[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 69 (Thursday, April 27, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S5853]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                   THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF EARTH DAY

 Mr. SIMON. Mr. President, Saturday April 21, 1995 marked the 
25th anniversary of Earth Day. Created in 1970 by former Wisconsin 
Senator Gaylord Nelson, Earth Day has played a major role in 
heightening the awareness of environmental problems in the United 
States. In the past 25 years, much progress has been made to protect 
the environment. Congress passed vital laws to clean up our air and 
water, and to prevent and reduce pollution. We also enacted the 
Endangered Species Act, which has helped to protect vital plant and 
animal species in danger of extinction. In addition, Americans have 
become dedicated recyclers--now collecting upward of 22 percent of our 
trash in over 6,600 communities. But much work remains to be done--
particularly in the field of energy conservation.
  The United States is in desperate need of a plan to conserve our 
energy supply. We are currently more dependent on foreign oil than we 
were in the 1973 crisis. Nearly one-half of the oil used in the United 
States is imported, and this has a significant adverse impact on the 
U.S. balance of trade. Alternative forms of fuel, such as solar energy, 
need to continue to be explored.
  About 10 years ago, former Senator Charles ``Mac'' Mathias and I 
visited refugee housing in Nicosia, Cyprus, built 55 percent with 
American funds. Each house had a solar heating unit on it for hot 
water. If American taxpayers can help provide solar heating in Cyprus, 
why not in Carbondale, IL, and Bakersfield, CA. In 1981 my wife and I 
built a house and made it passive solar. In below-zero weather, we have 
the experience of a warm house during the daytime, with the furnace 
kicking on when the sun goes down. Clearly, we could do much more to 
encourage widespread use of solar energy.
  For some years I have also been trying to promote greater research 
and use of electric cars. Automobile ownership is expected to increase 
worldwide by up to 50 percent in the next 20 years. If we do not take 
action, the environmental and energy problems that will result from the 
use of gasoline-powered cars will be monumental. The resulting air 
pollution and oil consumption will create problems that simply will be 
intractable. Widespread use of electric cars would go a long way toward 
resolving this problem.
  I am pleased to report that we are making progress toward widespread 
use of electric cars. New rules have been adopted in California, New 
York, and Massachusetts that require 2 percent of the cars sold to be 
electric starting in 1998.
  There is great interest in the electric car abroad. Japan wants to 
have 200,000 electric cars in use by the year 2000, and Europe will not 
be far behind. We must encourage U.S. auto companies in every way we 
can to produce electric cars so that the United States is on the 
cutting-edge of this technology. This type of conservation effort will 
be an investment that saves both dollars and energy resources for the 
future.
  The question we need to face is whether we are doing what we should 
for future generations in environmental matters. Focusing on renewable 
and alternative energy sources is a good place to start.


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