Ecolink Archive
T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S J U L Y 2 0 0 7
U P C O M I N G E V E N T S
SUNDAY, JULY 15:
Huron River Day
Come celebrate your favorite local river with a day of fun in the sun! The Ecology Center will be present for Sunday's afternoon activities, which run from noon to 4 pm at Gallup Park (3000 Fuller Road, Ann Arbor). Festivities include FREE canoe and kayak rentals, children's activities (that's us!), interesting river exhibits, fishing fun, birds of prey, WCC Jazz Band entertainment, and food and ice cream. For early birds, morning events starting at 8:30 am include a 5k run, a dog walk, and various scheduled canoe and boat trips. Parking available in Gallup Park and at Huron High School.
The Huron River Needs You!
What's the best way to cool down this summer? Paddling on the beautiful Huron River of course! Now you can enjoy a canoe ride and feel good about helping the environment by participating in one of several Huron River cleanups happening this summer.
The YMCA Youth Volunteer Corp Teens group will be picking up trash in Gallup Pond on July 25 and August 7 at 11 am. September 29 marks the U-M Arboretum's centennial celebration, and volunteers will be there to beautify the stretch of river that runs through the Arb.
THURSDAY and FRIDAY, JULY 18-19:
Ecology Center on a Stick?
Love it or Loathe it, the Art Fair is fast approaching, and what better way to show your support than to visit the Ecology Center on nonprofit row (between Fifth Ave. and Division) of the Liberty Street Fair. We'll be there from 10 am to 9 pm with exciting information about our various programs -- and a smiling face to greet you!
>>> Learn more about the Ann Arbor Art Fairs.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 4:
Green Fun at the Dixboro Fair
Come learn about energy, sustainable foods, and more at the Dixboro Fair! Nothing says summer like community fairs. In addition to arts and crafts, good food and kids activities that are staples to the annual Dixboro Fair, this year members from the Ecology Center's own Beyond Sustainability group will be hosting a couple of environmental educational displays, showcasing everything from tracing your carbon footprint, a demonstration solar stove, local farmers market and sustainable cooking information, and more! The Dixboro Fair goes from 10 am to 5 pm on the grounds of the Dixboro United Methodist Church, 5221 Church Rd., Ann Arbor.
>>> Learn more about the Dixboro Fair.
N E W S
Give-and-Take Needed
For CAFE Progress
The automakers opposed it. The UAW opposed it. Michigan's Senators opposed it. Yet in late June, the Senate passed CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) legislation that calls for the U.S. vehicle fleet to average 35 miles per gallon by 2020. The bill now goes to the House, where the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair John Dingell will play a prominent role in what will likely be another bruising battle.
But it doesn't have to be that way, says Ecology Center Auto Project Director Charles Griffith. "What if, instead of preparing for another battle, Congressman Dingell, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other House leaders could embrace the Senate's actions and actually make peace between the struggling Midwest and the rest of the nation?" While many may be preparing for defeat in another "zero-sum confrontation" that pits the auto state against the rest of the nation, Griffith sees an opportunity for a national reconciliation that could restore confidence and trust in the Motor City. There's no reason, he argues, why the Senate bill cannot become the starting point for an approach that promotes both industry and environmental goals.
First, Detroit must realize that the legislation already contains a number of concessions to the auto industry. Rather than requiring that each manufacturer meet an average fuel economy target for all its vehicles -- as has been the practice for most of the last 35 years -- new standards would be based on vehicle size. While every vehicle's fuel economy will increase, manufacturers with different vehicle mixes could meet different averages -- but still add up to 35 mpg across the entire industry. The bill also provides exceptions for "work trucks" over 8500 lbs, allows for credit trading, and provides funding support for advanced battery research.
For its part, says Griffith, the House needs to tighten standards, close loopholes, and add financial incentives to the Senate legislation that would make it more palatable to domestic automakers and autoworkers. One loophole, for example, makes it easier for automakers to shift away from small vehicle production in the U.S., putting small car and truck production in Michigan, Ohio, and other parts of the Midwest at risk. One solution has already been proposed by the UAW: add a requirement that the average fuel economy of each manufacturer’s domestically produced fleet not be allowed to drop (or "backslide") under the new rules.
