Every year since 1970, April 22 has represented an international call for climate action and a reminder of the importance of protecting our planet. This year’s Earth Day, with the theme of Our Power, Our Planet, invites the world to join together in support of renewable energy, with the goal of tripling clean electricity generation by 2030.
In honor of Earth Day this year, the Climate School has a variety of articles and events lined up throughout the month of April. Find out more here.
To achieve the goal of tripling clean electricity generation by 2030, countries would need to move away from fossil fuels that produce large amounts of greenhouse gases and switch to “clean” (solar, wind, hydropower, geothermal and biomass) energy sources instead.
For context, about 38% of U.S. energy consumption came from petroleum in 2023, which emitted 47% of U.S energy-related CO2, according to the U.S Energy Information Administration. This was followed by the use of natural gas, which accounted for 36% of energy use and added 37% to emissions. Coal represented only 9% of energy consumption, but resulted in 16% of total energy-related CO2 emissions.
“Switching to renewables represents a humanitarian revolution—for the first time in human history, we have a path to provide virtually unlimited, low-cost energy for everyone,” said Aidan Charron, associate director of Global Earth Day.
At State of the Planet, we’ve been covering the research and conversations around energy use and renewables for years. Take a look at some of our recent stories and keep reading State of the Planet for ongoing coverage this Earth Month and year-round.
- How Climate Change Impacts Renewable Energy: Because renewable energy sources depend on the environment, both the supply of and demand for renewables are affected by climate impacts such as high heat, drought, altered precipitation patterns, flooding, extreme weather and wildfires.
- New Report Refutes 33 False Claims About Solar, Wind and Electric Vehicles: The Sabin Center identified and examined the 33 most pervasive false claims about renewable energy.
- What Is Decarbonization, and How Do We Make It Happen? To keep the planet from warming more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, economies must rapidly decarbonize. What will this involve?
- Air Conditioning Poses a Climate Conundrum: The more we cool ourselves, the more we warm the planet. Is there a way to fix this?
- Students Raise Their Voices for a Just Energy Transition: Two M.P.A. in Environmental Science and Policy Program traveled to Thailand to share their ideas in the 2023 Youth Voice Dialogue.
- Finding Community in New York City’s Energy Scene: A student at the School of International and Public Affairs was pleasantly surprised by the range of attendees at a Young Professionals in Energy event in New York City.
