Turning the tide on Earth Day

Today, the world faces a fast-moving acute threat in the novel coronavirus. As a species, we'll continue to do whatever it takes to contain, and then defeat it.

And when we do, we must be ready to bring that same unity to the extinction-level environmental crisis.

When Earth Day was first celebrated 50 years ago, the idea wasn't that complicated: a day to recommit to environmental protections and ensure that our children and grandchildren can enjoy clean air, clean water, and a better quality of life.

Today, the idea behind Earth Day is the same, but the need is more urgent than ever: unless we turn things around right now, the effects of climate change will be irreversible.

Which is why we need to keep up this fight. And why I'm furious that, during this pandemic, Donald Trump's EPA is scrambling to suspend environmental monitoring and give polluters a pass to do their worst.

My plan for Earth Day 2020, Earth Day at 50? Get to work:

➡️ Implement a Green New Deal for our country;

➡️ Rebuild America using green infrastructure;

➡️ Seize opportunity, including in coronavirus relief, to address climate change and put our people back to work.

Want more info? Read my op-ed in Newsweek here.

We can't wait another year, another month, another day to get going on this. Because, the longer we wait, the worse it gets.

I want our legacy on Earth Day's 50th anniversary to be of turning the tide, of making 2020 the year we drew a line in the sand and stopped cold the disastrous anti-environment, anti-public health, pro-pollution agenda.

I know we can get there together, with a national movement to honor each other and each tireless activist who came before, who have given their time and treasure to saving our planet.

Earl