BANGOR DAILY NEWS • April 21, 2020
Wednesday marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. With more than 2 million cases of the novel coronavirus confirmed around the world and more than 171,000 deaths attributed to the illness, many countries are essentially in lockdown. Stores and other businesses are shuttered, putting more than 20 million Americans out of work. Yet, around the world, skies are freer from pollution. We should also not accept using the coronavirus pandemic as an excuse to roll back environmental protections. Yet, that is what the Trump administration is doing. There isn’t much to celebrate this Earth Day. But, there is some hope in seeing what is possible when Americans — and others around the world — work together to overcome huge challenges.