. Representative Kathy Castor and Clarence E. Anthony, CEO and Executive Director of the National League of Cities, a conversation on national security and disaster planning with Erin Sikorsky, Director of the Center for Climate & Security, and U.S. Senator Brian Schatz, and a panel on AI and climate innovation moderated by Christabel Randolph, Associate Director of the Center for AI & Digital Policy. 

The day concluded with a ten-minute “lightning talk” by EARTHDAY.ORG’s own president Kathleen Rogers. She delivered closing reflections reminding us that this movement is about people — not just policies. She encouraged everyone in the room to keep organizing, educating, and mobilizing.

April 30 — Finance and Economy, The Square

Day 3, hosted at the Square in Farragut North, included more than half a dozen speaker discussions and panels on various topics relating to the economic aspects of the climate crisis, including “Tapping the Urban Mine: Incentivizing & Scaling Critical Mineral Supply Chains,” and “The Intersection of Climate Finance and Hunger.” The day also included an interactive speaker session in which participants were able to simulate decision-making processes for seed funding allocations. 

Additionally, Day 3 of D.C. Climate Week featured the National Job Fair, hosted by Clean Energy for America. The fair connected more than 30,000 climate professionals, business leaders, and advocates with participants seeking diverse opportunities, including internships and volunteer work, graduate studies programs, and full-time positions of all levels. 

May 1 — Nature, USC Capital Campus

Day 4 explored how protecting biodiversity and prioritizing nature-based solutions are one of our most effective tools to combat climate change. Panel discussions addressed topics ranging from wildfire resilience in Los Angeles and maintaining healthy freshwater and ocean ecosystems, to harnessing art and storytelling for more impactful climate communication.

Speakers represented a wide array of international organizations, nonprofits and universities, including the United Nations, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the Jane Goodall Institute, the American Bird Conservancy, and the University of Maryland. 

As the events were hosted on the University of Southern California Capital Campus in Dupont Circle, there were also several featured speakers and panelists from USC, including Allison Agsten, the director for the USC Center for Climate Journalism & Communications, Dr. Christopher Boone, the Dean of the USC Price School of Public Policy, and Lucy Westlake, a current USC Student and the youngest American woman to summit Everest. 

May 2 — Urban Development and Mobility, Congress Heights & Navy Yard

The fifth and final day of D.C. Climate Week was split into two main sections. The first, Urban Development, was hosted at Sycamore & Oak at Congress Heights, and focused on sustainable construction, urban design and climate resilience in cities and other urban areas. 

Panel topics included mass timber as an alternative building material, how we can decarbonize construction materials and advance circular economies, how to better plan cities that are sustainable, resilient and healthy, and a spotlight of three local DMV startup companies – Haddy, Bicycle Transit Systems, and Stepwise Electric. 

The second part, Mobility and Water, took place at HQO Events in Navy Yard and featured panel discussions on water reuse and circularity, advancements in electric and autonomous vehicles, and ensuring inclusivity and public support for sustainable solutions. 

D.C. Climate Week 2025 came to a close with the Regenerative Roadshow. Described as a “living keynote,” this interactive, multi-sensory experience travels across the country, sharing diverse perspectives on environmental activism and systems change through spoken word, music, and Indigenous wisdom. The performance invited participants to reflect on what a more sustainable and just future could look like.

Also as part of Climate Week, there were dozens of independent climate events hosted throughout the city each day, in addition to those listed on the official Climate Week agendas. These included symposiums, climate mapping hackathons, extreme heat simulations, start-up bazaars, and happy hour networking events. 

Beyond Climate Week

The week’s many roundtable discussions, workshops, panels, and networking opportunities provided unique spaces for participants to learn about cutting-edge technology, emerging climate policies, and strategies for making Washington D.C. a more sustainable city. Hopefully, attendees left feeling inspired and motivated to share what they learned with friends and family, and get involved themselves in the global climate movement. 

And, great news: D.C. Climate Week will be returning in 2026! But, if you’re riding a wave of climate inspiration and are seeking a way to make a difference right now, you can visit EARTHDAY.ORG and explore the many ways in which you can contribute your time, skills and passion to help secure a cleaner and safer future for all. 

Additionally, consider donating to EARTHDAY.ORG’s current fundraising campaign, The Canopy Project, to help restore ecosystems and protect communities worldwide. 

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.

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Earth Day 2025 is one week away and individuals and communities all around the world are gearing up to host some of the year’s biggest and smallest events in order to raise awareness about diverse environmental topics. 

EARTHDAY.ORG continuously inspires and strives to inform the public on our most pressing issues. As such, EARTHDAY.ORG has created an interactive world map to highlight all of the diverse Earth Month events happening globally. There are over 6,000 individual events in over 100 countries – from community roundtable discussions, to trash cleanups and climate teach-ins, to citizen science activities, faith, arts and culture events.

Here’s a snap-shot of some of the biggest and best events.

Flagship Earth Day Events

To mark the 55th anniversary of Earth Day, EARTHDAY.ORG is partnering with OMMM and the Good News Corporation to present a free, public Earth Day concert in New York City’s Times Square on April 22. Proceedings kick off at 1130 AM ET under the banner title ‘Love Your Mother’ – which also happens to be a slogan on one of our official Earth Day ‘T’shirts. 

The concert is hosted by British artist, publisher and all round sustainability powerhouse, Jarvis Smith, who is bringing together speakers, musicians and singers of all backgrounds to celebrate Mother Earth and inspire hope for a better future. One special featured artist is Antonique Smith, a Grammy-nominated singer, actress and EARTHDAY.ORG’s very first official Earth Action Day 2025 Ambassador. It promises to be a memorable event so if you are in New York City on Earth Day, come and see us!

While EARTHDAY.ORG is partnering with major celebrities in NYC, in the city of Rome we are hosting an afternoon of important discussions on renewable energy. The event will be held at the beautiful Ara Pacis, the Altar of Peace, in Rome on April 22 at 3PM local time, hosted by our very own Kathleen Rogers, President of EARTHDAY.ORG. 

She will be joined by, amongst others, an esteemed guest list, including Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, the Minister of Environment and Energy Security, for the Italian government, Roberto Gualtieri, the Mayor of Rome and Francesco La Camera is the Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Together they will take part in panel discussions under the title, “Strategies and Policies for a Sustainable Future”.

Earth Action Day Roundtables

Earth Action Day Roundtables are a major new EARTHDAY.ORG initiative central to the Earth Day 2025 theme, Our Power, Our Planet – which is calling for a tripling of electricity generated by renewable energy by 2030. These roundtable discussions, hosted on or around April 22, by city governments, faith institutions, universities, grassroots environmental groups and other citizen organizers, aim to foster community discussions on climate action, with a focus on renewable energy adoption. 

One such event is the Atlanta Youth Climate Action Summit, which will be hosted by the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability & Resilience, which will take place on April 22. $85,000 in grants will be distributed to youth leaders at the event to help back their ideas in developing climate solutions.  Similarly, the City of San Francisco is hosting a Climate Action Plan kickoff event on April 16 and a Climate Action Youth Summit on April 18, providing spaces for community members of all ages to engage in collaboration and discussion of important climate issues.  

Additionally, several universities — including the University of Vermont, University of Washington, and Gonzaga University — are all hosting forums involving public officials, such as city council members, state representatives and senators, and tribal leaders to discuss renewable energy.

If you or someone you know is interested in helping to organize a roundtable event, EARTHDAY.ORG has roundtable toolkits for both city governments & citizen organizers which provide lots of information on the 2025 Earth Day theme, renewable energy resources, checklists of necessary steps toward hosting a roundtable, and even sample agendas. 

