Michigan Chapter Update
JUNE 21, 2015
In this Issue:
- LEGISLATIVE SUMMER BREAK - TIME TO FIGHT BACK!
- UP ELECTRIC POWER PLANNING NEEDED, NOT MORE FOSSIL FUELS
- MICHIGAN RENEWABLE ENERGY FAIR FRIDAY AND SATURDAY
- AIR QUALITY IN WEST MICHIGAN PANEL COVERS HEALTH RISKS
- SIERRA CLUB SMOG ALERT SYSTEM AVAILABLE BY TEXT
- "REMEMBER THE KALAMAZOO" FIVE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY EVENT JULY 25
- ANDERSON MIDDLE SCHOOL SHOUT OUT!
- EXPLORE AND ENJOY: SUMMER OUTINGS ARE FOR EVERYONE
MICHIGAN REPRESENTATIVES OUT FOR SUMMER: TIME TO FIGHT BACK!
Help advance environmental protection this summer by meeting with your legislators! Rep. Larry Inman (pictured here) meets with Sierra Club volunteers Robert Gordon, Maura Brennan and Ray Mickus.
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The Michigan House left for summer vacation and will not be active until after Labor Day, while the Senate is still debating whether or not to take a summer break. In their first six months, lawmakers reviewed bills that attacked Michigan's clean energy policy, the Natural Resources Trust Fund, public access to information about pipelines, and more. For a deeper look at which environmental legislation saw action in the Michigan legislature, click here.
Over the summer, Sierra Club volunteers will focus on convincing lawmakers to stop fracking, increase clean energy, invest in energy efficiency, and make sure the public has access to information about pipelines and energy infrastructure. We need your help to influence elected officials to take action on these important environmental issues.
There are many ways to help! You can attend coffee hours that your legislators schedule through the summer, or attend events at which they will be appearing or speaking. And, your opinions expressed through letters to the editor or op-eds can help get the point across that the people of your community care about protecting our children's future!
Click here to get involved or contact Mike Berkowitz.
ENERGY PLANNING FOR THE UPPER PENINSULA NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT!
For several years, the Upper Peninsula's electric power future has been in flux as WE Energies has twice announced plans to shut down the Presque Isle Power Plant in Marquette, which produces half of the electricity used in the UP. The uncertainty has led to drastic increases in electric rates, and threats of even greater costs in the future. Most state officials are advocating expensive "fixes" including proposals for a new natural gas power plant or running massive electric lines across the Straits of Mackinac from the Lower Peninsula or into the UP from Wisconsin.
The situation in the UP power sector is a glimpse of potential future power crises in the rest Michigan and our region. Sierra Club and clean energy and environmental advocates have long called for the state to conduct a comprehensive integrated resources plan (IRP) for the UP that looks at all of the potential ways of meeting power needs for the future, starting with dramatically increased energy conservation and efficiency, and maximizing clean, sustainable renewable energy sources.
Now Rep. Scott Dianda, from the western UP, has introduced House Bill 4683 which would not only get a much needed planning process going in the UP, but also set up the mechanism for IRPs to be conducted throughout the state. Sierra Club applauds Rep. Dianda's effort to get this critical discussion going, and we urge our members and supporters who are paying electric bills in the UP to join in the debate. Rep. Dianda is expected to hold town hall meetings in his district in August to open up the discussion on this critical issue.
If you pay electric bills in the UP, please join the discussion by writing letters to the editor, holding small events in your home or community to talk about this with your neighbors, and sharing information through traditional and social media means. Yooper voices are critical in this discussion! Contact Anne Woiwode at 517-484-2372 for more information and to get involved.
RENEWABLE ENERGY FAIR: MASON, JUNE 26 AND 27
Want to learn about what you can do to promote clean energy both in your home and our state? Come find out on June 26 and 27 at the Michigan Renewable Energy Fair at the Ingham Country Fairgrounds in Mason!
The event will enlighten you about the available alternatives for clean energies, while you get your questions about how to shape Michigan's energy future answered. The fair will showcase new energy technologies and those who attend can get hands-on experience with the equipment.
In addition, the Michigan Chapter and our partners will give a sneak peek at our Solar Homes Program which will be launched in July! Sierra Club's Solar Homes will help Sierra Club members and supporters go solar by connecting you with trusted installers and suppliers of solar panels and equipment. Find out more at the fair and look for details through Michigan Chapter Updates in the near future!
For more information about the fair and Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association (GLREA), click here.
