Senate Resolution No. 1771

BY: Senator O'MARA

COMMEMORATING the 47th Anniversary of Earth Day on
April 22, 2017

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize and
pay tribute to those institutions and organizations, government and
community leaders dedicating their purposeful work to increasing public
awareness of, and appreciation for New York's natural resources,
recognizing the role all citizens have in protecting the environment and
the quality of life in this Empire State; and

WHEREAS, Over the 47 years since a former United States Senator from
Wisconsin, Gaylord Nelson, called for a nationwide environmental
teach-in and founded Earth Day on April 22, 1970, millions of Americans,
year after year, have conducted peaceful demonstrations calling for
environmental reform; and

WHEREAS, Earth Day is now observed annually on April 22nd by more
than 500 million people around the globe and national governments in 175
countries; and

WHEREAS, In the more than four decades which have passed since the
first Earth Day, the ongoing burdens of population growth, pollution,
extreme weather and so many other environmental challenges and crises
have remained high among the most critical issues confronting our State,
our Nation and all nations; and

WHEREAS, As the commitment of increasing numbers of American
citizens and people around the world have been raised to unprecedented
levels, an emerging and ever-developing national and international
consciousness in activism, advocacy, education, government and industry
has spread across the globe and resulted in the passage of sweeping new
laws to protect our air, our land, our water, our wildlife and all of
the planet's endangered, finite and vastly overburdened resources; and

WHEREAS, Sustaining the quality and the productivity of our natural
environment, through a balanced, diligent, fair and serious sense of
stewardship and conservation, is the foundation of a healthy society and
a robust economy best achieved through a far-reaching, diverse network
of decision makers working in unison for common goals and a common good
to enhance, preserve and protect the natural resources, environmental
beauty and the ethics of conservation which have long defined our State;
and

WHEREAS, A deep-rooted knowledge of ways to live in harmony with our
environment, and the methods and technologies to accomplish this end,
already exists in the countless policies and programs which New York
State has enacted in defense of our pristine natural resources and to
secure the well-being of communities sustained by agriculture, founded
nearby clean waters and, more recently, advanced by a movement that
promotes reliance on renewable energy resources and recycling; and

WHEREAS, Earth Day is highlighted by the inclusion of a fully funded
$300-million Environmental Protection Fund (EPF), something many

conservation advocates have been fighting for and working on for a
number of years, and that they are hailing as a great victory, as they
should; and

WHEREAS, $2.5 billion was allocated to the Clean Water
Infrastructure Act to help municipalities upgrade their drinking and
wastewater infrastructure; and

WHEREAS, Some of the programs funded will be the Pollinator
Potection Program, Organics Recycling Program, New York's Ocean Action
Plan, and the Clean Water Infrastructure Act; these programs will enable
the New York State government to continue to lead by example and protect
New Yorkers and the environment; and

WHEREAS, Local communities can do much to reverse environmental
degradation and contribute to building a healthy society by promoting
energy conservation, sustainable land use policies, and public transit;
and

WHEREAS, There are sound cultural, economic and environmental
reasons for local governments to initiate energy efficiency and
renewable energy practices; and

WHEREAS, The environmental realities of our time require citizens in
every community, of every age and from all walks of life, to make a
dramatic shift in our relationship to the earth; and

WHEREAS, April 22, 2017, marks the 47th Anniversary of Earth Day, a
day set aside to celebrate the beauty and bounty of our environment and
to renew and revitalize local, state, national and international efforts
to protect and maintain respect for the environment and all resources;
and

WHEREAS, Earth Day 2017 activities and events will educate all
citizens on the importance of acting in an environmentally sensitive
fashion by recycling, conserving energy and water, using efficient
transportation, and adopting more ecologically sound lifestyles; and

WHEREAS, The overriding mission of Earth Day 2017 is not to plan
only one day of events and activities, but to continue worldwide action
to protect all aspects of the environment; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 47th Anniversary of Earth Day on April 22, 2017; and be
it further

RESOLVED, That all New Yorkers, in every community, will be
recommitted to undertaking programs and projects enhancing our state's
natural environment; and be it further

RESOLVED, That New York State hereby encourages our residents,
businesses, schools and other institutions to use Earth Day to celebrate
the planet and commit to building sustainable societies; and be it
further

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body congratulate all the concerned
citizens of New York State who have embraced the responsible work of
protecting and preserving the environment for future generations.