Max Baucus: “I rise today in support of the Goals 2000 legislation because it is important to the effort of preserving our natural…”

“I rise today in support of the Goals 2000 legislation because it is important to the effort of preserving our natural resources and environment. A strong educational system has many ripple effects--even on the environment. Environmental leaders have universally urged that the educational system be strengthened. In this way, the citizens of this country will have the knowledge and understanding to grapple with today's more complex and subtle environmental challenges. Russell Train, a former EPA administrator and the current chairman of the World Wildlife Fund, articulated the goal of environmental education in his report entitled ``Choosing a Sustainable Future'' published last year. He called for an American with an environmentally literate citizenry that has the knowledge, skills and ethical values to achieve sustainable development. I could not agree more that literacy is key to preserving our environment as well as our economy and our way of life. Unfortunately, with respect to educating the public and our children about the environment, we still have a long way to go.”