To the Editor:

Earth Day celebrations still inspire. In 1892, John Muir and other supporters formed the Sierra Club “to make the mountains glad.” Muir’s Sierra Club helped establish the first national park that would later become the National Parks System. Muir is as relevant today as he was more than 100 years ago because many of today’s Earth Day activities have Muir to thank for their inspiration.

Earth Day started in 1969 with 20 million Americans coast-to-cost demonstrating after the massive and devastating oil spill in California. Most historians attribute the first Earth Day and the influential writing of Rachel Carson for the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the nation’s environmental protections such as the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Wilderness Act and the Endangered Species Acts.

After 44 years of celebrating Earth Day, it only seems right to support a strong director of the Environmental Protection Agency to address modern challenges like climate change and mercury pollution.

Further, according to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Association, 2012 was the hottest year on record and delivered some of the most extreme weather events across the country. Devastating droughts, deadly heat waves and violent super storms like Hurricane Sandy impacted nearly every county in the country. Even in New Hampshire, state climatologist, Mary D. Stampone, said 2012 was the hottest temperatures on record here.

You can write a list. The invasive Emerald Ash Borer has officially arrived in the Granite State. In April, the state issued a red-flag fire warning for six New Hampshire counties due to gusty winds and dry conditions. Also from NOAA, the average monthly precipitation for April in Nashua was 3.94 inches and so far only 1.58 inches has fallen this year. Can we forget that the moose population is very sensitive to the warmer winters increasing the mortality rate by 40 percent in the past five years? These very real impacts can mean a very different future for our children and grandchildren.

President Obama demonstrated his commitment to, and understanding of, these issues when he nominated Gina McCarthy to lead the EPA for his second term. McCarthy is a pragmatic and dedicated professional set on protecting public health, our children and families from the dangers pollution. She worked for the environmental agency in Connecticut and was a top advisor for Mitt Romney when he was the Governor of Massachusetts. Over the last four years, McCarthy, as the assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation, led the EPA to implement new health standards for toxic pollution like mercury, and lowered carbon pollution from power plants and cars. These public health protections will save lives, prevent illness, and drive innovation in new cleaner energy technology.

The EPA is the Green Cop on the beat, and McCarthy is the right leader to keep it focused on tackling these important public health challenges. The Senate will be voting to confirm Gina McCarthy in May. Please call Senators Shaheen and Ayotte to ask them to support a strong EPA and McCarthy’s confirmation. Seeing the work of Muir, Carson, and others continued with McCarthy’s appointment is a great way to celebrate Earth Day.

JERRY CURRAN

NH Sierra Club Chapter Chairman, Amherst

and

SARAH WOODARD, NH Sierra Club volunteer leader, Nashua