WASHINGTON - Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) released the following statement recognizing the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day: 

"Today millions of people across the world will unite to commemorate Earth Day and learn more about how we can and must act to save our planet.  This year's Earth Day is particularly exceptional as we observe the 40th Anniversary of this annual day that recognizes the need to act to better protect and preserve our planet.

"Earth Day has always been a special day in my life.  Forty years ago, as a young naval flight officer, I joined thousands of people in San Francisco who came together to celebrate the very first Earth Day.  In a remarkable way, it helped to change my life, ultimately leading me to serve in the same U.S. Senate where Gaylord Nelson - the founder of Earth Day - served 40 years ago. 

"As we mark the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day, we are reminded of the progress we have made to help clean up our nation. Since the first Earth Day in 1970, we have come a long way in cleaning up our environment. Our air is cleaner, and our water is safer to drink. But more work remains. 

"As a member of the United States Senate Committee charged with protecting our environment, I work every day with my colleagues to solve some of our biggest environmental challenges - climate change, air pollution, and water quality among them. 

"In this Congress, we are taking to heart that Earth Day is every day by greening our infrastructure, investing in a clean, domestically-grown energy future for Americans, and creating jobs along the way. 

"However, as Congress works to enact national solutions to some of our most pressing environmental challenges, we must remember some of the best solutions to these challenges come from relatively small steps taken by many people locally. From reducing our energy consumption by carpooling to recycling our waste to help preserve our natural resources, such steps that each of us can take in our daily lives that - added together - will result in huge improvements to our environment. 

"I'd like to invite everyone of us to celebrate this 40th anniversary of Earth Day, not just on this day this year, but every day this year and beyond. If we do that, not only would we save ourselves a lot of money, we'd also go a long way toward saving our planet too. Together, our small choices can make a huge difference."