Explore and Enjoy: SEMG Program, March 3: Marvin Roberson on Forest Succession in Michigan
Michigan Chapter Lobby Day, 2019. Photo by Gail Philbin.
Learn About Michigan Chapter's 2022 Legislative and Administrative Priorities on March 1
Sierra Club Michigan’s legislative team will present an overview of the Chapter’s priorities and goals for 2022 in a free webinar on Tuesday, March 1, from 4 - 5 p.m. Participants will also learn how to get more involved with the legislative process in Michigan.
Grand Rapids Climate Rally, 2021. Photo by Jan O'Connell.
ACT: Michigan Healthy Climate Plan
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) released the draft MI Healthy Climate Plan. This draft plan is an outline for how Michigan can meet Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s goal to make the state carbon neutral by 2050.
While the plan is a good start and a big moment for Michigan, the draft plan still doesn't get Michigan where it needs to go and the public has until March 14 to fix it. The draft plan recommends closing all coal plants by 2035, setting a goal to reach 50% renewable electricity by 2030, protecting 30% of the state’s land and water by 2030 and installing charging stations to support 2 million electric vehicles by 2030. The plan also follows the Biden Administration’s Justice40 Initiative.
However, polluting industries are already working hard to weaken this plan. Michiganders can make the state a leader on climate but public demand is needed to provide feedback to Governor Whitmer’s team, asking for the strongest and boldest possible plan. During the public comment period, Sierra Club will work to strengthen plan components and secure strong implementation by calling for the plan to:
More rapidly increase the use of clean, renewable energy and set a goal for 100% renewable electricity by 2035, not by 2050.
Shut down all coal plants by 2030 or earlier.
Acknowledge the need to decrease how much people drive, require transportation agencies to consider climate in their planning processes and include specific actions to improve public transit.
Include more steps to decarbonize buildings, which contribute 40% of the climate pollution in the state, including stronger energy efficiency standards for gas appliances and heat and a plan to transition to efficient, electric heat pumps.
Advance policies that prioritize low-income and environmental justice communities, including eliminating the cap on rooftop solar, enabling community solar and making sure the Justice40 commitments are implemented well.
Provide written feedback to Governor Whitmer's administration by using the Sierra Club Michigan Chapter’s action alert button below to send a pre-written and/or personalized message today.
Demand for more methane from landfills and concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO) would drive expansion of these polluting facilities. Arborhills Landfill (l), photo from the state of Michigan. Scenic View Dairy CAFO (r), photo courtesy of Lighthawk and Environmentally Concerned Citizens of South Central Michigan.
Renewable Natural Gas: A Bad Idea and False Solution
Sierra Club has been advocating against biogas, or renewable natural gas (RNG) as the utilities like to call it, for a long time now. With concerns including methane leaks, furthering dependence on gas infrastructure and increasing demand for concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO) and landfill waste, RNG is a bad idea and a false solution that stands in the way of truly cleaning up energy systems in Michigan and U.S..
Over the objections of Sierra Club, the state's latest budget directed the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) to assess Michigan’s potential for RNG and present a study on the findings in September. The first stakeholder meeting on the study was extremely problematic and as a result Sierra Club joined coalition partners Natural Resources Defense Council and Michigan Environmental Council in submitting extensive technical comments to the MPSC. A story in Planet Detroit highlights the broader problems of RNG and exposes the study consultant’s deep industry ties and the poor stakeholder engagement.
Sierra Club is working to ensure the MPSC hears these concerns loud and clear. Please help by sharing information about this troubling development through social media and following the developing story in upcoming Michigan Chapter Updates.
Gray wolf. Photo from the U.S. National Park Service.
VICTORY: Gray Wolf Restored to Endangered Species List
In 2020, the Trump administration removed gray wolves (Canis lupus) from listing under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), removing federal protection for wolves in most of the lower 48 states. In order to remove federal protection for an endangered species, the ESA requires the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to demonstrate that the species has recovered over all or a significant portion of its historic range. Wolves were once present in all 48 states in the continental U.S. They are now present in seven states.
