[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 59 (Wednesday, April 22, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E944]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                        COMMEMORATING EARTH DAY

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                             HON. RON KIND

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 22, 2009

  Mr. KIND. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 39th annual 
Earth Day celebration. While our Nation is facing many other important 
and difficult challenges, I think it is incredibly important that we 
take this day to reflect on the status of our environment and how each 
of us affects it individually. Little decisions made in our own daily 
lives snowball into large changes that have tremendous impact--a fact 
worth remembering.
  Earth Day founder and Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson is the perfect 
example of just how great an impact one person can have. Born in the 
small town of Clear Lake in northwest Wisconsin, Sen. Nelson went on to 
become governor of the state and then U.S. Senator. He founded Earth 
Day in 1970 to put pressing environmental issues on the national 
political map. Now, 39 years later, Earth Day is celebrated in 175 
countries, helping motivate and mobilize hundreds of millions of people 
to commit to better environmental practices and policies.
  Not all of us can have this same kind of global influence, but Earth 
Day's message of collective action means that each of us has a role in 
preserving our world for future generations, one step at a time. For 
instance, if each of us simply replaces one incandescent light bulb 
with a compact fluorescent bulb, we would prevent the annual emission 
of greenhouse gases equal to those of 2 million. We also would save 
enough electricity to shut down two dirty coal power plants. At the 
same time, American families would save money, as CFL bulbs use 75 
percent less electricity than traditional bulbs--a win-win for the 
environment and the consumer.
  In recent years we have witnessed countless other examples of 
individuals making decisions that help them go green. For example, 
Wisconsin leads the nation in anaerobic digesters, which take livestock 
manure and convert it into biogas that produces clean, renewable 
energy. Additionally, schools across our state have been able to save 
on their energy costs and help us meet our carbon management goals by 
utilizing biomass energy projects. These are just two ways people in my 
district and my state are doing their part.
  On this Earth Day, as I recognize and applaud the actions of 
countless people around the world, I also challenge each of us to 
continue our efforts. We must take additional steps to meet our shared 
environmental challenges and to leave this world a healthy, vibrant, 
and beautiful place for generations to come.

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