Earth Day 2015: Everything You Need to Know

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 8, 2015 For more information, contact: Earth Day Network Communications Department 202-518-0044 [email protected] 

Earth Day 2015: Everything You Need to Know Earth Day celebrates 45th anniversary

Washington, D.C. (April 8, 2015) – To commemorate the 45^th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22, Earth Day Network (EDN), the non-profit organization founded by organizers of the first Earth Day in 1970, is announcing a series of events and programs to drive forward the movement. More than 1 billion people in 192 countries will participate in Earth Day activities and events, making it the largest civic observance in the world. This Earth Day, EDN calls upon citizens, educators, corporate leaders, governments and global organizations to take action under the banner,  It’s our turn to lead Let’s Talk Climate: Innovative Solutions to Communicating Climate Change, Wednesday, April 8: To kick off Earth Month, EDN and Connect4Climate will present Let’s Talk Climate,an e-discussion communicating effective messages on climate and bridging the gap between knowledge and action. Event Registry:, What are you doing on Earth Day? Find out here. Earth Day Network is encouraging cities and organizations worldwide to register their Earth Day events and is providing a network of searchable events for local citizens. Almost 1,000 events are registered so far. Green Cities: Recognizing that local leaders and elected officials are on the frontlines of tackling environmental problems while also creating green job opportunities, EDN is calling on cities and their leaders to go 100% renewable by 2050. The Green Cities initiative is engaging participation by mayors, city council members and citizens across the US and the world, urging them to take action to create a green economy and reap the benefits of a renewable city. Climate Petition: Scientists warn that climate change could accelerate beyond our control, threatening our survival and everything we love. EDN has joined with other organizations in the promoting the largest climate petition ever, calling on all citizens to keep global temperature under the unacceptably dangerous rise level of 2 degrees centigrade. More on the petition here:archiveedn.wpengine.com Climate Education Week: April 18-25 Building on president Obama’s urgent call for a climate literate public as essential to US leadership and a sustainable future, EDN is presenting Climate Education Week, featuring a free online Climate Education Toolkit for K-12 students around the globe, disseminated via EDN’s extensive Educator’s Network. The toolkit includes a week’s worth of curriculum for K-12 students aligned with NGSS and Common Core Standards. MobilizeU: Launched by EDN in 2012, MoiblizeU is a higher-ed campaign led by concerned college and university students and administrators acting on climate. EDN asks for participation in Climate Communication Forums, engaging a diverse base of students to interact on change issues and solutions in their communities. Faith Based Earth Day: EDN recognizes faith leaders as driving forces behind spiritually based care for our planet. EDN ‘s online and social media tools inspire congregations and are being utilized by faith leaders from Reno, Nevada to Jerusalem, Israel and Fresno, California to Washington, D.C. A Billion Acts of Green Since 2010, EDN has steadily built commitments by individuals, organizations, businesses and governments to protect the planet. The campaign inspires and rewards acts that reduce carbon emissions. Over 1 billion acts have been registered. EDN aims to reach 2 billion Acts of Green by December 2015 and deliver this accomplishment at COP21 Paris as evidence that people all over the world are united in calling for a binding global climate agreement. archiveedn.wpengine.com/takeaction Global Citizen 2015 Earth Day: Earth Day Network and The Global Poverty Project have joined forces to further the movement to end extreme poverty and solve climate change through Global Citizen 2015 Earth Day, a free event on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, April 18, 2015. Global Citizen 2015 Earth Day will be headlined by No Doubt, Usher, Fall Out Boy, Mary J. Blige, Train, and My Morning Jacket, with special guests Common and D’Banj. The event will be hosted by will.i.am and Soledad O’Brien and will be web streamed live.www.globalcitizen2015earthday.org The Canopy Project: As part of its mission to protect natural lands and preserve the environment for all people, Earth Day Network developed The Canopy Project. The Canopy Project plants trees that help communities – especially the world’s impoverished communities – sustain themselves and their local economies. Trees reverse the impacts of climate change and provide food, energy and income, helping communities to achieve long-term economic and environmental sustainability. For Earth Day 2015, EDN invites everyone to join and help achieve the project’s 10 million tree goal. archiveedn.wpengine.com/trees

###

ABOUT EARTH DAY NETWORK: The first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, activated 20 million Americans from all walks of life and is widely credited with launching the modern environmental movement. Growing out of the first Earth Day, Earth Day Network (EDN) works with tens of thousands of partners in 192 countries to broaden, diversify and mobilize the environmental movement. More than 1 billion people now participate in Earth Day activities each year, making it the largest civic observance in the world. For more information, visit archiveedn.wpengine.com

###