Expressing support for honoring Earth Day, and for other purposes.

IV 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. RES. 315 Expressing support for honoring Earth Day, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES APRIL 20, 2023 Ms. MATSUI (for herself, Ms. BARRAGA´N, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Ms. BONAMICI, Ms. BROWNLEY, Mr. CASTEN, Ms. CHU, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Mr. CLEAVER, Mr. COHEN, Mr. CONNOLLY, Ms. DEGETTE, Ms. DELBENE, Mr. DESAULNIER, Ms. ESHOO, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Mr. EVANS, Mrs. FOUSHEE, Mr. GALLEGO, Mr. GOMEZ, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mrs. HAYES, Mr. HUFFMAN, Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE, Mr. KEATING, Mr. KILDEE, Mr. KIL- MER, Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI, Ms. KUSTER, Ms. LEE of California, Mr. LIEU, Mrs. MCCLELLAN, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. MCGOVERN, Ms. MENG, Mr. MORELLE, Mr. NEGUSE, Mr. PANETTA, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. PETERS, Ms. PINGREE, Ms. PORTER, Mr. QUIGLEY, Mr. RASKIN, Mr. SABLAN, Ms. SALINAS, Ms. SCANLON, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. SCHIFF, Mr. SCHNEIDER, Mr. SOTO, Ms. TOKUDA, Mr. TONKO, Mr. TRONE, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Ms. WILLIAMS of Georgia, Ms. WILSON of Florida, Ms. STEVENS, Ms. HOYLE of Oregon, and Ms. STANSBURY) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Com- mittee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall with- in the jurisdiction of the committee concerned RESOLUTION Expressing support for honoring Earth Day, and for other purposes. Whereas Earth Day was first celebrated on April 22, 1970; Whereas the late Senator Gaylord Nelson, the founder of Earth Day, called on the people of the United States to VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:34 Apr 21, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR315.IH HR315 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HRES 315 IH hold elected officials accountable for failing to adequately protect the health of people and the natural environment; Whereas after witnessing years of environmental neglect, mil- lions 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 plan- et 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 environ- mental movement; Whereas the voices of inaugural Earth Day participants gal- vanized an unparalleled period of legislative and grass- roots activity that changed the way we interact with the environment, leading to the creation of the Environ- mental Protection Agency and passage of legislation such as the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, the Clean Air Act, and the Endangered Species Act of 1973; Whereas, by 1990, Earth Day was celebrated globally, with 200,000,000 people in 141 countries participating in Earth Day events; Whereas Earth Day encourages environmental activism and stewardship around the world, and reminds people to find VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:34 Apr 21, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR315.IH HR315 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HRES 315 IH ways to protect the environment, including managing their own environmental impact; Whereas Earth Day serves as an opportunity to learn from and build community with indigenous communities, who have stewarded the land for generations and have great wisdom on preserving biodiversity; Whereas on Earth Day people engage in projects, initiatives, and campaigns to protect and restore the planet includ- ing planting trees, removing litter, cleaning up coral reefs, conserving water and energy, and other environ- mentally responsible actions; Whereas in recognition of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, the Global Earth Challenge was launched in 2020, 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, and loss of forest, wetlands, and other wildlife habitats, reinforce the need for adequate protec- tions 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, in 2021, Congress passed the Infrastructure Invest- ment and Jobs Act, which made foundational investments in clean drinking water, clean transportation, clean en- ergy, resilient infrastructure, and pollution cleanup; VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:34 Apr 21, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR315.IH HR315 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •HRES 315 IH Whereas, in 2022, Congress passed what is commonly re- ferred to as the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, the largest climate bill in American history and a trans- formative investment in our future, that includes unprec- edented funding for clean energy, zero-emission vehicles, sustainable aviation, energy efficiency, climate-smart ag- riculture and forestry, and decarbonizing heavy industry, all while supporting and funding climate change mitiga- tion and adaptation initiatives in those historically dis- advantaged communities that are most vulnerable to the effects of climate change; Whereas these recent legislative actions have demonstrated the capacity for climate investments to strengthen Amer- ican industry, support resilient supply chains, build crit- ical infrastructure, and generate economic opportunity; Whereas Earth Day encourages us to acknowledge the preva- lence of environmental injustices that directly affect the health and well-being of individuals and communities across the country, and affirms our commitment to ame- liorating existing environmental injustices, and to pre- venting future injustices; Whereas Earth Day reminds us of the need to expand envi- ronmental and climate literacy not only to strengthen en- vironmental and climate protections but also to accelerate development of green technologies and creation of green jobs that will benefit all; Whereas the mission and purpose of Earth Day remains rel- evant today because pollution, environmental degradation, and the climate crisis are transgenerational justice issues; and VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:34 Apr 21, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR315.IH HR315 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 5 •HRES 315 IH Whereas Earth Day reminds us that we must not pass a world beyond repair to our children: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 1 (1) urges the President to issue a proclamation 2 recognizing Earth Day; 3 (2) encourages the American people to mark 4 Earth Day by working— 5 (A) to address environmental challenges 6 large and small, from climate change to litter; 7 (B) to uplift indigenous environmental 8 knowledge and stewardship practices; 9 (C) to educate their friends, neighbors, and 10 elected representatives about the need for year- 11 round action; and 12 (D) to otherwise honor the stewardship 13 ethic for which Senator Gaylord Nelson stood; 14 (3) urges governments and peoples around the 15 world to continue building upon the Paris Agree- 16 ment and other efforts to ensure that future genera- 17 tions inherit a livable, sustainable, and ecologically 18 rich planet Earth; and 19 (4) reaffirms that immediate action is needed to 20 reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ameliorate en- 21 vironmental injustices in order to protect the Earth, 22 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:34 Apr 21, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR315.IH HR315 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 6 •HRES 315 IH the public health, and the overall well-being of all 1 people and wildlife. 2 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:34 Apr 21, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HR315.IH HR315 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS