Barbara Lee Commemorates Earth Day 2009
For Immediate Release
April 17, 2009
Contact: Nicole Y. Williams
(202) 225-2661
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-9) released the following statement commemorating Earth Day 2009:
“Earth Day provides us with an opportunity to focus on protecting the environment for future generations and to further commit ourselves toward working to achieve energy independence by tackling global warming.
“For eight years the Bush Administration stood in the way of progress on energy independence, systematically weakened or rolled back an array of environmental laws and regulations that were originally enacted to protect public health, air quality, water quality, plant and animal wildlife, the global climate, and the environment.
“Thankfully, President Obama and his administration have set a bold agenda to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.
“I further applaud the EPA's recent finding that greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare. This announcement recognizes the need to protect our communities and the global ecosystem by acting immediately to curb carbon pollution.
“As a longtime advocate for protecting the environment and upholding principles of environmental justice, I have worked in Congress to enact environmentally sound legislation. This Congress I reintroduced the Metro Economies Green Act (MEGA), which establishes grant programs to encourage green job training and creation, as well as energy-efficient economic development. Additionally, I introduced a resolution recognizing the disproportionate impacts of climate change on women and the efforts of women globally to address climate change.
“We have long recognized the real danger that global warming poses to all of us. Earth Day reminds us that as human beings, we share our environment with a wide variety of habitats and ecosystems that nurture and sustain a diversity of species. We can no longer put corporate interests before the health and well-being of the people of this country. It is time to put our country on the path to a cleaner, greener and more energy secure future.”
Throughout the week, Congresswoman Lee’s District office will participate in a variety Earth Day events throughout the Bay Area, including:
Saturday, April 25, 2009:
Earth Day 2009 Restoration and Cleanup, California State Parks Foundation
9:00AM – 12:00PM
Eastshore State Park
Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline
Castro Valley Earth Day 2009, Castro Valley Sanitary District
9:00AM – 12:00PM (Service), 12:00PM – 3:00PM (Lunch)
Greenridge Park, Cull Canyon Regional Recreation Area, Lake Chabot Road, Castro Valley Creek, BART Parking Lot
Save the Bay, East Bay Regional Parks District
9:00AM - 12:00PM
Oakland, CA 94612 (Alameda County)
Edible Schoolyard
9:00AM - 1:00PM
Martin Luther King Junior Middle School, Berkeley, CA 94703
Communities for a Better Environment’s Earth Day Event in East Oakland
11:00AM – 6:00PM
Tassafaronga Recreational Center and Woodland Elementary School
1781 Rose St
Berkeley, CA 94704
Berkeley Earth Day: City of Berkeley Celebration
12:00PM – 5:00PM
Civic Center Park (Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. & Allston Way)