Today, across the United States (and around the world) progressive activists and environmentally conscious folks are celebrating the fifty-fourth annual Earth Day by cleaning up their communities and rallying in support of environmental justice.
Here’s a roundup of Earth Day news and events that we’ve been tracking:
President Biden will mark Earth Day in North Carolina, and while there, will make the first in a series of Earth Week policy announcements.
Here’s some background from the White House: “Building on his climate, clean energy, and environmental justice agenda, President Biden will travel today to Prince William Forest Park in Triangle, Virginia, to celebrate Earth Day 2024, and highlight his Administration’s unprecedented progress in tackling the climate crisis, cutting costs for everyday Americans, and creating good-paying jobs.” The following will be announced this week:
Governor Inslee will be in Seattle with EPA Regional Administrator Casey Sixkiller to announce the federal solar funds coming to Washington. Joining them will be Mike Fong, Director of the Washington Department of Commerce, Joseph Fernandi, Director of Customer Energy Solutions for Seattle City Light, and Rod Brandon, the Executive Director of the Seattle Housing Authority.
Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley tells NPI and other media outlets he is leading a congressional delegation to the fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC‑4) to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution. The delegation, which includes U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D‑RI), Peter Welch (D‑VT), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D‑NY) and U.S. Representative Jared Huffman (D‑CA-02), will call for the development of an ambitious international agreement to address plastic pollution. Government leaders and international stakeholders are convening at INC‑4 in Ottawa, Canada through Monday, April 29th.
British Columbia’s government is also marking Earth Day. Premier David Eby and Minister of Environment George Heyman emphasized that Canada’s westernmost province is also investing in renewable energy and a responsible transition away from fossil fuels.
Said Heyman:
As a government, we’re taking action on climate change by helping people and businesses lower their carbon footprint. Through the CleanBC Roadmap to 2030, we have big goals to reduce emissions, and we’re getting there by investing in clean-energy projects, providing new incentives for industrial operators to transition to low-carbon solutions, and by capping emissions from the oil and gas sector.
And through the Plastics Action Plan and the Clean Coast, Clean Waters Initiative, we’re recycling more of what we use and better protecting our marine ecosystems, and everyone and everything that depends on them.
BC is currently being governed by the New Democratic Party (NDP), the more progressive of the province’s major political parties. Though the NDP’s environmental agenda is far more responsible and ethical than the BC Liberals, there’s room for improvement.
The Tyee notes that a campaign called Transit for Teens is pushing the government to allow all young people under the age of eighteen to ride public transit at no charge. Right now, youth between the ages of twelve and eighteen must pay a fare.
Washington State recently made transit fare-free for all youth through the Move Ahead Washington initiative, which is funded by Climate Commitment Act money that the Washington State Republican Party and right wing forces want to repeal.
NPI strongly supports the Transit for Teens campaign and urges Premier Eby and Minister Heyman to make it a reality for British Columbia’s youth.
Happy Earth Day to all of our readers, and our gratitude to the many volunteers participating in community events around the globe to plant trees, pick up trash, and eliminate pollution.
Biden will headline a reception for the Biden Victory Fund, a joint fundraising committee, and…
The administration's action keeps roads out of the Brooks Range and lands of the caribou…
Couldn't join the opening festivities on Saturday, April 27th? Replay the speaking program on-demand and…
The Puget Sound region's second light rail line opened to riders on Saturday, April 27th,…
View a collection of photographs that give a sense of what the new Eastside stations…
Read NPI's recap of the East Link preview ride on April 25th, 2024, which gave…