EARTH DAY 2012: PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT FOR FUTURE
GENERATIONS Forty-two years ago, the late Wisconsin Senator
Gaylord Nelson had a vision of a world in which the environment
was paramount. His vision led to the establishment of Earth Day
-- April 22 -- a day in which we celebrate our planet and the
environment that sustains us. On Earth Day we recommit ourselves
to protecting the air we breathe, the water we drink and the
land that nurtures us. Our planet has been entrusted to us for
future generations, but today too many people suffer the
consequences of an environment at risk. We see too many children
suffering from asthma, we see too many Americans sickened by
environmental pollutants and too many people worried about the
safety of their drinking water. We have -- and we can --
continue to make progress thanks to strong environmental laws
that have helped us reduce air pollution and clean up polluted
streams and rivers. The Environmental Protection Agency
estimates that the Clean Air Act has prevented