Earth Day, 2023, 25267-25269 [2023-08938]

Agencies

• Executive Office of the President

[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 80 (Wednesday, April 26, 2023)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 25267-25269]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-08938]




                        Presidential Documents 



Federal Register / Vol. 88 , No. 80 / Wednesday, April 26, 2023 / 
Presidential Documents

[[Page 25267]]


                Proclamation 10556 of April 21, 2023

                
Earth Day, 2023

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                America's natural wonders help define who we are as a 
                Nation. They unite and renew us, a constant reminder of 
                something bigger than ourselves. But nature is not only 
                a catalyst for reflection--it demands action. On Earth 
                Day, we celebrate the modern environmental movement 
                that kicked off 53 years ago, when millions of 
                Americans of every age and background first rallied 
                together to change our laws and become better stewards 
                of our planet. Because of their courage and commitment, 
                the Environmental Protection Agency was created to 
                safeguard our environment and the health of all 
                Americans, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
                Administration was established to help protect our 
                ocean. The Congress passed the Clean Water Act to 
                restore our rivers and streams; the 1970 Clean Air Act 
                to slash deadly emissions; and the Endangered Species 
                Act, which has helped prevent 99 percent of potential 
                extinctions of species under its care. Advocates have 
                since built a global coalition that today will see a 
                billion people worldwide take action to protect the 
                Earth. Their work has called us all to conscience and 
                has inspired us to reject the false choice between a 
                sustainable planet and a strong economy. Today we are 
                continuing to prove that we can and must demand both.

                This work has never been more urgent. Climate change is 
                a clear and present danger--in the words of UN 
                Secretary General Antonio Guterres, it is a ``code red 
                for humanity.'' We see it across the world and in every 
                corner of our country: more destructive hurricanes and 
                tornadoes; more severe and longer-lasting droughts; and 
                wildfires that have destroyed millions of acres--more 
                land than many whole States. Extreme weather is 
                disrupting our supply chains and overwhelming our 
                energy grids, costing America $165 billion in damages 
                last year alone and often hitting low-income 
                communities hardest. Deforestation, biodiversity loss, 
                toxic spills, and plastic pollution only make things 
                worse. Our economy, our national security, and our 
                children's futures are at stake.

                When I was sworn in as President, we set groundbreaking 
                goals to cut America's greenhouse gas emissions in half 
                by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 in order 
                to keep global warming below the critical 1.5-degrees-
                Celsius threshold. We immediately rejoined the Paris 
                Agreement and have worked to strengthen global 
                resilience--rallying 130 nations to commit to slashing 
                methane emissions, working to halt deforestation, and 
                putting healthy ecosystems at the heart of healthy 
                economies. At home, we are in the midst of a 
                generational upgrade in our infrastructure; and we 
                passed the most aggressive climate investment law in 
                history, making record investments in green 
                manufacturing, clean public transit, and climate-smart 
                agriculture while giving families tax credits to make 
                their homes more energy efficient. In the first 2 years 
                of my Administration, more solar, wind, and battery 
                storage technology were deployed in the United States 
                than any prior 2-year period. In 2022 alone, wind and 
                solar provided nearly three-quarters of new power 
                generation capacity in the United States. We are making 
                the United States the world's electric vehicle leader, 
                building a nationwide network of 500,000 charging 
                stations and providing tax credits

[[Page 25268]]

                to help families afford electric cars and save on the 
                cost of gasoline. Throughout, we are making sure that 
                the technology powering our clean energy future is made 
                in America by American workers, creating good-paying 
                union jobs. Since we know environmental factors can 
                impact businesses and markets, I have made sure that 
                pension fund managers can continue to take those 
                factors into account.

                As we unleash this new era of economic growth powered 
                by clean energy, we are also making historic 
                investments in environmental justice--cleaning up toxic 
                waste, improving air quality, capping old oil and gas 
                wells, and expanding safe outdoor spaces across the 
                country so communities smothered by the legacy of 
                pollution can rebuild. We are working to replace every 
                lead pipe left in America so children everywhere can 
                turn on the faucet and drink clean water, and we are 
                partnering with communities to get dangerous ``PFAS'' 
                chemicals out of their water supplies. To complement 
                and enable these efforts, today I signed an Executive 
                Order committing the Federal Government to 
                incorporating environmental justice perspectives, 
                values, and considerations into our work. I have also 
                committed to working with the Congress to quadruple 
                American support for global climate finance, unlocking 
                the additional pools of private investment needed to 
                bring the world along. There is no denying that we are 
                in this together.

                At home, we have also deepened our conservation work, 
                preserving our natural wonders as bridges to our past 
                and future. Our ``America the Beautiful'' Initiative 
                aims to conserve at least 30 percent of our Nation's 
                lands and waters by 2030; in its first year, we 
                protected more territory than any administration since 
                President John F. Kennedy's. Last Earth Day, I signed 
                an Executive Order strengthening America's forests to 
                harness their power in the fight against climate change 
                and reduce wildfire risk. I have designated magnificent 
                lands from Avi Kwa Ame--or Spirit Mountain--in Nevada 
                to Camp Hale in Colorado as national monuments, 
                restored protections to treasures like Bears Ears and 
                Grand Staircase-Escalante in Utah, and acted to protect 
                the Tongass National Forest and Bristol Bay in Alaska.

                The environmentalist and author Rachel Carson once 
                wrote: ``Those who contemplate the beauty of the Earth 
                find reserves of strength that will endure as long as 
                life lasts.'' Today, we renew that strength to keep 
                building on our progress. The challenges we face are 
                great, but our capacity is greater. The inspiring 
                passion of young people and climate activists, civil 
                society and Indigenous communities, and thoughtful 
                consumers and forward-thinking businesses is 
                galvanizing the world to finally deliver a more 
                equitable, prosperous, and just planet, preserved for 
                generations to come.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of 
                the United States of America, by virtue of the 
                authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws 
                of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 22, 
                2023, as Earth Day. Today, I encourage all Americans to 
                reflect on the need to protect our precious Earth; to 
                heed the call to combat our climate and biodiversity 
                crises while growing the economy; and to keep working 
                for a healthier, safer, more equitable future for all.

[[Page 25269]]

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                twenty-first day of April, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand twenty-three, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                seventh.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2023-08938
Filed 4-25-23; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F3-P