For the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, Earth Day Initiative and March for Science NYC will demonstrate what we can do to empower one another and connect with people around the world to make positive steps forward, even when circumstances on the ground make it difficult to be with each other in person. In this uncertain time, we are using the technology and tools available to us to demonstrate what activism can look like in the 21st Century.

Presented by:

Thanks to everyone who showed up for our kick-off event. Watch the whole thing now by clicking the button below.

PART 1 - 4:10-5:00 pm: Public Health & the Climate Crisis

Join experts on public health and infectious disease as they talk about these issues in the context of a changing climate.

Featuring a panel on infection disease with:

• Benhur Lee, Professor of Microbiology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

• Celine Gounder, Host and Producer of American Diagnosis / Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine and Infectious Diseases

• Harlan Pruden, Educator at the British Columbia Center for Disease Control's Chee Mamuk program

• moderated by Jessie Bluedorn, Sunrise Movement

With messages, speeches, and live Q&A from:

• Bill Nye

• Gina McCarthy, CEO and President of NRDC and former EPA Administrator

• Actor Ian Somerhalder

• Ali Khan, Dean of the College of Public Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, former Assistant Surgeon General

• Laura Anderko, Director, Mid-Atlantic Center for Children's Health and the Environment

PART 2 - 5:00-5:45 pm: Food Security & the Climate Crisis

Join our experts as they discuss how the climate crisis affects food security, and its impact on our communities.

Featuring a panel on food security with:

• Karen Washington, Food Justice Advocate and founder of Rise & Root Farm

• Sonali McDermid, Climate Scientist and contributing author to the IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Land

• David Kanter, Vice-Chair of the International Nitrogen Initiative

• moderated by Ray Figueroa, Urban Agriculture Consultant and President of the New York City Community Garden Coalition

With a speech and live Q&A from:

• Asmeret Asefaw Berhe, Professor of Soil Biogeochemistry, “On the need to center soil and equity in our fight against climate change”

And a demo on vertical, sustainable farming by Urban Food Labs!

PART 3 - 5:45-6:20 pm: Mental Health & the Climate Crisis

Join our experts as they discuss how the climate crisis affects mental health, and why this growing issue deserves our attention.

Featuring a speech and live Q&A from:

• Britt Wray, science writer, broadcaster, and speaker researching the intersection between the climate crisis and mental health

Neuroscience demos from:

• MiNDS: “What decision-making during crises looks like in the brain”

• BraiNY: “Heart-rate variability (a measure of parasympathetic nervous system activity) before and after a breathing exercise”

And a live, deep-breathing meditation session led by:

• Luisa Ancona, Daya Yoga instructor

6:20-6:50 pm: HALFTIME SHOW

You’ve seen him in his roles as Vice President, Presidential candidate, Nobel Peace Prize winner, and host of Caveat Theater’s “An Inconvenient Talk Show.” That’s right. We’re talking about Al Gore, played by Brooklyn comedian and climate science grad student Rollie Williams. Join Al as he takes us through the history of the climate crisis.

(And stay tuned to the livestream for the real Al Gore with a special Earth Day 50 climate message!)

Then join the folks at Climate Clock to find out more about their work to “synchronize our watches,” so that the world can see how much time is left to meet the challenge of the climate crisis.

And watch out for Broadway performances by the company of Jagged Little Pill, James Snyder (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), Mara Davi (A Chorus Line, Smash), and Alexandra Socha (Head Over Heels, Spring Awakening)!

PART 4 - 6:50-8:20 pm: Climate & Our Communities

So you’ve heard from the experts on how climate change can affect our physical and mental health, as well as our food security. Now let's see how we can fight this together!

Featuring messages, speeches, and live Q&A from:

• Senator Elizabeth Warren

• Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt

• Katharine Hayhoe, Texas Tech Climate Director and UN Champion of the Earth

  • Q&A moderated by Emily Atkin, climate journalist and founder of HEATED

• Lubna Ahmed, Director of Environmental Health at WE ACT for Environmental Justice

  • Q&A moderated by Zinhle Essamuah, host and correspondent at NowThis

Live panels and conversations covering:

Youth Activism and Polluters Out

• Ayisha Saddiqa, co-founder, Polluters Out

Climate Activism and Frontline Communities

• Kei Williams, Organizer with People’s Climate Movement, Black Lives Matter, and Marsha P. Johnson Institute

• Lee Bitsóí, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Consultant

• Omar Gowayed (moderator), Co-Chair of March for Science NYC

Divestment from Fossil Fuels

• Jayson Toweh, Harvard Forward candidate

• Danielle Strasburger, co-founder and campaign manager of Harvard Forward

• Lyna Hinkel (moderator), founder of 350NYC

Scientific Community and Creative Storytelling

• Valentino Vettori, founder of Arcadia Earth

• Lea d’Auriol, founder of Oceanic Global Foundation

Activism Workshops from:

• 350NYC : What does it mean to be an activist? Followed by live Q&A

• Extinction Rebellion NYC : What is Nonviolent Direct Action?

PART 5 - 8:20-10:00 pm: Climate Science & the Green New Deal

Hear more from climate scientists and energy experts on solutions to the climate crisis, and join the discussion on policies needed to implement these solutions.

Featuring speeches and live Q&A from:

• Kate Marvel, Climate Scientist at Columbia University and NASA GISS, writer and storyteller

  • Q&A Moderated by Lucy Biggers, host and correspondent at NowThis

Live panels and conversations covering:

Big Oil's Climate Coverup: Covid Edition

• Rollie Williams (as Al Gore), Comedian, climate science grad student, and host of “An Inconvenient Talk Show” at Caveat Theater

• Geoffrey Supran, Research Associate in History of Science at Harvard University, Scientist and Activist

The Green New Deal and Drawdown Solutions

• Leah Stokes, Assistant Professor of Political Science and Environmental Studies at UCSB

• Chad Frischmann, Vice President and Research Director of Project Drawdown

• Jonathan Rose, Urban Planner, Founder of Jonathan Rose Companies

• Jeffrey Gracer, Domestic and International Environmental Lawyer 

• John Oppermann (Moderator), Executive Director of Earth Day Initiative 

The Doomsday Clock

• Rachel Bronson, President and CEO of Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, Manager of the Doomsday Clock

Workshops by:

Kendra Krueger: DIY CO2 Sensors and Citizen Science

Cynthia Leung: Climate Education Bill in NYS, Youth Activism

Join in the conversation, connect with each other, and learn from the experts in the Earth Day 50 Virtual Kick-Off app! Virtual workshops include interactive presentations and sessions led by activists and scientists and virtual exhibitor booths feature environmental campaigns and sustainable causes.