[Judy Pino] This Earth Day, stop and think, what have you done lately to benefit the environment? Did you buy energy-efficient products? Do you recycle? Are you saving water? Hi, I'm Judy Pino, and welcome to Green Scene, EPA's series of environmental podcasts that you can take with you. Environmental responsibility is everyone's responsibility, but especially that of EPA Administrator Steve Johnson, who we are thrilled to have today in our studio for this Green Scene Earth Day special. Thanks for joining us, Mr. Administrator. [Stephen Johnson] Thank you, thank you. [Judy Pino] You've devoted your adult life to environmental research and quality and have a long history at the EPA. Tell us about your career with the agency, for those who don't know. [Stephen Johnson] Well, I'm privileged to have spent 27 years at EPA, and in fact, I'm coming up on my 28th year this year. And I'm the first scientist to ever head the agency. I'm the first career employee to ever head the agency. So it's a real honor to both serve as administrator in an agency that I love, and it's also an honor to serve President Bush and the entire nation. [Judy Pino] Now, EPA turns 37 this year, and you were able to celebrate the 35th with us as well, which was huge around here. So you've been able to see the many changes and the influence that the EPA has had on our environment since its inception. But let's talk about the environmental accomplishments of the agency since you became administrator. [Stephen Johnson] Well, I'm very proud of -- and in fact, I'm not sure we have enough time in this telecast to be able to list all the accomplishments, but just to name a few. One of them is that I put in place -- we put in place the most health-protective standard for particulate matter. We put in place the most health-protective standard in the nation's history for ozone pollution. We have eliminated -- virtually eliminated and are in the process of eliminating sulfur from diesel gasoline. Most view that as the second most health-protective thing that the agency has done on fuels since getting lead out of gasoline. And that's enabled us to put in place regulations to control diesel emissions from on-road/off-road vehicles, even locomotives in marine engines, literally saving thousands of premature deaths each year, also avoiding, literally, hundreds of thousands of asthma attacks and lost work days and lost school days. That's just to name a few. [Judy Pino] As I mentioned in the intro, environmental responsibility is everyone's responsibility, and you say, "Hey, you stole my line," right? [Stephen Johnson] Well, that's what -- and in fact I was going to catch you on that. But in reality, I mean, I strongly believe it, but I believe it so much that I would really like for it to be everybody's line, that environmental responsibility is everyone's responsibility. So, go ahead and steal the line and encourage others to steal the line, too. [Judy Pino] Okay, well, one of the main issues that Americans are dealing with, sir, is energy efficiency. What is EPA doing to promote energy efficiency? [Stephen Johnson] Well, we've got a number of great programs to promote energy efficiency, and, of course, the important aspect is, when you promote energy efficiency, you also promote environmental protection. I think one of our greatest examples is Energy Star, that little blue star that you see on over 50 different product lines, and so when you go to the store, you ought to look for and buy those Energy Star products. Last year, by Americans buying Energy Star products, they saved 14 billion -- that's with a B --billion dollars and they help avoid greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 25,000 automobiles. [Judy Pino] So you're saving energy and you're saving money as well, because in the long run they do last longer. And you can buy from light bulbs all the way to washing machines and -- [Stephen Johnson] Yes. [Judy Pino] -- and whatnot. [Stephen Johnson] In fact, I said 25,000 automobiles; it's actually 25 million automobiles. [Judy Pino] Oh, well, that's a big difference. That's good. [Stephen Johnson] Well, it's still -- and that's the important part, is that it saves not only in your pocketbook, but it also saves the environment. [Judy Pino] Well, let's talk about Earth Day 1970. [Stephen Johnson] Yes. [Judy Pino] It was definitely a big wake-up call, and you do remember rivers on fire and heavily polluted air and land. We've made enormous strides, wouldn't you say, sir? [Stephen Johnson] Absolutely, absolutely. [Judy Pino] Well, we still face challenges today. What are they? [Stephen Johnson] Well, we still -- we've made tremendous environmental progress. I mean, think about it, as you mentioned, from rivers on fire to pollution just in our air and on our land and on the water, and we've made great strides. But we still have challenges that we have to deal with, whether it's continuing to clean our air and address issues such as global climate change, whether it's dealing with abandoned mines that are -- that we have in our nation, or whether it's dealing with Superfund sites or these abandoned brownfield sites across our nation, or continuing to improve our water quality. All of those are steps that we need to take. And, of course, as an agency, we're making great progress and have plans that continue to improve our environment. And, of course, one of the messages that's really important on Earth Day: It's not just EPA's 17,000 employees; it's really all 300 million Americans. They are -- all of our viewers are environmental partners and need to be stewards of the environment just as we are here at EPA. [Judy Pino] Now, we're talking about the United States, but I know you've also made some trips abroad to China, for example. Where do they fit in the global aspect of environmental stewardship? [Stephen Johnson] Well, China is an example of a number of countries who are rapidly developing, and as part of their rapid economic development they're also now facing some significant environmental challenges. And what our role is, both at EPA and certainly as an administration, is to work with these rapidly developing economies like China and other countries to help them, to help them literally leapfrog --have them learn from the lessons that we've learned, to not make the same mistakes that we as a nation did many, many decades ago, and to take advantage of the new technologies so, as they are rapidly developing, they also rapidly develop environmental success as well. And so it's certainly not only a goal of ours but it's really necessary, because we do live in a global environment, and so what we do as a nation in the United States or rapidly developing economies like China, like India, like Brazil, like others, it's really important that we work together to help improve our global environment. [Judy Pino] Now, having been a career scientist at EPA for so many years before heading the agency, what can you say about the people that work here at the EPA and where the future lies as new generations start coming in? [Stephen Johnson] Well, we have a fantastic team of people. We have a well-educated, just experienced group of scientists and engineers and lawyers and environmental protection specialists, enforcement officials. We have a great, great team of people. And, in fact, it really is an honor to be part of that team and to lead that team. And certainly, as I look to the future, those are just the kind of people we're looking for and to recruit to be part of a great team. As an agency we are respected as the world's premiere environmental protection agency. And it's not the building, it's the people that make it that. [Judy Pino] One last question on this Earth Day special. If you could tell the people watching just one thing that they can do, right, to make this Earth a better place, what would it be? [Stephen Johnson] I can only tell them one thing? [Judy Pino] Just one, sir. [Stephen Johnson] Oh, you're so hard. Oh, this is so difficult. Well, on this Earth Day, I'd say buy an Energy Star product. [Judy Pino] Okay. [Stephen Johnson] It's good for the environment. It's good for the economy. It's also good for energy security. And, as I said and you said, environmental responsibility is -- [Judy Pino and Stephen Johnson] -- everyone's responsibility. [Stephen Johnson] Thanks. [Judy Pino] Thanks for joining us today, sir. [Stephen Johnson] My pleasure. [Judy Pino] And for more information on how you can make a difference this and every Earth Day, look no further than our EPA multimedia Web site, where this month we will have a series of podcasts with information on how you can do just that. Thanks again for joining us. See you next time on Green Scene.