Fifty-five years ago, Earth Day was born out of the American environmental awakening—April 22, 1970, to be exact. Sparked by the growing awareness of pollution, ecological degradation, and a disastrous oil spill in Santa Barbara the year prior, the day brought together millions of Americans in a unified call for environmental action. It was the first time that “Mother Earth” took center stage on such a massive scale. The movement ultimately led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency and pivotal legislation like the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts. But while Earth Day began as a largely American initiative, its significance has since stretched across oceans and generations, resonating with communities who didn’t just notice climate change—they live it.
And in 2025, we must say it plainly: for the Caribbean, for Africa, and for communities of color in the United States, climate change isn’t just an environmental concern. It’s an existential crisis.
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From the rising seas nibbling away at coastal towns in Dominica and the Bahamas to the parched lands of the Sahel in West Africa, these regions are on the frontlines of a battle they didn’t start. The irony? They contribute the least to global emissions but suffer the most severe consequences.
Let’s talk numbers. According to the UN, Africa accounts for less than 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions, yet it bears the brunt of droughts, cyclones, and floods that destroy crops, displace families, and destabilize economies. In the Caribbean, increasingly intense hurricanes—like Maria, Irma, and Dorian—are devastating reminders that warming oceans are not just data points on a graph; they are wrecking balls to our homes, power grids, and livelihoods.
Meanwhile, right here in the United States, communities of color—particularly Black, Latino, and immigrant neighborhoods—disproportionately experience environmental injustices. From asthma-inducing air pollution in the Bronx to water contamination in Flint, Michigan, the climate crisis intersects with racial and economic inequality in ways that are impossible to ignore. Earth Day, for us, is not about hugging trees—it’s about surviving the storm, literally and metaphorically.
That’s why this 55th Earth Day must be a wake-up call—not just a celebration of how far we’ve come, but a serious reckoning with how far we need to go, and who is being left behind in the process. We need investment, infrastructure, and above all, inclusion. It’s not enough to talk about saving the planet. We have to start by saving the people most vulnerable to its decline.
Renewable energy is a cornerstone of that solution. And we at Carib News are heartened to see companies like Con Edison New York stepping up in the community. They’re not just stringing up solar panels and calling it a day—they’re engaging, educating, and empowering residents to be part of the climate solution. That’s the kind of corporate citizenship we need more of: one that understands that climate justice and social justice go hand in hand.
But let’s not put all the weight on corporations. We, too, must take ownership. From supporting local green initiatives to holding elected officials accountable, from recycling with intention to demanding environmental equity in urban planning, we all have a role to play.
Earth Day is not just a date. It’s a reminder. A reminder that the Caribbean archipelagos, the African savannas, and the bustling boroughs of Black and brown America are all linked by a warming world. A reminder that time is short but not up. And most importantly, a reminder that we are not powerless.
In the words of Kenyan environmentalist Wangari Maathai, “It’s the little things citizens do. That’s what will make the difference. My little thing is planting trees.”
What’s yours?
This Earth Day, let’s do more than commemorate. Let’s collaborate. Let’s educate. Let’s regenerate. Because if climate change is the fire, then climate action is the water—and it’s up to all of us to carry the bucket.
Happy Earth Day from Carib News.
—A Fellow Advocate for Environmental Justice
