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SUBJ/DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY 2022 EARTH DAY// 
 
RMKS/1.  At the Department of the Navy (DON), we are guided by our enduring 
priorities, Strengthening Maritime Dominance, Empowering Our People, and 
Strengthening Our Partnerships.  Everything that we do is in support of the 
Sailors, Marines, civilians, and their families.  This Earth Day we recognize 
our efforts in support of the environment through the 2022 Earth Day theme, 
"Invest in our Planet."  We focus on all that we do to be good stewards of 
our environment, sustainable users of resources, and mitigate against and 
adapt to climate change to ensure mission success. 
The Department commits substantial resources in our afloat and ashore 
environmental programs to ensure climate resiliency, comply with 
environmental laws and regulations, proactively manage natural and cultural 
resources on our installations and ranges, and protect human health and 
safety.  Clean air, water, and land are essential to the safety and health of 
our military and civilian personnel, our families, and our neighboring 
communities, and the ability of our installations and ranges to continue to 
meet mission critical functions. 
The first Earth Day events took place on April 22, 1970, more than 50 years 
ago, drawing on emerging public consciousness about air and water pollution 
and their effects on the environment - a clear recognition of the impact the 
environment has on our lives.  Spearheaded by Senator Gaylord Nelson, the 
creation of Earth Day elevated environmental degradation into the national 
agenda.  It also marked a turning point for U.S. environmentalism, which 
captured the growing recognition of the importance of environmental 
stewardship, and translated it into passage of a series of first-in-their-
kind environmental laws by the end of the decade. 
Today we are at another important turning point as we confront real-time 
impacts of climate change, and what it means for mission of the DON.  The 
latest findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued 
earlier this month by the United Nations make clear now is the time to take 
action to mitigate climate change and avoid irreversible impacts to the 
environment. 
As I stated in my first message nearly nine months ago, I consider climate 
change to be one of the most pressing challenges the DON and our nation 
faces.  Climate change is leading to rising sea levels and unpredictable 
weather in areas where we train and operate.  A melting Arctic is creating 
new areas of operation, causing us to revisit and renew security 
strategies.  These changes make clear that the environment impacts our 
mission, and the changes in motion now will affect our future fight and our 
future readiness. 
Effectively responding to climate change is a key contributor to our ability 
to strengthen maritime dominance - responsible stewardship of the environment 
makes us better warfighters.  Every investment the Department makes is in 
support of the warfighter and aligned with our mission priorities.  Being 
smarter consumers of energy and resources means staying on station longer and 
executing missions in a smarter and more secure way.  We protect the 
environment to demonstrate our commitment to provide safe and healthy 
communities, build on the responsibilities entrusted to us by the public and 
our regulatory partners, and ensure that through proper stewardship, we are 
able to conduct training and operations in a safe and supportable way.  All 
these efforts help achieve our overarching goal of becoming a more capable, 
agile, and lethal fighting force. 
We are a global force facing global challenges, and the importance of 
prioritizing the care of our environment and combatting climate change are 
too big for any organization to tackle alone.  When we act together we build 
more meaningful solutions and strengthen our collective security.  We are 
reinforcing relationships with a range of regional, state, federal, local, 
tribal, and international partners to advance our climate and environmental 
goals, in alignment with our enduring priorities. 
To that end I encourage and empower every Sailor, Marine, and Navy civilian 
to take action both on behalf of the Department and personally to invest in 
our planet, and develop partnerships in your communities that advance the 
DON's mission and take care of our planet.  I also urge you to participate in 
events on our ships, at our installations, or in your communities on April 
22nd to commemorate Earth Day.  Every action you take helps contribute to our 
mission and the global mission of protecting the environment and combating 
climate change. 
 
2.  Released by the Honorable Carlos Del Toro, Secretary of the Navy.// 
 
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