There are healthy wolf populations in the Upper Great Lakes states (Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota) and in the Northern Rockies, but nowhere else. The Trump administration simply claimed that seven out of 48 states was sufficient.
Upon removal from the Endangered Species List, wolf management reverted to the states. Some immediately implemented hunting of wolves. In Wisconsin, the hunting season had to be halted after only 60 hours. In that short period of time, hunters had exceeded the quota of wolves to be killed by over 100, and the total kill was one-third of the population in the state.
No hunting was implemented in Michigan, in part due to the Michigan Wolf Management Plan crafted by the Michigan Wolf Management Roundtable, in which Michigan Chapter Forest Ecologist Marvin Roberson played a significant role.
Immediately after the Trump administration delisted wolves, the Sierra Club and other groups filed suit to stop it. The Michigan Chapter was very involved in the crafting of the litigation, in large part due to Roberson’s involvement with the Wolf Management Plan. On February 11, the federal judge hearing the case issued an order which overturned the Trump rule removing wolves from the Endangered Species list and restored federal protection to them.
The Mackinac Straits, site of the Line 5 dual pipelines, are completely iced over this February. Photo by Anne Woiwode.
Line 5 Updates: Prepare for Army Corps EIS
The Sierra Club is gearing up for the next phase in the fight to shut down Line 5. Last summer, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) announced they will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the proposed Enbridge Line 5 tunnel before arriving at a permitting decision.
This environmental review process is part of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which was signed into law in 1970. NEPA requires federal agencies to consider environmental effects of their proposed actions prior to making decisions, such as permitting. This process also gives citizens the opportunity to get involved and voice their opinions. To learn more about NEPA and the EIS process, click here to view the Citizen’s Guide to NEPA.
The EIS process will get underway soon. Stay tuned for information on how to get further involved and share concerns about an oil pipeline tunnel in the Great Lakes.
The USACE is one of three agencies that may determine the fate of a Line 5 tunnel. The others include the Michigan Public Service Commission, which hasn’t issued a permitting decision yet, and the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE), which granted some permits in early 2021.
In additional news, the Mackinac Straits Corridor Authority (MSCA) ignored extensive evidence of potential serious flaws with the proposed tunnel in authorizing Enbridge to seek bids for construction on February 16. The MSCA, a public authority created in the last days of Gov. Rick Snyder's administration, has shut the public out of critical information about the tunnel deal and ignored expert advice on the potential dangers of explosion in the construction of the tunnel. A report from Environmental Defence Canada issued on Feb. 16 also shows that safer, faster alternatives to Line 5 exist to the proposed tunnel.
Line 5 remains a ticking time bomb for the Great Lakes. Contact Julie Geisinger at julie.geisinger@sierraclub.org to stay up to date on the fight to shut down Line 5 or to get more involved.
Wind farm in Gratiot County. Photo by Anne Woiwode.
Path to a Carbon-Free Electrical Grid Part One of a Two-Part Series
Mark Jacobson, a Stanford University professor, recently published a paper that demonstrates the country can reach 100% clean energy with wind, water and solar power and zero nuclear power. Among the key points Jacobson makes is that when wind and solar are linked into the grid over a wide area, as they are now, there is great stabilization of the electricity being fed into the grid. This is because there is always wind blowing and sun shining somewhere.
Most of Michigan belongs to the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) electricity grid which extends from the Mississippi Delta several hundred miles north into Canada. ISOs are designed to share energy over large areas to promote grid stability. The southern part of the range uses much less electricity in the winter, so it can provide power to the northern part of the grid in winter and receive power from the north in summer. A Congressional Research Service white paper shows a combination of wind and solar can provide a relatively flat daily base load. Excess electricity can be stored for peak demand, usually in the evening.
Four hour batteries are an important part of Jacobson's analysis for grid stability. These are the same type of batteries found today in home solar systems. He says that “if you need more than four hours, multiple four hour batteries can be stacked to discharge sequentially.” In Michigan, the Ludington Pumped Storage Hydro Electricity facility stores energy that can provide electricity for 1.7 million people, providing additional backup for electric customers here.
