Earth Day hits different this year.
We’re living in a time when care—real, collective care—is being stripped away by the people and systems with the most power. The current administration recently reminded us who it’s working for, declaring to the oil and gas industry: “You’re the customer.” This chilling message is made worse by the simultaneous gutting of programs that support everyday people and protect the planet.
Meanwhile, Earth Day emails are landing in inboxes across the country, complete with recycled logos and “green” campaigns that gloss over the actual impact of the companies behind them. It’s hard not to feel like Earth Day itself has been hijacked by branding teams. The same corporations pushing out vague sustainability goals with 2050 deadlines are often the ones contributing most to the crisis today.
But cynicism is a luxury we can’t afford. Not because we should force hope, but because when we stop showing up, we leave the door wide open for those who never cared to begin with.
It Was Never About Your Tote Bag
For years, we’ve been told that individual choices could solve the climate crisis. If we recycled a little better, took shorter showers, or finally remembered to bring that reusable bag to the store, maybe we could fix it. That lie has been convenient for the companies doing the most harm—it keeps the spotlight off them.
Here’s the reality: just 100 companies are responsible for over 70% of global emissions. Yet individuals are often made to feel like villains if they forget their metal straw.
That doesn’t mean we stop caring about personal action. But it does mean we stop letting it carry the entire weight. Real change requires systemic shifts, policy changes, and corporate accountability. And that means turning our attention—and pressure—toward those with the actual power to shift outcomes at scale.
So What Do We Do?
First, we name what’s happening. We stop pretending corporations and politicians are doing their part when many are actively reversing progress. We call out greenwashing. We pay attention to where our workplaces, partners, and vendors stand—not just what they say, but what they fund, lobby for, and build.
Then we look around and ask: How can we show up in meaningful ways without carrying the burden alone?
Maybe it’s organizing conversations at your workplace about true sustainability and how it connects to equity and employee well-being. Maybe it’s supporting small, local businesses that make environmentally thoughtful choices without flashy campaigns. Maybe it’s backing climate justice organizations that center frontline communities, or voting for candidates who aren’t beholden to the fossil fuel industry.
Rest and care are also forms of resistance. Burnout benefits the status quo. Staying engaged—imperfectly, collectively—is the work.
The AI Tension Is Real—and That’s Why We Need to Be Here
Let’s name it: AI takes energy. Right now, the infrastructure powering these tools has a significant environmental footprint. That’s a real tension. But if values-driven, equity-focused, sustainability-minded people opt out of shaping the future of AI, who’s left?
That’s why we believe in working together, not walking away. There’s space to make AI better, cleaner, more inclusive, and more aligned with a future we want to live in. It’s going to take critical thinkers, care-minded creators, and people who ask hard questions to build that future. That’s why we’re here.
Earth Day Isn’t About Perfection—It’s About Pressure
This year, Earth Day isn’t here to guilt-trip individuals or give corporations a pass. It’s a reminder to show up with clear eyes and full hearts, to call in our workplaces, our communities, and our leaders, and to push for a future where care isn’t seen as radical but as necessary.
Because the planet doesn’t need another green campaign. It needs accountability. And it needs us.
We’re not powerless—we’re just not in power. Yet.