[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 4]
[House]
[Pages 4552-4553]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               EARTH DAY AND THE PARIS CLIMATE AGREEMENT

  (Mr. TONKO asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. TONKO. Madam Speaker, the idea of Earth Day began as a single day 
for the Nation to focus on environmental protection. Soon after the 
very

[[Page 4553]]

first Earth Day in 1970, the phrase ``every day is Earth Day'' became a 
mantra among those who want to leave our planet in better shape than it 
was when we got here.
  On Earth Day 2016, I am proud to note that the landmark Paris Climate 
Agreement is scheduled to be signed by more than 150 nations, including 
the world's biggest polluters: China, Brazil, and the United States. 
The quickest, most direct way we are making every day Earth Day, this 
Friday, is by implementing the largest international agreement the 
world has ever known.
  Earth Day isn't just about the environment. It is about the people 
who inhabit it. It is about the air we breath, the water we drink, and 
the food we eat.
  The Paris Agreement is already working, setting the foundation for an 
historic reduction in greenhouse gases, and paving the way to a 
thriving, clean global economy. Here at home, it is also about creating 
new jobs and empowering the private sector to once again harness that 
uniquely American brand on innovation to lead the global marketplace.
  We may celebrate it once a year, but Earth Day truly is every day. 
That is a promise that is as important today as it was 46 years ago. 
And 46 years later, we are making Earth Day every day with the Paris 
Climate Agreement.

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