Washington, D.C.--Today marks the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day.  As Senators Kerry, Graham, and Lieberman prepare to release a draft clean energy and climate plan on Monday, Sierra Club offered the following comments.

"Yesterday, we celebrated Sierra Club founder John Muir's 172nd birthday.  Today, we celebrate the 40th Earth Day.  And indeed, there is much to celebrate: cleaner air, cleaner water, and tens of millions of acres of our nation's most special places protected.  Even the proud symbol of our nation, the bald eagle, has been brought back from the brink of extinction by the environmental progress made over the last 40 years.

"Even in face of this progress, much remains to be done.  Some in Congress are even trying to undo some of the most hard won protections to our air, our water, and our lands.  We cannot let this happen.

"John Muir himself famously said 'everything's hitched to everything else.'  That couldn't be truer today as our air, our water, and even our own future is hitched to finding a solution to the greatest environmental challenge human society has ever faced: climate change.  The first Earth Day ushered in a new era of bipartisan cooperation to protect our environment.  It's essential that this 40th Earth Day usher in a new era of bipartisan cooperation to meet the challenge of climate change.  Just as we stood up to polluters four decades ago, it's time again to stand up to Big Oil, Dirty Coal, and other polluters.  Without further delay, the Senate needs to stand up to these special interests and pass comprehensive clean energy and climate change legislation that will give America more jobs, less pollution and real energy independence."