Tackle Trash – Join A Cleanup

Waste and plastic pollution cleanups are another major EARTHDAY.ORG campaign area. The Great Global Cleanup Movement aims to connect environmental leaders around the world and provide them with the necessary resources to organize and host community cleanup events. 

As cleanups are a key volunteer opportunity, EARTHDAY.ORG is already highlighting over 1,500 global cleanup events on its Earth Day Activities map. Many of these events, scheduled during the weeks leading up to and following Earth Day, are free and open to the public. Registration links for each event can be found on the activities map. 

For those in the Washington D.C. area, there are several events happening in the next few weeks, including the Anacostia Watershed Society’s Earth Day Cleanup on April 26 and the Earth Day—Youth in Action: Indigenous Ecosystems cleanup on April 20, hosted by the National Museum of the American Indian.

There are hundreds more events occurring across the country, from Massachusetts and New Jersey to Florida, Texas, Arizona, and California. On April 22, the Ecological Servants Project is hosting the Annual Earth Day Clean-Up in Venice Beach, Los Angeles; Keep Nature Wild will host a cleanup at San Francisco’s Candlestick Point State Recreation Area on April 19; Friends of Woodland Park in Houston, Texas are holding a Bayou cleanup at Woodland Park on 22; the University of Arizona will be organizing a “Team up to Clean up” event on April 24. 

EARTHDAY.ORG is also partnering with marginalized communities in many U.S. cities in order to address various local environmental issues. Little Havana, Miami is tackling an illegal trash dumping problem, while San Antonio where they are cleaning up urban green spaces in targeted cleanup events. In Raleigh, North Carolina, we will support a workforce cleanup program on Earth Day in which people experiencing homelessness can participate and get paid an hourly wage for their work, in addition to receiving a meal after the event. On Arbor Day, April 25, EARTHDAY.ORG is partnering with Detroit Hives to organize the cleanup of a vacant lot in Detroit, Michigan in order to turn it into a thriving community greenspace and create homes for bees! 

Earth Day cleanups are happening across the United States and in many other countries around the world, including Canada, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Spain, Germany, Australia, Vietnam, Kenya, Brazil, Malaysia, Brazil, Chile, China, Poland and Nicaragua. 

Education Is Very ‘Earth Day’

There are over 500 registered educational events worldwide, including teach-ins, classroom activities, workshops, and symposiums. In addition, 530 schools have signed up as educational ambassadors. 

Teach-in events in particular have a long history with Earth Day. The first started in 1969 and 1970, many of them took place on college campuses, and they were inspired by the anti-Vietnam war protests. They aimed to educate communities on a variety of environmental topics and encourage people to take action. Activism should be peaceful but it can never be silent! The teach-in events hosted today are a part of Earth Day’s legacy, enabling a new generation to simultaneously celebrate the history of the environmental movement and forge their own path forward. 

This wave of engaged activism continues to maintain its momentum; across the globe, there are already 917 marches, rallies, protests, and other advocacy events scheduled for Earth Month. 

Digital Earth Day 

In addition to the thousands of in-person Earth Month events highlighted on EARTHDAY.ORG’s map, there are also several digital and online events you can participate in. 

Earth Action Day is all about inviting everyone to take part! Our Earth Action Day website is packed with ideas, be it signing petitions, writing to lawmakers about backing renewable energy or demanding action on plastic production or supporting climate education in every school. There’s a ton you can do online! 

Plus, both of EARTHDAY.ORG’s flagship events in Rome and NYC on April 22 will also be live streamed to audiences around the world on EARTHDAY.ORG’s various social media platforms. So follow us on social media to stay plugged in.

On April 22, EARTHDAY.ORG will be broadcasting four new video installments of the “22 Minutes With…” speaker series. Each video will feature a different guest speaker from diverse environmental fields. The four videos will explore the topics of renewable energy transitions, waste pollution in the global south, building a sustainable fashion business, and faith communities at the forefront of climate justice. 

This Earth Month, it is clear that people around the world are ready and willing to pursue a safer and healthier environmental future. Join the Earth Day movement and make your opinions, your voice and your concerns HEARD! Wherever you live, there are countless opportunities to get involved and make a difference. Join us.

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Of the more than 4,000 religions worldwide, several hundred are considered Indigenous religions, associated with distinct cultural beliefs and traditions. Many of these beliefs relate to the importance of nature and our responsibility as humans to be environmental stewards. 

It is widely acknowledged that Indigenous people, despite making up just 5% of the global population, protect a significant amount of the planet’s remaining biodiversity. Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) is a term for the collective Indigenous knowledge and beliefs about nature and man’s place in it, and serves as an alternative to the more objective and resource-oriented Western worldview of the environment as something to be exploited. 

Though it is impossible to describe the environmental worldviews of every Indigenous culture in this brief article, we have highlighted just a few of the numerous environmental themes and practices central to various Indigenous belief systems around the world. 

Animism

Many traditional Indigenous values are rooted in a respect for the natural world and the belief that humans, rather than sitting atop a hierarchy of living things, are simply part of a circle in which all life has equal value. Animism is a worldview in which every living being, and even natural features such as rivers and mountains, has a spirit, and therefore is deserving of our respect and gratitude. 

The Maōri people in New Zealand, for example, see humans and nature as kin, a belief which guides their common values of conserving natural resources for the benefit of all. The Maōri word kaitiakitanga encompasses the idea of guardianship and protecting the environment in order to respect the ancestors and ensure a healthy planet for future generations. 

In 2017, the New Zealand government made history by granting the Te Awa Tupua River personhood, recognizing it as an ancestor to the Maōri people, and thus allowing the river to have the same legal status as any New Zealand citizen. 

Animals in particular hold special value in many Indigenous religions and cultures. Some Native American and First Nations tribes, such as the Lakota tribe of Sioux Nation and the Tlingit peoples of the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia, use ‘spirit animals’ to convey personal, family and community stories and values. 

Spirit animals are also a part of the Native American zodiac, in which the astronomical conditions at the time of one’s birth are believed to inform one’s personality and relationship with nature. For example, the spirit animal of someone born between April 20-May 20 is the beaver, symbolizing determination, resourcefulness and productivity. People born under the sign of the beaver are considered to be ‘homemakers,’ building a strong home and community for themselves and their loved ones. 

Similarly, in Hawaiian culture sharks are sacred animals and believed to be a type of ‘aumakua — spiritual beings which can be family guardians, messengers between humans and gods, and manifestations of ancestors. These beliefs have fundamentally shaped local resource management and conservation strategies, with communities protecting the wildlife and ecosystems which carry such deeply personal and cultural importance. 

In 1995, a group of families in Kaupulehu, Hawaii founded the Kaupulehu Marine Life Advisory Committee to protect local marine resources. In 2016, they successfully created a 10-year “no take” zone across 3 miles of coastal waters, and continue to work toward new legislation with  particular emphasis on shark conservation. 

Animism is also intrinsically connected to the worship of nature and the recognition of divine presence in natural spaces. 

Divinity in Nature 

Shintoism, often considered the Indigenous religion of Japan, originated around the 6th century BC. Shintoists worship kami — the spirits or deities present in the world around us, including those which created the universe and those which exist within natural phenomena, such as storms and earthquakes, and physical objects like rocks, streams, trees, animals and even humans. 

Shinto rituals, which often include purification ceremonies, the presentation of offerings, dance and prayers, aim to celebrate and strengthen the bond between people, nature and the spiritual realm. 

The Yoruba people, an ethnic group living primarily in Nigeria, Benin and Togo, worship dozens of gods and goddesses, known as Orishas, who embody different spiritual concepts and natural phenomena. These include Okό, the god of agriculture and farming, Xango, who is associated with masculinity, justice, lighting and thunder, and Yemoja, the goddess of the ocean and mother of all living things. 

