[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 56 (Thursday, April 22, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S4115]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. BINGAMAN (for himself and Mr. Chafee):
  S. 864. A bill to designate April 22 as Earth Day; to the Committee 
on the Judiciary.


                             EARTH DAY ACT

  Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, this bill that I have sent to the desk 
is being introduced on behalf of myself and Senator Chafee. It is 
entitled ``The Earth Day Act.'' Its purpose is to designate April 22 as 
Earth Day.
  Today, of course, is April 22. Let me provide a little history for my 
colleagues or anyone listening.
  The first Earth Day was 29 years ago, in 1970, and I think we are all 
aware that Earth Day was first conceived by our former colleague, 
Senator Gaylord Nelson, who is universally considered the founder of 
Earth Day.
  He has written a short summary of what brought Earth Day about, how 
it came about. In it he points out that in a speech that he gave in 
Seattle in September of 1969, he announced that there would be a 
national environmental teach-in in the spring of 1970. And the wire 
services picked up that story. And the next thing he knew, there was a 
movement afoot to actually have that happen.
  That first Earth Day involved some 20 million Americans. Since then, 
the concept and the idea of Earth Day has focused the attention of the 
country, focused the attention of the world, in fact, on the importance 
of our environment and the importance of preserving and maintaining our 
environment. We have a great debt of gratitude we owe to former Senator 
Nelson for his leadership on this.
  We also owe a great debt of gratitude to the person that did the nuts 
and bolts work of organizing that first Earth Day, and that, of course 
is Denis Hayes. He is now president of the Seattle-based Bullitt 
Foundation, but he has been recognized recently by Time magazine as one 
of their heroes of the planet. I think his instrumental role, his 
essential role in bringing about that first Earth Day, making such a 
success of it, has been recognized by all.
  He is now, of course, trying to get in place the organization to make 
Earth Day 2000, which will occur exactly a year from today, an even 
greater celebration than we have known before.
  Mr. President, I firmly believe that it is appropriate that we 
officially designate April 22 as Earth Day and that we permanently 
designate it as Earth Day. It has come to be known as Earth Day--April 
22--for all of us. There are celebrations and teach-ins, and 
recognitions going on throughout our country today. As we hear the news 
about Kosovo, which is bad, and the news about Littleton, Colorado, and 
the terrible tragedy there, which is bad, and many of the other news 
stories that bombard us, it is good to know that there is one news 
story that we can all celebrate and rally around, and that is that 
today, again, we will be able to celebrate Earth Day.
  Mr. President, it is my sincere hope that Senator Chafee and I can 
work in the next year to gain additional cosponsors and to obtain 
enactment of this, so that by the time Earth Day 2000 arrives, we will 
be able to have this in law, have it signed by the President. I am sure 
it will be supported by all of our colleagues. I think we all recognize 
the importance of this to many of the people we represent. I hope very 
much that the bill can be enacted.
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