The 55th annual Earth Day is more than a worldwide celebration, but a reminder to the masses on the importance of environmental stewardship. From increased education regarding current climate concerns, to more mindful and impactful collective action, environmental leaders emphasize the steps toward combating ecological decline may be at the global community’s fingertips.
“We’re all entitled to breathe clean air and drink clean water and live in communities that have some specs of nature,” said the president of EARTHDAY.ORG (EDO), Kathleen Rogers, who has been with the organization for more than 20 years. “Our kids deserve not to be exposed to toxics, pesticides and pollution that eventually will lead to cancer, asthma and other awful illnesses.”
Through EDO’s annual mobilization of more than 1 billion people to raise environmental consciousness and awareness of climate change, the avocational holiday has become one of the world’s largest secular observances.
Since its inception, Earth Day has triggered a sense of responsibility in many and has inspired approval for various pieces of environmental legislation, from the National Environmental Protection Act in 1970, to the signing of the Paris Agreement in 2016.
Even though the holiday inspires catalysts for change, the Earth Day 2025 official ambassador Antonique Smith hopes people worldwide will preserve its purpose year-round and continue making efforts to protect the planet after April 22.
“Every day is Earth Day,” Smith told The Informer. “It’s a one-day celebration, but action [needs] to be taken every day– big and small.”
Turning Awareness Into Urgent Action
Smith has been an advocate for environmental justice since 2014, after learning of the racial disparities associated with the effects of climate change. Her dedication to addressing environmental injustices stems from her love for the communities she is a part of and a passion for equal access to resources and circumstances.
“I think there’s a misconception that environmental justice is about politics and parties, but it’s about people,” Smith said. “For me, it’s the fact that my community, people of color, poor people, are disproportionately affected by the effects of climate change.”
A 2021 EPA report found that Black and African Americans are 34% more likely to live in areas with the greatest anticipated surges in childhood asthma diagnoses and 40% more likely to reside in regions where extreme temperature-related deaths are most expected to occur.
Statistics like these underline the persistence necessary to protect Earth and its vulnerable communities to attain environmental justice.
While Mchezaji “Che” Axum, the director of Center for Urban Agriculture and Gardening Education at the University of the District of Columbia (UDC), is sometimes discouraged by news of a worsening climate, he is constantly inspired by the number of young people engaging in the fight toward climate justice.
He believes that the planet’s worsening climate warrants an “all hands on deck” approach, doing his part by educating people about self-grown food and teaching urban gardeners sustainable growing practices.
Having witnessed floods, warmer temperatures and more environmental challenges, Axum said he hopes the public will be more proactive in improving Earth’s health.
“We’re at such a critical stage in a critical situation that we need everyone right now to really chip in and try to help save this planet,” Axum told The Informer. “All hands on deck because last year was the hottest year on the planet and I guarantee you this year will be hotter than last year.”
Education Becomes Essential in Fight Against Pollution
An environmental threat on Rogers’ radar this year is the substantial presence of microplastics in the air, water and people’s bodies.
It has been estimated that humans consume between 78,000 and 211,000 microplastic particles per year, from using plastic water bottles to simply taking a deep breath.
Many plastics are unsustainable from production to disposal. They are made from fossil fuels that can expel greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and are composed of polymers that make the material incapable of biodegradation. While plastic may not completely break down in a short amount of time, debris can break off, and if less than five millimeters in length, those pieces of debris are classified as microplastics.
“[Plastic] acts as a magnet for heavy metals, so as it breaks down, it sucks up heavy metals it finds in the ocean or other places, and then it becomes ingested,” Rogers explained to The Informer. “You eat it, you breathe it, you drink it, so it’s this endless cycle of chemicals.”
Smith believes the first step toward mitigating risks like these is education. In a world so alarmingly threatened by environmental decline, chances for improvement are slim if people are unaware of the hazards they encounter daily.
Hoping to provoke the education and mobilization necessary for the fight toward environmental justice, Smith co-founded Climate Revival in 2024 alongside the Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr. to help fuel a passion for environmental consciousness through art and faith. Through projects like this, Smith seeks to inspire love across communities.
Smith noted that fostering such compassion among the public leads to more unity, thus increasing the possibility for more collaborative efforts to reduce climate change’s effects on the planet and humankind.
“I’m trying to do my very best to be an ambassador for love of the earth, which to me personally is loving each other,” Smith told The Informer. “Community right now is so necessary. We need to be amongst each other. We need to be convening… [and] conversing.”