Air Date: Week of April 20, 2012

Environmental education programs across the country could be eliminated if the Obama budget passes. (Ohio Sea Grant and Stone Laboratory)

President Obama’s proposed budget would eliminate almost all federal funding for environmental education. Sean Miller, of the Earth Day Network, says this isn’t how he wants to celebrate Earth Day.

Transcript

GELLERMAN: Recently, the White House held an historic summit on environmental education. But the Administration plans deep cuts in federal enviro ed programs, which takes some of the enthusiasm out of this year’s Earth Day for Sean Miller. He’s executive director of the Earth Day Network and he attended the White House meeting.

MILLER: We were hoping to celebrate the 42nd anniversary of Earth Day here with many accomplishments. But we got an early Earth Day present, if you will, from the Administration, of proposed budget cuts in a total of close to forty million dollars for environmental education programs at EPA, NOAA, as well as NSF – the National Science Foundation.

GELLERMAN: Earth Day at 42… the years add up but the money for environmental education doesn’t. To hear our interview with Sean Miller, check out our website LOE dot ORG.

[MUSIC: The SoulJazz Orch “The Creator Has A Master Plan” from Freedom No Go Die (Funk Manchu Records 2006).]

GELLERMAN: Just ahead: revisiting the BP oil disaster two years later. A former U.S. senator and ex-head of the EPA issues a report card. Your parents wouldn’t be proud. Keep listening to Living on Earth!

 

Links

Earthday Network

Click here to hear the full interview