Ask the Scholar

Document scope · 1 page
doc
Scholar
Ask about this object, its catalog metadata, its source description, or the page inventory. For page-specific OCR and visual context, open one of the page chats.

Scholar Source Context

Document identity
localId
323151293
label
[Good Housekeeping Article] 11/28/90 [OA 6027]
core
doc
dtoType
document
pageCount
1
Source metadata
Source extras
naId
323151293
levelOfDescription
fileUnit
recordType
description
ocrSource
nara-archive
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
document
mediaId
49761629237d33e9
ocrText
Originally Processed With FOIA(s): FOIA Number: S S FOIA MARKER This is not a textual record. This is used as an administrative marker by the George Bush Presidential Library Staff. Record Group/Collection: George H.W. Bush Presidential Records Collection/Office of Origin: Speechwriting, White House Office of Series: Speech File Draft Files Subseries: Chron File, 1989-1993 OA/ID Number: 13549 Folder ID Number: 13549-014 Folder Title: [Good Housekeeping Article] 11/28/90 [OA 6027] Stack: Row: Section: Shelf: Position: G 26 16 5 6 90 OCT 28 Pl: 30 Riley Nov. 28, 1990 PRESIDENTIAL ARTICLE: GOOD HOUSEKEEPING Springtime marks a season of change. But the coming of spring is not only a frame of reference -- but also a frame of mind -- a season of hope and new beginnings. The blessings of a sound environment are a freedom to be enjoyed by all who inhabit the Earth. Americans share an instinctive, deeply-rooted concern for our natural heritage. Americans are blessed with a wealth of natural resources that enrich our physical and spiritual lives. And more and more, Americans are recognizing our responsibility to protect those resources not just for ourselves, but for our kids and grandkids. We have made enormous new steps. Last fall, I signed into law the Clean Air Act of 1990 -- launching the most sweeping environmental reforms in 25 years. This innovative package breaks with the old tradition of cumbersome regulation, replacing it with a new brand of environmentalism that's driven by the knowledge that a sound ecology and a sound economy not only can coexist -- but in fact go hand-in-hand. Our new Clean Air Act will leave Americans breathing easier for generations to come. Designed to attack the "big three" of air pollution -- smog, acid rain, and toxic emissions -- it will pull 56 billion pounds of pollution from our skies every year. That's more than 200 pounds for every man, woman, and child in America. It cuts in half the emissions that cause acid rain, by 10 million tons. It slashes the emissions at the root of urban smog, promising that by the year 2000, more than 100 major U.S. cities now suffering from poor air quality will have cleaner, healthier air. It encourages broader use of alternative fuels that are not only safer for the environment, but also help us reduce our dependence on imported foreign oil. Just as important, it achieves these unprecedented pollution reductions by using economic incentives that harness the power of America's market economy. Here in America, we've entered a new era for environmental quality. The size and scope of the new Clean Air Act are without precedent in the history of our country. But as I said in Europe, now almost two years ago, this is one job America cannot do alone. Environmental destruction knows no boundaries. The democratic revolution that swept Eastern Europe in 1989 revealed that mankind's love of freedom wasn't the only thing hidden behind the Berlin Wall. Because when the Wall came down, it revealed a shocking, soot-encrusted landscape, a place where some children were literally blackened by untreated chimney exhaust. The years of industrial neglect in Eastern Europe serve to place the world on notice, and present compelling evidence of why we must not waver in our commitment to build a better environment. Just as America's steadfast vigilance helped Eastern Europe liberate itself from the oppression of communism, now we must help these fledgling democracies liberate themselves, and us, from the disaster of a toxic environment. That is why my Administration has taken the lead in offering technical assistance and American know-how to Eastern European countries now working to save ravaged national environments. Here at home, no individual effort to improve the environment should be considered too small. We can beautify our outdoors simply by picking up the trash. In homes and businesses, new opportunities to use and implement recycling programs have sprung up everywhere. Here in the White House, America's house, we do our part by recycling newspapers and aluminum cans. Every neighborhood, every family, every child has something to contribute. And by cultivating a concern for our environment, we can cultivate character in our kids. We're not just out to protect the environment, but to promote it, to go on the offensive and work to improve the quality of our environment across the board. Part of this effort began last year, when I launched a grassroots effort aimed at nothing less than the greening of America -- an unprecedented new program to plan a billion trees a year. Trees can cool the heat of a summer day, quiet a highway's noise, help feed the hungry, and provide shelter from a winter's storm. And every tree planted is a compact between generations. With Arbor Day not far away, there's an opportunity for every American to get involved. I encourage all Americans to give back to the Earth, and help make tree-planting a major national and international objective for the benefit of the entire world. Government