Read part two, The Case Against Nuclear, in the next edition of the Update. Contact Mike Buza at theoriginalzuba@yahoo.com for more information.
"As a brewer, if I can't advocate for clean water, then I don't know who can. Beer is 95% water!" - Larry Bell, 2021 Environmentalist of the Year Award winner.
Each year, the Sierra Club honors and celebrates Michigan's environmental advocates and justice leaders during the annual awards ceremony. The awards ceremony this year was again hosted virtually due to the ongoing pandemic, but that didn't stop the chapter from celebrating. The event kicked off with a touching tribute to late Congressional Representative and environmental champion Dale Kildee.
Following that, the Michigan Chapter's Environmentalist of the Year award was presented to Larry Bell, founder of Bell's Brewery and the Great Lakes Business Network. Bell co-founded the Great Lakes Business Network to counteract the usual business groups that care more about profit than people. "I think about establishing a network of businesses that are progressive, that care about their people and the planet," said Bell. "And not just environmental issues but also social justice issues."
The ceremony was a success, recognizing many deserving individuals and groups with awards for their work to keep Michigan and its people safe and healthy. While the award ceremony is over and there won't be another award ceremony until next year, the Michigan Chapter will continue to celebrate the work being done by Sierra Club volunteers, leaders, partners and friends.
Find more information about Michigan Chapter Awards through the years here.
Tobin Harbor on Isle Royale National Park. Photo by Anne Woiwode.
Commemorative and Memorial Gifts: Honoring special people by preserving the beauty of nature.
Commemorative gifts are a thoughtful way to honor a loved one or friend by celebrating a special occasion or commemorating a milestone, such as a birthday, wedding, Mother’s Day, graduation or anniversary. An attractive note or certificate is sent to that special someone being honored, informing them of the gift to Sierra Club and identifying the donor.
Making a memorial gift for a family member or close friend is a meaningful way to honor and remember that loved one and affirm the environmental values shared with the individual being honored. The donor may choose for a card to be sent in their name to a someone close to the individual being remembered, informing them of the gift. Notice of the memorial is often placed in The Mackinac newsletter or on the Michigan Chapter website.
For both commemorative and memorial gifts, a letter is sent to the donor acknowledging the gift and confirming that notice of the gift has been sent. For more information on either of these programs, contact gail.philbin@sierraclub.org or call 616-805-3063.
Marvin Roberson (l) has served as Michigan Chapter Forest Ecologist since the mid-1990s. Old growth red and white pine trees in the Red Pine Natural Area of the Au Sable State Forest (r). Photos by Anne Woiwode.
Explore and Enjoy: SEMG Program, March 3: Marvin Roberson on Forest Succession in Michigan
The Sierra Club Southeast Michigan Group presents:
Forest Succession in Michigan: How We Got Our Great Forests! Michigan Chapter Forest Ecologist Marvin Roberson. Thursday, March 3, 7 p.m.
Marvin Roberson grew up spending summers on Higgins Lake, enjoying the beauty and recreational opportunities on the lake and in the nearby forests. In the late 1980s while visiting the area, he was stunned to see a large clear-cut on state land. That encounter set Marvin on a course to become one of the most knowledgeable and effective advocates for restoration of biodiversity on Michigan’s more than 7 million acres of state and federal public lands.
Marvin began volunteering with the Michigan Chapter after learning that Sierra Club is driven by member engagement at the local and state level, with leaders often becoming experts about policy and environmental issues. Over the next few years, Marvin became one of the most respected leaders within the Sierra Club on forest policy issues. He joined the Michigan Chapter staff in the mid-1990s and has been an effective voice for ecologically based forest and wildlife management issues with state and federal lands managers.
Marvin's work has included representing environmental groups on Michigan’s current wolf management plan (see article above for details) and engaging in updating of the wilderness management plan for Isle Royale National Park. While serving on staff, Marvin deepened his scientific credentials by earning a master's degree in forest ecology from the University of Michigan.
