WILPF Earth Democracy at Fresno’s Earth Day Celebration

Jean Hays and Kyla Mitchell, co-chairs of Fresno WILPF Earth Democracy

WILPF Earth Democracy had a booth at the Earth Day Fresno Celebration on Saturday, April 12, at Fresno City College. The booth was complete with two “oceans” (kiddy-wading pools) filled with plastic trash. Kids and adults alike loved cleaning out the oceans with our nets and looking at the clean water. We hardly had time to pollute them again for the next person to clean each one out! This is a great activity for your next Earth Day 2026!

Many people were very interested in our fliers about plastic pollution, “forever chemicals” (PFAS) in our water, safer alternatives to toxic cleaning products, and the danger the CEMEX gravel company poses with its plan to excavate a 600-foot-deep trench near the San Joaquin River at Lost Lake. 

HUGE THANKS go out to the following WILPFers for helping set up our booth and working two- to three-hour shifts to welcome visitors and answer questions. We could not have done it without you: Patricia Wells, Evonne Waldo, Janet Slagter, Carlos Haeussler, Joan Poss, Gioia Frank, Rich Rollin, Lynn Jacobsson, and Carol Goiburn. Please forgive us if we forgot to thank you! 

Thanks, also, to the Fresno Raging Grannies who sang Earth Day songs and even an Earth Day rap!

WILPF’s Earth Democracy booth at Fresno, CA’s Earth Day Celebration was a huge hit thanks to the hard work of many WILPF members!

Kids (and adults!) loved cleaning up our “ocean” at WILPF’s booth at the Fresno Earth Day Celebration!

Breaking Free from Plastics!

Nancy Price, co-chair of Earth Democracy Committee

Plastics are made from fossil fuels–coal, crude oil, and natural gas. Fossil fuel industries and manufacturers of plastic, their shareholders, and investors profit from this multi-billion-dollar business, the fastest-growing industrial source of greenhouse gases, increased global warming, and catastrophic events. 

Let’s link the 2024 Earth Day theme, Planet vs. Plastics, with the 2025 theme, Our Power, Our Planet! The children and adults who “loved cleaning out the oceans with nets and looking at the clean water” inspire us to support the following:

• A transition towards renewable energy, triple clean electricity generation by 2030, and a cut of greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent.
• A phasing out of single-use plastics by 2040 to reduce demand, production, trash, and pollution.
• A reduction of all plastic production by 60% by 2040.
• A decrease in the flow of plastics into oceans by over 80% by 2040.

Measures like these would help save the US government $70 billion by 2040 and generate 700,000 additional jobs, mainly in the Global South.

Environmentalists and scientists are focusing on microplastics, which are widespread, tiny plastic particles less than 5mm in size. They are found in cigarette filters, cleaning and personal care products, and many other items. Microplastics and microfibers accumulate in animals, fish, and humans, becoming more concentrated as they move up the food chain. They have significant health impacts. 

About 60% of clothing is made from petroleum turned into manufactured fibers–polyester, rayon, acrylic, and spandex. Textile fibers do not biodegrade and are one of the largest sources of microplastic pollution in the ocean. To reduce microplastics in our environment, buy and wear new or used clothing made of cotton, wool, silk, hemp, and bamboo. 

Follow Earth Democracy for more about the historic UN Resolution End Plastic Pollution: Towards an internationally legally binding instrument and the Fossil Fuel Treaty Campaign, an international treaty for a fair phase-out and just transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. We are developing materials about these topics.  Please email Nancy Price or Jean Hays at EarthDemocracy@WILPFUS.org with questions!