A White House Response

Joe answers my letter

I write to President Biden when I feel passionate about a subject. Recently, I expressed my anger at his approval of the ConocoPhillips Willow oil drilling project in Alaska. I still feel that he should have stood up with his Secretary of the Interior (who opposed the project) and shouted “Hell, NO!”

I continue to be a big fan of President Biden and how he leads us. But on this subject, he missed a big opportunity to send a message to younger generations. He just lost a lot of support. A lot.

Here is the response from the White House. It’s nice to be acknowledged even if you know it’s “boiler plate”. Read it and develop your own opinion. And try writing to him. It’s easy. Here is the link:
Contact the White House
We can be supportive and/or critical. But he needs to hear from us.

April 7, 2023

Dear Mr. Alstrom,

Thank you for writing about the proposed Willow Project on the north slope of Alaska.  

Recently, my Administration scaled back a proposal to drill for oil on decades-old leases on federal public lands in Alaska.  These actions cut the number of drill sites by 40 percent and will limit future industrial development to help protect local wildlife like caribou, polar bears, and migratory birds.  I have also taken action to protect the entire Arctic Ocean from any future oil and gas leasing and released an Ocean Climate Action Plan to harness the tremendous power of the ocean to help in our fight against the climate crisis.  

I want to be clear:  Fossil fuels are not a permanent solution to our long-term energy needs.  In order to fight climate change and achieve true energy independence, my Administration is taking bold, historic steps to build a clean energy future and protect and conserve our country’s natural treasures.  

I signed into law the largest investment in climate, environmental justice, and conservation that the world has ever seen, and I protected more lands and waters in my first year than any American President since John F. Kennedy.  We recently added to that list by establishing two new national monuments and initiating protections for all United States waters around the Pacific Remote Islands.  

We are also investing more than half a trillion dollars in clean energy and climate action over the next decade, building batteries, solar panels, wind turbines, and more.  These efforts will make us more resilient to the devastating impacts of climate change while preserving America’s natural heritage for generations to come.

Thank you again for your thoughts.  I will keep your letter in mind as I continue our land and water conservation work and deliver the most aggressive climate agenda in our Nation’s history.

Sincerely,

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