City of Eagle Pass Celebrates Earth Day

By: Jose G. Landa, Copyright 2014, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc.

The City of Eagle Pass celebrated Earth Day on Tuesday, April 22, 2014, commemorating our environment by planting over 30 trees in the Historic Fort Duncan Park and throughout the City of Eagle Pass Parks System.

Present at the Earth Day ceremony was Mayor Pro Tem Luis Sifuentes who was the guest speaker for the event, Hellen Martinez of the Senator Carlos Euresti’s Office,  Hector Chavez, Eagle Pass Public Works Department Director, and George Sanchez, Eagle Pass Parks and Recreation Department Director.

“Today we celebrate the 44th year anniversary of Earth Day worldwide,” said Parks and Recreation Director George Sanchez.

“We welcome those in attendance to the 44th year anniversary of Earth Day,” said Sanchez.

Mayor Pro Tem Luis Sifuentes stated that “there are over 1 billion people that will take part in celebrating Earth Day, from Paris to Cairo to Johannesburg, New York to Eagle Pass. Communities everywhere will voice their concerns for the planet and will take action to help protect it. In the face of unprecedented of extreme weather, loss of species and pollution it is more important than ever that communities do their part to protect our planet. Earth Day reminds us that we all share the same planet. Sharing, Earth means taking responsibility for what we use and how we use it.  It is a day to think of the environmental challenges we face and how to solve them. Protecting our Earth is every person’s and country’s responsibility,” said Sifuentes.

The ceremony was concluded with the planting over 30 trees throughout the City of Eagle Pass Parks and Recreational areas, including Fort Duncan Park.

The trees planted on this year’s Earth Day were donated by Wal-Mart, D and R Nursery, The Green Company, and the City of Eagle Pass Parks and Recreation Department.

A recent United Nations report found that global climate change is real and humans must take action to reduce fossil fuel emissions into the atmosphere; otherwise, global droughts, weather changes, temperature increases, and world food supplies shortages will cause major public health and environmental problems.  The United Nations report found that humans on Planet Earth have approximately 20-30 years to reduce their fossil fuel emissions before it is too late, possibly jeopardizing the future of the human species during this century.