Wallace Stegner, a great writer of the American West, called our magnificent Western landscapes the 'geography of hope.' These precious lands, he noted, gave Americans our opportunity and our prosperity. Today, we celebrate Earth Day by taking action and recognizing the important role our land, air and water have in sustaining our way of life. My life as an avid outdoorsman has taken me from the rivers and streams in the valleys to the highest peaks in the Rocky Mountains. Preserving and experiencing these unique treasures is what Earth Day is all about.
Our livelihood is intimately tied to the food we eat, water we drink and places where we recreate. That's why we have to promote responsibility and conservation when it comes to our natural resources. One way I'm working to ensure future generations enjoy these resources is by continuing to push for passage of my San Juan Mountains Wilderness bill and launching a collaborative process to establish new wilderness in the Central Mountains and Browns Canyon areas of Colorado. Listening to local communities results in the best proposals that create jobs and protect our wild lands.
Promoting wilderness is one way we can work to protect our natural treasures. I encourage Coloradans to join me in celebrating this 42nd annual Earth Day with friends, family and fellow environmental stewards to achieve a brighter future. Working together we can keep our wild lands wild, and our air and water clean. By accomplishing this, we will ensure our children too can enjoy the opportunity provided by the geography of hope -- the great gift of the American West.
When planning your time to celebrate our great outdoors, remember that this week is National Park Week and all of our national parks are waiving entrance fees. As Chairman of the National Parks Subcommittee, I encourage Americans to visit and enjoy these great resources.
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As Subcommittee Chairman, Senator, you could hear experts about this proposal, and it could be scaled many way$.
The caldera there is quite active, has uplift measured in inches per year, instead of per century or millennia, and the most heard eruption prediction, "...it could be thousands of years", is sticking OUR collective head in the sand.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/01/110119-yellowstone-park-supervolcano-eruption-magma-science/
My proposal Senator, as insane as it first sounds, is to 'drain' Yellowstone Lake, and just as soon as possible. Methods to preserve marshy wetlands and most wildlife directly affected could be included.
The science seems clear the water (above the caldera) is a 'catalyst' that will increase eruptive force exponentially. A huge pipeline or just a medium canal would work, and a taxpayer-assisted relocation for some folks directly east couldn't hurt either. It wouldn't be a Panama Canal project (finished in a decade), but that shows such things are 'feasible'.
We search for asteroids to possibly protect ourselves. So far we just ignore this 'backyard threat'. We're waiting until it's time to run - when there are things we could be doing. The Park's beauty can be preserved without the lake. Why supply fuel for the inevitable furnace?
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/01/110119-yellowstone-park-supervolcano-eruption-magma-science/
It documented the change in the ice shelves etc at both poles and showed how in 20 the melt escalated faster than any time in recorded history. It showed the effect on wild life and the future of ocean levels etc by the end of this century.
No matter what the reason It is happening
All ecosystems are all integrated, and they all have loops and feedbacks to both the climate and the atmosphere, and they all, altogether, create Earth's very life zone, her biosphere/ecosphere.
We have much to appreciate in and on our living Earth, and it is spelled, l i f e!
America and it leaders must lead now not tomorrow to even come close to preventing the exit of humans from the earth. Maybe if you leaders can get it together, other countries will come onboard.
Thank you Senator Udall.
Renewable issues should never have become a political issue. It is in the best interests of all citizens as well as both parties to develop renewables. Fossil and nuclear can be transitional sources, but should be very cautiously applied. It is only due to the monetery hijacking by fossil reapers of what they did not sow, to gain politcal support that has allowed the unfettered continuing use of fossil fuels.