After almost two years of debate, and much compromising, the Michigan legislature took a few halting steps down the path to our new, clean energy future when they passed a package of energy legislation on September 18th. It was clearly not strong enough, but it represents some modest gains and will push investment in renewable energy.
The following is a brief overview of key elements included in Michigan's new energy laws:
Canada and other states continue to flood Michigan with their garbage because it's dirt cheap to dump here. In 2005, 6.2 million tons of Canadian and out-of-state trash were dumped in Michigan!
That's 100,000 tons more than in 2004. Nearly one-third of all the garbage in our landfills comes from outside Michigan and it comes here for two simple reasons:
You can help fight the trashing of our beautiful state! Write your State Senator and Representative today and urge them to stop the flood of trash into Michigan.
Global warming is the most significant environmental and humanitarian emergency that our planet has ever faced and the Governor's leadership is critical is at this pivotal moment in our fight.
Sign the petition and urge the Governor to continue her leadership in the fight against climate change by issuing an executive order that directs the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants.
As the recent toy recalls demonstrate, our nation's system for regulating chemicals in everyday products is broken. And those chemicals are ending up in our environment and in our bodies.
The Michigan Legislature has taken an initial step to protect kids by passing a package of legislation (HB 4132 & 4399; SB 174) that penalizes retailers for selling children's products with lead levels exceeding the lenient federal recall limits. That's a good start, but its not just kids' products, and it's not just lead.
To beat back global warming, we need to summon a new natural resource—real political will. Join 1Sky Michigan to send a clear message to our leaders that America wants bold action on climate change. Tell them to support the 1Sky solutions:
Solution 1: Create 5 million green jobs in order to conserve 20% of our energy by 2015.
Solution 2: Freeze climate pollution levels now, then cut by at least 25% below 1990 levels by 2020 and 80% by 2050.
Solution 3: No new coal plants that emit global warming pollution; invest in renewable energy.
Join 1Sky Michigan today.
Michigan's waters are our most prized asset and we must do all we can to ensure they are public resources not private investments for international corporations.
1Sky was created to focus the power of millions of concerned Americans on a single goal: bold federal action by 2010 to reverse global warming based on a simple set of solutions. We're creating a movement that our leaders can't ignore!
Protecting children from pharmaceutical lindane, working to ban the flame retardant, deca-BDE, working to promote alternatives to PBDEs, flame-retardants that are rapidly accumulating in our bodies and the Great Lakes, have been found to be toxic to animals and may threaten our own health are all part of our Children's Environmental Health Campaign
Approximately 1 million gallons of untreated waste is discharged from Kent County's failing septic systems every day. While there are a variety of reasons why residents don't properly maintain their septic systems there is one resounding reason why we should: untreated waste doesn't obey property boundaries!
Every day, the United States produces or imports 42 billion pounds of chemicals. Although anyone can be negatively impacted by chemical exposure, research has shown that children may be uniquely vulnerable to the effects of chemical exposure during the periods of fetal, infant, and child development.
Taking the Next Steps Toward Michigan's Clean Energy Future
On September 18th, Michigan’s legislature passed an energy package that makes slight headway down the path to bringing clean, renewable energy to the state. Now that the first step has been taken, Clean Water Action will keep pressure on decision-makers to strengthen Michigan’s energy policy to make us a national leader in renewable energy manufacturing. Together, we can make sure that the momentum is not slowed in the wake of the energy package’s passage.