The belief that God created the Earth, as well as the idea that man has the responsibility to oversee and protect the planet, both contribute to the Yoruba peoples’ conservation values and devotion to environmental stewardship. 

Sacred groves, for example, are forests believed to be inhabited by deities and which have thus been managed by the Yoruba people and protected from extractive activities, such as logging, for thousands of years. These sacred groves, of which few remain today, are known to have higher tree species diversity than formal ecological reserves, in addition to more diverse medicinal plant species. 

Seasonal Calendar Cycles 

Many Indigenous cultures around the world observe calendar cycles that are different to the 12-month calendar most of us use. Instead, these calendars often reflect the values central to their communities.

The nomadic Sámi people of Norway, Sweden, Finland and parts of Russia are known for herding reindeer as their primary livelihood. Because their lives revolve so tightly around reindeer, they have adopted an 8-season calendar which reflects the life cycle and migration patterns of reindeer. 

As a Shamanic and animistic culture, the Sámi also hold deeply spiritual beliefs about nature and man’s place in it. They worship many natural forces as gods, goddesses and ancestral spirits, including the sun, the moon, thunder, wind and the Northern Lights. Every year, they celebrate the Sun Festival, at Midsummer, during which they give thanks for the sun’s warmth and light, and pray for a successful year of reindeer husbandry. 

Similarly, the Haudenosaunee Nations of Northeast North America observe a 13-month calendar based on the lunar cycle, and celebrate many annual festivals, including the Mid-Winter Festival, the Maple Festival, the Strawberry Festival, and the Green Corn Festival. Each one honors a different “gift” from nature and provides an opportunity for communities to come together to give thanks for the season’s bounty. 

March 20 marks this year’s Spring Equinox — the time at which the Sun crosses the celestial equator, bathing Earth’s northern hemisphere in light and warmth. It is the astronomical beginning of Spring, and often viewed as a time of reflection and renewal. 

Place-based Agriculture & Conservation 

As the original stewards of their ancestral lands, Indigenous peoples around the world possess unique and intimate knowledge of their natural surroundings, and of how best to care for them. 

Aboriginal communities in Australia believe that humans and nature were created as one. The agricultural and land management practices of these communities, such as the raising of livestock, harvesting of crops, and controlled burning of forests to mitigate large-scale wildfires, reflect this belief and place value on a balanced existence between people and land. 

In Mexico, Indigenous people — who total more than 16 million people yet make up just over 15% of the country’s population — play an important role in managing and protecting Mexico’s diverse natural resources, from sustainable agriculture and traditional fire management to forest restoration, often at great risk to their safety. 

Indigenous communities throughout Southeast Asia have learned how to predict climate events and other phenomena by observing natural occurrences. 

For thousands of years, Indigenous communities in An Hai, Vietnam have been able to forecast periods of drought and rain based on the appearance of the moon and the flight patterns of dragonflies, allowing them to make informed decisions about the types of crops to plant and the best planting times. 

For a region which is challenged by a lack of fresh water for agricultural use and which has limited access to meteorological forecasting methods, this traditional knowledge is invaluable to the local residents’ way of life.  

Indigenous Peoples as Ecological Guardians

Like the Maōri, many Indigenous communities consider themselves ‘guardians’ of their local environmental resources. 

Within the 2.7 million square miles of the Amazon Rainforest, there are approximately 400 distinct tribes which call the rainforest home. The Guajajara tribe, in the Brazilian state of Maranhão, are particularly known for their fierce protection of their local forests from illegal loggers, and continue to risk their lives daily for their home. 

In East Africa, the semi-nomadic Maasai people consider themselves the protectors of wildlife. While in the past young Maasai men would be asked to kill a lion as a sign of strength and bravery, this practice is now discouraged by elders due to a decline in lion populations. Instead, they raise livestock for food, milk, and leather. 

Like many Indigenous Peoples who practice a “take only what you need” lifestyle, the Maasai believe in respecting animals in both life and death, giving thanks to the animal for its life and using the entire animal so nothing goes to waste. 

A Lesson For All

Despite differences in culture, religion, governing practices and geographic region, a common belief across Indigenous communities is that of a shared responsibility to care for the natural world and protect it for future generations — a noble idea which can inspire all of us to take action!

EARTHDAY.ORG continues to work closely with the faith community — highlighting the ways different religious groups engage with environmental activism, and providing resources for congregations to share with their members.

If your interest in environmental beliefs around the world has been piqued, take a moment to explore our EARTHDAY.ORG article on nature-based values of five major world religions, as well as an op-ed by an EARTHDAY.ORG staff member about what Genesis teaches Chrisians about the virtue in being environmental stewards. 

Whatever your religious, faith or spiritual beliefs it is never too late to support Earth Day  – support  Earth Action Day and educate yourself & others – on all the things you CAN do to be part of the solution to protecting our planet! Earth Action Day provides an opportunity to learn about climate science, renewable energy and the impact of microplastics on human health. Use these materials to get educated. Are you ready to make a difference? Great – join us.

Whatever you do for EARTH ACTION DAY use our free Social Media Kit to amplify, share and repost about your actions.

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.

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Caring for the environment is not a new idea. People around the world have been practicing environmental stewardship for centuries, placing value on a harmonious existence with nature. 

While the environmental movement today has become generally associated with liberal, secular ideologies, the values of respecting nature and taking care of it for future generations, are firmly rooted in the belief systems of almost every one of the world’s major religions. 

Buddhism

“Let him not destroy, or cause to be destroyed, any life at all, nor sanction the acts of those who do so. Let him refrain from even hurting any creature, both those that are strong and those that tremble in the world.” – Sutta-Nipata, Buddhist scripture

It is not surprising that a religion which teaches that every living thing has a spirit and is intrinsically linked to every other organism, would encourage its followers to care for nature. Conserving natural resources, respecting animals, and living a balanced, compassionate life are all important Buddhist teachings, and have been passed down through generations in moral stories, or Jatakas. 

Buddhism, one of the five major world religions, originated in India about 2,500 years ago when

a young Indian prince named Siddhartha Gautama became the first person to reach nirvana — a state of complete spiritual enlightenment — by renouncing all material possessions and meditating quietly beneath a tree. Blessed with his newfound enlightenment, the Buddha, as he came to be called, began to teach others what he had learned. 

The Buddha taught his followers that life is a never-ending cycle of pain, suffering and reincarnation, and that only by reaching nirvana can one ultimately escape this cycle. These basic beliefs form the Buddha’s Four Noble Truths, which explain that suffering exists, why suffering exists, that one can escape suffering, and how one can do that. 

Another belief central to Buddhism is that of karma, the idea that your actions in this lifetime directly influence whether you will be happy or unhappy in your next. Therefore, Buddhist teachings encourage practicing respect, abstaining from violence, and living in harmony with all life. 

Hinduism

“The gods will give you the food of your desire. Whoever enjoys their gift, yet gives nothing, is a thief, no more, no less.” (Bhagavad Gita 3.12)

Hinduism, considered the oldest existing religion, dates back several thousand years earlier than Buddhism, and many of the beliefs central to Buddhism are also found in the Veda, a collection of sacred Hindu scriptures. These include the concepts of reincarnation, karma, and ‘dharma’ — the idea of an established social order and a righteous path of living that involves making moral and ethical choices. 

One uniquely Hindu belief is that of ‘brahman’, or the ultimate source of all life and reality, and a kind of abstract supreme God. Not only do Hindus believe that humans are an intrinsic part of the natural world, they believe that the natural world is a physical manifestation of divinity, and therefore that it is imperative to respect nature as one would a god or goddess. 

