Earth Day 2013 We're All The Face of Climate Change

Washington, DC, April 22, 2013
Wasserman Schultz encourages Americans to "Pick Five for the Environment"

Today marks the 43rd annual Earth Day, a day when people around the world focus on the environmental challenges facing the planet and what we can do to help overcome them. This year’s theme is ‘The face of climate change,’ pointing out that climate change is already having an impact on people, animals and the environment, and that we as individuals can play an active role in reversing climate change.

“As individuals, climate change can seem an overwhelming and abstract problem that we can’t affect, but the reality is that each person’s individual actions shape our environment and affect our climate,” said U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23). “This year we focus on the Face of Climate Change and what we as individuals can do to help reduce our carbon footprint.”

This Earth Day, Americans can pledge to ‘Pick Five for the Environment’ by pledging to take five easy steps to help improve the world around us.

“By taking a few simple steps, from replacing light bulbs to combining errands and shopping trips, to greenscaping your yard, we can each help to limit our impact on carbon emissions driving climate change,” said Rep. Wasserman Schultz. “I encourage people to make their pledge at the EPA’s Pick Five for the Environment website.”

The Congresswoman also pointed out just one of the many areas that the Obama Administration has made significant progress in protecting the environment by highlighting a significant improvement in the fuel economy of cars and light trucks sold from 2011-2025.

“I’m proud that the President has taken a strong stance on reducing greenhouse gases and air pollution by doubling the average fuel efficiency of vehicles -- to 54.5 mpg -- by 2025,” said Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz. “This will save Americans $1.7 trillion spent on gasoline by 2025, save 12 billion barrels of oil and eliminate six billion metric tons of carbon dioxide pollution, truly a win-win for both the environment and Americans’ pocketbooks.”