Earth Day, celebrated April 22, is a time set aside to celebrate our environment and recharge our commitment to sound stewardship, which involves protecting our natural resources and preventing the pollution that degrades our world and threatens our health.
It is proper and fitting that we should “embrace our inner green” on Earth Day. But the job of protecting our environment is, of course, a year-round battle that challenges all citizens to do their part.
Across the country and in New England, the dramatic progress we’ve made cleaning up pollution since the early 1970s continues apace. In recent years, major pollutants that can contaminate air, water and land have continued to decline, thanks not only to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s work, but also to the efforts of our countless partners in state and local government, as well as the work of committed citizens everywhere.
Some recent accomplishments:
• Major rules have been put in place for the first time to control noxious diesel emissions from sources as large as public buses and as small as power mowers.
• The first-ever standards limiting mercury emissions from power plants and strengthening clean-air rules that will remove thousands of tons of harmful air pollutants from industrial sources.
• Thousands of citizens pledging to begin using energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs.
• A robust national brownfields program that restores lightly contaminated land from blight to productive use by working hand-in-hand with civic and commercial partners, creating jobs and stimulating local economies.
• Ongoing clean-up of PCB contamination from the Housatonic River and from New Bedford Harbor.
The list goes on, as does our focus on future challenges. Just last month, EPA challenged New England communities to step up efforts to increase energy efficiency and use of renewable energy sources. This effort will save people money, reduce harmful air emissions, and reduce our country’s dependence on foreign oil.
Earth Day is an opportunity for all Americans to demonstrate that environmental responsibility is everyone’s responsibility. There are a number of simple everyday choices that people can make to help protect the environment:
Reduce your carbon footprint. Do you know what your carbon footprint is? There is a personal carbon calculator, and information on ways individuals can reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, at EPA’s interactive climate change Web page (
epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ind_calculator.html).
Save energy. Want to find a great place to learn about energy-efficient products that are good for the environment and your family’s budget? Find the latest information on energy-efficient electronics, lighting and cooling systems at EPA’s Energy Star Web page (
energystar.gov/homeimprovement).
Use water efficiently. Learn how efficient home plumbing products and smart water choices can save money and help protect our nation’s water supply at EPA’s Watersense Web site (
epa.gov/watersense).
This Earth Day, let’s all embrace our inner green and renew our commitment to making real progress in the great cause of protecting the American environment. For more great Earth Day ideas and things to do, see:
www.epa.gov/ne/earthday.
Robert W. Varney is regional administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency’s
New England office in Boston.
