The 50th anniversary of Earth Day in San Diego did not feature a large celebration in Balboa Park. Instead, climate advocates moved their Earth Day rally online this week.
Concern over the COVID-19 pandemic and tough social distancing rules pushed the observance onto the internet.
“We need to keep everybody safe. So that’s really the bottom line and so we’re taking action in a way that’s possible,” said Masada Disenhouse, the executive director of SanDiego350
Disenhouse does not think the pandemic stifled the fight for the planet’s future.
“We feel that we can get a lot done virtually,” Disenhouse said. “And I’ve really been amazed by the spirit and the passion of the people who’ve been organizing this, and how quickly people were able to pivot.”
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The COVID-19 pandemic and the battle to slow climate change carried some similar traits. Advocates reminded people to listen to science if they hope to triumph.
The pandemic will go away, said student activist Elea Castiglione, but the march of climate change will continue.
“This is an issue that we’re going to be dealing with and trying to solve our entire lives. So we want to start early because we want to create the brightest future that we can, not just for ourselves but for everyone that comes after us,” Castiglione said.
The Earth Day event was moved online because of the pandemic, but organizers hope for a better situation in the fall.
The San Diego Earth Fair has been postponed until September.
