Senator Boxer said, "The first Earth Day in 1970 was created by Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin after he witnessed a massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California, the previous year. His efforts were instrumental in putting environmental protection on the national agenda, and led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency. It also spurred landmark legislation that protects the air we breathe and the water we drink.

"Four decades later, we are now faced with the challenge of addressing dangerous climate change. We are seeing the impacts of climate change all around us, and the world's leading scientists continue to warn us of the urgent need to cut carbon pollution now to avoid lasting changes to our planet. Rest assured that on this Earth Day and every day, I will keep fighting to take action on climate change and to protect the health of our children and families."