For the automakers, says Griffith, final legislation needs to contain substantial financial incentives for retooling factories and investing in advanced vehicle technologies here in the U.S. Incentives in the form of low-interest bonds for advanced technology investments, such as those proposed by Senator Stabenow, could give cash-strapped domestic automakers a leg up while also encouraging other automakers to move more of their advanced technology developments here. Encouraging the domestic manufacture of the most fuel-efficient vehicles, and the technology that goes into them, is good for the whole country, not just the Midwest, argues Griffith.
Any final legislation also needs to modify a current provision that would allow NHTSA, the federal agency responsible for setting the standards, to adjust fuel economy standards downward if it finds they are not "technically feasible" or "cost-effective." Environmental and industry interests would be better served, says Griffith, if the language was tightened to include a minimum fuel economy level that must be met.
The U.S. auto industry and its workers have long argued that they have been unfairly held accountable for climate-changing carbon emissions while other industries are given a pass. Representative Dingell and his House Energy and Commerce Committee promise to tackle some of these issues this fall. The only way to ensure all industry sectors do their part to address the climate problem, says Griffith, is to pass an economy-wide carbon cap and trading system, which could also generate substantial and consistent revenues to help automakers and other industries make the transition tonew technologies. Ultimately, says Griffith, only an economy-wide system is likely to deliver a fair and effective policy that ensures national climate protection goals will be met.
>>> Learn more about the Senate bill and
other fuel economy legislation.
Time to Make Biofuels
a State Priority
Renewable fuels, if properly developed and promoted, could help lead Michigan out of its downward spiral. That's an idea the Ecology Center has been promoting for years. Now, after hearing from the state's commission on renewable fuels in late June, Governor Granholm is faced with the one of the greatest opportunities of her tenure with a chance to boldly lead the state in a new direction.
The challenges of making biofuels the centerpiece of Michigan's comeback are formidable, but the rewards could be worth it. Biofuels hold great potential to reduce carbon and other harmful vehicle emissions, while increasing local investment, income and jobs in Michigan. With an all-out push for biofuels, the state could become a national leader on climate and energy issues and at the same time promote its own agricultural and manufacturing sectors.
"Renewable fuels have an important role to play in reducing the state's reliance on foreign oil, curbing greenhouse gas emissions, and growing a robust agricultural sector," says Charles Griffith, Auto Project Director at the Ecology Center and member of the state Commission. "Our report spells out an approach for doing this in an environmentally sound way, by tying incentives for new crops and production processes to standards for sustainability and to low-carbon approaches."
The recommendations released by Michigan Renewable Fuels Commission include several measures that, if enacted, would help develop and promote a sustainable biofuels industry and market in the state. The Ecology Center urges Governor Granholm and the state legislature to act quickly to implement the report's directives, especially these three key actions: the development of a low-carbon fuel strategy for renewable fuels; establishment of a next-generation renewable fuels feedstock program; and creation of a program for encouraging retail renewable fuel sales.
Low-Carbon Fuel Strategy
A low-carbon fuel approach would require that an increasing amount of low carbon fuels -- such as ethanol from agricultural "wastes," perennial grasses, and trees -- be sold in the state. This approach would go a long way toward growing the market for new cellulosic fuels, which hold the most promise for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and gasoline usage.
Next-Generation Renewable Fuels Feedstock Program
In order to speed up production of new feedstocks for low carbon fuels, incentives are needed to help farmers transition to growing next-generation energy crops. A comprehensive incentive package recommended by the panel includes payments to landowners and operators that produce dedicated energy crops in sustainable agronomic systems; tax incentives or loan guarantees for the purchase of new equipment; and research and technical assistance on sustainable energy crop production.
Green Retailers Program
To ensure a growing market for renewable fuels, establishment of a fueling infrastructure for E85 and biodiesel is needed in the state. In addition to increased incentives for installation of new renewable fuel pumps, the commission also recommends a "Green Retailer" program that would reward retail and wholesale outlets that sell a certain percentage of renewable fuels.
The Ecology Center emphasizes the need for additional measures that maximize environmental performance at every step -- including feedstock production, fuel production and distribution. These requirements are essential for ensuring public benefits, such as biodiversity, soil and water conservation, and clean air. Additionally, the Center supports standards that would forbid production of energy crops on environmentally sensitive lands or the conversion of natural ecosystems that protect biodiversity and capture CO2.
The Ecology Center also points out that renewable fuels are not the single answer to our transportation energy needs. Improving vehicle fuel efficiency and reducing personal vehicle travel demand are also essential if there is to be any real progress in reducing energy use in the transportation sector.
>>> Learn more about the Renewable Fuels Commission and their full list of recommendations.
