Sam Farr: “Mr. Speaker, I am glad that we are holding this special order on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of Earth Day. It…”

“Mr. Speaker, I am glad that we are holding this special order on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of Earth Day. It is important that we take the time to recognize the importance of environmental conservation efforts and renew our commitment to them until we make everyday Earth Day. We all must do our parts to be good stewards of our ocean, our land and our atmosphere. This is the only planet that we have after all. Earth Day was born at a time of great concern over the degradation of the environment and the effects of that degradation on all species, including humans. I like to think of Earth Day as an ecological version of New Year's Day--a time to reflect, take stock and make resolutions. With that in mind, I want to take my time in this special order to talk about our oceans--two thirds of the earth that we need to know a lot more about. Tuesday's release of the 'U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy's' report marks a milestone for our oceans and for the way we view them. Their report is the result of almost 2 years of reflecting and taking stock of our current ocean management practices. For the first time in more than 30 years, we as a nation, have re-considered our relationship with the sea.”