Nuclear Waste In Lake Michigan? Ask Fred Upton

Five Republican U.S. Representatives from Michigan, and all Michigan’s Democratic Representatives and Senators just sent a letter to Justin Trudeau, the new Prime Minister of Canada. The letter urges the Canadian government to deny Ontario Power Generation permits to build a giant nuclear waste facility underground, less than a mile from Lake Huron. Nuclear waste remains toxic for tens of thousands of years. No matter how geologically secure they say the site may be, this is too close.

Congressman Fred Upton, the shady chairman of the House Energy Committee (who just happens to have taken $789,350 from Big Oil and Gas) refused to sign the bipartisan letter with his Republican colleagues. He is, literally, placing the Great Lakes in danger in order to accommodate the short term needs of his campaign donors. It's the way Fred Upton rolls.

So far this cycle alone Upton has received $79,500 in campaign contributions from Oil and Gas and more from nuclear companies. He’s been giving private profits precedence over environmental security for so long, it seems it has just become habit.

Our Great Lakes are a national treasure and particularly a treasure in Michigan; it’s our duty to protect them. And we need to make polluters pay for the costs of their pollution, something Upton has always opposed with special vehemence.

The environment can’t speak for itself, but it doesn’t forget. We need to hold legislators like Congressman Upton accountable for undermining our collective future. And that has a lot to do with why Blue America has endorsed the progressive Democrat, Paul Clements, running for his southwest Michigan district seat. A life-long environmentalist, Paul is committed to environmental sustainability. He co-chairs the Working Group on Climate Change at Western Michigan University, and he has published and spoken widely on the ethics and politics of climate change.

Last year Paul was endorsed by the Sierra Club, the League of Conservation Voters, Friends of the Earth, and the Climate Hawks.This week he told us that "In Congress I will work for American leadership in addressing climate change. Next month's conference in Paris won't take us nearly far enough. Without much stronger leadership we can't stop warming at 2 degrees, and maybe this is too high. But dealing with the effects of climate change will also present unprecedented international challenges, and, frankly, our international institutions are woefully unprepared. Without better cooperation we will degenerate into a fortress mentality. I will lead in rising to the challenge."

This is looking like a good year for progressives and clean energy advocates in Michigan. Please consider digging deep and contributing to Paul's grassroots campaign,which you can do here.