There are different kinds of pollution — water, land, and air, for example — and it’s time that people on this planet start leveraging green technology and treating them as real issues. But those types of pollution often come from the work we do, and the environment itself is dangerous to workers.

In her first speech as the brand new head of the EPA, Gina McCarthy focused on climate change. The following are excerpts from the remarks she delivered last week at Harvard Law School:

A new study finds that 71 percent of Americans now consider the environment when making purchasing decisions. This is up from 66 percent in 2008. The Cone Communications study also found that a majority of Americans (71 percent) regularly read and follow instructions on how to use the “green” products they select, while 66 percent also indicated that they follow instructions on how to dispose of products properly.