Greener Earth Act

Senator Alex Padilla (D)

Preamble:

The wildlife we share an environment with needs protection from the harmful effects of climate change. Daily activities such as driving directly affect water quality from polluting the air with harmful gas emission. The pollution causes harmful bacteria growth, which can grow easily in warmer waters caused by climate change. Fish species populations native to certain states are declining due to warmer, more polluted waters. To combat this issue, this bill will limit the amount of threatened species fisherman can take from waters and will require parks to regularly treat their waters to decrease the amount of bacteria growth.

Section 1:

· Native species: A species that has been observed in the form of a naturally occurring and self-sustaining population in historical times.

· Nonnative species: A species that is not naturally occurring in an area.

· Climate change: Significant and long-lasting change in the Earth’s climate and weather patterns.

Section 2:

The penalty for catching fish over the limit is a $2,000 fine violation, with the second violation resulting up to one year in jail.

Section 3:

The increasing water temperatures due to climate change can cause hurtful bacteria growth. This effects certain species by making it difficult for them to adapt to the rising temperatures and swimming in contaminated waters. It would be beneficial to treat the waters with antibacterial treatments to fight off the unwanted bacteria. By 2025, air quality should be improved, which will slowly decrease water temperatures. To aid this, the water can be cooled by bringing in water from nearby dams and combined these efforts should decrease the number of dead fish in the waters.

Section 4:

Once every 3 months, each park that contains bodies of water that houses threatened fish species must report the amount of each species to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This report will track the progress of the water quality and fish population to track the effectiveness for the fishing limit and water treatments.

Enactment Clause:

The Greener Earth Act will go into effect April 1st, 2025, with the limit being a combination of 20 endangered fish per person each day. There will be no limit imposed for nonnative species.

Conclusion:

It is important that we take action to aid wildlife in their combat against climate change. Keeping the environment as healthy as possible is the main goal, and to achieve that wildlife protection must be a priority.