It seemed crystal clear. When Consumers Energy recently shelved plans for a dirty, unneeded coal plant that would have saddled ratepayers and shareholders with billions in costs, it appeared as though the utility giant was finally seeing clearly.

Unfortunately, that's not the case.

Consumers is seeing about as clearly as if the board were wearing mud-covered glasses. That's the only explanation possible for the decision to pursue permits to drain wetlands in a watershed that directly impacts Lake Huron near Bay City for the new, dirty, costly, and unneeded coal plant. A plant, remember, the utility said was put on hold indefinitely.

By weighing-in today, you can make sure the state officials making the decision on the wetlands permit don't have the same vision problems.

What are all those chemicals in your shampoo? Your lipstick? your aftershave? And what do they have to do with asthma, breast cancer and learning disabilities?

Learn, share and help change this toxic mess: Watch The Story of Cosmetics, a 8-minute film exposing the ugly truth about personal care products - brought to you by Clean Water Action, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, Annie Leonard's Story of Stuff Project and Free Range Studios, and take action to help pass the Safe Cosmetics Act.

Pelicans soaked in oil sludge. Shrimp fisherman wondering aloud what they'll do to make a living now. Whole communities, dependent on tourism, now virtual ghost towns. The BP spill has ruined lives, destroyed jobs, and permanently damaged the Gulf waters to maximize its profits.

Now imagine it happened here.

If friends of dirty energy succeed in opening the Great Lakes to Big Oil, we could be next. It could be our $9 billion boating and $7 billion fishing industries washed away by a flood of tar balls. The Great Lakes are what so many of us love about living in Michigan - and they're also the lifeblood of our economy.

Michigan is already employing tens of thousands of workers in good-paying, clean energy jobs like manufacturing windmills, solar panels, energy efficient appliances, and advanced batteries. Even though more investments in clean energy will continue to put tens of thousands of Michiganders back to work all across the state, Holland Board of Public Works is still moving forward with their proposal for an expansion of a dirty coal plant that will bring only a handful of jobs to the state. Tell them this is not the right direction for Michigan!

Tell your State Representative and Senator to support strong protections for our groundwater - just like the protection we give our lakes, rivers, and streams. Without new legislation, our groundwater - which feeds our rivers, lakes and streams - is left unprotected to withdrawals from corporations who want to pump our water and ship it to the far corners of the globe.

Show your support for wind power in Michigan today!

photo by phault / CC BY 2.0

The Great Lakes Offshore Wind (GLOW) Council has recently announced its proposed policy recommendations and we need to make sure they hear the message loud and clear that Michigan supports wind power!  

Clean Water Action has been working hard to increase the state's investment in wind power, educating lawmakers on the need to grow renewable energy standards and provide incentives for small wind development that promote job growth in Michigan. 

Help move Michigan to a clean energy future.

Michigan needs to move into a clean energy future that will create jobs, protect our environment and lower energy costs. The smartest way to do that? Energy efficiency!

A recent report released by the Midwest Energy Efficiency Association found that doubling Michigan's energy efficiency standard would save consumers over $22 billion by 2019. And if saving money isn't reason enough, the increased standard would create up to 7,600 jobs in Michigan!

Take Action: Help increase our energy efficiency standard!

Ask Gov. Granholm to reduce diesel emissions pollution.

Diesel pollution is bad for our health! Pollution from diesel vehicles like buses and trucks will cause an estimated 443 premature deaths in Michigan in 2010, as well as 648 non-fatal heart attacks, 15,004 asthma attacks, and 57,561 lost work days. Our children are particularly at risk.

Recently, Gov. Jennifer Granholm took a big first step toward cleaner air and healthier families in Michigan when she signed an Executive Directive calling for idling limitations for state vehicles.

While we applaud the governor for her efforts, we need help to make even bigger strides to protect our health and our environment, and create good-paying jobs in Michigan.

Sign our petition calling on Gov. Granholm to take another step forward for Michigan families.

Stop the Asian Carp Invasion! Tell the President, the EPA, and the Army Corp of Engineers that the Great Lakes are too precious to be turned over to this invasive species.

Over the past few months, you've joined us in calling for swift action to stop the Asian carp invasion of our Great Lakes. We're down to the wire now, and we need to shut down the locks linking the Chicago river - where we know there are carp - and our precious Great Lakes via Lake Michigan. Earlier this week, Michigan's Governor Jennifer Granholm joined in a summit at the White House to discuss the threat with Obama administration officials and Illinois Governor Pat Quinn.

During the summit, representatives from Obama's administration said that the locks would be closed-but only at certain times! What's to stop the carp from swimming through any time the locks are open?

Now is the time to get Michigan's economy going! Ask your State Representative ReEnergize Michigan

photo by citizenofthedeep
licensed under Creative Commons 2.0

Just recently, the very first battery pack for the Michigan-made Chevy Volt rolled off the line at GM's new Brownstown Assembly Plant, signaling another giant leap forward for Michigan's clean energy economy.

General Motors is making major investments all over the state as the car maker prepares to ramp up production of the hybrid electric Volt, revving up our economy and speeding along the path to a cleaner, greener Michigan.

As part of that green revolution, we're working hard to re-energize Michigan by reducing fuel emissions that cause global warming and health problems, and sending a signal that here in Michigan, we are committed to leading the world in advanced battery technology. Now it's time for our lawmakers to join in by supporting a fuel emissions reduction and the entire ReEnergize Michigan! legislative package.

As our lawmakers decide how to vote on clean energy legislation, they face pressure from the special interest lobbies of dirty coal and big oil to maintain the status quo. During these times, congressional staffers report what the public is saying--both what they hear directly, and what is said through local newspapers.

That is why we are calling on you - a clean energy and climate policy supporter - to write your local newspaper to urge passage of the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act that is currently in the Senate.

Since 2002, we have known that one million gallons of untreated waste leak daily from failing septic systems in Kent County. Our community has spoken out loud and clear against this pollution. Now, we are delighted to announce that County Commissioners Brandon Dillon and Sandi Parrish have recently committed to moving forward this year to solve this threat to our water and our health.

Take a moment to thank Commissioners Dillon and Parrish for their leadership.They need to know they have your strong support in moving forward.

Clean energy jobs are essential to Michigan's future.
Tell Sen. Levin and Sen. Stabenow to help pass climate change legislation now

You can't delay progress

We're moving Michigan forward every day, bearing down on our goal: a clean energy future for Michigan, 54,000 clean energy jobs for hard-working Michigan families, and a giant leap forward for the entire nation.

Prominent conservative Republicans are jumping on board. Already Sen. Lindsey Graham and Sen. Lisa Murkowski have said they're ready to be flexible and consider the clean energy jobs legislation, but their far-right counterparts are trying to stall our progress and delay a vote.

Your commitment to contacting Sen. Levin and Sen. Stabenow and bringing your friends and family on board is paying off. We're marching down the field toward our goal, and nothing - not even the Republicans latest attempt to delay - is going to stop us.

Take action today!

Won't you join us in sending an e-mail a week to Senators Stabenow and Levin to keep the pressure on until they pass the energy bills?

Victory: Governor's leadership triggers huge win in the fight to stop the Michigan coal rush!

Governor Granholm started Michigan on the course toward a clean energy future in February when she announced a requirement that prior to building new coal plants there must be a proven need for the new power as well as a study of other potential sources of energy. Please take a minute to thank Governor Granholm for requiring utilities to prove the need for new power and to review alternatives to coal plants.

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:

• We're the cheapest dumping ground in the region; and
• We have too much landfill space.

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.

To beat back global warming, we need to summon a new natural resource — real political will.  Help raise the voices of Great Lakes residents on federal climate change legislation!

Sign up to be a Climate Precinct Captain with 1Sky and Clean Water Action today!        

Join Clean Water Action & 1Sky Michigan to send a clear message to our leaders that America wants bold action on climate change. Tell them to support solutions for a better future for the Great Lakes State and the rest of the nation!