The earth itself is venerated as a mother figure in Hinduism, and many Hindu rituals revolve around honoring the earth, requesting protection and sustenance, and asking for forgiveness for trespassing. Similarly, Hindus believe that environmental stewardship and ecological conservation are crucial aspects of dharma, and that it is the duty of mankind to care for the natural world.

As Buddhists strive for nirvana, Hindus aim to reach ‘moksha’ — the end to the cycle of pain and suffering. According to Hindu ideology, living a righteous life and abstaining from violence against any living thing is the key to attaining moksha and bringing about positive karma. 

Islam

“The world is beautiful and verdant, and verily God, be He exalted, has made you His stewards in it, and He sees how you acquit yourselves.” – Prophet Muhammad

Islam — the second-largest religion in the world and the fastest growing religion — is a monotheistic religion, meaning that Muslims believe in one god, Allah. Muslims follow the teachings of Muhammad, believed to have been the final prophet sent by Allah to spread his word. 

These teachings, which are outlined in the Quran, the holy book of Islam, include the Five Pillars of Islam: profession of faith, daily prayer, giving alms, fasting at Ramadan, and making a pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca. 

Like Buddhism and Hinduism, Islam teaches its followers to respect and protect nature as God’s creation, not only for our own benefit but for that of the whole planet. In fact, Muslims believe that every living thing has the right to basic elements such as water, fire, and light. 

The Islamic idea of ‘amanah’, which overlaps in some ways with the concept of dharma in Hinduism and Buddhism, pertains to the responsibility that each person has to live and act in a way which is moral, righteous and respectful of Allah, as well as the duty of every man and woman to protect and care for the natural world. 

Judaism

“But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth and it will teach you; the fish of the sea, they will inform you …” (Job 12:7-9)

Like Islam and Christianity, Judaism originated in the Middle East around 2000 BCE with Abraham — spiritual founder of all three religions. Beliefs central to Judaism include God creating the world and everything in it, God desiring people to be kind and just, and God rewarding goodness while punishing evil. 

In Judaism, while humans are considered to have pride of place in the hierarchy of life, humans also carry the responsibility of caring for the earth and all its inhabitants for everyone’s benefit.   

There are many Jewish laws regarding proper environmental conduct, including halakhah, which prohibits the wasteful use of any resource, and laws against causing the extinction of species or undue pain to animals. The Torah also outlines several laws regarding duties to address environmental injustice. 

The Jewish tradition of shmita, or the sabbatical year, is the agricultural practice of harvesting for six years and letting the land rest for one year, so that every seventh year provides the earth with a sort of renewal. This tradition exemplifies modern practices of regenerative agriculture which have come to be widely accepted by the ecological community, and shows us that many of today’s common environmental practices are much older than we might think. 

Wicca

“When we lose touch with our blessed planet, we lose touch with deity.” – Scott Cunningham, Wicca: A Guide for The Solitary Practitioner

Wicca is a spiritual religion whose followers refer to themselves as “Wiccans” and “witches” (regardless of gender identity) and worship nature. Often considered a modern interpretation of pagan or pre-Christian values, Wicca began in the UK in the 1940s and arrived in the United States in the 1960s. 

Wiccans worship both a male God and a female Goddess, distinguishing themselves from followers of other mainstream monotheistic religions, such as Christianity. In addition, Wicca generally does not teach a strict belief system, and instead encourages direct spiritual experience. The one rule of Wicca is “to harm none and do as you will.” 

Wiccans believe that divine energy is found all around us, and therefore view nature as sacred and worthy of respect and protection. Like Hindus and Buddhists, many Wiccans also believe in karma and reincarnation, while the quest for enlightenment is considered to be the search for one’s true place in the universe. 

Like many other pagan religions, Wiccan celebrations revolve around the seasons. Wiccans observe the Sacred Wheel of the Year, which includes the solstices and equinoxes, and agricultural and pastoral festivals. Wiccans also celebrate solar festivals (“Sabbats”) and lunar observances (“Esbats.”) 

Wiccan ritual gatherings generally include meditation, music, and prayer. Followers may give offerings to various spiritual entities, or the God and Goddess themselves, while prayers often consist of giving thanks to Mother Earth for her bounty, and asking for divine protection and spiritual healing. Many Wiccans also practice “herbal magic,” and possess extensive knowledge of nature-based medicines, spells and other healing rituals. 

Feeling Inspired? 

If learning about all the ways that cultures around the world value environmental protection has left you feeling inspired to become more active in the environmental community, AND in recognition of the Spring Equinox on March 20 — a day of renewal and rebirth celebrated in many world religions and cultures — visit EARTHDAY.ORG to explore resources on how to get involved in a broad range of environmental initiatives. 

Plus, learn more about how Indigenous Peoples are some of our planet’s fiercest environmental protectors. 

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.

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This Valentine’s Day, show some love for Mother Earth because February 14 is also National Regenerative Agriculture Day! So while you celebrate with that special someone (or re-watch Bridget Jones with a carton of chocolate ice cream — no judgement here), take some time to reflect on how we can all play a part in cultivating resilient soil, growing healthy food, restoring biodiversity, and cleaning our air. 

Regenerative agriculture, the practice of farming in a way which revives and maintains soil health by restoring organic carbon levels and nurturing soil biodiversity, is an important initiative for EARTHDAY.ORG.

The farming industry contributes to billions of metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions every year, degrades farmland with harmful tilling and over grazing methods, and wastes huge amounts of water, energy and other vital resources. As the planet continues to deal with the devastating effects of climate change, it is becoming increasingly important to find ways of producing food for our growing population in a safe and sustainable manner. Regenerative agriculture is the solution. 

Regenerative Agriculture Does NOT Use Harmful Pesticides, Fertilizers and other chemicals

Every year, about 3.5 million metric tons of pesticides are used around the world, with herbicides accounting for over half. Pesticide use has dramatically increased in the last few decades, doubling from 1990.

Since the Green Revolution in the 1960s — a period of intense agricultural innovation and progress — pesticides and fertilizers have been widely used to reduce disease, control pests, and increase yields. However, despite the benefits of using these chemicals in agriculture, there are many serious environmental and human health implications. 

Crops produced with chemicals are potentially hazardous to humans, as the chemicals used in the growing process can be retained in the final products we eat (not to mention released into the air and water.) They can then enter into our bodies, leading to various health problems including sterility, birth defects and some cancers. Farm workers who are directly exposed to pesticides are even more vulnerable. 

Regenerative farming practices, however, do not use any chemicals, and instead focus on restoring soil ecosystem health and sustaining biological processes. 

Regenerative Agriculture Supports Soil Biodiversity 

A handful of healthy soil is teeming with life — from insects, spiders, and worms, to millions of bacteria and other microorganisms. Scientists estimate that more than half (!) of all known species on Earth reside in soil, including 90% of fungi and 86% of plants. 

Without its inhabitants, soil is just dirt — unable to provide any of the environmental services that all life relies on. It is estimated that less than 0.1% of pesticides actually affect their intended target weed or pest, meaning that 99.9% of applied pesticides unintentionally kill other organisms that call soil their home. 

These tiny creatures play a crucial role in carbon cycling and retention. Invertebrates, such as worms, break down decaying organic matter and convert the carbon into more stable and useful forms for microorganisms, store it in their own bodies, and release the rest into the soil for retention or uptake by plants. 

Many soil invertebrates are also “ecosystem engineers,” building and maintaining the physical structure of their homes. The burrows and tunnels they make enable the flow of air, water, and nutrients, more effectively allowing the soil to retain water and resist erosion. 

Higher soil biodiversity also supports healthier plants  — reducing the incidence of diseases and pests, and increasing the nutritional value of our crops. 

