Zug Island including the EES Coke facility. Photo by Anne Woiwode.
Locals Challenge Polluting EES Coke Facility: Sierra Club is seeking to intervene in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s lawsuit against EES Coke’s facility on Zug Island that addresses severe air pollution from the battery of 85 coke ovens. Coke is a byproduct of coal used mostly to make steel. EES Coke is a subsidiary of DTE Energy. Community members Theresa Landrum, Vicki Dobbins and Dr. Dolores Leonard are Sierra Club declarants in the filing. The legal team includes Sierra Club’s Environmental Law Program staff, Nick Leonard of Great Lakes Environmental Law Center and attorneys with Earthjustice. Sierra Club’s Healthy Communities Campaign support made this intervention possible. Read the full press release here.
Post-Election Briefing Friday, December 16
3:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Join the Sierra Club Michigan Chapter political team, as well as State Representative Yousef Rabhi, State Senator Stephanie Chang, Lester Graham with Michigan Public Radio's The Environment Report and Sierra Club political committee chair Mark Meadows, for a discussion on the results of the 2022 midterm elections.
What did the Sierra Club do this election season to secure an environmental majority in the state House and Senate and how can we keep up the fight to ensure we pass strong environmental laws and policies in 2023 and beyond?
“We are delighted the Erickson coal plant has finally come offline, the ultimate result of our legal settlement requiring the Lansing Board of Water and Light to move beyond coal by 2025," said Mike Berkowitz, Michigan senior campaign representative for the Sierra Club Beyond Coal Campaign. "We're proud to help deliver major public health benefits and dramatic reductions in air, water and land pollution. However, BWL still gets a portion of their power from DTE's Belle River coal plant and they just built a brand new fracked gas plant instead of fully embracing clean, renewable energy. BWL still has more work to do if they truly want to be a sustainable utility.”
Coca-Cola's Plastic Pollution Problem: Despite decades of failure to recycle more than a very small percentage of its plastic packaging, the Coca-Cola Company is again trying to sell people on its recycling efforts. The company has a history of making promises that are nothing but PR spin. Find out more about how Sierra Club is working to hold the company accountable.
Photo by Jan O'Connell.
Give Year-End Support to the Michigan Chapter!
As2022 closes out, here are three ways you can support the work of the Sierra Club Michigan Chapter in the coming year.
Donate to the Michigan Chapter: The Sierra Club Michigan's year-end appeal is hitting mailboxes this week. Please donate to the chapter before the end of the year ('tis the season, after all). Unable to mail in a donation? Donate online using this link.
Gifts of Stock: You can easily donate stocks (and get a nice tax deduction too!) by donating through our fiscal sponsor at The Sierra Club Foundation. Visit www.sierraclubfoundation.org/stocks to fill out the form and authorize your broker to transfer your shares. When you fill out the form make sure that you enter the purpose of the gift as “Michigan Chapter," otherwise we won’t receive your donation. It’s as easy as that! Making a simple, tax-deductible gift to the chapter has never been easier.
Give From Your IRA: Did you know that you can designate Sierra Club Michigan Chapter as the beneficiary of all or a percentage of your IRA and it will pass to us after your lifetime? It's simple, just requiring that you contact your IRA administrator for a change of beneficiary form or download a form from your provider’s website. Seek the advice of your financial or legal advisor then contact Laura Zylstra at Sierra Club Michigan Chapter at 517-484-2372 or email laura.zylstra@sierraclub.org for additional information on how to ask your IRA administrator about sending a check or making a direct transfer that will benefit our work in Michigan.
2023 Sierra Club Wilderness Calendars Available: The original nature calendar has been a bestseller for over 30 years with more than 10 million sold. Filled with breathtaking landscape photos of the grandeur of the North American wilderness and natural beauty, Sierra Club calendars will inspire you every day to explore, enjoy and protect the planet
Retail price for the Wilderness Wall Calendar is $14.95. Sierra Club members receive a 10% discount, or $13.45 for each plus $5.00 for shipping. Contact Cecilia Garcia-Linz at cecilia.garcia@sierraclub.org or 517-484-2372 to purchase yours.
Left: Huron Valley Group Outing, February 2022, Nan Weston Preserve at Sharon Hollow. Photo by John Metzler. Right: Saux Trail Head, Marquette County. Photo by John Rebers.
Explore and Enjoy: Sierra Club outings have offered a way to explore and enjoy wonderful places for 130 years. Michigan Sierra Club volunteers carry on the tradition year round. Outings are a great way to enjoy and explore Michigan’s exceptional outdoor recreational opportunities. Find details here.
