LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commending the students of Public School 81 Thad-
deus Stevens, Brooklyn, New York, for their environmental initiatives to
conserve energy, increase recycling and reduce their carbon footprints,
in celebration of the 42nd Anniversary of Earth Day

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize and pay
tribute to those organizations and individuals who dedicate their
purposeful work to increasing public awareness of, and appreciation for,
the natural resources of New York, recognizing the role all citizens
have in protecting the environment and the quality of life in this great
Empire State; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commend
the students of Public School 81 Thaddeus Stevens, Brooklyn, New York,
for their environmental initiatives to conserve energy, increase recycl-
ing and reduce their carbon footprints, in celebration of the 42nd Anni-
versary of Earth Day; and
WHEREAS, Public School 81 Thaddeus Stevens, Brooklyn, New York was one
of more than 100 New York City schools that participated in the Green
Cup Challenge, an annual student-led competition to measure and reduce
school-based electricity use for one month; and
WHEREAS, Public School 81 Thaddeus Stevens, Brooklyn, New York,
reduced its school-based electricity use by 27 percent over the course
of one month; and
WHEREAS, Responding to widespread environmental degradation, Gaylord
Nelson, a United States Senator from Wisconsin, called for an environ-
mental teach-in, or Earth Day, to be held on April 22, 1970; over 20
million people participated that initial year; and
WHEREAS, Earth Day is now observed each year on April 22nd by more
than 500 million people and national governments in 175 countries; and
WHEREAS, In the 42 years that have passed since the original Earth
Day, the planet has been subjected to the continuing burdens of world
population growth, increasing commercial and residential development,
ocean pollution, increasing stores of toxic and nuclear waste, and other
similar assaults which have exacerbated the growing dangers of global
climate change, ozone depletion, toxic poisoning, deforestation and mass
species extinctions; and
WHEREAS, Following the first Earth Day, and the demonstrations of
concern of over 20 million Americans, a collective national action has
resulted in the passage of sweeping new laws to protect the invaluable
resources of air, land and water; and
WHEREAS, The knowledge of ways to live in harmony with our environment
and methods and technologies to accomplish this end already exists in
the pristine natural resources that New York State has to offer for
sustainable communities in rich agriculture, clean waters and a movement
that promotes reliance on renewable energy resources and recycling; and
WHEREAS, New York's schools can do much to reverse environmental
degradation and contribute to building a healthy society by promoting
energy conservation; and
WHEREAS, The environmental realities of our time require students,
like those of Public School 81 Thaddeus Stevens, to make a dramatic
shift in our relationship with the earth; and
WHEREAS, April 22, 2012, marks the 42nd Anniversary of Earth Day, a
day set aside to celebrate the beauty and bounty of our environment and
to revitalize the efforts required to protect, and maintain respect for,
the environment and its resources; and

WHEREAS, Earth Day 2012 activities and events such as the Green Cup
Challenge educate all citizens on the importance of acting in an envi-
ronmentally sensitive fashion by recycling, conserving energy and water;
and
WHEREAS, The goal of Earth Day 2012 and the Green Cup Challenge is not
to plan only one day or month of events and activities, but to continue
worldwide efforts to protect all aspects of the environment; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to urge the citizens
of the State of New York, to commit to undertaking programs and projects
which enhance our State's natural environment; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
congratulate the students of Public School 81 Thaddeus Stevens who have
embraced the responsible work of protecting and preserving the environ-
ment for future generations, upon the occasion of celebrating the 42nd
Anniversary of Earth Day; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Public School 81 Thaddeus Stevens, Brooklyn, New York.