So, by avoiding fertilizers and pesticides in our own gardens, and choosing organic and ethically grown produce, we can all be soil conservationists and climate heroes, and protect the insects, worms and bacteria we need for healthy soil! 

Healthy Soil Stores Carbon (and Combats Climate Change!)

When ecological balance is reached and biodiversity is high, our soil is much better equipped to perform the functions that are critical to combating climate change. 

The carbon storage capacity of soil is immense. Soil is the second largest carbon sink in the world, after the ocean, and it is estimated that soil is able to sequester more than a billion tons of carbon per year with the right management. However, intensive farming practices have long been degrading farmland around the world, releasing billions of metric tons of carbon from topsoil and making further planting more difficult. 

Many scientists consider soil restoration to be one of the most promising ways of reversing the damage caused by man-made carbon emissions over the past several decades, in addition to supporting efforts to scale up food production for the growing human population. 

Regenerative Agriculture is “No-Till Agriculture”

Industrial farming often uses tilling, the preparation of soil for seed planting by mechanically digging or turning over the soil. While there are some benefits to tilling soil, including removing weeds and drying out wet soil, there are also many drawbacks. Intensive tilling destroys organic matter, releases carbon, and destabilizes soil, resulting in less productive soil over time.  

Generally, regenerative farming follows a “conservation tilling” approach, which encompasses no-till and minimum-till practices. Minimum-till allows the turning over and refreshing of soil with minimal disruption to soil integrity. This approach also retains crop residue, leftover organic material from plantings, on the soil surface which mitigates erosion, water loss, and carbon release. Crop residue is also thought to prevent the formation of “soil crust” after heavy rain which can hinder air exchange and seed emergence. 

Another regenerative practice that helps to maintain soil health and productivity is crop rotation, the cycling of crops on a plot of land to increase diversity, reduce soil erosion, and disrupt pests. One popular form of crop rotation is cover cropping, the planting of crops during the off-season to protect soil for the next round of “cash crops” — crops being grown for profit. 

So, rotating what you plant season to season is not only helpful in improving yields, but also eliminates the need for harmful pesticides, allowing all kinds of other organisms to flourish!

Regenerative Agriculture Helps Pollinators

All of the benefits discussed in this article, including the reduced use of pesticides and increased soil and plant biodiversity, help pollinators. Pollinators, animals which help facilitate plant pollination by transferring pollen from one plant to another, are one of the most important groups of organisms, but are also threatened by a host of things, including habitat loss, disease, and pesticides. 

Butterflies, beetles, flies and bees play particularly significant ecological roles in global plant pollination and human food security. About 80% of the world’s flowering plants require a pollinator to reproduce. Since most of our food comes from flowering plants (fruits, vegetables, coffee — you name it,) we would be in serious trouble without our pollinator friends. 

And yet, because of human activity, many of these creatures are experiencing serious population declines and could disappear altogether if current trends continue. Regenerative practices of farming, however, aim to produce food in the least environmentally intensive way possible — prioritizing natural processes and protecting the other organisms which rely on the land we farm. 

Crop rotation and cover cropping ensure a diverse array of flowering plants for pollinators, minimum tillage protects nesting habitats and insect eggs, and pesticide-free pest management techniques reduces the number of pollinators that are unintentionally killed. 

Hungry For More? 

If these facts have sharpened your appetite for further information on the far-reaching benefits of regenerative agriculture, EARTHDAY.ORG has a wide selection of resources to choose from, including overviews of principal regenerative techniques, educational videos, and knowledge quizzes. 

Plus, look out for the new Amazon Prime film, Common Ground, coming out on Earth Day, April 22, 2025. The film is a followup to the award-winning 2020 documentary Kiss the Ground, and explores the ways in which regenerative agriculture is a hopeful and promising solution to our most pressing environmental problems. 

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.

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The safety and sustainability of our food is a hot button issue right now, with alarming new studies finding microplastics in all of our proteins, including meat and shellfish, and increasingly frequent warnings about harmful food dyes in processed foods. Many of us are discovering that the rules about what Americans can eat are far more lax than they are elsewhere in the world. In Europe for example, many food dyes are banned. 

But it’s not just microplastics and dyes in our food that are major issues — intensive farming has degraded soil health and poisoned the environment with pesticides and fertilizer run-off, while energy and water-intensive farming practices have severely impacted biodiversity and further stressed drought-stricken areas. 

There’s a lot of information out there about what we’re putting on our plate, but there’s also a lot of misinformation — often pushed by companies hoping to influence your consumption habits, for better or worse. To help you sort out fact from fiction, we’ve put together an overview of topics ranging from the health risks of microplastic ingestion to ways you can support ethical and low-intensity food production. 

The Simple Genius of Good Soil

One of EARTHDAY.ORG’s major campaign areas is regenerative agriculture, something that sounds high brow but is essentially just about caring for our soil and farming in ways which harness natural processes in order to grow high quality food. 

Regenerative agriculture, a growing (no pun intended!) is an increasing area of focus within environmental science. It promotes no-till farming and clever grazing strategies which are less environmentally intensive than traditional large-scale agricultural operations. 

One of the key principles of regenerative agriculture is maintaining soil health. Healthy soil is not only fantastic at carbon storage, reducing the amount of carbon in the atmosphere, healthier soil also allows more diverse and productive ecosystems to flourish, resulting in higher yields, better quality produce, and reduced spread of pests and diseases. 

One thing you can do to support regenerative agriculture is to buy certified organic food and ethically sourced products whenever possible. Some food labels actively promote regenerative practices too. A few reputable certification labels to look for in the grocery store include: Certified Naturally Grown, Fair-Trade Certified, and Non-GMO verified. For a complete list of food labels and what they mean, check out foodprint.org. 

If you want to learn more about regenerative agriculture, keep an eye out for Common Ground, a brand new documentary coming out on Earth Day, April 22, on Amazon Prime, that will fill you in on all of the ways that caring for our soil not only benefits us, but the entire planet.

Food to Dye For

Choosing organic and ethically-sourced items will also help you to avoid another hidden danger lurking in many processed foods: artificial colorants. Colorants are used in everything from candy and soda to lipstick and lotions, but while they give products an eye-catching color, these dyes often contain harmful chemicals. 

You may have heard about the most infamous of these, Red Dye No. 3, which was banned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1990 from being used in cosmetic products as it was found to cause cancer in rats. And yet, food continued to be fair game. 

On January 15, 2025, however, the FDA banned the use of Red Dye No. 3 in all food products, requiring companies to start removing the dye from all of their products, beginning in early 2027. While this is a major step in getting these colorants out of our food, there are still 8 other synthetic dyes being used in FDA-approved products. 

So, for the time being, if food is processed and an unnaturally bright color, it might be wise to avoid it!

Plastic Food (No, Not the Fun Kind that Barbie Eats)

While the human body is an amazing thing, our internal systems are simply not designed to ingest plastic. So, it’s not only surprising but pretty concerning that there is growing evidence that we all are consuming it.

For more than 20 years, scientists have known about the tiny pieces of plastic, known as “microplastics,” that are produced as plastics begin to break down. But only in 2022, when microplastics were found in the human body for the first time, did researchers really begin to understand the health risks they pose. 

Studies have shown that, based on the amount of microplastics discovered in the air and in various food sources like bottled water, beer, seafood and red meat, the average person ingests up to 120,000 plastic particles a year. 

Research suggests the health implications of ingesting microplastics and their additive chemicals are particularly relevant to babies, both before and after birth. As part of its End Plastics Campaign, EARTHDAY.ORG published the report, Babies Vs. Plastic, which outlines the sources and risks of plastic contamination to human health, with a focus on babies and young children. 

