This year’s theme for Earth Day is “Invest in our Planet,” and I couldn’t agree more. Everything we need to live healthy lives – from clean water to fresh air – depends on our natural environment and the United States is committed to protecting the environment and improving the health and well-being of communities around the world.
I first visited Africa 40 years ago when I was a graduate student. Since then, I have visited Africa numerous times. Every time I go back, I am struck by how much the climate has transformed the environment. It has gotten hotter – reducing growing seasons for farmers and producing smaller harvests.
In Somalia this January, I saw first-hand how the impacts of climate and conflict are cruelly combining to form the lethal threat of Famine. To meet urgent humanitarian needs and save lives, I announced that the United States is providing $40 million in new, additional funding.
But Africa isn’t alone. Globally, climate crises are the greatest existential threat facing our world today – including here in the United States.
In March at the UN Water Conference, I announced that the United States pledged more than $49 billion in domestic and global action to ensure that equitable access and climate-resilient water and sanitation infrastructure remain a priority at home and abroad.
We are proud of our record as a world leader in reducing emissions, building resilience to climate impacts to save lives and livelihoods, and promoting safe water and air, while concurrently driving economic growth and fostering resilience to natural disasters at home and around the world.
We will continue to pursue goals that support a healthy planet, including conserving nature, combating air and plastic pollution, protecting our ocean, and addressing the climate crisis to protect the health of our ecosystems and communities.
On Earth Day, and every day, the United States is committed to protecting the environment and improving the health and well-being of communities around the world.
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