Post by bot on Apr 23, 2014 0:02:29 GMT -5
Hoyer Recognizes Earth Day, Calls on Congress to Make Environmental Protections a Top Priority
WASHINGTON, DC - House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) released the following statement today in recognition of Earth Day:
“In 1990, as the Voyager 1 spacecraft neared the edge of our solar system, it turned its camera back toward Earth and recorded an iconic image of our planet, barely visible – what the astronomer Carl Sagan termed ‘a pale blue dot’ – amid the vast darkness of space. As we mark this Earth Day, we ought to remember that the ‘pale blue dot’ in that photograph is our only home – a home we share not only with each other but with generations to come and that we hold in trust for them. Just as our parents and grandparents had a responsibility to cherish and preserve the natural bounty of our planet and the cleanliness of its air, water, and ecosystems, so too must we ensure that our children and grandchildren inherit a healthy and sustainable Earth.
“America has been blessed with some of the most incredible natural landscapes and habitats on our planet, and we are equally fortunate to have a strong community of involved citizens who are working both individually and through national and international organizations to protect our natural environments against pollution and the effects of climate change. Congress must continue to make environmental protections a top priority, and House Democrats remain committed to working closely with President Obama’s Administration and House Republicans to preserve natural resources, make our air and water cleaner, diversify our energy sources, address the challenge of climate change in a responsible way, and educate our children about the important responsibility they will inherit along with the Earth.”
Visit www.democraticwhip.gov/ for more press, floor and member resources.