In the News

Illinois Senate Democrats News, April 22, 2010

April 22, 2010 marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, a very important occasion for people to celebrate the Earth’s resources and raise awareness about our environment. Today, more than 500 million people worldwide celebrate this event to protect their natural surroundings.

When this day was established in 1970 because of U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson’s efforts, many citizens throughout the country were concerned with the state of the American environment and the direction our nation was heading. What started out as an effort to raise awareness about our country’s unchecked air and water pollution has turned into a chance for the American people to show their concern about new threats that affect our environment such as long-lasting droughts, severe storms, climate change and other potential disasters.

Here in Illinois, we are able to enjoy our state parks, rivers and other natural areas for recreation. We are all affected by our local environment, from the air we breathe and the water we drink to the local parks in which we walk our dogs.

Although there is much more work to do, we have continued to make great strides towards a more environmental-friendly society. As the chairperson for the Senate Environment Committee, I am pleased with the progress we have made to ensure our land, water and air are clean and have strived to work towards a "greener" society.

Our state has set up numerous programs and has led a number of efforts to "go green." Most recently, a North Chicago suburb gave its approval to place 40 wind turbines on Lake Michigan. Also, our state has taken the lead to promote clean-coal technology by building the FutureGen plant in Mattoon. These are the types of clean energy sources that our state must continue to support in order to promote job development as well as a sustainable environment.

On this 40th anniversary celebration of Earth Day, I encourage all Illinois residents to do the little things that protect our environment. Whether its recycling their old appliances for more energy-efficient models or simply picking up a piece of garbage, these actions all add up to make our state clean and healthy and protect our surroundings. No matter how small the action, it’s never too late to begin promoting Earth Day so you and your families can continue to enjoy the benefits of Illinois’ natural resources.