This week marks the celebration of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, created in 1970 to raise awareness about unchecked environmental problems like air and water pollution.

The unexpected and overwhelming public support for the first Earth Day, which inspired 20 million people to demonstrate in rallies across the country, helped drive Congress to pass major regulations that remain the backbone of U.S. environmental law.

Four decades later, we need another groundswell of support to push lawmakers to address the biggest challenge now facing the earth: climate change.

This week, Senators John Kerry, Lindsey Graham and Joe Lieberman are expected to introduce their version of the long-stalled climate change bill passed by the House last year. One of our partners, Earth Day Network, will be holding a climate rally in Washington, DC late this week to demonstrate support for a comprehensive climate and clean energy bill that helps to rebuild our economy, secure energy independence, and address the climate crisis.

You can join the march virtually by adding your name to their petition, which will appear in lights alongside the names of hundreds of thousands of fellow petition signers on the National Mall.

Earth Day petition