Title: Expressing support for honoring the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, and for other purposes.
Policy area: Environmental Protection

Summary:
This resolution recognizes the 50th anniversary of Earth Day and addresses environmental challenges.
It urges (1) the President to issue a proclamation recognizing the anniversary; and (2) governments and people to continue building upon the Paris Agreement and other efforts to ensure that future generations inherit a livable, sustainable, and ecologically rich planet.
The resolution reaffirms that immediate action is needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to protect our planet, public health, and overall well-being of all people and wildlife.
In addition, it encourages the American people to mark Earth Day by working to address environmental challenges, educate others about the need for year-round action, and honor the stewardship ethic for which Senator Gaylord Nelson stood.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 932 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 932

Expressing support for honoring the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 21, 2020

  Mr. McEachin (for himself, Mr. Grijalva, Ms. Johnson of Texas, Ms. 
   Castor of Florida, Mr. Engel, Mr. Scott of Virginia, Mr. Smith of 
 Washington, Mr. Takano, Ms. Velazquez, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Deutch, Mr. 
   Kilmer, Mr. Tonko, Mr. Rush, Mr. Lujan, Ms. Adams, Mrs. Axne, Ms. 
 Barragan, Ms. Bass, Mrs. Beatty, Mr. Bera, Mr. Beyer, Mr. Blumenauer, 
      Ms. Blunt Rochester, Ms. Bonamici, Mr. Brendan F. Boyle of 
 Pennsylvania, Mr. Brown of Maryland, Ms. Brownley of California, Mr. 
 Carbajal, Mr. Carson of Indiana, Mr. Cartwright, Mr. Case, Mr. Casten 
 of Illinois, Mr. Cisneros, Ms. Clark of Massachusetts, Ms. Clarke of 
 New York, Mr. Clay, Mr. Cleaver, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Connolly, Mr. Cooper, 
Mr. Correa, Mr. Costa, Mr. Cox of California, Ms. Craig, Mr. Crow, Ms. 
 Dean, Mrs. Dingell, Mr. Michael F. Doyle of Pennsylvania, Ms. Eshoo, 
 Mr. Espaillat, Mr. Foster, Ms. Fudge, Ms. Gabbard, Mr. Garamendi, Mr. 
 Garcia of Illinois, Ms. Garcia of Texas, Mr. Gomez, Ms. Haaland, Mr. 
Hastings, Ms. Houlahan, Mr. Huffman, Ms. Jackson Lee, Ms. Jayapal, Mr. 
Johnson of Georgia, Ms. Kaptur, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Kildee, Mr. Kind, Mrs. 
   Kirkpatrick, Mr. Krishnamoorthi, Ms. Kuster of New Hampshire, Mr. 
Langevin, Mr. Larsen of Washington, Ms. Lee of California, Mr. Levin of 
  Michigan, Mr. Levin of California, Mr. Ted Lieu of California, Mr. 
  Lipinski, Mr. Lowenthal, Ms. McCollum, Mr. McNerney, Mr. Meeks, Ms. 
 Moore, Mr. Morelle, Ms. Mucarsel-Powell, Mrs. Napolitano, Mr. Neguse, 
 Mr. Norcross, Ms. Norton, Mr. O'Halleran, Ms. Omar, Mr. Panetta, Ms. 
   Pingree, Mr. Pocan, Ms. Porter, Mr. Price of North Carolina, Mr. 
       Quigley, Mr. Raskin, Mr. Richmond, Ms. Roybal-Allard, Mr. 
 Ruppersberger, Mr. Sablan, Ms. Sanchez, Mr. Sarbanes, Ms. Schakowsky, 
 Mr. Schneider, Mr. David Scott of Georgia, Mr. Serrano, Ms. Shalala, 
Mr. Soto, Ms. Stevens, Mr. Suozzi, Ms. Tlaib, Mr. Trone, Ms. Wasserman 
 Schultz, Mr. Welch, Ms. Wilson of Florida, and Mrs. Hayes) submitted 
the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy 
and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for 
a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Expressing support for honoring the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, and 
                          for other purposes.

