Celebrating the 56th Anniversary of "Earth Day" on April 22, 2026, in the State of Rhode Island

WHEREAS, First held on April 22, 1970, Earth Day was created by Senator Gaylord Nelson to bring national attention and support for environmental protection; and

WHEREAS, The very first Earth Day brought twenty million Americans from myriad United States cities out to demonstrate. In 2026, one billion people in more than 192 countries are expected to be involved in a wide range of activities coordinated globally; and

WHEREAS, This year marks the th Anniversary of Earth Day and it continues last year’s theme of “Our Power, Our Plant” focusing on the role of people and communities around the world in sustaining environmental protections that affect the cost of living, public health, infrastructure, and long-term stability. Conditions of the environment have influence on the availability of food and water, access to energy, natural disaster risks, and economic resilience; and

WHEREAS, Earth Day has already had a significant and positive impact on our World with tens of millions of trees planted, educators teaching about environmental issues in 149 countries, billions in Green School Grants, 2.7 billion Acts of Green, and millions of cleanup volunteers; and

WHEREAS, Earth Day commands a collective voice from our world to encourage governments, businesses and individuals "to acknowledge and rectify their roles in the environmental crisis"; and

WHEREAS, Earth Day is an opportunity for "individuals from all backgrounds and walks of life to unite in a global effort to advance sustainability and climate action"; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby celebrates the th Anniversary of Earth Day on April 22, 2026, and calls upon all Rhode Islanders to educate themselves on the environmental hazards facing the Earth and our future, and become part of the solution; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to Lou Vergato, Executive Director, the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation, and Terrence Gray, Director, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management.