President Joe Biden speaks at POET Bioprocessing in Menlo, Iowa, April 12, 2022. (AP Photo / Carolyn Kaster)
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Joe Biden’s most sweeping proposals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions remain stalled on Capitol Hill despite renewed warnings from scientists that the world is hurtling toward a dangerous future marked by extreme heat, drought and weather.

(Karsten Würth / Unsplash)

In the Chicago region, there are scores of ways for people to take part in the global movement not just April 22 but throughout Earth Week and beyond.

There are a number of ways for Chicagoans to take part in Earth Day. (Lauris Rozentals / Pexels)

After celebrations were scratched in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, Earth Day is back in 2021 with in-person events designed to raise awareness of environmental issues.

The University of Illinois at Chicago Circle (now UIC) was a hub for the first Earth Day. (Courtesy UIC archives)

Chicago was a hub for environmental activism on the first Earth Day, and it remains a pioneer today.

Apollo 8 astronaut Bill Anders’ photograph of the first earthrise witnessed by humans. (NASA)

Apollo 8 astronauts were the first to ever witness an earthrise, a view of the planet that put its fragility into perspective and helped propel the environmental movement.

(Daniel Dionne / Flickr)

We discuss the history of Earth Day and the environmental challenges the planet is facing today with Denis Hayes, the organizer of the very first event in 1970, and local environmental activist Kim Wasserman.

April 22 marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. (qimono / Pixabay)

Environmental organizations have had to scale back plans for the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. Get ready for lots of livestreams and calls for digital action this week. Here’s a sampling of what’s on offer.

Picking up litter while jogging or walking — also known as “plogging” — is a great solo Earth Day activity. (Visit Viljandi / Flickr)

In the midst of the coronavirus outbreak, we’re going to have to clean up the planet individually. Creative ideas from the Earth Day Network include “plogging” and #TrashTag.

(Courtesy Shedd Aquarium)

For the first time, Shedd Aquarium will host a full week of events leading up to Earth Day on April 22. 

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry signs the Paris Agreement on April 22. (@JohnKerry / Twitter)

The terms of the historic global pact were agreed upon by 195 countries on Dec. 12, 2015, at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris, but Friday – Earth Day – marks the first day of the yearlong signing period.