For Immediate Release
(202) 224-5653
Column: Earth Day
In
Earth Day was born out of the passion of Gaylord
Nelson. His life was one of service – from the Pacific theater during World War
II, to the State House as a State Senator and Governor, and to
When Gaylord came to
Gaylord knew that only with the grassroots support of
regular Americans, could the environmental agenda rise to prominence. His idea
for Earth Day came from the student teach-ins of the 1960s, but his cause
inspired people across boundaries of age, race and location. This year, more
than one billion people around the world will come together in the same way they
did 40 years ago.
In a speech on that historic day in 1970, Gaylord noted
that his goal was not just one of clean air and water, but also “an environment
of decency, quality and mutual respect for all other human beings and all other
living creatures.” He told the crowd that
That question was answered with a resounding yes. That
year saw the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of
the Clean Air Act. In 1972, six years after Gaylord Nelson stood alone on his
proposed DDT ban, its use was ended. Later years would bring better protection
of drinking water, emissions and efficiency standards for cars, programs to
cleanup brownfields sites, and the protection and preservation of our forests,
rivers, mountains and oceans.
Despite that progress – and I imagine Gaylord would be
the first to note this – we still have much work ahead of us. We must use this
anniversary to commit to another environmental decade. The needs of 40 years
ago – cleaner water, cleaner air, more protection of our lands – are still here,
but the next challenge we must face is climate change.
From lower lake levels, to more invasive species, the
consequences of unchecked climate change could be devastating to the people of
Remarkable research and development is happening today
in
In Congress, legislative work to address climate change
is ongoing. With the right mixture of requirements and incentives, we can
achieve a policy that reduces our dependence on foreign oil, cuts greenhouse gas
emissions, lowers prices at the pump and on the electricity bill, and creates
good-paying jobs that cannot be outsourced.
We do not have to choose between the environment and the
economy; between jobs and solving climate change. Gaylord Nelson made this
point over and over again. He once wrote that “all economic activity depends
upon the…air, water, soil, forest, minerals, wetlands, rivers, lakes, oceans,
wildlife habitats, and scenic beauty.” These, he said, “are the accumulated
capital resources of the nation. Take them away and what you have left is a
wasteland.”
On this 40th anniversary of Earth Day, while we remember
the pioneering sprit of Gaylord Nelson, we must honor his legacy by turning
words into action.
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