Political Quotes

“I rise today to mark the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. Started in 1970 by Wisconsin's Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in, Earth Day has become a global event. More than 20 million people participated in the first Earth Day and that number has grown to over 500 million in 175 countries. Since the first Earth Day, the United States has made significant strides in improving the quality of our environment--our air, our water, our land, and our natural resources. The days of having to turn on street lights in downtown Pittsburgh at noon because of the pollution emitted by coal plants, steel mills, and other industries are long gone. No longer does the Cuyahoga River in Ohio catch fire due to the uncontrolled discharge of oil and other pollutants. Long gone too is the mining of coal and other minerals without regard to the impact on land or water. And today, one can hike through Yellowstone National Park or the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and hear the howling of wolves, a species that was almost completely wiped out in the lower 48 States. These are just a few examples of how our Nation has embraced the tenants of environmental awareness put forth on that first Earth Day in 1970.”