Whereas Earth Day was first celebrated on April 22, 1970;
Whereas April 22, 2020, will be the 50th anniversary of Earth Day;
Whereas the late Senator Gaylord Nelson, the founder of Earth Day, called on the 
        people of the United States to hold elected officials accountable for 
        failing to adequately protect the health of people and the natural 
        environment;
Whereas former Congressman Pete McCloskey served as co-chair and Denis Hayes 
        served as national coordinator of the first Earth Day celebration;
Whereas after witnessing years of environmental neglect, millions of Americans 
        of all ages, walks of life, and political affiliations gathered in 
        cities across the Nation on the first Earth Day to demand basic 
        protections for our planet and to commit to leaving behind a healthier 
        world for the next generation;
Whereas Earth Day united people who had been fighting against oil spills, 
        polluting factories and power plants, raw sewage and toxic dumps, the 
        loss of wildlife, and other environmental ills;
Whereas that work continues today;
Whereas Earth Day is an annual event created to promote environmental 
        citizenship and action year-round;
Whereas the first celebration of Earth Day was the largest environmental 
        grassroots event ever held at that time and is widely credited with 
        launching the modern environmental movement;
Whereas the voices of inaugural Earth Day participants galvanized an 
        unparalleled period of legislative and grassroots activity that changed 
        the way we interact with the environment, leading to the creation of the 
        Environmental Protection Agency, and passage of legislation such as the 
        Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, and the Endangered Species Act;
Whereas, by 1990, Earth Day was celebrated globally, with 200,000,000 people in 
        141 countries participating in Earth Day events;
Whereas, on April 22, 2016, the 46th anniversary of Earth Day, 175 world leaders 
        signed the Paris Agreement, a landmark international agreement to combat 
        climate change and accelerate actions and investment in a sustainable, 
        clean energy future;
Whereas the 50th anniversary of Earth Day will be marked by tens of thousands of 
        engagement events in every country across the world;
Whereas Earth Day fosters environmental activism and stewardship around the 
        world, and encourages people to find ways to protect the environment, 
        including managing their own environmental impact;
Whereas on Earth Day, people engage in projects, initiatives, and campaigns to 
        protect and restore the planet including planting trees, removing 
        litter, cleaning up coral reefs, conserving water and energy, and other 
        environmentally responsible actions;
Whereas in recognition of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, the Earth Challenge 
        2020 was launched, a global citizen science initiative to demonstrate 
        how small acts of science can add up to global change;
Whereas new and continuing challenges, including climate change, pollution, sea 
        level rise, and loss of forests, wetlands, and other wildlife habitats, 
        reinforce the need for adequate protections for the air we breathe, the 
        water we drink, the land we inhabit, and the animals we live alongside;
Whereas there is scientific consensus that climate change poses a dire threat to 
        our planet and its inhabitants, and that urgent and unprecedented 
        changes are needed to mitigate its worst effects;
Whereas Earth Day reaffirms our national responsibility in the global effort to 
        combat climate change and protect our planet for all;
Whereas Earth Day encourages us to acknowledge the prevalence of environmental 
        injustices that directly affect the health and well-being of individuals 
        and communities across the country, and affirms our commitment to 
        ameliorating existing environmental injustices, and to preventing future 
        injustices;
Whereas Earth Day reminds us of the need to expand environmental and climate 
        literacy not only to strengthen environmental and climate protections 
        but also to accelerate development of green technologies and creation of 
        green jobs that will benefit all communities; and
Whereas Earth Day reminds us we must not pass a world beyond repair to our 
        children: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes the 50th anniversary of Earth Day and urges 
        the President to issue a proclamation recognizing the 
        anniversary of Earth Day, consistent with the practice of the 
        previous administration;
            (2) encourages the American people to mark Earth Day by 
        working to address environmental challenges large and small, 
        from climate change to litter; to educate their friends, 
        neighbors, and elected representatives about the need for year-
        round action; and to otherwise honor the stewardship ethic for 
        which Senator Gaylord Nelson stood;
            (3) urges governments and peoples around the world to 
        continue building upon the Paris Agreement and other efforts to 
        ensure that future generations inherit a livable, sustainable, 
        and ecologically rich planet Earth; and
            (4) reaffirms that immediate action is needed to reduce 
        greenhouse gas emissions to protect our planet, public health, 
        and overall well-being of all people and wildlife.
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