>>> Learn more about Ecology Center efforts to promote biofuels and other alternative energy.
Michigan Legislature Moves to Protect Children From Lead Poisoning
Did you know that vinyl lunch boxes -- the soft shiny plastic kind your child may use for school -- could possibly contain lead? Years after it has been banned from gasoline and paint, lead still makes its way into many children's products such as jewelry and footwear. In late June, the Michigan House of Representatives took an important step in protecting the state's children from lead poisoning when it passed, with nearly unanimous support, four lead-related bills. The legislation is now on its way to the Senate for consideration.
HB 4240, sponsored
by Rep. Andy Coulouris (D-Saginaw), regulates the amounts of lead that can be present in children's toys and child-care articles. The bill is considered
groundbreaking because it establishes a new part in the state's Public Health Code entitled, "Toxic Substances in Children's Products," an action that
could create a "legal home" for future legislation addressing other chemicals in a broader range of children's products.
HB 4399, sponsored by Rep. Lisa Wojno (D-Warren), would prohibit the sale of lunch boxes containing a lead-bearing substance above 600 ppm, and HB 4132, sponsored by Rep. Ed Gaffney (R-Grosse Pointe Farms), would prohibit lead above 600 ppm in children's jewelry. The House also approved HB 4936 to extend the state's childhood lead poisoning prevention and control commission.
Michigan is the 6th worst state for childhood lead poisoning, according to Joan Dyer, a member of the state lead poison prevention panel, with each case of childhood lead poisoning estimated to cost at least $45,000 in medical, special education and other required services. Lead is extremely toxic. Long-term exposure to even small amounts can cause brain damage, kidney damage, hearing impairment, and learning and behavioral problems in children.
"Our nation's chemical laws have not properly regulated these toxic substances," said Genevieve Howe, with the Ecology Center and the Michigan Network for Children's Environmental Health (MNCEH). "State government has to step in where the federal government has not."
The Ecology Center is the lead agency of the MNCEH -- a coalition of health professional, health-affected, and environmental organizations -- with a mission
to protect children's health from environmental threats. The Network shares the goal of environmental health activists around the country and around the
world to move beyond chemical-by-chemical battles and comprehensively reform the regulation of chemicals so that children's health is protected from the
outset. See: www.mnceh.org for more information.
TAKE ACTION!
THANK YOUR REPRESENTATIVE FOR SUPPORTING THESE IMPORTANT BILLS!
Here is a sample "thank you" message:
Dear Representative <name>:
Thank you for taking action to protect the health of Michigan's children from lead in children's products. The ground-breaking package of bills you approved not only will help protect children from lead poisoning, but it will also pave the way to protecting children from other, equally harmful, toxins in all products made for use by children. I am especially pleased to see broad, bipartisan support for these bills. I look forward to working with you in the future to protect children's health.
Sincerely,
Your name,
Street address and (if you wish) phone number
If you're not sure who your state representative is, go to: http://house.michigan.gov/find_a_rep.asp
A T T H E E C O L O G Y C E N T E R
Thanks for a Great EcoRide!
Thanks to everyone who came out to Hudson Mills Metropark on June 24 for the Ecology Center's annual EcoRide bike-a-thon! The weather was perfect for the participants choosing to walk in the park, challenge themselves with the century route, and everything in between. Our new location was nestled in the beautiful Metropark, providing a relaxing place for riders to return to for lunch and ice cream, not to mention a safe, fun route for families and walkers. We were happy to see more families returning to the EcoRide this year, many of them setting out on their ride with their bikes newly decorated with reuse materials, and their faces newly temporary-tattooed, from our kids' table.
With our new online fundraising tool, we had more people raising pledges this year than we have in recent years. There's still time to keep fundraising to qualify for great prizes, including a new bike from Two Wheel Tango! You can still turn in money through July 20 … even if you missed the EcoRide, you can still raise pledges and do an honor ride. Help us meet our goal of raising $40,000 for a safe and healthy environment!
Did you ride the EcoRide? We'd love to hear what you thought about our new location, new routes, new registration tool and any other feedback you have about the event. Please send comments to Lacey.
Want to make sure you're on the list to receive next year's EcoRide info? Email Lacey and she'll send you dates, brochures, and links to fundraise online as soon as they're available.
EcoLink -- July 2007
An online publication of the Ecology Center
Editor: Ted Sylvester
Layout: Rod Hunt
Comments and questions are welcome.
Please send to “EcoLink Editor” c/o stephanie@ecocenter.org
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