According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Michigan’s climate has warmed two to three degrees (F) in the last century. We have more flooding, heavier rainstorms, and less ice cover over the Great Lakes. These changes will increasingly impact agriculture, winter tourism, Michigan’s ecosystem and public health, if unabated.
Every day nearly 23 million gallons of oil flow through two aging pipelines under the Straits of Mackinac. While analysts hired by the State said in a report issued in July of this year that Line 5 "could safely operate well into the foreseeable future," environmental activists disagree. The recent assessment was to determine alternative ways to deliver energy to the area. Environmentalists have accused the analysts of underestimating the risk and stated that the report is "the oil industry's version of protecting the Great Lakes."
We assert that protection of the Great Lakes must be addressed at local, state, federal and international levels. We support continued research on climate change, monitoring impacts, and implementing effective solutions, including reducing the levels of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Our addiction to fossil fuels--especially coal and oil--continues to destroy fragile environments and threaten water supplies. At local and state levels, elected officials should support efforts to address existing impacts of climate change.
Call to Action: Reduce your carbon footprint Speak up against the continued operation of Line 5 under the Straits of Mackinac. Join Citizen’s Climate Lobby and work to reduce carbon emissions. Host a screening of the documentary, Chasing Coral.