Climate change returns to EPA's website: "It's not optional, it's essential"

Climate change once again has a dedicated page on the Environmental Protection Agency's website. The agency relaunched the page on Thursday after the Trump administration removed the page, and all other references to global warming and climate change, when he went into office four years ago.

"Climate facts are back on the EPA's website where they should be," EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a statement. "Considering the urgency of this crisis, it's critical that Americans have access to information and resources so that we can all play a role in protecting our environment, our health, and vulnerable communities. Trustworthy, science-based information is at the foundation of strong, achievable solutions."

The relaunched site has two simple messages on an image carousel on the home page: The climate crisis is an EPA priority and public understanding of the implications of the crisis are essential to addressing it. 

Information on the site is still limited, but there is already useful and interactive data readily available. One of the sections is an interactive geographic software that allows visitors to learn about the indicators of climate change, and what they look like in various regions and environments.

Another emphasizes the importance of environmental justice. In this section, visitors can search across the U.S. and easily pull up reports that provide information on air pollution, cancer risk, proximity to hazardous waste, and more. That data is coupled with demographics for the region selected.

In New York City, for example, visitors can see that a significant amount of the city's population is in close proximity to hazardous waste and wastewater discharge, and that air pollution and cancer risk are particularly high for locals. 

Regan posted a video message on Thursday saying that climate change "is both a challenge and an opportunity." 

"Americans in every corner of our country are seeing and feeling the effects of climate change," he said. "Combating climate change, it's not optional, it's essential at the EPA. We will move with a sense of urgency because we know what's at stake. We know that tackling the climate crisis is the single best opportunity we have to strengthen our economy, to put our people back to work, and to build a healthier more equitable environment for our communities across America."

President Biden has maintained his position since his campaign that climate change will be a priority for his administration. On his eighth day in office, he signed a series of executive orders designed to confront its "existential threat." 

"It's time to act," he had said at the signing. "We've already waited too long to deal with this climate crisis and we can't wait any longer. We see it with our own eyes, we feel it, we know it in our bones."