But people of all ages are susceptible to plastic-related health issues. Some studies report finding associations between microplastics and specific cancers, as well as other diseases such as Alzheimer’s. A new study of heart patients undergoing plaque removal surgery found polyethylene microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs) in nearly 60% of patients, and concluded that the buildup of MNPs in their arteries made them much more susceptible to heart attacks, strokes and death. 

Clearly, we need to get plastics off the menu! There are a few easy ways to help reduce your microplastic intake by making simple changes to your diet. 

One way is to avoid eating too much red meat and shellfish. Studies have found that they contain high levels of microplastics, tiny plastic particles, though new evidence shows that microplastic can be found across all proteins, even including plant-based products. Some studies have found that leafy vegetables contain less microplastics than root vegetables, so opt to include them in your recipes.

Avoid buying “TV dinners” and other ready-made meals served in plastic trays and meant to be heated in the microwave or oven. When heating and microwaving your food in plastic containers, the heat causes the release of plastic chemicals, like BPA, from the plastic trays and packaging directly into your food.

But the real culprit when it comes to microplastic ingestion is from drinking from single-use water bottles. There is new evidence that water in single use plastic bottles can contain up to 240,000 nano particles of plastic per bottle. So, for your own health and that of the planet, invest in a (non-plastic) reusable water bottle and say good riddance to single use water bottles!

Go Seasonal!

The United Nations estimates that it takes about 2,000-5,000 liters of water to produce a single person’s daily food. If that’s not disturbing enough, food demand is projected to increase by 50% in the next 25 years, likely requiring exponential increases in water. Considering the fact that more than a quarter of the world’s population does not have access to clean water, the statistics are that much more shocking. 

Common sense tells us that more resources are needed to grow and maintain food in intense conditions, such as droughts or freezes. Instead of searching for strawberries and blueberries in the middle of winter, when they will likely be very expensive and will have been very environmentally intensive to produce and transport, find some fun seasonal recipes online and use what you have readily available. If it’s October, try out some dishes with apples or squash. In the spring, experiment with artichokes and asparagus. 

No matter where in the world you live, Mother Nature provides yummy things 365 days of the year — we should be more appreciative and eat seasonally! 

Why Care? 

You might be thinking “Why should I care?”, or more importantly “Why should I do anything about it?” While these are perfectly valid questions to be asking, the answer is simple: making sustainable choices when it comes to what you eat benefits everyone. 

Shopping responsibly for grocery items ensures that we are not wasting resources, and instead supporting small businesses and farmers, and living in harmony with nature. Eating healthier not only makes you FEEL better and LIVE better, but reduces the harmful effects that packaged and processed foods have on the environment and human health at every step of their production. 

If you feel inspired to join the plastic-free movement and start making positive food changes right this minute, you can start by signing the Global Plastics Treaty and exploring EARTHDAY.ORG’s Foodprints for the Future Campaign. 

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.

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Believe it or not, it’s that time again — yep, the one where you slightly regret eating your parents’ endless home cooking over the holidays with such gusto and face up to the reality that the beginning of a new year is the right time to take control again and embrace endless positive possibilities. 

A new year is a fresh start, and for those devoting themselves to various “new year, new me” resolutions, losing weight may be a major goal over the next twelve months. 

While improving your health is a noble objective,nowhere does it say that you must limit yourself to one resolution. So, consider thinking on a bigger scale when deciding how you would like to change your habits in 2025. As you work on losing those few extra holiday pounds, you might want to also look into ways of lightening the weight of your impact on the planet! 

EARTHDAY.ORG can help you! 

Our key campaign areas — reducing plastic production, championing sustainable fashion, organizing and promoting trash cleanups, and backing the teaching of climate curricula in all schools and colleges — are all ready and waiting for your individual support! A common theme for all of them is, in one form or another, being mindful about not creating more waste or wasting resources.

Below are just a few ways to be more planet-conscious in your consumption habits in the new year that are achievable and will make you feel good about taking positive action!

Losing the Pounds… of Plastic Waste

After nearly a century of mass-producing plastic and a zillion plastic products, from food packaging to clothes, carpets, cosmetics and beyond, we are facing a plastic pollution crisis. Plastic has permeated almost every aspect of our lives, and it is found almost everywhere on Earth, including inside of our own bodies. Microplastics are associated with a whole range of human health issues from cancer and Alzheimer’s to infertility and more — and we are all consuming these tiny plastic particles in one way or another. 

So, take the anti-plastic plunge and opt for better choices for the planet and your own health!

On an individual level, every one of us can strive to reject the plastic options before us. When you see a plastic soda bottle, move on and choose the ones being sold in glass bottles. Instead of using single-use plastic food storage bags for your daily lunches, opt for brown paper bags or even consider investing in washable cotton or beeswax-coated cloth bags. Instead of buying fancy shower wash or hand soap encased in plastic bottles buy hand soap! And every time you’re craving an iced latte, bring your own reusable cup for the coffee shop to fill — many places even offer discounts or cash-back for this eco-friendly choice! 

By rejecting plastics we are letting manufacturers and producers know that we don’t want to support the plastic-producing regime anymore! You can find more information and facts here End Plastics.

Less is Indeed More

While we’re on the topic of waste (and waist!) reduction, let’s take a minute to talk about sustainability in the fashion industry. Clothing is a particularly significant source of waste, with discarded “fast fashion” trends contributing to huge amounts of both waste and carbon emissions every year. Fast fashion refers to the systematic production of cheap, low-quality clothes. Many of these items are made from plastic-based textiles such as polyester and nylon which, like all plastics, are primarily made from OIL!

From plastics-derived textile waste and toxic dye pollution in waterways to the creation of greenhouse gas emissions, the fashion industry is one of the most environmentally intensive industries in the world, accounting for up to 10% of global carbon emissions. 

EARTHDAY.ORG’s Fashion for the Earth campaign is devoted to providing consumers with all of the facts they need in order to make sustainable and ethical choices in their consumption and care of clothing items. A big takeaway from this campaign is to try, if you can, to buy clothes made from natural materials such as cotton, linen and wool. Non-plastic textiles don’t shed harmful microplastic fibres that you could breathe in or that would enter into waterways. 

Speaking of water pollution, don’t overwash your clothes. While we all tend to do this, not only does it use huge amounts of water and energy, it creates more microplastics that wash into the oceans. Our grandparents’ generation didn’t wash their clothes after every single wearing, and we don’t have to either! 

Countless companies are taking on the challenges that the fashion industry presents them with in innovative ways — such as textiles made using organic fibers and agricultural waste, biodegradable sequins (really!), wooden buttons and other nature-based embellishments, as well as technologies minimizing overproduction.  

On an individual level, you too can make better, more sustainable choices. If possible, shop sustainable brands and small businesses — no more Temu and Shein hauls! If you’re on a tight budget, consider going thrifting or participating in a community clothing swap. When you are shopping for a new gym outfit for your next workout, try to choose high-quality athletic wear that uses minimal plastic and plastic derivatives in their materials. Examples of low-intensity, plant-based textiles used by many sustainable athletic and leisure wear companies include lyocell, bamboo and hemp.

If you only take one thing away from this section, let it be simply to think before you buy. Instead of buying every niche trend that you know will only last about five minutes, invest in fewer and better made staple pieces. Classic clothes are always in fashion (and vintage is in!) Goodwill hunting and thrifting can also lead to finding one-of-a-kind pieces that will be the envy of all your friends and fellow fashionistas. 

A Clean Start

As part of its commitment to reducing plastic pollution and working toward a waste-free world, EARTHDAY.ORG is leading the Great Global Cleanup, a worldwide initiative to remove trash, most of it plastic,  from our neighborhoods and communities. 

