President Obama delivers Earth Day address from Everglades National Park

Excerpt from transcript:

Here in the Everglades, you can see the effect of a changing climate.  As sea levels rise, salty water from the ocean flows inward. And this harms freshwater wildlife, which endangers a fragile ecosystem. The saltwater flows into aquifers, which threatens the drinking water of more than 7 million Floridians.  South Florida, you’re getting your drinking water from this area, and it depends on this. And in terms of economic impact, all of this poses risks to Florida’s $82 billion tourism industry on which so many good jobs and livelihoods depend.

Joining President Obama and Interior Secretary Sally Jewell (a Washington State native!) for today’s Everglades National Park tour were Robert Johnson, Director of the South Florida Natural Resources Center; Shannon A. Estenoz, Director of the Office of the Everglades Restoration Initiatives, Department of the Interior; and Park Ranger Alan Scott, who served as the tour guide.