We’re poised on the brink of monumental change.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer and President Joe Biden are pursuing bold goals to protect people, air, land and water. More legislators are prioritizing environmental concerns. And Michigan has a massive surplus of state and federal dollars to allocate.
These developments create a tremendous opportunity—and the Michigan Environmental Council is committed to capitalizing on it by realizing an inspiring policy agenda in the coming months.
Please sustain this important work with a donation to the Environmental Council. Your generous support can help us champion issues that you care about. Learn more below about what we're doing right now to ensure a better, more sustainable future for years to come below.
We are limiting lead poisoning. Becca Maher is coordinating a 30-member coalition advocating for legislation that would ensure every kid at school or childcare drinks lead-free water.
We are helping farms become sustainable. Megan Tinsley has joined a coalition of agriculture groups pushing for policies that limit manure pollution in our water and boost up farmers' bottom lines.
We are protecting community drinking water from chemicals and waste. Charlotte Jameson is working in the Capitol to secure billions of dollars in federal COVID relief to update our local drinking, waste and sewer water systems.
We are shutting down the Line 5 pipeline. We act as the fiscal sponsor for Oil & Water Don't Mix, and we intervene at the Michigan Public Service Commission to remove the notorious oil line out of our Great Lakes.
We are protecting children from lead exposure. The Michigan Alliance for Lead Safe Homes— our coalition of professionals and parents—is successfully advocating to get more children and homes lead testing and treatment every year.
We are making homes more affordable. Tina Wahl is working to see through funding that helps families make the home repairs they need and receive free energy efficiency upgrades.
We are ensuring buildings combat climate change. Through her appointment to the Council on Climate Solutions, Charlotte Jameson is advocating for new building codes that would halve emissions and save residents money.
We are making electricity affordable, reliable and clean. Our legal team at Olson, Bzdok & Howard are ensuring energy is clean, reliable and affordable by intervening in utility decision making.
We are giving people clean energy independence. Abby Wallace is advocating for bipartisan bills allowing people to power their house, apartment or condo with solar energy.
We are protecting hearts and lungs from fossil fuels. Tina Wahl is limiting bus pollution at schools and smog pollution across the state.
We are cutting car emissions. Charlotte Jameson is driving Michigan's electric vehicle renaissance through legislative and federal funding advocacy.
We are strengthening our recycling industry. We and member group Michigan Recycling Coalition are working with the Legislature to move away from our landfill-first approach toward one that values recycling and composting.
We are raising our recycling rate. Becca Maher is working with stakeholders to make our bottle deposit system accepting of more beverages and easier to use.
We are nurturing the nature Michiganders love. Charlotte Jameson is supporting efforts to fill the funding backlog of state park maintenance and accessibility renovations.
We are making nature available in every community. We are using the successful Proposal 1 campaign—which we co-led with The Nature Conservancy—to expand parks funding indefinitely.
We are keeping nature pristine. The Environmental Council joined Keep the UP Wild to give 50,000 acres of UP forest and streams the best federal protections available.
Help bring about the environmental protections our state needs. Please make a donation to the MEC.