Sunday marks the 42nd Earth Day observance in the United States.
Much has changed since the first Earth Day in 1970. Back then, many bodies of water in the US, including Lake Erie, were considered dead. And air pollution was rampant.
Judith Enck is regional administrator of the U-S Environmental Protection Agency. On the Capitol Pressroom on WBFO and AM 970, Enck said while real progress has been made on improving the environment, challenges remain.
"Water quality has improved. Ninety-two percent of Americans are drinking water that meets EPA clean water standards," Enck said. "But on the air pollution front, the new threat is climate change. And on the water front, we need to be mindful that new technologies do not damage our water supply."
While Americans are bemoaning the high cost of gasoline this Earth Day, Enck argues that the EPA has done its best to mitigate the rising prices by pushing the auto industry to improve fuel efficiency in their cars.