SMOG ALERT SYSTEMThe Sierra Club launched its free smog pollution text alert system for 2015, which notifies mobile phone users by text message when local air is unsafe to breathe. Available in both English and Spanish, the system was launched in recognition of World Asthma Day and Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month in an effort to help American families avoid asthma attacks triggered by smog pollution and bad air days. The system helps parents to better protect their kids by alerting them when the air outside is unsafe to breathe. Citizens can sign up right now by texting AIRALERTS to 69866. Once members provide the system with a zip code, they will automatically receive warnings of unsafe air qualities in a 50-mile radius of their area. The alerts also bring awareness to the main sources of local air pollution, much of which stems from nearby coal-fired power plants, exemplified in Western Michigan and the urban Detroit area. |
AIR QUALITY IN WEST MICHIGAN PANEL COVERS HEALTH RISKS
Hot, sunny summer days mixed with air pollution can create smog and lead to Ozone Action Days, threatening the health of many vulnerable populations. Ozone levels are worsening in West Michigan, where ozone levels ranked 18th worst in the country, according to the American Lung Association's findings released April 29th in their 16th Annual National State of the Air Report.
A panel of experts on health, air quality and clean energy addressed the causes and solutions at "Air Quality in West Michigan: What Solutions are Out There?" on June 4 in Grand Haven. Sierra Club's Jan O'Connell moderated the panel: (l to r) Rory Neuner, MiAirMiHealth; Robert Wahl, Michigan Department of Community Health; Susan Ipri Brown, Hope College; Chuck Tawney, West Michigan Jobs Group; and Erik Nordman, Grand Valley State University.
ANNUAL RETREAT SCHOLARSHIP FUND
Kids enjoyed fun in the sun while learning at last year's retreat! |
This year marks the Michigan Chapter's 26th Annual Retreat. Members, families and supporters will once more gather along Lake Michigan's shore to celebrate the natural environment as well as to learn ways to protect it. A goal of the retreat aims to educate youth about their natural surroundings and teach them why environmental protection is so important. Through outdoor adventures, hands-on activities and lessons about the environment, the last 26 years of the retreat has enlightened a new generation of environmental advocates.
With your support, we can allow more deserving families to attend the retreat, who otherwise can't afford to attend. The weekend-long retreat allows families to take a break from the stresses of everyday life and enjoy our beautiful Michigan environment.
Our suggested donation is $100, but no amount is too small or large! THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! To donate, visit this link. Donations for this fund are not tax-deductible, but are a great investment in growing future environmental advocates!
Not signed up for the retreat yet? Consider joining us on Lake Michigan's shores at this year's retreat! For more information, contact Cecilia Garcia at (517) 484-2372.
ANDERSON MIDDLE SCHOOL COMMITS TO THE ENVIRONMENT!
A huge thank you to Anderson Middle School for its decision to place the environment first! Their student council (pictured left) along with advisors Lisa Montes and Laura Russell made a decision for the second year in a row to dedicate a portion of the school's Spring Dance proceeds to support the Sierra Club Michigan Chapter!
The Sierra Club came into the school the day before the dance to invigorate and educate as well as show them what the Chapter is doing in Michigan. We discussed the ways their contribution helps us preserve and protect our state.
A BIG thanks to Anderson Middle School and their nearly 600 sixth to eighth graders tucked away in Oakland County's Berkley, MI!
EXPLORE AND ENJOY! MICHIGAN SIERRA CLUB SUMMER OUTINGS
Sierra Club outings are for everyone! Chapter and Group volunteers will lead a variety of outings this summer, so there's sure to be one that suits you! The Michigan Chapter website hosts a calendar of outings throughout the year, located here (scroll down to the calendar). Whether it's a short bike ride through the park or a backpacking adventure on Isle Royale, all Sierra Club outings start at the trail head and some include fees to cover the expenses. Participants are required to sign the standard liability waiver found on our website. Please confirm outing information in advance because time and location may change!
Lansing Trail Bike Hike (June 27th, Lansing): Join the Nepessing Group in a 20-mile excursion across the Lansing River Trail. Participants are asked to meet in the parking lot of the Lansing Potter Park Zoo at 10 a.m. Difficulty: moderate. Contact Jack Minore at (810) 252-5258 for more details. Balloonfest Lemonade Stand (June 27-28th, Howell): Members of the Crossroads Group will be hosting their annual lemonade stand at this year's Michigan Challenge Balloonfest. Funds raised will benefit the group's outings and conservation/political work. Members who volunteer will receive free passes to the festival. Contact Paul Thielking at (810) 588-6077 for more details. Huron River Paddle (July 12th, Ann Arbor): The Huron Valley Group will be paddling to Delhi Metropark for a 3-4 hour, 8-mile strip of the Huron River. Members will meet at the Rapids View boat launch area at Hudson Mills Metropark. The outing is free but requires an annual or daily Metropark pass. Bring your own canoe or kayak. Difficulty: easy to moderate. Contact John Wilson at (734) 355-3822 for more details. Leelanau State Park Camp Out (July 16-19th, Northport): Members of the Nepessing Group will be rustic-style camping in the state park, at the tip of the Leelanau Peninsula. The outing will include campfires, hikes and swims in the Cathead Bay. Members are encouraged to bring their own kayaks. Contact Jack Minore at (810) 252-5258 for more details. |
Women's Northwoods Service Outing in 2011. Photo by Sherry Zoars |
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