Recently we wrote a letter to President Biden, urging him to consider phasing out landfilling by 2030, to be replaced by an integrated waste management system. Such a measure would make a substantial contribution to methane reductions, and would provide many other environmental and economic benefits. Here is the letter we received in response. While it says in general terms that climate change is serious and that steps must be taken, there is no mention of methane, and no acknowledgement of our proposal, which has been demonstrated to be successful in many European countries. This is just another example of politicians who ask for the public to get involved and then ignore them when they do. It is frustrating and annoying, and explains why people feel compelled to take more drastic measures.
Mr. Philipp Schmidt-Pathmann
Newcastle, Washington
Dear Mr. Schmidt-Pathmann ,
The climate crisis is one of the most consequential challenges of our time-an existential threat to life onthis planet. But it also represents an extraordinary opportunity for all of us to build a better America with a clean energy economy that lowers costs for families, creates good-paying jobs in cutting-edge industries, and delivers healthier air and cleaner water for every community.
We are seeing the impacts of climate change every day across our country and around the globe. In the last year, extreme weather events took the lives of 688 people in America, and the 20 biggest disasters alone cost the United States more than $145 billion. The climate crisis is a blinking code red for our Nation, and the actions we take now will shape our future for generations.
As President, I have set ambitious climate goals: reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 50-52 percentbelow 2005 levels by 2030, reaching 100 percent carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035, and achieving a net-zero economy by 2050. To achieve these goals, agencies across my Administration are reducing emissions throughout federal operations and integrating climate considerations and environmental justice into their work at home and abroad. We are fast-tracking clean energy projects, launching the American offshore wind industry, setting the strongest-ever vehicle efficiency standards, and tackling super-pollutants like methane and hydrofluorocarbons.
I also made climate action and environmental justice a centerpiece of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law-which includes the largest federal investments ever to build a clean power grid, modernize and upgrade public transit, invest in zero-emission transit and school buses, install a nationwide electric vehicle charging network, clean up legacy pollution, deliver clean water by replacing 100 percent of America’s lead service line pipes, spark the development of innovative climate technologies, and make our infrastructure more resilient against extreme weather. With these historic investments, we are tackling the climate crisis in a way that will lower families’ energy bills, support good-paying jobs, and ensure that America can compete and win in the race for the 21st century.
Please know that I will keep your letter in mind as we tackle the climate crisis with American jobs, ingenuity, and leadership
