Carper: This Earth Day is About the Future

GEORGETOWN, Del. – This morning, ahead of events commemorating Earth Day 2019, U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), top Democrat on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, released the following statement on the importance of this celebration:

“Forty-nine years ago, I stood side by side with thousands of people to celebrate our country’s first-ever Earth Day. Back then, I was a young naval flight officer stationed at the former Moffett Field air station, preparing for my first of three tours of duty in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War.

“All these years later, I can still vividly remember that day and the urgency we felt to save our planet. Today, I see a new generation of Americans rallying together for clean air and clean water. I hear a rising chorus from every corner of our country urging Congress to fight climate change and reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions. It’s not lost on me that today – decades from that day in Golden Gate State Park – I now have the opportunity to serve as the top Democrat on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.

“The 49^th Earth Day has arrived on the brink of yet another watershed moment. This Earth Day is about our future. Congress has an opportunity to address climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and create millions of American jobs in the process. We should seize it.”

This morning, Senator Carper joined preschool students at Delaware Technical Community College Child Development Center for an Earth Day scavenger hunt and a lesson in recycling, and he will soon join commuters on a RideShare Delaware bus, which matches commuters and aims to decrease traffic congestion and vehicle pollution.

This afternoon, Senator Carper will join Delaware Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) Secretary Shawn Garvin at Cape Henlopen State Park to discuss state and federal efforts to preserve and protect endangered species.

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