This Week on Earth: April 15-21
The top of Little Si Peak in Washington. (Cate Bouvet/ION)
Evanston
Starting on Earth Day (April 22), Evanston will host a series of annual events to highlight various environmental organizations and give community members a chance to get involved outdoors. Two events are coming up this weekend.
The Evanston Parks and Recreation department will host an Earth Day Fest on April 26 from 12-3 p.m. at Ladd Arboretum, featuring more than 15 local environmental organizations to teach about environmental advocacy. Groups in attendance will include the Evanston Environmental Association and Climate Action Evanston. There will also be nature activities, games and giveaways. The Evanston Public Works Department will give away 100 free oak and hackberry trees to Evanston community members.
On April 27, Downtown Evanston, The Woman’s Club of Evanston, and Brightview Landscaping will hold an Earth Day clean-up event from 12-2 p.m. Participants will receive gloves, bags and a map at Fountain Square.
United States
Experts predict that solar panels will become more expensive to manufacture and install due to President Donald Trump’s ongoing trade war with China.
Solar is a clean energy source that serves as an alternative to coal, natural gas and oil, all of which emit harmful greenhouse gases and are among the main contributors to global warming.
China accounts for at least 80% of the key components that make up solar panels and houses the world’s 10 leading suppliers of solar PV manufacturing equipment, according to the International Energy Agency.
This is not the first time that Trump has enforced tariffs that have reshaped the solar industry. In his first term, he imposed tariffs on foreign solar panels-intending to bolster American solar manufacturing. Although American solar manufacturing grew 190% in 2024, installation costs for homeowners also escalated, new private solar investment lost $19 billion and there were 62,000 fewer solar jobs than before the tariffs, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.
The Solar Energy Industries Association recommended that consumers looking to install solar panels in the future should move quickly to avoid growing prices, as sudden policy changes may slow investments in the industry.
Worldwide
In a new study published last Thursday, researchers found that endangered sea turtles are showing signs of recovery around the world.
The global study examined 48 sea turtle populations worldwide to measure the impacts of hunting, pollution, coastal development and climate change on each population. Published in the journal Endangered Species Research, scientists found that these threats were decreasing in more than half the areas studied.
However, the study showed that not all populations were experiencing the same improvements. Leatherback sea turtles, known for the longest marine migration, swimming up to 3,700 miles each way, are still at risk of extinction. Their lengthy annual journey exposes them to unique environmental risks, including temperature changes in the marine environment that affect their ability to find food and shift their migratory range and nesting season, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The study also showed that sea turtle populations in the Atlantic are more likely to be recovering than those in Pacific waters. It was the first update on sea turtle populations in over a decade, which showed the results of countries’ policy changes on population trends, such as the U.S. Endangered Species Act of 1973 and Mexico’s banning of all captures of sea turtles in 1990.