[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 5354]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      IN RECOGNITION OF EARTH DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. LAURA RICHARDSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 23, 2012

  Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate Earth Day, 
which has been celebrated on this day, April 22, for the past 42 years. 
Since the first Earth Day in 1970, Americans have worked to make 
cleaner the air we breathe and the water we drink. Four decades later, 
I am proud to be working with like-minded colleagues in the Congress 
and the Administration to continue this honored tradition of 
environmental leadership.
  Earth Day was first organized in 1970 by one of the greatest 
environmentalists in the history of the Congress, Senator Gaylord 
Nelson of Wisconsin. Despite his tireless work to raise awareness of 
environmental conservation, for years the Congress and the 
administration consistently failed to enact his environmental 
legislation. Senator Nelson called upon student activists of the day 
who led a nationwide ``teach-in.'' It is estimated that 20 million 
individuals participated, demonstrating to Congress the extent of the 
public's interest in, and concerns over threats to, the environment. 
The resulting change was dramatic and profound. With bipartisan support 
and majorities, Congress took the following actions: Created the 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (1970); Passed the Clean Air Act 
(1970); Passed the Clean Water Act (1972); Passed the Endangered 
Species Act (1973).
  Added to this impressive list of accomplishments are the actions 
taken by the Democratic-controlled 110th and 111th Congresses to 
preserve and protect the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food 
we eat, and the lands we inhabit, and the green spaces where we 
recreate. Let me briefly mention some of the highlights of this 
impressive record of environmental stewardship.
  In the 110th Congress, the House passed, and I supported the 
following major legislative initiatives:
  Energy Independence and Security Act in 2007, which will increase 
vehicle fuel efficiency standards for the first time in more than 3 
decades, to 35 miles per gallon in 2020, projected to save $1,000 per 
vehicle each year. The act will also expand the use of American-grown 
biofuels and combat oil market manipulation.
  Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, also known as the Farm 
Bill, which made an historic commitment to American biofuels--which are 
keeping gas prices 15 percent lower than they otherwise would be due to 
fuel blending--and increased Commodity Futures Trading Commission 
oversight authority to detect and prevent manipulation of energy 
prices.
  Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008, which extended and 
expanded tax incentives for renewable electricity, energy and fuel from 
America's heartland, as well as for plug-in hybrid cars, and energy 
efficient homes, buildings, and appliances. This legislation is 
critical to creating and preserving more than 500,000 good-paying clean 
energy American jobs in the wind and solar industries alone.
  Green the Capitol--Under the leadership of newly-elected Speaker 
Nancy Pelosi in 2007, the House started this program to make its 
operations a model of sustainability. The House set aggressive targets, 
including reducing energy use by 50 percent over 10 years. Since the 
program's inception, the House has reduced its carbon footprint by 73 
percent, it purchases wind energy to meet all electricity needs and 
burns only natural gas at the Capitol Power Plant, with total energy 
consumption down by 23 percent and water consumption down 32 percent. 
The project has already saved taxpayers at least $3.3 million a year.
  In the 111th Congress, the House passed, and I supported, the 
following major bills:
  American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, historic legislation 
that launches a new clean energy economy--to create 1.7 million 
American jobs (with the Recovery Act); helps reduce our dangerous 
dependence on foreign oil by 5 million barrels per day; keeps energy 
costs low for Americans; protects consumers from price increases with 
lower income families seeing no cost and with no increase to the 
deficit. The legislation requires a reduction in the carbon pollution 
causing climate change from major U.S. sources of 17 percent by 2020 
and 80 percent by 2050, compared to 2005 levels.
  American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which made historic 
investments of $90 billion in tax cuts and investments in clean energy. 
These investments leveraged another $100 billion in private investments 
in energy efficiency, renewable generation, research, and other areas 
and helped speed the transformation to a clean energy future. The 
included tax incentives spurred energy savings and created clean energy 
jobs, as will lead to breakthroughs in clean energy research. The 
Recovery Act also included incentives to produce new electric cars, 
develop advanced battery technology, and modernize the electricity grid 
to make it more efficient and reliable. It is estimated that this 
legislation created more than 2,700,000 jobs, nearly doubled renewable 
electricity over four years, and saved consumers up to $98 a year in 
energy costs.
  Today, it is no less urgent that we take great pains to keep 
environmental issues from receding into the background. Four out of 
five Americans live in areas hit by recent weather disasters, and 
emerging scientific data suggests that such disasters will continue 
occurring at higher and higher frequencies if we do not take steps to 
address our changing climate.
  My home state of California has made great strides in developing a 
``green economy'' and investing in renewable sources of energy. In 
2011, California added more wind power than any other state. The 
state's wind industry now employs 4,000-5,000 people and is responsible 
for 3 percent of the California's electricity. Additionally, the solar 
energy industry in California alone is comprised of over 3,500 solar 
companies, which employ more than 25,000 people. These industries 
should be recognized for their contributions to job creation as well as 
their growing success in securing our energy independence.
  Partisan politics threatens to turn back this progress, particularly 
through the recently proposed Republican budget plans. These plans 
protect billions of dollars in tax breaks for big oil companies while 
slashing investments in clean solar and wind energy. We cannot afford 
to lavish subsidies on oil companies earning record profits, furthering 
our dependence on increasingly expensive, dirty and dangerous fossil 
fuel sources.
  Since Senator Nelson sparked a widespread interest in our environment 
four decades ago, environmental legislation has enjoyed support from 
both sides of the aisle. I am committed to working with my colleagues 
in Congress and the Obama Administration to continue the bipartisan 
tradition of environmental protection.
  Mr. Speaker, as we celebrate Earth Day this year, let it serve as a 
timely reminder of the immense opportunities the planet holds, both in 
terms of current economic growth and future prosperity. It is my hope 
that we may recapture the energy and enthusiasm behind Senator Nelson's 
original celebration in order to restore environmental stewardship as a 
core American value.

                          ____________________