Social Change

Environmental education has been at Earth Day's heart since its inception over 50 years ago. Education is woven into the DNA of the event and students are a central pillar of this global movement. On April 22 and throughout the year Earth Day promotes environmental literacy and shows people how to advocate for the Earth's natural systems. Earth Day founder Senator Gaylord Nelson envisioned the inaugural event as an opportunity to educate people about the dangers of air and water pollution.  Nelson came up with the idea of a “national teach-in” in 1969 after an oil spill contaminated the coasts...

At a time of intense, deep-seated divisions, Earth Day fosters much-needed unity. As an inclusive global event, Earth Day brings people together from diverse political, social, and economic backgrounds. In our polarized world, embracing a common cause may be the most impactful form of environmental advocacy. The Importance of Earth Day This Earth Day carries greater urgency than ever before, as we find ourselves amidst the escalating polycrisis, conflicts, and the looming specter of authoritarianism. The UN indicated that global warming and environmental degradation are the most serious threats to the future of life on the planet. The Intergovernmental Panel on...

Earth Day is an environmentally focused day of action that increasingly encompasses the full range of sustainability issues. Observed every year on April 22, more than one billion people worldwide now participate in this annual event. The Importance of Earth Day Shaping Policy & Regulation By mobilizing public support for environmental action, Earth Day has had a major impact on policy, legislation, and global governance. The event has shaped important environmental policies and legislation. This includes protecting the environment, reducing pollution, and conserving natural resources. At the inaugural event in the US in 1970, there were widespread rallies, demonstrations, and...

The recent Conference of the Parties is being hailed as both a historic success and an epic failure. So who really won the fossil fuel war at COP 28? The global agreement to phase down fossil fuels was heralded by the United Nations as the “beginning of the end” of the fossil fuel era, while critics expressed disappointment that there was no mention of a phaseout, peak emissions, or capping investment. While the deal fell far short of the fossil fuel phaseout that many were calling for, we came perilously close to getting nothing at all. Early drafts excluded any...

The fossil fuel industry has a long history of malfeasance but their misapplication of carbon capture may be their most audacious disinformation ploy to date. As explained in an Energy Transitions Commission report, carbon technology is being ‘co-opted’ by fossil-fuel companies so they can keep extracting oil and gas. While carbon capture is a critical part of a suite of climate solutions, petrostates, and the hydrocarbon industry are asking the technology to do the impossible.  According to a recent  International Energy Agency (IEA) report, emissions need to fall by 60 percent in the coming years and to do this we...

Carbon capture is a critical climate technology at the center of this year’s conference of the parties. COP 28 is scheduled to take place in Dubai's Expo City, UAE from Nov. 30 through Dec. 12. The event has been mired in controversy because the host country is a petrostate, and an oil industry CEO by the name of Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber will preside over the event in his official capacity as the COP 28 president. Al Jaber has indicated that he intends to supplant the goal of reducing fossil fuel production with promises of carbon capture. According to a...

This year’s climate summit has been described as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to formally signal the beginning of the end of fossil fuels. The 28th conference of the parties (COP28) will be hosted by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from November 30 to December 12. The president-delegate is Ahmed Al Jaber who is also the chief executive of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC). Climate activists are outraged by the fact that this year’s summit is taking place in a petrostate and being hosted by an oil industry CEO.  While others believe that as the primary cause of climate change,...

Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber may have impressive green credentials, but many are saying his role as an oil company CEO disqualifies him as the host of this year’s global climate conference.  His critics say it is unconscionable that the head of a major oil producer is being allowed to oversee COP28. Al Jaber is the first CEO and the first head of an oil company to be president-designate of a COP meeting. His appointment has encountered considerable resistance from civil society and legislators. More than 400 environmental groups sent a letter to the UN secretary-general saying that Al Jaber’s position...

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is working hard to sell sustainable development and green energy as the country prepares to host COP28 later this year.  The UAE is spending millions to pump up its green cred, while simultaneously planning massive increases in oil and gas production. The UAE’s efforts to position itself as a climate leader and global clean energy advocate are at odds with its core activities. Hydrocarbon production is antithetical to their rebranding efforts. There is no reconciling their ambitious climate commitments and their plans to increase oil and gas production.   The UAE’s public relations efforts are...

After years of insinuating itself into the COP process, a petrostate will host the COP28 climate talks later this year, and an oil company CEO will be the presiding president. This year’s Conference of the Parties (COP28) will take place from November 30 – December 12 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The UAE is an OPEC member and the seventh-largest oil producer in the world with the seventh-largest oil reserves. It will be hosted by president-designate Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, the CEO of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC). While the fossil fuel industry has been active during the...