[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 284 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 284

   Expressing support for honoring Earth Day, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 26, 2017

Mr. McEachin (for himself, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Pallone, Ms. Jayapal, Ms. 
   Barragan, Mr. Blumenauer, Mr. Huffman, Ms. Castor of Florida, Mr. 
Beyer, Mr. Brendan F. Boyle of Pennsylvania, Mr. Brown of Maryland, Mr. 
 Butterfield, Mr. Carbajal, Mr. Clay, Mr. Connolly, Mr. Conyers, Mrs. 
Dingell, Mr. Evans, Ms. Fudge, Mr. Gallego, Ms. Hanabusa, Mr. Hastings, 
Ms. Jackson Lee, Mr. Jeffries, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Ms. Kaptur, Mr. 
    Krishnamoorthi, Ms. Lee, Mr. Lewis of Georgia, Mr. Ted Lieu of 
    California, Mr. Lipinski, Mr. Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico, Ms. 
    McCollum, Mr. Moulton, Mrs. Murphy of Florida, Mr. Nadler, Mr. 
Norcross, Ms. Norton, Mr. Payne, Mr. Pocan, Mr. Raskin, Mr. Sablan, Mr. 
Thompson of California, Ms. Tsongas, Mr. Tonko, Ms. Wasserman Schultz, 
    Mrs. Watson Coleman, Ms. Velazquez, and Ms. Wilson of Florida) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
  on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign 
Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
   each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the 
                jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Expressing support for honoring Earth Day, and for other purposes.

Whereas Earth Day was first celebrated on April 22, 1970;
Whereas the late Senator Gaylord Nelson, the founder of Earth Day, called on the 
        people of the United States to hold elected officials accountable for 
        failing to adequately protect the health of people and the natural 
        environment;
Whereas after witnessing years of environmental neglect, millions of Americans 
        of all ages, walks of life, and political affiliations gathered in 
        cities across the Nation on the first Earth Day to demand basic 
        protections for our planet and to commit to leaving behind a healthier 
        world for the next generation;
Whereas Earth Day united people who had been fighting against oil spills, 
        polluting factories and power plants, raw sewage and toxic dumps, the 
        loss of wildlife, and other environmental ills;
Whereas that work continues today;
Whereas Earth Day is an annual event created to promote environmental 
        citizenship and action year-round;
Whereas the first celebration of Earth Day was the largest environmental 
        grassroots event ever held at that time and is widely credited with 
        launching the modern environmental movement;
Whereas the voices of inaugural Earth Day participants galvanized an 
        unparalleled period of legislative and grassroots activity that changed 
        the way we interact with the environment, leading to the creation of the 
        Environmental Protection Agency, and passage of legislation such as the 
        Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, and the Endangered Species Act;
Whereas by 1990, Earth Day was celebrated globally, with 200,000,000 people in 
        141 countries participating in Earth Day events;
Whereas Earth Day encourages environmental activism around the world, and 
        reminds people to find ways to protect the environment, including 
        managing their own environmental impact;
Whereas on Earth Day, people engage in projects, initiatives, and campaigns to 
        protect and restore the planet including planting trees, removing 
        litter, cleaning up coral reefs, conserving water and energy, and other 
        environmentally responsible actions;
Whereas new and continuing challenges, including climate change, polluted oceans 
        and waterways, loss of forest, wetlands, and other wildlife habitats, 
        reinforce the need for adequate protections for the air we breathe, the 
        water we drink, the land we inhabit, and the animals we live alongside;
Whereas the American Public Health Association declared 2017 the year of climate 
        change and health, because changes to our climate are harming Americans 
        health and safety, including respiratory allergies and asthma;
Whereas Earth Day reaffirms our national responsibility in the global effort to 
        combat climate change and protect our planet;
Whereas Earth Day reminds us of the need to expand environmental and climate 
        literacy not only to strengthen environmental and climate protections 
        but also to accelerate development of green technologies and creation of 
        green jobs; and
Whereas Earth Day reminds us we must not pass a world beyond repair to our 
        children: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) urges the President to issue a proclamation recognizing 
        Earth Day, consistent with the practice of the previous 
        administration;
            (2) encourages the American people to mark Earth Day by 
        working to address environmental challenges large and small, 
        from climate change to litter; to educate their friends, 
        neighbors, and elected representatives about the need for year-
        round action; and to otherwise honor the stewardship ethic for 
        which Senator Gaylord Nelson stood; and
            (3) urges governments and peoples around the world to 
        continue building upon the Paris Agreement and other efforts to 
        ensure that future generations inherit a livable, sustainable, 
        and ecologically rich planet Earth.
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