As young citizens of Michigan, we need to push Governor Rick Snyder to drastically reduce our dependency on fossil fuels that pollute our environment and communities. I share this sense of urgency with the Michigan Sierra Club, which is calling on the governor to be a better leader for our environment. If he calls himself the “Great Lakes Governor,” it’s time for him to get serious about protecting the Great Lakes. Fossil-fuel development is being done irresponsibly in Michigan; in fact, it uses the most water per well in the entire nation (20-30 million gallons of water per well as opposed to the typical 5-8 million). This is water that will be mixed with harmful chemicals — like the carcinogen benzene — and will be stored underground where it can contaminate our lakes and the drinking water that we depend on. I hope Snyder will discuss tangible and strong energy proposals during the coming months with Michigan’s environment, youth and our future in mind.
Marissa Solomon is a Public Policy junior.
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