General Motors again really misses the mark on what it needs to be doing to help fight climate change and revive a struggling industry. While waste-free plants are certainly to be applauded, it hardly validates GM as an environmental leader ("GM plans to dump use of landfills," Money, Friday).

Instead of real commitment to low emissions and cleaner fleets, GM hides behind window-dressing projects such as this waste-free plant project. GM lags its foreign competitors in providing smaller, more efficient vehicles to American households.

Trying to make up financial ground by slashing retirees' health benefits and closing entire plants, GM and the rest of the auto industry continue to inch closer to bankruptcy because of their inaction and lack of forethought years ago regarding oil prices and climate change.

While solutions to climate change and our oil addiction crept into kitchen-table discussions across the country, GM continued producing gas guzzling SUVs and fighting cleaner emission standards. These standards would be a real step toward climate solutions. GM continues to lobby hard in Washington to keep states from implementing an auto emissions law that would reduce emissions 30% by 2016.

If GM is truly committed to the health of communities and achieving climate change solutions, it would stop with the half-measures, drop its opposition to the emissions law, produce more plug-in electric hybrids and be an industry leader in innovation, not excuses.