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Can Climate Change Heat Up
Michigan's Economy?
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Warriner Hall’s Plachta
Auditorium
7:30 to 9 p.m.
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Going
green could help Michigan's economy
Panelists at the spring 2008 Griffin Policy Forum
discussed whether climate change could be an answer to improving
Michigan’s ailing economy.
Gary Peters,
the Robert and Marjorie Griffin Endowed Chair in American Government
at Central Michigan University, organized the April 9th
forum entitled “Can Climate Change Heat Up
Michigan’s Economy?”
“Climate change represents a significant global
threat to our environment, but along with this threat comes
potential opportunity,” Peters said. “Michigan businesses are in a
unique position to develop technologies that can address the threat
of global climate change while expanding our state economy.”
Steven E. Chester,
director of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, served
as the forum moderator. The panel included Jon Allan, manager
of environmental and laboratory services for Consumers Energy;
James A. Croce, president and chief executive officer of
NextEnergy; Lana Pollack, president of the Michigan
Environmental Council; and Michael E. Witt, project director
of climate change, energy policy and sustainability for The Dow
Chemical Company.
Croce said Michigan imports fuel, petroleum, gas and uranium for $30
billion a year for its energy needs.
“We have a chance to use our indigenous resources,” he said,
including wind, sun and biomass.
Witt said Michigan should more seriously consider producing solar
energy, although critics have said solar wouldn’t be practical in
Michigan’s climate.
“But Germany is the biggest producer of solar energy worldwide, so
it could be possible here,” Witt said.
The panelists all agreed that ethanol production isn’t an
environmental boon or a long-term solution for Michigan’s economy.
“Ethanol has a temporary role to play as a transitional and fluid
solution,” said Pollack. “It’s enormously costly in terms of the
water it uses, and it’s driving up the cost of food.”
Croce said Michigan must act quickly to address environmental and
energy needs, and policy changes are needed to make solutions
possible.
“Michigan is not expected to lead in a carbon-light economy,” he
said. “So we have to be quicker. If we’re serious and want to
compete in wind, we need public policy to give us a base to win.”
Pollack stressed that regardless of the form of energy utilized,
efficiency is the best way to reduce our energy dependence.
“The
cheapest energy is the energy you don’t use,” she said.
Eric Welsby,
a political science graduate student from Flushing, was pleased that
the panelists discussed a variety of ideas.
“Panel discussions are important because students have the
opportunity to learn more about current events from people with
differing ideas and opinions,” Welsby said. “As an institution we
host numerous guest speakers who give individual opinions on a
topic, but in a forum format, the audience hears from several
people. This provides a broader picture than hearing just one side
of an argument.
“This topic should be of interest to everyone because climate change
affects all of us, and we all need to be part of the solution.”
Ann
Arbor sophomore Jessi Nix, who is majoring in broadcast and
cinematic arts, attended the forum to write an article for her
journalism class.
“I
think the panelists helped students to realize that environmental
and economical concerns need to be addressed now rather than in the
future,” Nix said. “The best way to effectively deal with these
concerns is to educate citizens about the options available to us.”
The Griffin Policy Forums are hosted twice yearly by
the Robert and Marjorie Griffin Endowed Chair in American
Government, the College of Humanities and Social and Behavioral
Sciences, and the department of political science at CMU. The forums
help to raise political awareness and participation among students,
faculty and community members, along with preparing political
leaders for Michigan's future.
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