Statement of Michigan
groups attending Midwestern Governor’s Association Summit
Milwaukee, WI – Michigan
conservation, environmental and faith-based organizations today applauded Gov.
Jennifer Granholm and six other Midwestern leaders for taking bold action to
revitalize communities, create new jobs and protect our natural resources at today’s
Midwestern Governors Association Summit on Energy Security and Climate
Stewardship.
Granholm, along with five other governors and a Canadian
premier, signed the Midwestern Greenhouse Gas Reduction Accord, which commits
the states to develop a regional carbon cap and trade agreement to reduce
global warming pollution. The agreement must be developed within a year.
The accord is an essential step forward to protect Great Lakes water and wildlife, which are already seeing
the impacts of climate change, and to position the region’s economy to prosper
in a carbon constrained future.
The governors agreed to limit greenhouse gas emissions and
to substantial increases in renewable energy, low-carbon fuels and energy
efficiency. The governors also committed to develop infrastructure and
expertise necessary to propel the next generation of biofuels and carbon
capture and storage. This detailed package of actions addresses the critical
issue of climate change, will generate thousands of new jobs, and will reduce
energy costs.
Yesterday Granholm also issued an executive order
establishing a Michigan Climate Advisory Council. She charged it with making
recommendations to her by December 31, 2008. This is an additional step toward
aligning Michigan’s
economy with the need to reduce carbon emissions.
A 2007 Next Energy and MEDC Study concluded that a strong
commitment to clean energy by Michigan
will spur 19,000 new jobs. The Renewable Energy Policy Project ranked Michigan 4th
highest nationally in manufacturing job potential in the renewable energy
sector.
The Midwest agreements come
as federal lawmakers consider national energy and climate policy. Such
regional agreements provide momentum and models for national policies.
Representatives of Michigan
groups attending the summit include:
Charles Griffith, Auto Project Director, Ecology Center, 734-223-9092, charlesg@ecocenter.org
Zoe Lipman, National Wildlife Federation Great
Lakes Office, 734-834-9344, lipman@nwf.org
Kim Pargoff, Environment Michigan, 310-429-9160,
kpargoff@environmentmichigan.org
Paul Zugger, Michigan United Conservation Clubs,
517-303-9019, pzugger@mucc.org
