[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 79 (Friday, April 24, 2015)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 22871-22872]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-09727]


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                         Presidential Documents 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 80 , No. 79 / Friday, April 24, 2015 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 22871]]

                Proclamation 9259 of April 21, 2015

                
Earth Day, 2015

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Forty-five years ago, millions of Americans celebrated 
                the first Earth Day in cities across our Nation. Having 
                borne witness to years of environmental neglect, these 
                ordinary citizens gathered in the streets, in parks, 
                and on college campuses to demand change and commit to 
                leaving a healthier planet for the next generation. 
                Faced with contaminated rivers and polluted cities, 
                they stood up, spoke out, and fought for air, water, 
                and wildlife protections. Their voices galvanized a 
                movement--leading to the creation of the Environmental 
                Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air Act, 
                the Clean Water Act, and the Endangered Species Act--
                and ignited a spirit of stewardship that continues to 
                drive us to meet the challenges of our time.

                Today, our planet faces new challenges, but none pose a 
                greater threat to future generations than climate 
                change. Science tells us the earth is warming--last 
                year was the planet's warmest on record, and 14 of the 
                15 warmest recorded years have come in the first 15 
                years of this century--and human activity is the 
                primary driver of the rapid warming of the past half-
                century. Climate change will have profound impacts on 
                all humankind, and many Americans are already feeling 
                the effects. The costs of more severe weather disasters 
                can be measured in lost lives and livelihoods and in 
                billions of dollars of emergency services, and the 
                costs will only increase with time. Firefighters are 
                braving longer wildfire seasons; farmers are 
                confronting adverse growing conditions; and our 
                children and most vulnerable populations are 
                experiencing a range of climate-related health effects.

                As a Nation, we must act before it is too late. That is 
                why my Administration has taken a series of ambitious 
                steps to combat climate change and protect our planet 
                for our children and grandchildren. As part of my 
                Climate Action Plan, we have proposed the first-ever 
                carbon pollution limits for existing power plants. We 
                have also partnered with communities to prepare for the 
                impacts of a changing climate that we can no longer 
                avoid. And I have protected more than 260 million 
                additional acres of public lands and waters, 
                safeguarding the natural bounty of our planet for ages 
                to come.

                The United States is committed to our role as a global 
                leader in the fight against climate change, and last 
                year, we jointly announced with China ambitious but 
                achievable new targets for reducing greenhouse gases. I 
                am also ensuring that our Federal Government leads by 
                example by working to reduce Federal greenhouse gas 
                emissions by 40 percent. My Administration will 
                continue to engage with key stakeholders at home and 
                abroad who share our hope for a cleaner world.

                Protecting our planet will also require us to change 
                the way we use energy, and my energy strategy 
                recognizes this critical need. My Administration has 
                made the largest investment in clean energy in American 
                history, and today the United States generates more 
                renewable energy than ever before--we harness 3 times 
                as much wind power as we did when I took office and 
                solar electricity generation has increased 20-fold. 
                Mayors, Governors, and business leaders across the 
                country are taking steps to deploy clean

[[Page 22872]]

                energy, boost energy efficiency, and create more 
                sustainable communities and supply chains. We are 
                promoting energy efficiency in our buildings and cars 
                and working to ensure our Nation is a leader in the 
                energy sources of tomorrow.

                As caretakers of our planet, we all have an obligation 
                to combat climate change and protect our earth for the 
                next generation. The decisions we make today and in the 
                years ahead will have a profound impact on the world we 
                leave behind, and we must each do our part. We can 
                reduce the energy used in our homes and offices; we can 
                help protect our resources by recycling as part of our 
                everyday routine; and we can raise our voices to 
                support policies like the ones my Administration has 
                put forth to protect our environment while 
                strengthening our economy. On Earth Day, let us join 
                with communities around the world, and as one people--
                who share one planet--let us recommit to meeting the 
                test of our time and continuing our work to build a 
                cleaner, safer, more stable world.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the 
                United States, do hereby proclaim April 22, 2015, as 
                Earth Day. I encourage all Americans to participate in 
                programs and activities that will protect our 
                environment and contribute to a healthy, sustainable 
                future.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                twenty-first day of April, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand fifteen, and of the Independence of the United 
                States of America the two hundred and thirty-ninth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2015-09727
Filed 4-23-15; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3295-F5