Buchanan Calls for Environmental Safeguards on 50th Anniversary of Earth Day

Press Release

On the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, Congressman Vern Buchanan called for the passage of legislation to address the growing problem of ocean pollution and greater safeguards for the environment.

The oceans could contain more plastic than fish by 2050, according to an estimate by the United Nation's Ocean Conference. More than a million seabirds die every year due to plastic debris, as well as more than 100,000 marine mammals. Sea turtles are especially at risk, including the endangered Loggerhead and Green Sea turtles, both of which are native to Southwest Florida.

"Suncoast residents know the strong connection between a pristine environment and quality of life," Buchanan continued. "Our beaches and wildlife are integral to the Southwest Florida lifestyle. We cannot let our oceans be turned into a global landfill. Florida is the only state on the mainland with two coastlines, protecting water quality and preserving our environment must be a top priority."

Earth Day was founded in 1970 after a massive oil spill off the California coast -- the largest spill in American history at the time, surpassed only by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon catastrophe and the Exxon Valdez spill in 1989. In addition to oil spills our oceans have been increasingly plagued by growing plastic debris. According to the United Nations, 13 million metric tons of plastic bottles, straws, bags, fishing gear and abandoned vessels are dumped into the ocean every year.

The Save Our Seas 2.0 Act would enhance the country's global engagement addressing marine debris and prevent the creation of new marine debris.

Specifically, this bipartisan legislation would create a Marine Debris Response Trust Fund for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to respond to natural disasters that cause marine debris and instructs the Secretary of State to submit a report to Congress on the potential for international agreements to reduce marine debris. The bill also authorizes a prize competition encouraging innovation in the removal and prevention of plastic waste. The Save Our Seas 2.0 Act builds upon the Save Our Seas Act, which was supported by Buchanan and signed into law by President Trump in 2018.

Buchanan has a long history fighting to protect water quality and the environment in Florida and elsewhere, including leading efforts in Congress to increase federal funding into red tide research and reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF).

Buchanan was one of three Republicans to vote in favor of the United States staying in the landmark Paris Climate Accord, which has been embraced by 196 nations as a way to reduce global warming. He was also one of the first Republicans in 2017 to urge President Trump to remain in the agreement. The climate agreement would attempt to lower greenhouse gas emissions, slow temperature increases and create a worldwide response to global warming. Climate change has been identified as a cause of sea level rise, changes in frequency and intensity of storms and drought. A financial market advisory firm released a study ranking Sarasota and Bradenton as the second and seventh most at risk cities for economic damage due to climate change.

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