Statement of Senator Russ Feingold on Earth Day 2005 April 21, 2005 Mr. President, not many people can lay claim to a day, but Gaylord Nelson can. On April 22, 1970, Gaylord Nelson created a day to celebrate the glory of the Earth. Nelson biographer Bill Christofferson asks "Where did Nelson get his lifelong interest and dedication to the environment? By osmosis, [Nelson] would say, while growing up in Clear Lake Wisconsin." It's true that Wisconsin has a tradition of great conservationists -- Aldo Leopold, author of Sand County Almanac; Sigurd Olson, one of the founders of the Wilderness Society; and John Muir, founder of the Sierra Club. But because of Gaylord Nelson, Wisconsin can lay claim to the genesis of Earth Day, a day of national and international remembrance of the importance of our natural resources and a clean environment. While these great leaders are well known for their conservation vision, Wisconsinites across the state do their part every day to make that vision a reality. From the backyards and parks of our cities and suburbs to our forests and farms, we take our stewardship of the land seriously. For example, our farmers continue to work with the support of federal, state and local partnerships to prevent pollution, improve wildlife habitat, and protect wetlands and open spaces -- investing millions of dollars in hundred of thousands of acres each year -- all while ensuring the land is healthy enough to produce food and raw materials for generations to come. I know that the people of Wisconsin, living in such a beautiful and ecologically diverse state, feel a special connection to our natural resources and share a long tradition of our state government achieving excellence in its conservation policies. Conservation is part of our culture in Wisconsin, and the people in Wisconsin are very environmentally savvy. Every year I hold a town hall meeting in each one of Wisconsin's 72 counties, and protecting the environment is a top issue. I want to take this opportunity to congratulate Mr. Nelson. He is a former member of this body, and I am privileged to hold his Senate seat. He is a distinguished former Governor of the State of Wisconsin, a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and a personal hero of mine. I salute Gaylord Nelson for changing the consciousness of a nation. He is the living embodiment of the principle that one person can truly change the world. During his eighteen years of service in the Senate, Gaylord Nelson brought about significant change for the "greener" in both our nation's law and the institution of the Senate itself. He is the co-author of the Environmental Education Act, which he sponsored with the senior Senator from Massachusetts (Mr. Kennedy), and the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, and he sponsored the amendment to give the St. Croix and the Namekagon Rivers scenic protection. In the wake of Rachel Carson's book Silent Spring, Gaylord Nelson, along with Sen. Philip Hart of Michigan, directed national attention to the documented persistent bioaccumulative effects of organochlorine pesticides used in the Great Lakes by authoring the ban on DDT in 1972. He was the primary sponsor of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Act, protecting one of Northern Wisconsin's most beautiful areas. And Senator Nelson, of course, was the founder of Earth Day. Thanks to him, here we are -- 35 years later -- taking time out of our lives to think about conservation. An astonishing 20 million Americans -- 10% of the U.S. population -- participated in the first observance of Earth Day on April 22, 1970. American Heritage magazine described the event as "one of the most remarkable happenings in the history of democracy." The day was marked by marches, rallies, teach-ins, and concerts. Fifth Avenue was closed for two hours and over 100,000 people celebrated Earth Day on Union Square in New York City. Earth Day is an event that in addition to changing the environmental consciousness of the country literally stopped the Senate. Members of both bodies voted to adjourn their respective Houses in the middle of the legislative week to attend Earth Day events, an adjournment that would be extremely rare today. Twenty-two Senators participated by giving Earth Day speeches across the country. The National Education Association (NEA) estimated that 10 million school children celebrated in the first Earth Day. The State of New Jersey and New York created state environmental agencies that week. Earth Day has become an important part of who we are. From Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Mumbai, India, millions of people across the world are taking Senator Nelson's legacy to heart. They are volunteering tomorrow and this weekend to conserve the environment -- whether it's in their backyard, local river, or park. I hope that on this Earth Day 2005, the Congress will re-dedicate itself to achieving the bipartisan consensus on protecting the environment that existed for nearly two decades. The Clean Water Act, for example, passed the U.S. Senate in 1971 by a vote of 86-0. When President Nixon vetoed it, the Senate overrode his veto, 52-12. The Endangered Species Act, which is under such attack right now, was passed by the Senate on a 92-0 vote in 1973. Unfortunately, in recent years we have faced numerous proposals to roll back the environmental and health and safety protections upon which Americans depend. From clean water to clean air, the list of environmental rollbacks is stunning and disturbing. We need to work together to protect the environment, not revert to the times when we saw the Cuyahoga River catch fire, when at least one of the Great Lakes was considered "ecologically dead," and when dumping of toxic wastes into rivers was standard operating procedure. Gaylord Nelson stated on the 30th Anniversary of Earth Day: We have finally come to understand that the real wealth of a nation is its air, water, soil, forests, rivers, lakes, oceans, scenic beauty, wildlife habitats, and biodiversity. Take this resource away, and all that is left is a wasteland. That's the whole economy. That is where the economic activity and all the jobs come from. These biological systems contain the sustaining wealth of the world. As we continue to degrade them, we are consuming our capital. And in the process, we erode our living standards and compromise the quality of our habitat. We are veering down a dangerous path. We are not just toying with nature; we are compromising the capacity of natural systems to do what they need to do to preserve a livable world. Last night, Senator Nelson issued a statement to mark the 35th Anniversary of Earth Day and calling Earth Day 2005 "a wake up call." Senator Nelson said: On environmental issues, our intelligence is reliable. Our scientists have the facts, if we will only listen. It is a "slam dunk" that we cannot continue on our present course. But without Presidential and Congressional leadership, even an enlightened public cannot cope with the greatest challenge of our time. I agree with this assessment, and I ask that the full text of Senator Nelson's 35th Anniversary of Earth Day statement be printed in the record. I hope that Wisconsinites and citizens across America take Senator Nelson's words to heart. I hope that they use this Earth Day to collect their thoughts and voice their opinions about the need to protect the environment and need for Congressional leadership on this issue. Wisconsinites value a clean environment, not just for purely aesthetic or philosophical purposes, but because a clean environment ensures that Wisconsin and the United States as a whole remains a good place to raise a family, start a business, and buy a home. We understand that by protecting our environment we are protecting our economy. And, it is important on this Earth Day 2005 that we continue to fight for strong environmental laws, and we press for strong environmental leadership in Congress. Let's continue to move forward, not roll back. I yield the floor.

# # #