Furthermore, the nation has not engaged in a comprehensive effort to end environmental injustices, leaving some segments of the population significantly exposed to environmental health threats. In the 1970s, Americans enacted into law a system of environmental protection that recognized the fragility of our ecological systems, the finite nature of our natural resources, and the responsibility of the private sector and government to protect the environment and public health of the nation. The laws and the agencies then established have significantly improved the quality of our air and the purity of water supply, substantially reduced the release of certain dangerous pollutants into the environment, and protected numerous species from extinction. As a nation, we have come to learn that environmental protection is necessary for the protection of public health and for the long-term vitality of our economy. It is imperative now, after having made important advances toward solving some of our nation's most pressing environmental problems, that we to continue along the course of safeguarding the environment, public health, and natural heritage of our nation.
Many challenges lie ahead.
The JCPA calls on American citizens and private and public sectors of the United States to exercise responsible environmental leadership by working together to protect the health and ecological security of all of the world's people in a manner which does not impoverish the security and prosperity of future generations.