I don’t know why but the size of his ego never ceases to amaze me.
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, A PROCLAMATION on EARTH DAY
As the world’s technological leader and home to some of its most breathtaking natural wonders, America has a special responsibility to safeguard our environment. On Earth Day, we celebrate our rich legacy of stewardship and reflect on what we can do, as individuals and as a Nation, to preserve our planet for future generations.
The first Earth Day marked a renewal of America’s global leadership in conservation. It began as a national discussion on pollution and came to embody a simple truth: that nothing is more powerful than millions of voices calling for change. In only a few years, those voices rang as clear in our laws as on our streets — from the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency to landmark legislation for clean air and water. These successes continue to bring health and prosperity to communities nationwide, demonstrating that our economy can grow alongside a healthy environment.
As environmental challenges evolve with a changing world, my Administration is committed to meeting them.
During my first term, we launched the America’s Great Outdoors initiative, made historic progress restoring precious ecosystems, and finalized standards to curb toxic emissions from power plants. Implementing these standards will help prevent thousands of premature deaths each year by substantially reducing mercury and other pollutants.
We have made real progress, but we cannot stop there. We cannot afford to ignore what the overwhelming judgment of science tells us: that climate change is real and that it poses an urgent threat to our people and our planet.
That is why my Administration set historic fuel efficiency standards that will nearly double how far our cars go on a gallon of gas while reducing harmful carbon pollution. It is why we made unprecedented investments in clean energy, allowing us to double renewable energy production in only 4 years. And it is why I am challenging Americans to double it again by 2020.