Consumers have had fewer opportunities to get out and enjoy nature lately due to COVID-19, but that doesn’t mean that the annual Earth Day celebration on Wednesday is being canceled.
The Earth Day Foundation is encouraging consumers to tune in online for a full lineup of performances, messages, teach-ins, and calls to action on April 22 that are focused on fighting climate change. Viewers will be able to watch content from the group’s website here.
This year’s event marks the 50th anniversary of the first Earth Day celebration that took place in 1970. Famous figures giving performances this year include celebrities like Zac Efron and climate advocates and political figures like John Kerry and Al Gore.
“The world’s largest civic event is going digital for the first time in its history. We’ll demand that leaders take science seriously, listen to their people, and push for action at every level of society to stop the rising tide of climate change,” the organization said.
Climate and coronavirus
In addition to its climate-focused agenda, the foundation says consumers should also focus their efforts on combating the coronavirus. It says that making a change now to promote sustainability efforts will prevent future pandemics.
“If we don’t demand change to transform our planet and meet our climate crisis, our current state will become the new normal -- a world where pandemics and extreme weather events span the globe, leaving already marginalized and vulnerable communities even more at risk,” the group said.
“While the coronavirus may force us to keep our distance, it will not force us to keep our voices down. The only thing that will change the world is a bold and unified demand for a new way forward.”