April 22, 2004

"Earth Day is an occasion to reflect on what we can do to make our fragile world a cleaner, healthier, safer place to live. From recycling cans and bottles to driving fuel-efficient cars to cleaning up a local park or river, each and every one of us can make a difference in protecting and preserving the world around us.

"This year, Earth Day is also a reminder that when it comes to the environment, actions speak louder than words. For three years, the Bush Administration has promoted policies with names like “Clear Skies” and “Healthy Forests.” But in reality, this Administration has been working to methodically undo thirty years of steady bipartisan progress in environmental protection.

"Instead of enforcing and strengthening laws that have made our air cleaner and clearer and our water safer for drinking, swimming, and fishing, the Administration is rolling them back. Instead of upholding policies that force corporate polluters to pay for the cleanup of toxic wastes, the Administration is shifting that burden to American taxpayers. Instead of protecting national treasures like the Rocky Mountains and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the Administration is trying to open them up to mining and drilling by oil and gas companies. Instead of promoting a 21st century energy policy that invests in clean, renewable technologies like solar and wind energy, the Administration wants to take us back to the 20th and the 19th centuries by making us even more reliant on coal, oil, and nuclear power.

"For three decades, Democrats and Republicans worked together to make our environment better. We learned that economic growth and environmental protection can and should go hand in hand. It’s time to restore that spirit of cooperation. It’s time to renew our commitment to the world around us. We owe it to each other – and to our children and grandchildren – to leave our planet in a better state than when we found it."

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