must continue efforts to enrich the environment through innovative legislation like our new Clean Air Act. Cities must continue to promote environmental programs, and individuals must continue to pitch in by launching and using new recycling programs. And this new environmental ethic must become a touchstone for the cleaner, better world we hope to bequeath to our children. It's planting time in America. People everywhere have proven their concern and their willingness to act. Together, we can all make a difference. And together, we can change the world. # # # Riley Nov. 28, 1990 PRESIDENTIAL ARTICLE: GOOD HOUSEKEEPING Springtime marks a season of change. But the coming of spring is not only a frame of reference -- but also a frame of mind -- a season of hope and new beginnings. The blessings of a sound environment are a freedom to be enjoyed by all who inhabit the Earth. Americans share an instinctive, deeply-rooted concern for our natural heritage. Americans are blessed with a wealth of natural resources that enrich our physical and spiritual lives. And more and more, Americans are recognizing our responsibility to protect those resources not just for ourselves, but for our kids and grandkids. We have made enormous new steps. Last fall, I signed into law the Clean Air Act of 1990 -- launching the most sweeping environmental reforms in 25 years. This innovative package breaks with the old tradition of cumbersome regulation, replacing it with a new brand of environmentalism that's driven by the knowledge that a sound ecology and a sound economy not only can coexist -- but in fact go hand-in-hand. Our new Clean Air Act will leave Americans breathing easier for generations to come. Designed to attack the "big three" of air pollution -- smog, acid rain, and toxic emissions -- it will pull 56 billion pounds of pollution from our skies every year. That's more than 200 pounds for every man, woman, and child in America. It cuts in half the emissions that cause acid rain, by 10 million tons. It slashes the emissions at the root of urban smog, promising that by the year 2000, more than 100 major U.S. cities now suffering from poor air quality will have cleaner, healthier air. It encourages broader use of alternative fuels that are not only safer for the environment, but also help us reduce our dependence on imported foreign oil. Just as important, it achieves these unprecedented pollution reductions by using economic incentives that harness the power of America's market economy. Here in America, we've entered a new era for environmental quality. The size and scope of the new Clean Air Act are without precedent in the history of our country. But as I said in Europe, now almost two years ago, this is one job America cannot do alone. Environmental destruction knows no boundaries. The democratic revolution that swept Eastern Europe in 1989 revealed that mankind's love of freedom wasn't the only thing hidden behind the Berlin Wall. Because when the Wall came down, it revealed a shocking, soot-encrusted landscape, a place where some children were literally blackened by untreated chimney exhaust. The years of industrial neglect in Eastern Europe serve to place the world on notice, and present compelling evidence of why we must not waver in our commitment to build a better environment. Just as America's steadfast vigilance helped Eastern Europe liberate itself from the oppression of communism, now we must help these fledgling democracies liberate themselves, and us, from the disaster of a toxic environment. That is why my Administration has taken the lead in offering technical assistance and American know-how to Eastern European countries now working to save ravaged national environments. Here at home, no individual effort to improve the environment should be considered too small. We can beautify our outdoors simply by picking up the trash. In homes and businesses, new opportunities to use and implement recycling programs have sprung up everywhere. Here in the White House, America's house, we do our part by recycling newspapers and aluminum cans. Every neighborhood, every family, every child has something to contribute. And by cultivating a concern for our environment, we can cultivate character in our kids. We're not just out to protect the environment, but to promote it, to go on the offensive and work to improve the quality of our environment across the board. Part of this effort began last year, when I launched a grassroots effort aimed at nothing less than the greening of America -- an unprecedented new program to plan a billion trees a year. Trees can cool the heat of a summer day, quiet a highway's noise, help feed the hungry, and provide shelter from a winter's storm. And every tree planted is a compact between generations. With Arbor Day not far away, there's an opportunity for every American to get involved. I encourage all Americans to give back to the Earth, and help make tree-planting a major national and international objective for the benefit of the entire world. Government must continue efforts to enrich the environment through innovative legislation like our new Clean Air Act. Cities must continue to promote environmental programs, and individuals must continue to pitch in by launching and using new recycling programs. And this new environmental ethic must become a touchstone for the cleaner, better world we hope to bequeath to our children. It's planting time in America. People everywhere have proven their concern and their willingness to act. Together, we can all make a difference. And together, we can change the world. # # #