Earth Day 2025: Our Power, Our Planet

What is Earth Day and why does it matter?

Every year on April 22nd, more than a billion people across the globe come together to celebrate Earth Day—a movement that started back in 1970 as a call to protect the environment and raise awareness about our impact on the natural world.

That first Earth Day saw 20 million people marching in streets, planting trees, and demanding action.

Fast forward to today, and Earth Day is now a global phenomenon—uniting classrooms, communities, and campaigns in over 190 countries.

But Earth Day is more than just a one-day event. It’s a chance for students, teachers, and activists to come together, reflect, and take action for a greener future.

If you missed it, take a look at the article we published last year all about plastics and pollution: Earth Day 2024 – Planet vs. Plastics

Earth Day 2025: Our Power, Our Planet

This year Earth Day will turn 55. This year’s theme is suitably bold, powerful, and hopeful: "Our Power, Our Planet" ✊🌍

Organised by EARTHDAY.ORG, the 2025 campaign is all about climate action—but with a focus on something tangible, achievable, and exciting: renewable energy.

Here’s what this year’s campaign is calling for:

• Triple renewable energy generation by 2030

• Accelerate the shift away from fossil fuels

• Amplify youth voices and climate justice movements

• Make clean energy affordable and accessible to everyone

“Our power lies in our voices, our votes, and our everyday choices. Together, we can drive the change needed to protect our planet.” – Earthday.org

Why renewable energy is such a big deal

If you’ve studied the climate crisis in school, you’ll know that the biggest driver of climate change is burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas. These release greenhouse gases that trap heat in our atmosphere, causing global temperatures to rise.

But there’s good news: we already have the tools to fix this.

🌿 Renewable energy sources—like solar panels, wind turbines, and hydroelectric dams—generate electricity without polluting the air or heating up the planet. They’re cleaner, safer, and getting cheaper every year.

🧠 Understanding the science and economics behind energy generation is essential. From an environmental point of view, it could mean the difference between a livable planet and climate catastrophe.

5 ways to make a difference this Earth Day

You don’t need to be a world leader or engineer to help fight climate change. Here are five practical and inspiring ways you can join the “Our Power, Our Planet” campaign:

1. Learn about your energy use

• Use an online calculator to track your personal energy footprint

• Find out where your electricity comes from—how much is renewable?

• Set goals to reduce your usage at home or school (e.g. switch off lights, unplug chargers when not in use)

2. Get involved in your community

• Start a "Switch it Off" campaign in your school to save energy

• Join local clean-ups, tree plantings, or youth climate groups

• Share climate facts and tips on social media using the hashtag #ED2025

3. Educate yourself (and others)

• Host a mini lesson, TED-style talk, or quiz on renewable energy in class

• Use trusted resources like BBC Teach or Twinkl’s Earth Day toolkit to make it fun and interactive

• Explore case studies of countries already powered by clean energy (e.g. Iceland or Costa Rica!)

4. Use your spending power wisely

• Support brands that run on renewable energy or are certified as low carbon

• Try buying second-hand tech or clothes to reduce energy use in manufacturing

• Avoid fast fashion and unnecessary gadgets that increase demand for fossil fuels

• Consider buying or leasing an electric or hybrid car (or persuading your parents to get one!)—the second hand electric vehicle market is increasingly making this a more accessible option

I recently ‘took the plunge’ and was fortunate enough to be able to purchase a second hand electric car, selling my trusty (but heavily polluting) diesel camper van in the process. I felt like this was a positive step I was able to take, as a significant amount of the electricity used to charge this car will be generated from renewable sources.

5. Dive deeper with SME’s revision resources!

Want to understand renewable energy from every angle? Whether you're revising for IB ESS or prepping for the AP Environmental Science exam, we’ve got you covered:

Explore our renewable energy study guides

At Save My Exams, we’re committed to helping students master the science behind sustainability—because the better we understand it, the more powerful we become 💪🌎

For IB ESS Students

Check out our updated SL and HL revision notes, including real-world case studies, sustainability strategies, and energy trade-offs:

• Topic 7.2 Energy Sources, Uses and Management (SL)

• Battery Storage (HL) – what happens when the sun sets or the wind stops blowing?
  
  

Our IB Environmental Systems & Societies revision notes are fully illustrated with our in-house diagrams to help visualise renewable energy systems

🎯 Watch this space: we’re also working on brand new IB ESS exam-style questions—coming soon!

For AP Environmental Science (APES) Students

Ready to master Unit 6: Energy Resources and Consumption?

• Explore renewable vs nonrenewable sources

• Our brand new Study Guides include custom illustrations, diagrams, and definitions to make learning visual and clear!

🎯 OUT NOW: we’ve been working hard behind the scenes and have just published APES MCQs (by topic) and FRQs (found at the end of each unit)! 

Our AP Environmental Science Study Guides are available now—good luck to those students sitting APES in May!

Final thoughts

This Earth Day, let’s remember the power we all have—individually and collectively—to make a difference.

Whether it’s turning off a light, learning something new, or challenging your school to switch to green energy, every action counts.

Happy Earth Day from all of us at Save My Exams! 🌎💙

Sources and Further Reading

• EARTHDAY.ORG – Earth Day 2025 Theme
  
  

• Energy Saving Trust – Earth Day 2025
  
  

• BBC Teach – Environmental Education
  
  

• Twinkl – Earth Day for Schools

About the author

As an Environmental Studies Content Creator for Save My Exams—and a former teacher of Biology and Environmental Science—I've witnessed a remarkable surge in environmental awareness among students over the last decade.

This growing consciousness, likely fueled by the escalating challenges our planet faces, has ignited a wave of youth-led activism that's both inspiring and essential.

Seeing this passion and drive motivates me to continue creating environmental science resources. By equipping students with knowledge, we empower them to understand the complexities of environmental issues and, more importantly, to become part of the solution.