During a recent webinar addressing both the pandemic and climate change, an online viewer asked the panelists, “People are so overwhelmed, how can we possibly talk about the environment now?” Pastor, professor, and environmentalist, Rev. Dr. Leah Schade, replied, saying, “Often when people get overwhelmed, it is because they think the solution rests solely on them.... Yet imagine if you were to ask yourself, ‘What environmental issue is most troubling to me?’ And then, seek out and join others in your community or other environmental organizations that are addressing this same problem. Remember, we can do so much more together than we can do alone.”As we prepare to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, we commend to you the following actions and resources in the hope that you will be active and hope that if you are active your spirit and the spirit of others will be uplifted.
Join Senator Ed Markey, City Councilors Michelle Wu and Andrea Campbell, Mass Sierra Club, Mass Audubon, musical performers and others for a virtual rally on April 18, 2020 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. Learn about how to take action on climate during the COVID-19 crisis. There will be live tree-planting and vegetarian cooking demonstrations.
Help us build our community by posting pictures of nature with the hashtag #earthday2020boston and #earthrise, and encouraging others to do the same. Facebook: Earth Day 2020 Boston Twitter: @2020_boston Instagram: @earthday2020boston.
Earth Day Live: 50th Anniversary Livestream
Strike online during Earth Week! Earth Day Live is a 3-day livestream event to take action to demand a just recovery from the COVID-19 crisis and transition to a more just and sustainable world.
Each day, the Earth Day livestream will pause, and redirect viewers to view local livestreams. Across the country, local livestreams include everything from panels, digital strikes, performances, song and workshops.
Day 1 (Earth Day, Wednesday, April 22)
The 50th anniversary of Earth Day is a day to demonstrate our collective power and unity through community building and storytelling. The aim is to ground ourselves in unity and togetherness during this overwhelming and scary time. RSVP Here.
Day 2 (Stop The Money Pipeline Day of Action, Thursday, April 23)
The focus on Thursday will be financial institutions across the country. Led by the Stop the Money Pipeline Coalition, this day of action will call for a global reset to reprogram the economy so that it works for people and the planet, not polluters and politicians. RSVP Here
Day 3 (Day of Political Action & Voter Engagement, Friday, April 24)
The focus on Friday will be on the urgency of political change through a nationwide youth voter registration day. The country, states and towns need leaders who will address the climate crisis, and for this to happen people need to show up at the polls this year. RSVP Here.
Earth Day Climate Advocacy Workshop Friday, April 24 at 1:00pm
The Massachusetts Sierra Club is leading advocacy trainings about solutions to expand renewable energy and reduce climate pollution. Attendees will learn more about current Massachusetts energy laws, opportunities/barriers for climate action, best practices for cities and towns, and how they can better engage with public officials to make real progress in their community. You will learn what you can do to advocate for policies that match the urgency of the climate crisis. RSVP Here.
This workshop to be conducted over Zoom. An RSVP is required to receive the login link information. There will be a PowerPoint, so participating via computer is best (as opposed to phone.)
Sign the Creation Care Pledge
As people of faith, recognizing that the earth is the Lord’s, it falls upon our generation to embrace imperatives that constitute a new moral era. The climate crisis is an opportunity for which the church was born. Make the Creation Care pledge on line here:
“I pledge to be a consistent voter, and I will always prioritize caring for God’s creation in how I vote”.
(The Creation Care Pledge is a UCC wrapping of the Environmental Voter Project pledge.)
Create New Environmental Voters from the Comfort of Your Home
The Environmental Voter Project significantly increases voter demand for environmental leadership by identifying inactive environmentalists and then turning them into consistent activists and voters. Many environmentalists don’t vote, so politicians consistently ignore these issues. Using data analytics, the Environmental Voter Project is laser-focused on building an army of consistent environmental voters who show up for every election (local, state and federal). The Environmental Voter Project’s focus is on the environmentalists who rarely or never vote. This work depends on volunteers. Consider dedicating a few hours of your time to help build an Army of Environmental Super Voters in 2020.
- Monday, April 20th, 4-6pm -- Texting: get trained by webinar and then text non-voting environmentalists in Florida, Pennsylvania, Colorado, and Virginia. Sign Up Here.
- Tuesday, April 21st, 4-6pm -- Calling: get trained by webinar and then call non-voting environmentalists in Pennsylvania to help them sign up for vote-by-mail Sign Up Here.
- Wednesday, April 22nd, 4-6pm -- Special Briefing + Calling: join a special briefing on EVP's plans for 2020, then get trained by webinar to call non-voting environmentalists in Pennsylvania to help them sign up for vote-by-mail Sign Up Here.