Jay Doubleyou: earth day 2024

This year's Earth Day promises to be very big indeed:

Earth Day: The Official Site | EARTHDAY.ORG

The theme this year is Planet vs. Plastics:

Earth Day 2024 | Activities & Resources for April 22 - Earth Day

As reported today:

Over the past 60 years, around eight billion tons of plastic has been produced, according to a recent study in the journal Science Advances — 90.5 per cent of which has not been recycled. As a result, this year’s Earth Day theme— “Planet vs. Plastic”— demands a 60% reduction in the production of all plastics by 2040.

Just how big of a challenge is this? What type of numbers are we talking about? Here’s some perspective:

In 1950, the world produced just two million tons of plastic. We now produce over 450 million tons.
Half of all plastics ever manufactured have been made in the last 15 years.
Production is expected to double by 2050.
More than one million plastic water bottles are sold every minute.
Every year, about 11 million tons of plastic waste escapes into the ocean.
Only 9% of plastics ever produced has been recycled.
Plastics often contain additives that can extend the life of products, with some estimates ranging to at least 400 years to break down.

Plastic is literally everywhere

An advertisement from the American Plastics Council in a 1997 edition of the New Yorker suggested that plastic wrappers and containers were the “sixth food group” that were there to keep contaminates out of our food.

Earth Day 2024: Planet Vs. Plastic

Here's some background:

Earth Day is a global event which aims to highlight the importance of protecting the environment. It takes place every year on 22 April.,It was set up in 1970 by Gaylord Nelson, a US senator and environmentalist, and Denis Hayes, a graduate student at Harvard University...

The 2024 theme, "Planet vs. Plastics", aims to raise awareness of the harms of plastic pollution for human and planetary health. Previous events have covered a range of environmental issues, from climate change and clean energy to protecting species and the benefits of tree planting. This year's focus comes ahead of an historic UN treaty on plastics, which is expected to be agreed by the end of 2024. More than 50 countries, including the UK, have called for an end to plastic pollution by 2040. But the organisers of Earth Day want to go further, and are calling for a 60% reduction in the production of all plastics by 2040.

What is Earth Day, when is it and what has it achieved? - BBC News

Corporations are getting in on the act - although how effective these promotions are...

Win Disney+ National Geographic Galápagos Islands Cruise: How to Enter

Apple Celebrating Earth Day and International Dance Day With New Apple Watch Activity Challenges - MacRumors

Or is it greenwashing, again...

Reclaiming Earth Day from corporate greenwashing – The UCSD Guardian

How Capitalism Stole Earth Day

Earth Day 2024: Greenwashing is the order of the day

Perhaps more importantly, people are doing things:

Rochdale News | News Headlines | Family event to celebrate Earth Day to be held at Number One Riverside - Rochdale Online

Discounted unlimited travel on Salisbury Reds buses for Earth Day | Salisbury Journal

Celebrate Earth Day in Lancaster district - Beyond Radio