press releases 2008
The United States Celebrates Earth Day April 22
April 21, 2008
The United States celebrates Earth Day today along with many other countries. Earth Day began in the United States on April 22, 1970, when Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson called for an environmental teach-in, or Earth Day, in order to demonstrate popular support for environmental issues.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/Lebanon is actively engaged in preserving and conserving the environment in Lebanon in partnership with ministries, municipalities and civil society organizations. USAID’s $26 million contribution to support the environment is a gift from the American people to Lebanese throughout the country.
When forest fires ravaged parts of Lebanon last fall, USAID worked with a local partner to reforest areas. The new trees preserve the soil and water sheds, and are also income producing carob and pine trees.
Providing clean water to Lebanese communities has long been a priority for the Ministry of Energy and Water with which USAID works closely; training and reducing water loss are priorities.
USAID is financing the cleaning of the coast line polluted by oil spills during the 2006 conflict. The second phase of the oil spill clean-up operation along the coast will be completed in May, 2008.
In addition to providing assistance to the agricultural sector, USAID is working with municipalities throughout Lebanon to manage solid waste, which is creating municipal revenue, and to treat waste water. By using state-of-the-art technologies, USAID is helping to provide for an environmentally sound future in Lebanon.
Earth Day is when the international community renews its commitment to the protection of the environment, the preservation and conservation of natural resources, and to managing challenges like urban development, solid waste management and climate change. In the United States, Earth Day led to the adoption of several laws in the United States, including the Clean Air Act, laws to protect drinking water, wild lands and the ocean, and the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
For more information on Earth Day, visit the U.S. Embassy’s website http://lebanon.usembassy.gov.
