We Only Have One: Protecting Our Planet This Earth Day

New Hampshire is home to beautiful natural treasures including the White Mountains, the Seacoast, and our pristine forests and lakes. And over the past year, our stunning natural environment has served as a refuge more than ever as we spent more time outdoors amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Climate change threatens some of those beautiful places, and the health of our people, our way of life, and our economy. Without significant action, New Hampshire — like places around the world — will continue to see increased flooding, unseasonable temperatures, and more frequent and more severe extreme weather events.

In the Senate, I’m working to protect the environment and address the harmful impacts of climate change before it’s too late.

Earlier this year, I worked across the aisle with my colleagues to pass the Great American Outdoors Act, which will permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund and provide mandatory funding for deferred maintenance on public lands. Recently, the Dundee Forest Legacy Project in Bartlett and Jackson received $2.3 million made possible by this bipartisan legislation that they will use to support wildlife, sustainable forestry, and outdoor recreation.

I also recently introduced bipartisan legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by supporting and expanding programs such as the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a market-based collaboration by a number of states, including New Hampshire, to lessen our carbon footprint.

Addressing climate change is critical — and it’s on all of us to make sure that we protect our planet for generations to come. So today, on the 51st Earth Day, we must all recommit to preserving our environment in order to protect the health of our citizens and our economy.