On April 22, 1970, Earth Day was born. Twenty million Americans — 10% of the U.S. population at the time — took to the streets, college campuses and hundreds of cities to protest environmental ignorance and demand a new way forward for our planet. Earth Day was the unified response to an environment in crisis — oil spills, smog, rivers so polluted they literally caught fire.
On April 22, 2020, we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. This time, our planet faces two global crises: the COVID-19 pandemic, which is immediate, and the climate crisis, which is slowly building. Both will have enormous economic and social impact. Both are relevant to MPE.
The world was not prepared for a coronavirus. Leaders ignored hard science and delayed critical actions. The consequences are terrifying and deadly. The climate crisis is no less real. It will be the most pressing issue for the next generations. Let us all support the movement for a cleaner, healthier planet.