Citizens' Climate Lobby: What the midterm election results could mean for the climate

Nancy Berg
·3 min read
2

The 2022 midterm election results are in. Democratic candidates sweep the state of Michigan. Incumbents Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Attorney General Dana Nessel were all re-elected. Whitmer declared: "Michigan’s future is bright and we are about to step on the accelerator!”

Our Michigan future is not only brighter but cleaner and more energy efficient, too. The framework for this future is embodied in the MI Healthy Climate Plan. Bridge Michigan notes that the Michigan Legislature, which hasn’t flipped Blue since 1984, is now poised to move forward with supportive climate legislation. We’re about to experience economic growth along with creation of thousands of clean energy jobs.

And Michigan isn’t alone. As noted by Rebecca Leber of Vox.com, due to the midterm results climate action could be moving forward in Michigan, Maryland, Minnesota and even Texas.

Nancy Berg
Nancy Berg

Others, too, see opportunity in this new legislative consensus. Caroline Spears, executive director of the PAC Climate Cabinet Action, says that Michigan, “traditionally home of the U.S. auto industry, could make new headway on clean cars.”

Liesl Eicher Clark, director of Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE), says that the final MI Healthy Climate Plan has more in mind than just clean cars. The plan, which includes interim steps to be taken by 2030, outlines a path toward carbon neutrality by 2050. Clean energy electric vehicle charging infrastructure along with land and water conservation are key components of the plan.

In a statement preceding release of the draft plan, Whitmer said that “Michigan has been impacted by climate change, from a polar vortex and historic floods to dam breaks and weeklong power outages. The MI Healthy Climate Plan identifies actions we can take to address climate change head-on, lower costs for Michiganders, ensure every Michigan worker a good-paying and sustainable job, and every family has clean air, clean water, and a home powered by clean, reliable energy.”

Digging into the details of the plan made me all the more encouraged. I’m hopeful that these long-awaited initiatives can now move forward. The specific initiatives include recommendations around six pillars:

  • Commit to environmental justice and pursue a just transition

  • Clean the electric grid

  • Electrify vehicles and increase public transit

  • Repair and decarbonize homes and businesses

  • Drive clean innovation and industry

  • Protect Michigan’s land and water

This shift in the Legislature will likely also have an impact on the controversy arising from the ongoing operation of Enbridge Line 5. The 540,000 gallons of fossil fuel product which flows daily through this aging pipeline risks catastrophic environmental harm. Both Michigan and Wisconsin governors, in order to assure a clean water future for the Great Lakes, will most likely act to shut down the 1950s-era pipeline.

There is much more to learn about our energy and climate future. I am just relieved to know that there is a plan of action through EGLE. We need to begin now if we intend to mitigate the evolving and future harms of climate change. This plan’s steps toward carbon neutrality are a great beginning. Taking on the challenge of global energy transformation is the open door to a clean and prosperous future for Michigan.

I would urge you to read more about the energy and climate plan by visiting the michigan.gov website and search for MI Healthy Climate Plan. Our future is bright, and as Whitmer said, “Michigan’s foot is about to step on the accelerator!”

If you are interested in learning more about the impacts of climate change or would like to become more actively involved in our energy future, consider visiting citizensclimatelobby.org, an international organization working toward Political Will for a Livable World. You can also find our local chapter on Facebook at Citizens’ Climate Lobby Holland MI.

— Nancy Berg is a member of the Holland Area Citizens’ Climate Lobby. She resides in Holland.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Citizens' Climate Lobby: What the midterm election results could mean for the climate