Earth Week 2024: How we can keep fighting to protect our planet this year

A North Atlantic humpback whale is spotted in the coastal waters off Virginia Beach, Va., during a field survey.Photo by U.S. NAVY | Public Domain

WASHINGTON – Earth Week 2024 is almost here. All year long, Environment America Research & Policy Center and our partners at Environment America and our state groups work tirelessly to protect clean air, clean water and open spaces. We’ve won some hard-fought victories, but, while states across the country are ramping up clean energy initiatives such as rooftop solar power and the U.S. Forest Service is working to protect our old-growth forests, we still need to do more to set a path toward a greener, healthier future.

For this year’s Earth Week, which starts on Monday, April 22, our experts are offering resources to help Americans take advantage of clean energy in their homes, protect wildlife and natural spaces, and decontaminate drinking water.

Every day of Earth Week, we will focus on different resources that you can share with your readers, listeners or viewers so we all can address some of the most pressing issues affecting our planet in 2024.

NOTE: You will find content in every link below but we may update some of the content in the coming week.

Monday, April 22
Growing milkweed for monarch butterflies, by Steve Blackledge, Conservation America campaign director
Pollinators around the world are weathering threats from climate change, loss of habitat and other human impacts. In some places, monarch butterfly populations, which are essential to U.S. ecosystems, have declined more than 90%. We can help save the butterflies and simultaneously beautify our properties. Environment America Research & Policy Center has a guide to planting a monarch butterfly-friendly garden in your own yard. Tips on planting the right type of milkweed and avoiding harmful chemicals will help your garden boom with butterfly activity this summer. See the guide here.

Tuesday, April 23
Green schools, by Emily Kowalski, outreach & engagement manager, Environment Illinois Research & Education Center
As the school year winds down, students are thinking about exams, summer break and maybe even next school year. When they return in the fall, wouldn’t it be nice for their buildings to be environmentally conscious? Environment America Research & Policy Center (and our Illinois state group) put together a toolkit for students, parents and teachers to make their school more eco-friendly, with tips for implementing electric buses in their school district’s fleet, powering buildings with clean energy and more. The climate crisis doesn’t take a summer break, so our efforts to make our schools safe for students and the environment shouldn’t either. Check out the Green Schools Guide here.

Wednesday, April 24
Clean home tax credits, by Johanna Neumann, Campaign for 100% Renewable Energy senior director
The transition to clean energy is well under way, and we can accelerate deployment to build a cleaner and healthier future for all Americans. Today, rooftop solar panels are producing more energy than ever before. It’s easier than ever to make the switch. It may be a week after Tax Day, but Americans can take steps to get tax credits next year, while also making their homes more sustainable. Environment America Research & Policy Center has guides on how to take advantage of federal incentives as people update their homes with solar energy and battery storage, energy-efficient windows and doors, and clean heat pumps.

Thursday, April 25
Get the lead out of school drinking water, by John Rumpler, Clean Water director
Throughout the United States, lead pollutes schools’ drinking water. As this semester winds down, school districts are looking ahead to the 2024-25 school year and administrators have an opportunity to make next year safer and healthier than this one for millions of students. School districts have until September 30 to use their available resources to update water filters and purchase new water stations. Environment America Research & Policy Center has a toolkit that parents and educators can share with their local officials to help clean up school drinking water. The kit includes facts and resources about lead contamination, a short educational video and sample call-to-action materials. See the toolkit here.

Friday, April 26
How environmentally friendly are some common products?, by Ellen Montgomery, Public Lands campaign director
Although Earth faces a climate crisis, many manufacturers of common products don’t use sustainable practices to protect our forests. Environment America Research & Policy Center is releasing two scorecards to grade the top manufacturers of paper products and chocolate. We can see how sustainably six paper companies and 42 chocolate manufacturers act to help your viewers, listeners and readers decide whether they want to buy those products. Check out the paper products and chocolate scorecards.