Ahead of Earth Day on Saturday, I caught up with Kathleen Rogers, President at EARTHDAY.ORG, to get her take on the current state-of-play for people and planet.
What actions do you take on a personal level to invest in our planet?
KR – In my day-to-day: reducing plastic usage, limiting food waste, composting, and taking public transport when I can. I am also constantly learning about new and better ways to be informed about our planet, such as being educated on voting and how to vote green, learning about where there are clean ups happening, and paying attention to what people are saying on Earth Day.
How does Earth Day help scale actions that invest in our planet?
KR – Our campaigns are all structured to scale by recruiting the individual into already large and growing movements. We help unite people under one banner so that their voices can be better amplified – a good example of this is our many petitions that receive hundreds of thousands of signatures.
What have you seen that makes you believe that a thriving future is possible?
KR – The amount of young people involved in the climate movement and the agency and energy they have is admirable. Our youth climate education coalition brings together an international group of young people calling upon governments and organizing bodies to involve youth and take concrete steps to integrating climate literacy.
How is the Earth Day movement leading us towards that future?
KR – Many of our international teams are made up of youth who are bold and ambitious and we hope that energy is passed down through the work we do.
How can people get involved with the Earth Day Network in 2023 and beyond?
KR – All of our campaigns include opportunities to get involved and it can be as easy as signing a petition, taking a quiz, or participating in a local clean-up. On Earth Day this year there will be opportunities to participate in person and online.
