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Top: Rally participants gather on the front steps of the Capitol building to support clean energy legislation. Bottom Left: A button from EDF action that says "Climate Voters, Unite!" Bottom Right: participants look on as speakers present at the climate rally. Photos by Sarah Tresedder.
Clean Energy Rally is a Success! Hundreds gathered on the State Capitol lawn on September 26 to take part in the Michigan Energy, Michigan Job's coalition MI Clean Energy Future Day of Action. Families, businesses, nonprofits and faith leaders joined together to advocate for House Bills 4759 - 4761, colloquially named the Clean Energy Future Plan.
The Funding a Future For All Forum in Grand Rapids drew a large crowd to hear from a distinguished panel. Left to right: Robert Jackson, former director of the Governor's Energy Office; Congressional Rep. Hillary Scholten (MI03); State Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks; Community Collaboration on Climate Change Ambassador Cynthia Bailey; Alison Waske Sutter, Grand Rapids Sustainability and Performance Management Officer and, at the podium, forum Moderator Ned Andree.
Funding a Future for All Forum. Sierra Club Michigan Chapter joined a coalition of grassroots leaders to host a Grand Rapids community discussion with Congresswoman Hillary Scholten and state and local leaders. Nearly 90 residents joined the town hall; some asked questions about the extraordinary federal grant opportunities available from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), such as funding environmental justice and addressing carbon pollution. Learn more about the IRA here.
The Electric Vehicle Transition Should be Good for Climate and Unions. Sierra Club's Christy McGillivray teamed up with Clean Water Action's Sean McBrearty to write a compelling opinion piece published in Bridge Michigan earlier this month.
As the state and country transition to electric vehicles, it is imperative that policies are put in place to benefit the environment AND autoworkers and unions. Read the full piece here.
SEMG Program: Energy Legislation Update, October 5. Join the Southeast Michigan Group for their next speaker series event, this time featuring Sierra Club Michigan's Political and Legislative Director, Christy McGillivray.
Christy will provide an educational and action-based overview of the priority legislation currently under consideration in Lansing this fall, as well as a look into the Chapter's plans for the upcoming 2024 elections. Register today!
Residential roof-top solar array in Okemos. Photo by Anne Woiwode.
HVG Meeting: Disinformation Campaigns Against Solar Energy, October 17. At the next Huron Valley Group meeting Michigan Chapter Legislative Chair Mike Buza will discuss some of the common disinformation claims made against solar energy, showing how these false claims are spread and given credibility. Mike will also reveal reliable sources of accurate information to counter these disinformation campaigns. Join the meeting in person in Ann Arbor or by Zoom.
Weather Adaptions for Low-Income Communities: Part II of Grid Resiliency. Michigan has suffered several power outages recently from increasingly intense storms. The people who suffer the most are low-income persons. This linked blog article by Mike Buza outlines possible ways to help low-income communities deal with the effects of these storms.
Photo of the Sierra Club's new office building with graphics of native plants.
Bring Native Plants and Pollinators to the New Sierra Club Office. The Sierra Club is looking to bring native plant life to its new office location at 602 W. Ionia Street in Lansing. If you are interested in helping plant a native habitat with Sierra Club staff, please contact Cecilia Garcia-Linz at cecilia.garcia@sierraclub.org.
Crossroads Group members gather to present a check to Chapter Director Elayne Elliott to support legislative work. (Top row left to right) Heather Hodge, Jim Williams, Suzen Oliver, Curtis Hamilton, Lee Burton, Elayne Elliott, Jim Delcamp, Lee Anzicek and Phil Jackson. (Bottom row left to right) Shirley Jackson, Brett Swenson, Laurie Mercure, Mary Novrocki and Julie Griess.
Crossroads Group Donation Supports Chapter Legislative Work: The Crossroads Group has made a generous donation to the Michigan Chapter to support critical information needs for the legislative staff members, Tim Minotas and Christy McGillivray. The group presented the $1,500 check to Chapter Director Elayne Elliott at their September meeting along with hearing from Elayne about Sierra Club work statewide. Many thanks to the Crossroads Group Executive Committee members and volunteers for supporting this important work!
Michigan Chapter Executive Committee meeting participants, July 2022. Photo by Jan O'Connell.
Vote for the Michigan Chapter Executive Committee by December 1. The Michigan Chapter Executive Committee (ExCom) is elected by Sierra Club members in Michigan. The ExCom sets the state chapter’s priorities and policies, ensures financial stability and solvency, and monitors and evaluates Sierra Club activities statewide. Seven Michigan Sierra Club members are running for the four at-large spots open this year. Their willingness to serve illustrates the strong commitment to grassroots activism that makes Sierra Club the most effective environmental group in the country.
Mail in your filled in ballot found in The Mackinac newsletter for fall 2023 mailed to Sierra Club members in Michigan.
Voters must include their Sierra Club membership number or name and address in order for their vote to count. Details on voting are found on the webpage and in The Mackinac newsletter. All votes must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 1, 2023.
Sierra Club volunteers have conducted water testing in Upper Peninsula waterways for years. Now their equipment will be used in the Detroit canals to test water quality. Volunteer in the Yellowdog River (l), file photo. Kayaking in the Jefferson-Chalmers area (r), photo by Heather Wilson.
Giving Water Testing Equipment a Second Life. Through the efforts of Denise Trabbic-Pointer, Erma Leaphart and John Rebers, Sierra Club water testing equipment that was no longer needed in the Marquette area has gone on to a second life in Detroit. The Jefferson-Chalmers WATER Project (JCWP) has been given the equipment, valued at more than $3,000, that had been used for a project by the former Central Upper Peninsula Group. Jay Juergensen of the JCWP said “We safely received the two boxes of equipment you sent ... We're looking forward to putting it to use with our expanded Youth Scientist Corps which we hope to expand as part of a recent $5,000 grant from the Pistons Foundation.”
Reeds Lake, East Grand Rapids. Photo by Jan O'Connell.
Supporting the Michigan Sierra Club is Easy with Evergreen Donations. Fighting climate change through state, federal and local grassroots advocacy is how the Sierra Club does our work. By signing up for our Evergreen monthly donation program, your contributions will be hard at work here in Michigan every day. Sign up at the button below and contact Elayne Elliott at elayne.elliott@sierraclub.org with questions.
Crooked Lake in the Sylvania Wilderness. Photos by John Rebers.
Explore and Enjoy:Sylvania Wilderness - Lakes, Loons and Solitude. John Rebers takes us on a photographic tour of the Sylvania Wilderness in the Ottawa National Forest, as he recounts his four day trip into this beautiful area near Watersmeet.
