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April 20, 2020
The 50th anniversary of Earth Day marks a pivotal moment. Our actions now will determine the health of the planet for decades to come. We have made so much progress since the first Earth Day in 1970: Our air is cleaner, our water is safer to drink, and our land is less polluted.
A pandemic sweeping the world has disrupted the long-planned celebrations of Earth Day 50. Maybe the planet is sending us a message that we need to slow down and take a moment to appreciate the beauty that surrounds us and the people and animals that inhabit the Earth.
In light of the ongoing pandemic, we don’t encourage anyone to participate in in-person events or gatherings, but we ask that you do anything you can at home and in the digital sphere to help raise awareness and celebrate Earth Day 50! We might think we don’t have the time, money, or resources to live sustainably, but it can easily be a part of everyday life! So even though we can’t gather in person to celebrate this pivotal moment in history, we want to challenge you to do one sustainable action every day, starting on Earth Day, April 22. Eat a meatless meal, take a shorter shower, turn off the lights when you leave the room, or lower the thermostat. And most important of all, share what you are doing on social media or with your friends so that others can follow suit! These small steps, repeated every day going forward by more and more people, can make a big difference!
In lieu of gathering in person, we must use the power of social media to our advantage this Earth Day! Cheers to a happy, healthy, and sustainable Earth Day 50!
The immediate urgency of the coronavirus pandemic is causing many climate change and clean energy advocates to wonder what our response to this public health crisis tells us about our ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to a warmer planet. Just about one month ago, the D.C. metropolitan region was implementing “social distancing” and businesses able to work remotely were moving operations and work streams online. Those unable to work remotely had to close, which sent unemployment into the stratosphere. It feels like daily life changed long ago and all at once. Reading this means you are probably wondering what all this means for climate change. We are, too.
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On the beautiful San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington state, Orcas Power and Light Cooperative (OPALCO), a rural electric cooperative, provides nearly carbon-free electricity to its members across the island chain, thanks to abundant access to hydropower. However, many island residents rely on propane for heat, which must be ferried in at great expense. EESI was there to help OPALCO—and numerous other utilities—work on solving this problem: curbing customer expenses while moving away from burning fossil fuels to heat homes. OPALCO customers are now part of a trend toward electric heating options that have become far more efficient and economical over the past decade. Doing so would lower customers’ overall energy costs and shrink their carbon footprints, a process sometimes called beneficial electrification.
The 50th anniversary of Earth Day inspires both reflection on past accomplishments and planning for work ahead. EESI staff were fortunate to sit down with author and life-long environmental activist Byron Kennard to discuss his new book, You Can’t Fool Nature: The Once and Future Triumph of Environmentalism, on the history of the environmental movement in the United States and his thoughts about the future of the movement. Mr. Kennard traveled across the country as a community organizer on behalf of the first Earth Day in 1970 and has had a long career in service of environmental causes.
And a special thanks to our Spring 2020 interns—all future leaders!
Uma Atre
Phoebe Bride
Katherine Kneuper
Abby Neal
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute is an independent, non-profit organization founded in 1984 by a bipartisan Congressional caucus dedicated to finding innovative environmental and energy solutions.
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