About this record
On the opening day of the Second Session of the 91st Congress, Washington, D. C., January 19, 1970, Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson introduced a series of proposals to fight environmental pollution, ranging from the development of a pollution-free car engine to the elimination of non-returnable cans and bottles. Among the proposals on his agenda was a constitutional amendment stating simply that "every person has an inalienable right to a decent environment. The United States and every state shall guarantee this right." His efforts would spawn a national upsurge in environmental awareness during the first Earth Day, four months later.Citation
Nelson, Gaylord. "An Environmental Agenda for the 70's." (Washington, D.C.: G. Nelson, 1970);