[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 45 (Wednesday, April 22, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E624]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               EARTH DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. KAREN McCARTHY

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 22, 1998

  Ms. McCARTHY of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, in commemorating Earth Day, I 
rise to pay tribute to Rachel Carson, whose courage and conviction in 
writing the 1962 acclaimed novel Silent Spring inspired a generation to 
action. She was the founder of the modern environmental movement, and 
her spirit was one of the driving forces behind the first Earth Day in 
April of 1970. I participated in that first Earth Day, as I have in 
each of them for 28 years, to demonstrate my support of the 
environmental gains we have made and to renew my commitment to those 
issues we must still resolve.
  One of the most pressing issues that we are faced with today is that 
of global climate change, the effects of which can be seen in the 
unprecedented severity of climate changes ravaging the world. The 
global scientific community has established the seriousness of the 
problem through their landmark research in Antarctica.
  In December of 1997 I participated in the Kyoto Round of the Global 
Conference on Climate Change, a process begun in 1992 at the Rio de 
Janeiro Earth Summit. The agreement which was reached in Kyoto outlines 
the important principles which need to be undertaken to slow the 
emission of greenhouse gasses, which are the primary contributors to 
the warming of our climate. On this important day we recognize the 
challenges that we must confront as a society to assure that the earth 
remains a livable place for future generations. We must take advantage 
of new technologies and fuel alternatives to reduce greenhouse gas 
emissions, and with these technologies assist developing nations to be 
environmentally responsible as they compete in the global marketplace.
  Mr. Speaker, thirty-six years ago, Rachel Carson changed our thinking 
about the Earth. On this Earth Day, I urge my colleagues and the 
American people to honor her by embracing public policy which will 
continue to make our world a better place in which to live.

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