April 22, 2020 marks 50 years since the inaugural Earth Day events in 1970. Now a global movement, Earth Day must - as we all have had to do - adjust itself to account for the limitations on human activity imposed to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Past Earth Day events have consisted of environmental cleanups, lectures, rallies, and other large-scale gatherings to promote environmental awareness and activism. Social distancing mandates mean that the prior methods of action cannot take place. However, the environmental crisis won't stop because of the novel coronavirus - action is still required.

To this end, the Earth Day Network has turned to encouraging and, as much as possible, providing resources for action via digital means. On top of a large social media campaign (#EarthDay2020), EDN will host a series of talks, stories, performances, and opportunities for digital participation as a live stream over the course of April 22-24. Additionally, they will be making specific calls to action every day in a program called 24 Hours of Action.