The following statement can be attributed to Mary Brady-Enerson, Michigan Director, Clean Water Action:
“In the past few weeks, the skies over Michigan have been darkened by the smoke from fires burning 2,000 miles away. Over the past year, Michigan’s record-breaking high water levels have eroded the Great Lakes shoreline. Severe storms have flooded communities across our state. All the while, federal authorities have done nothing to prepare our country for the life-threatening impacts of the climate crisis.
Today, Governor Whitmer took bold action on climate change. We applaud these executive orders as they will put our state on a path towards climate resiliency. We are hopeful that these orders are just the beginning of Michigan’s efforts to address climate change. We are encouraged by Governor Whitmer’s actions today, and we look forward to working with her and following the lead of impacted communities to address the climate crisis.
Addressing the climate crisis in a just and equitable way means ensuring the voices of the most impacted residents are deeply involved in shaping climate policy. It also means that we prioritize impacted communities’ needs to ensure they are resilient in the face of severe weather events. And, we must take a holistic approach to this challenge. We can’t address climate while simultaneously allowing outdated and polluting industries, like the fossil fuel industry, to continue threatening our climate and water.
Governor Whitmer wants to be a leader in addressing the climate crisis. We thank her for her actions today and are ready to work with her to make Michigan an example of strong climate policy for others to follow.”
###
Since our founding during the campaign to pass the landmark Clean Water Act in 1972, Clean Water Action has worked to win strong health and environmental protections by bringing issue expertise, solution-oriented thinking and people power to the table. Clean Water Action is Michigan’s largest grassroots conservation group with over 133,000 members across the state. Through direct advocacy and education we organize Michigan residents to protect the Great Lakes and our water resources. Learn more at www.cleanwateraction.org/mi