If you’d like to get involved and participate in a community cleanup, visit EARTHDAY.ORG’s interactive Global Cleanup Map to view both past and future cleanup events in your area. If you are an organizer or a cleanup and would like to register it on the map, go here. 

Participating in cleanups is an excellent way to be an engaged member of your community, help make the world a better place, and get some fresh air and exercise. Who said community service couldn’t also be self-serving?

Don’t Give Up

The most important thing about making sustainable lifestyle changes is to not lose heart! The climate crisis is too large for any one person to be able to solve alone, but with everyone doing their share of reducing overall consumption and minimizing waste production, we have a much better chance of stopping, or at least slowing, the damage being done. 

Of course, the better we understand the issues at hand, the more attuned we will be to available solutions and the more equipped we will be to enact them. This is where climate education and environmental literacy becomes so important. EARTHDAY.ORG is dedicated to making climate education materials accessible to educators around the world to ensure that we are raising future generations of compassionate, climate-aware activists. If you are an educator interested in obtaining materials for your classroom or school, visit EARTHDAY.ORG for more information and to find free resources like example curricula, advocacy packets, teacher guides, toolkits and more. 

Just like that ambitious New Year’s resolution diet or workout schedule you may be pushing yourself to follow, it is easy to become discouraged about the climate crisis and to stop caring. But, by taking it a day at a time, being consistent and reminding yourself about why you are doing it, you can stick with it and will surely see some positive results this time next year.
But you have to start somewhere… Whether it is joining a clean up, signing our fashion petition or sharing our social media posts — take that first step and get involved!

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.

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When Bakelite, the first fully synthetic plastic, was invented in 1907 by Leo Baekeland, it was marketed as “the material of a thousand uses.” Indeed, if you were to pick up the item closest to you right now, the chances are it will contain some plastic. 

Knowing what we know today about the association between human health and plastics, this fact is clearly concerning, but not entirely surprising. When plastic burst onto the market, consumers were dazzled by all of its possibilities. From kitchenware to furniture, carpets, jewelry, to children’s toys, appliances and beyond. Plastic seemed like the key to the future growth of American and global manufacturing. 

By 1950, two million tons of plastic were being produced globally each year; today, 450 million tons are produced annually. A huge percentage of the products that we use on a daily basis contain plastic, ranging from the obvious — like plastic bottles and takeout containers — to the inconspicuous, such as tea bags, chewing gum and toiletry products. 

Plastic is so pervasive in modern society that it has been found in the planet’s most remote places; from the Mariana Trench, the deepest known part of the ocean some 36,000 feet down, to the top of Mt. Everest, at an elevation of over 29,000 feet. Even more alarming, tiny fragments of plastics known as microplastics, have been found in almost every part of the human body, including placentas, heart tissue, lung tissue, blood and even in breast milk.

To address this plastic crisis, scientists and manufacturing companies have been working to develop sustainable alternatives to plastic that are equal in strength and flexibility, but safer for the environment and human health.  Here are some of them:

Seaweed Solutions

One of the biggest producers of plastic waste is packaging, including food wrappers, bottles, and shipping materials. One particularly promising sustainable alternative to plastic packaging is  biodegradable algae-based packaging. 

B’zeos, a Norwegian startup, was the first company to use seaweed to develop sustainable packaging. Since introducing their first product in 2018, an edible drinking straw, the company has expanded to produce biodegradable condiment packets, cutlery, and plastic wrap, all of which are designed to biodegrade completely in less than 47 days. 

Another leader in seaweed-based products is 2022 Earthshot winner Notpla, whose current products include seaweed-based cutlery and compostable takeout containers with an anti-grease protective seaweed coating, as opposed to petroleum based coatings. They also have several products in development, including edible energy gel pods for athletes and biodegradable laundry detergent sachets. 

Plant-fueled Bioplastics 

Bioplastics — “plastics” made from natural sources — are another major area of sustainable materials research. They can be categorized as non-biodegradable, partially biodegradable, and biodegradable. For example, Bio-PET, the sustainable analog of PET (polyethylene terephthalate, the most common form of plastics, found in single-use bottles and many clothes) is made from renewable plant materials instead of fossil-fuels. However, despite being recyclable, Bio-PET is not biodegradable, so it doesn’t break down naturally in the environment like some other materials.

One type of bio-based and biodegradable plastic alternative is PHA, or polyhydroxyalkanoates. PHA is produced by microorganisms through bacterial fermentation fueled by a variety of plant sources. Genecis is a company which uses food waste and agricultural waste to feed their bacterial cultures, resulting in a truly circular manufacturing process. Refork, a Czech company specializing in eco-friendly cutlery, straws, and toothbrushes, uses wood fiber mixed with PHA polymer and minerals in their production. 

PHA also stands apart from other bio-plastics, like PLA (polylactic acid), in that it is relatively easy to compost at home in addition to being industrially compostable. While PLA is the current frontrunner bioplastic, PHA degrades faster and in more situations, meaning that as the technology becomes more affordable to produce, it could be a very strong competitor. 

PlantSwitch is developing a process which turns agricultural waste products, such as rice husks and wheat straw, into compostable pellets made from an original biopolymer resin, similar to PHA, but — according to the founders — more effectively degradable. The pellets, designed to be completely biodegradable in 8 weeks, are intended for manufacturers to then use them as raw materials for their own products. 

Silicone — It’s Elemental

Silicone is often mistaken for plastic but, while sharing many physical characteristics with fossil fuel derived plastics, it is considered much safer and more environmentally friendly.   

Silicone is made from naturally occurring silica stone, water, and natural gas-derived methanol. Silica (SiO2), also known as quartz when in crystalline form, is made up of silicon — one of the most common chemical elements — and oxygen, and can be found in many types of rock, sand, and construction materials.  

Silicone is strong, flexible, can withstand extreme temperatures, and does not leach toxic residues or microplastics making it an excellent alternative to traditional plastic. Platinum silicone specifically is considered one of the safest forms of silicone, and is used in many kitchen products and medical implants. 

Silicone products are technically recyclable, but not every facility has the means to accept and recycle them. Therefore, if you don’t want your silicone items to end up in the landfill, be sure to do your research before disposing of them. 

Emerging Innovations in Product Packaging

In addition to the many sustainable plastic alternatives that are already available on the market, researchers are constantly finding new ways to use environmentally-friendly materials and manufacturing processes to develop solutions that address remaining industry demands. One area which has seen great innovation in recent years is sustainable packaging. 

In 2022, a group of scientists at Rutgers University, in partnership with Harvard University, created an anti-microbial and biodegradable spray-on protective coating for produce and other food items. Made out of plant cellulose, the spray is designed to be rinsed off with water and, according to the scientists, degrade in soil within 3 days. While it is yet to be commercialized, the spray could eliminate the need for plastic packaging of things like fruits, vegetables, and even meat. 

Alternative packaging and shipping materials include natural fibers such as coconut fiber, hemp, husk, oat hulls, cotton burs, jute (similar to burlap) and bagasse (a byproduct of sugarcane harvesting.) By using these fibers, many of which are left over from agricultural processes, manufacturers are able to get cheap, readily available raw materials as well as contribute to a circular production economy. 

In 2021, Hongli (Julie) Zhu, an associate professor of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at Northeastern University, developed a biodegradable plastic bag alternative made from bamboo fiber and sucrose. The bag, unlike most biodegradable materials, retains its strength in wet conditions and does not degrade until exposed to the outdoors. According to Zhu, once the bag is buried in the soil it will degrade completely in just 60 days. 

