On Earth Day

When I was a junior at Stanford, a man named Denis Hayes inspired me to run for student body president. He had been president ten years earlier, and led the largest anti-war protest in the university's history. Denis's leadership showed me that a small group of dedicated, passionate, and organized people can change the world. I immediately knew that I wanted to follow in his footsteps.

Though still a campus legend at Stanford, Denis will ultimately be remembered for what he did in 1970: he coordinated the first Earth Day, which we all celebrated yesterday for the 38th time.

I consider April 22, 1970 the springboard for the modern environmental
movement. Nine years later, when I was working on solar energy during the
Carter Administration, I was following his footsteps again. I also believe
that everyone involved in the modern CleanTech movement, from the designers of the Tesla Roadster to the scientists squeezing fuel out of corn, is travelling the inspirational path Denis set.

I wanted to take a moment to thank Denis Hayes for inspiring me and a
generation of young people and to ask you to do something-big or small-to
inspire some young person you know.