Ann Arbor is an environmental leader in Michigan. It is of the utmost importance that we maintain our status. Michigan needs a leader. The largest problem we face in the state is our delay in the transition to green energy. DTE Energy generates 80 percent of their energy from coal. This is a tragically high percentage. Coal is not only the leading polluter of mercury into our water; it also is becoming increasingly expensive.
Michigan’s coal is imported almost entirely from Wyoming. The cost to transport the coal to Michigan is becoming increasingly expensive as the cost of diesel rises.
The solution is green energy. By transitioning from coal to renewable sources like wind and solar energy, rates will go down, pollution to the great lakes will decrease, and green energy jobs will be created.
The Great Lakes are Michigan’s most valued natural resource. I spent every summer of my youth on Lake Huron. I have become disheartened in that, through the years, I have watched the health of my beloved lake diminish.
I urge everyone in the state to take immediate action in the fight against coal pollution. It is our duty as Michiganders to protect the world’s most abundant source of fresh water.
Ann Arbor, it is time to stand up for our lakes. Write to Gerald Anderson, CEO of DTE, and urge him to invest in clean infrastructure. Take action and make democracy work!
Hali Greene
Detroit