San Francisco's Exploratorium celebrates Earth Day with an online program exploring some of the big ideas behind the science of the Earth’s systems. 

Program Highlights
Earth Day: Exploring Earth Science in Your Kitchen (Ages 8+)
Staff environmental scientist Sue Pierre and staff teacher Lori Lambertson will start off with a discussion of the history of Earth Day. They will also share some activities that can be done in and around your home to illustrate how Earth is a closed system for matter, but an open system for energy by exploring matter cycles, energy flows, and life webs. 

Environmental Benefits of Sheltering in Place (Ages 13+)
Mary Miller, program director in the Exploratorium’s environment group, chats with Ron Cohen from UC Berkeley about the change in carbon emissions since our sheltering in place began. They check in on data from the air quality sensors that Ron’s lab has placed around the Bay Area, including two at the Exploratorium. This time of reduced traffic is an experiment in how much cutting back on gas-powered cars can help the environment!

Exponential Growth (Ages 11+)
Exploratorium scientist Ron Hipschman leads a discussion of exponential growth. Is growth always good? The biggest threat to our existence on planet Earth isn’t asteroids—it’s us. Learn about the exponential function and the conclusions we can draw from it.
(Handout for exponential growth).

The live stream can be watched on the website, on YouTube and on Facebook.

1pm - 2:30pm Pacific   (3pm - 4:30pm Central, 4pm - 5:30pm Eastern)