Earth Day 2025 had Long Islanders picking up beach trash and worrying about the future

On Earth Day Tuesday, Long Island residents scoured the shores of Jones Beach, searching for microplastics and other waste that spoil the coastline and harm marine creatures.

"Earth Day is an opportunity to help clean this beautiful planet we live on and have taken for granted. We want to do our small part of trying to clean up and preserve the planet for future generations, that's vitally important," said Seaford resident Rosemary Ritz as she picked up trash. 

But amid those caretaking efforts, concerns about environmental regulations being lifted and cuts to projects focused on clean energy were on the minds of volunteers.

"It's important we all take care of the Earth with our own little imprint, but I'm worried about the future," said Angie Troici, a resident of Lynbrook.

Since its first official observance on April 22, 1970, Earth Day has raised public awareness about environmental matters and helped lead to the establishment of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the enactment of influential laws such as the Endangered Species Act under Republican President Richard Nixon’s administration, according to the National Archives and other experts.

But Earth Day this year comes at a crucial moment as the Trump administration seeks to roll back environmental regulations, reverse course on efforts to mitigate climate change, and boost oil, gas and coal.

“Earth Day today is more difficult because we have an administration that’s actively hostile to climate change issues,” said Adrienne Esposito, executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, later adding: “It’s a very challenging time and very tragic actually.”

Since taking office in January, President Donald Trump has sought out substantial changes to the Environmental Protection Agency. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, of Shirley, outlined in a news release dozens of deregulation efforts he wants the agency to adopt, including reconsidering power plant regulations and current directives “throttling the oil and gas industry.” 

“We are driving a dagger straight into the heart of the climate change religion to drive down cost of living for American families, unleash American energy, bring auto jobs back to the U.S. and more,” said Zeldin in the March release.

In January, Trump signed an executive order to remove the United States from the Paris climate agreement, a 2015 deal that seeks to curb global warming.

On Long Island, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum ordered all work to stop on a project that would create 54 wind turbines off the coast of Long Beach, Newsday previously reported. The move comes after Trump signed an executive order stopping agencies from extending or starting leases for wind energy on waterways under federal jurisdiction.

On Tuesday, the Long Island Federation of Labor, environmental groups, and others registered their discontent over the halting of the project on the steps outside the Nassau County Legislature. Speakers at the news conference said the wind project would help marine life, bolster energy independence, lead to job creation and mitigate climate change.

"We should not be eliminating technology like offshore wind that is going to create union jobs, that is going to invest in our infrastructure, that is going to make those local budgets whole,” said Ryan Stanton, executive director of the Long Island Federation of Labor.

Esther Rosario, executive director of Climate Jobs New York, said offshore wind is also about jobs and stability. Delaying the wind project, Rosario said, “kills union jobs and hurts local businesses, and they send the message that working people to our elected officials are expendable.”

George Povall, executive director at All Our Energy, which advocates for renewable energy, said wind energy has “huge potential benefits.”

“If we leave them on the table and don't seize the opportunity, it's a huge loss for all of Long Islanders and our children and our grandchildren,” he said.

With AP