Political Quotes

“Remembering 40 years ago, you and I are old enough to remember when tens of millions of Americans joined together in what was at the time a very visionary day, Earth Day, where Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson, drawing from Wisconsin's own Aldo Leopold, who had developed an ethic of the land, and he said, ``Earth Day is a dramatic evidence of a broad new national concern that cuts across generations and ideologies. Our goal is not just an environment of clean air and water and scenic beauty. The object is an environment of decency, quality, and mutual respect for other human beings and living creatures.'' It was really very visionary. But what resulted from that were specific bills, solid legislation, these bills that have moved the country along. So it is not just soft-headed, warm-hearted embracing of the wilderness. It was scientific engineering expertise brought to cleaning up the land and the water. And since Earth Day in 1970, laws have been passed such as the National Environmental Protection Act, the Clean Air Act, the Endangered Species Act, to mention a few. And Earth Day is no longer just a day. This ethic has been taken to heart, and we continue to move along with the solid science-based efforts to preserve our environment.”