Environment

Environment. image of a seedling

Burning, polluted rivers and visibly polluted air were some of the factors that led to the first major environmental laws in our country. Environment and public health are closely linked and although the days of pouring chemicals into waterways and air pollution as thick as pea soup have passed there are still many challenges facing our environment and affecting public health. Aging transportation and water systems should be replaced to improve air and water quality. We need to protect our National Parks and other American public lands in order to preserve the unique diversity of plant and animal life, as well as our cultural heritage. And we should work to develop our cities, communities and rural areas more sustainably, including with more sustainable agricultural practices.

More on Environment

Oct 06, 2015
Saving the Land and Water Conservation Fund: Our Economy Depends on It | By SEEC Member Rep. Rick Nolan (MN-08)

SEEC Member Rep. Rick Nolan (MN-08)

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The Land and Water Conservation Fund is our nation’s premier program to help local communities protect the places they love. It has conserved iconic landscapes in every state and is responsible for more than 40,000 state and local outdoor recreation projects such as playgrounds, parks, refuges and baseball fields.
Oct 01, 2015
Despite the Pope's Pleas, Congress Resists Action on Climate Change | By SEEC Member Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) & Greg Dotson

By SEEC Member Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) & Greg Dotson

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The urgency to act on climate has been recognized by a diverse group of global leaders, from Ronald Reagan’s secretary of state, George Schultz, to President Barack Obama to the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff to Pope Francis. But despite this growing global consensus on the need to arrest climate change, the Republican leaders who control Congress remain unwilling to act.
Sep 30, 2015
Save the Land and Water Conservation Fund | By SEEC Member Niki Tsongas

Niki Tsongas

The Boston Globe
Democrats and Republicans came together 50 years ago around a simple idea: As we use up one natural resource, use the resulting profits to protect another. It was a novel and forward-thinking concept that balanced the demands of energy and the environment. Thus was born the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which remains a benchmark of across-the-aisle cooperation, as well as a paragon of conservation.
Aug 3, 2015
Statement on the Clean Power Plan

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) releases the final version of the Clean Power Plan, which will place the first ever limits on carbon pollution from power plants. SEEC Members released the following statement:

Jul 29, 2015
Helping National Parks Is Personal for This Congressman

By SEEC Member Don Beyer (VA-08)

Huffington Post
By SEEC Member Don Beyer (VA-08) | Have you found your park yet? Perhaps you've seen You Tube clips, billboards, or social media postings with the words "Find Your Park." This campaign - featuring stunning images of nature and history - is part of a year-plus celebration of the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service. The goal is to introduce - and reintroduce - our parks to a larger and younger audience.
Jun 18, 2015
Pope Francis and the movement to act on climate
The Hill
By SEEC Member Rep. Ted Lieu (CA-33) | What do Pope Francis, the United States military and former Secretary of State George Shultz have in common? They all believe climate change is real, mostly caused by humans and responsible for the unprecedented destruction of our planet’s precious ecosystems.
Jun 18, 2015
Statement on Pope’s Encyclical on Climate Change and the Environment

Washington D.C. – Today, Pope Francis–the leader of more than 1 billion Catholics worldwide–released a papal encyclical, “Laudato Si, On the Care of our Common Home”. The encyclical echoes what we already know, the climate is changing and human actions, especially the unmitigated burning of fossil fuels, are the cause. The encyclical goes on to urge the world’s governments to act, calling on developed nations to lead, citing the disproportionate impacts that climate change will have on the world’s poor and those living in developing countries.

May 27, 2015
Statement on the Clean Water Rule
Washington D.C.–Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Army Corps) finalized the Clean Water Rule.
Apr 22, 2015
Earth Day 2015
SEEC Members are working year round to support clean air, clean water, and climate action. On Earth Day 2015 they introduced legislation, recorded videos, wrote op-eds, and made statements to celebrate.
Apr 10, 2015
California Environmental Champion Rep. Ted Lieu Joins SEEC

The House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC) is pleased to welcome Congressman Ted Lieu (CA-33) to its membership.

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