[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 14190]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY

  Mrs. BOXER. Madam President, I would like to recognize World 
Environment Day, which takes place every year on June 5. This day was 
established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972 and has been 
a reminder each year that protecting our planet is a global issue.
  As countries around the world work toward the historic global warming 
negotiations in Copenhagen later this year, it is fitting that the 
theme for World Environment Day 2009 is ``Your Planet Needs You--Unite 
to Combat Climate Change.''
  As chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, I 
am working with my colleagues to address global warming here in the 
United States. The world is looking for American leadership, and they 
are watching closely what we are doing here in Congress.
  We must demonstrate our commitment to take real action to cut our own 
greenhouse gas emissions. When we act, we will renew our leadership on 
this issue in the international community. Legislation to curb U.S. 
global warming pollution will also put us on a path toward a new clean 
energy economy that creates millions of American jobs and breaks our 
dangerous dependence on foreign oil. It's time to harness the greatest 
source of power we have in this country--American ingenuity. This 
country can and should be a leader of the clean energy revolution.
  I am proud to say that for the second year in a row, a student from 
California has been selected as the winner of the United Nations' 
Environment Programme's International Children's Painting Competition 
on the Environment. This year, Alice Fuzi Wang, from Palo Alto, was 
honored for her creative and moving work of art, which will be 
recognized on World Environment Day at the North American celebration 
in Omaha. I met Alice when she was here in Washington to receive her 
award on April 22, Earth Day.
  It is wonderful to see people of all ages, from all over the world, 
participating in the festivities honoring World Environment Day. I want 
to thank the organizers of World Environment Day for their important 
contribution in working to combat one of the greatest challenges of our 
generation--global warming.

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