The first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970, and marked the beginning of the organized environmental movement. Much of what flowed from that era -- the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act -- has made us safer and healthier, until now. With the abandonment of the Paris Climate Accord and environmental and wildlife regulations being rolled back or eliminated, much progress has been halted or reversed.
The theme for Earth Day 2020 is climate action, since climate change represents the biggest challenge and threat to life on the planet. We're fortunate that there's a vibrant and growing youth climate activist movement with global leaders such as Greta Thunberg and countless others here in the U.S. and abroad. Now, as much or more than in 1970, we need to be aggressive in confronting the reactionaries and despoilers, so we can leave our only home healthy and thriving for generations to come.
Due to the pandemic, this year is the first year Earth Day will be celebrated online. You can go to earthday.org to participate or simply to learn more about what citizens can do to support environmental activism.
