April 22: Earth Day is Now on a Death Watch

It is Earth Day and I can’t stand by and watch. I’ve had enough.

ENOUGH opening the Arctic Refuge to drilling. ENOUGH letting coal plants pump toxic chemicals into our air. ENOUGH ransacking our irreplaceable planet for the financial gain of a few billionaires and Trump family members.

My research uncovered the NRDC, the Natural Resources Defense Council. It combines the power of more than 3 million members and supporters with the expertise of some 700 scientists, lawyers, and other staff to confront the climate crisis, protect wildlife and wild places, and ensure clean air, clean water, and healthy communities.

Read what Michael Jasny, NRDC Director of Marine Mammals had to say:

"Earth Day has always been about protecting what we can't replace — especially our oceans. But what we're seeing now is different. The administration recently convened the Endangered Species Committee, often called the "God Squad", to override long-standing wildlife protections in the Gulf of Mexico to make way for oil and gas drilling — ultimately threatening sea turtles, manatees, whales, and other vulnerable wildlife with extinction. We're suing to stop them. Because once they start carving out exceptions for Big Oil like this, it's not just one species or one place at risk — it's our natural heritage. And the integrity of our most cherished environmental laws."

Read what Jackie Wong, NRDC Senior Vice President for Climate and Energy:

"Right now, the clean air we've fought for is under direct threat. In February, the EPA moved to repeal the Endangerment Finding — its own scientific determination that climate pollution endangers our health and our planet. We immediately sued, and we're in court right now defending it. Because if this rollback is allowed to stand, it would undermine the federal government's ability to curb climate pollution and open the door to more unchecked emissions. This Earth Day is about whether we protect people's health or give polluters a free pass."

And lastly, Bobby McEnaney, NRDC Director of Land Conservation, says this:

Earth Day, to me, is about the places that stay with you long after you've left them. A stunning national park. An old-growth forest. Wild lands where species like polar bears and caribou have long roamed free. The very places the Trump administration is hoping to carve up for profit. We're in court right now challenging the administration's attempt to expand oil and gas drilling in the Arctic — one of the last truly wild places left in the world. But this isn't just about one region. It's about whether our public lands are protected for future generations — or sold off to Big Oil piece by piece.

Ok, dear friends. We are on a very different planet from the one on which Earth Day was started in 1970. We all have voices and choices to make to protect our only home.  Becoming informed is a great place to start.  What have you learned? What are you doing to make Earth Day a 365-day of earth keeping? Let’s share our ideas and activities!