Bioform Technologies has even developed a paper-recyclable alternative to traditional plastic “thermoforming” films using pulp fiber in place of plastic polymers. Thermoforming is a way of heating and molding plastic into rigid shapes, and is often used to produce things like packaging trays and disposable tableware. By repurposing existing pulp machinery, Bioform has created a patented method of producing these films at commercial speeds which decarbonizes the thermoforming process. 

As the global population continues to skyrocket and consumer demand increases, it is likely that our waste production will also grow. So we need these plastic alternatives now more than ever.

To keep the pressure on global governments to manage soaring plastic production we must collectively demand caps on the production of plastics. If you agree, please sign our Global Plastics Treaty Petition and tell the United Nations and all governmental organizations to slash plastic production globally by 60% by 2040.  

Unless something is done to curb this trend, current rates of plastic production could almost double by 2040. Let’s send a clear message that we don’t want a world suffocated by plastics. 

This week as government negotiators from across the world gather in Busan, Republic of Korea, for INC-5 to discuss how we collectively cope with our plastic crisis we know that the US government is potentially backing away from firm action.  Please read this statement by Kathleen Rogers, the President of EARTHDAY.ORG on this latest development. 

The post Are There Alternatives to Plastics? appeared first on Earth Day.

Plastics are all around — our clothes and carpets are made of plastic textiles like nylon and polyester, our technology is stuffed with plastics, our food is wrapped in it and our toiletries are made of the same chemicals used in plastic bottles. 

Of the more than 400 million tons of plastic that are produced each year, the vast majority is tossed away after just one use. This is why 20 million tons of plastics end up in the environment  every single year, causing severe ecosystem degradation and killing wildlife.

But last year, EARTHDAY.ORG helped to elevate another serious issue with plastics that had long been hiding behind plastic pollution headlines: their impact on human health. It turns out that plastic is NOT inert as plastic manufacturers had once assured us, but in fact degrades slowly over thousands of years, shedding microplastic particles and leaching toxic chemicals in the process. The plastics you can see are actually just the tip of the plastic crisis iceberg. 

All around us there is plastic that is invisible to the naked eye. It is in the air, in our water, in our soil, our food, house-dust and now it is inside all of us too. This is why the EARTHDAY.ORG theme for 2024 is Planet vs. Plastics — to drive awareness about the human health issues of our involuntary plastic consumption and hopefully enact change. 

On November 23, 2023, EARTHDAY.ORG published a meta-analysis report titled Babies vs. Plastics that outlines the history of plastic and how it became so prevalent in our society so quickly. The focus of the report is how plastic exposure impacts human health, with particular regard to babies.

Why babies? As it turns out, young children have a much higher risk of ingesting and inhaling microplastics due to their tendency to crawl on the ground, coming into contact with household dust laden with plastic particulates. Their development phase of putting everything into their mouths, including many products designed for babies that are specifically made of plastics — like bottles and teethers — also increases their chance of plastic exposure. In fact, the rate of ingestion and inhalation of microplastics of babies is ten times more than that of adults. 

The Babies vs. Plastics report highlighted how researchers have found microplastics in many different human organs, including the heart, lungs, urinary and gastrointestinal systems, as well as in human breast milk, placentas, and meconium, an infant’s first stool. 

There is evidence that early exposure to elevated concentrations of microplastics may be linked to conditions such as ADHD, autism, early onset puberty, and some cancers. And, just a year after the publication of EARTHDAY.ORG’s first plastic report, we have more evidence and an even clearer image of how plastics affect our bodies. 

A 2020 study in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, cited in the Babies report, asserted that humans could be ingesting up to 52,000 microplastic particles per year. A more  recent study, published in January 2024 – a few months after Babies Vs. Plastics was released, found between 10 and 100 times more plastic particles in bottled water than previous studies measured. In fact, they determined that a one liter of bottled water included, on average, about 240,000 microscopic pieces of plastic.  

Studies from 2023 on mice and fish, such as the one featured in the Babies report, found that microplastics that enter the bloodstream can also penetrate the “blood-brain barrier,” entering the brain itself and leading to visible behavior changes and cognitive decline. The exact effects of microplastics on the human brain is an area of ongoing research.   

If that was not alarming enough, in May 2024 — just 6 months after EARTHDAY.ORG’s Babies report — human brain samples were found to contain more shards of plastic than samples collected eight years prior, according to an online preprint (a study not yet peer-reviewed and published in a journal).

Another groundbreaking new study published in March 2024 made the discovery that patients with microplastic buildup in their carotid artery plaque were twice as likely to suffer from a heart attack or stroke than patients without. The researchers’ results provided some of the first direct evidence of the link between plastic and human health.  

In August 2024, the Minderoo Foundation released a pioneering study which provided a damning indictment of the impact of plastics on human health. Titled, an Umbrella Review: Impact of Plastic-Associated Chemical Exposure on Human Health, the report collated the best evidence to date of peer reviewed plastic research as it relates to human health, as well as outlined recommendations for policymakers and regulators. 

It is clear that the evidence is mounting regarding the devastating impact of plastics on human health — at all stages of the human life cycle — and the Babies report is already in need of updating. 

So How Can You Cut Your Plastic Intake?

On an individual level, there are several ways to protect yourself and your loved ones from exposure to microplastics and toxic chemicals. One of the more obvious steps you can take is simply to limit access to  plastic objects — children’s toys in particular. Not only is it safer for children to be surrounded by less plastic, it has been shown that kids who have fewer toys are better able to focus and play creatively anyway!

You can also reduce your exposure to plastic particles by sweeping or vacuuming your home as much as possible, as dust is full of plastic fibers. In addition, choose your cosmetics carefully and limit your use, as many contain plastic chemicals like phthalates. Finally, when purchasing clothing, try to avoid polyester, a textile used widely in fast fashion. Polyester is made of plastic and sheds microplastic fibers that you could end up inhaling or, if you use a washing machine, will rinse into the water supply and potentially be ingested by marine life.

The contamination of our water supply is an important issue, as it is believed that diet is the main source of exposure to micro- and nanoplastics.  Microplastics can build up in the bodies of many different organisms, a process known as “bioaccumulation,” through ingestion, inhalation, and even skin absorption. Microplastics in the air, soil and water are ingested by plants, fish, shellfish and other small animals, and are even sometimes inadvertently fed to livestock through polyethylene roughage. All of this plastic eventually works its way up the food chain and into our own bodies. 

So, being cognitive of what you eat is critical. Avoid eating too much red meat, as there is growing evidence that it contains plastic particles, or shellfish, which consume microplastics which then remain in their digestive tracts. Fish too can carry high levels of microplastics, in addition to other toxic substances like mercury. It is important, therefore, to buy responsibly, opting for sustainably and ethically sourced products. The Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch has published a guide to sustainable seafood that is a great place for conscious consumers to start. 

Some studies have found that leafy vegetables contain less microplastics than root vegetables, so opt to include them in your recipes. Also, avoid microwaving your food in plastic containers because the heat releases plastic chemicals, like BPA, directly into your food. Finally, if possible avoid drinking from plastic bottles!

The single most important thing that all of us can do to tackle the plastic health crisis is to call for our representatives and legislators to curb global plastic production. If you too believe in a safe, plastic-free future and want to get involved, join EARTHDAY.ORG’s End Plastics campaign and consider donating so we can continue speaking out against plastics. 

You can read the Babies Vs. Plastics here and our follow-up report, Pets Vs. Plastics. We will soon be releasing our third report, People Vs. Plastics on how the plastic industry uses PR and clever delay tactics to protect their profits and avoid accountability. But most easily of all, you can sign our Global Plastics Treaty Petition and make your voice heard before the final stages of the UN Global Plastic Treaty Negotiations, INC-5, that are taking place in Busan, South Korea, in early December. Please sign and demand meaningful action on plastic production. Let’s end the plastic crisis.

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