Contact: Kurt Zellers, KurtZ@synergeticendeavors.com, 612-889-4485
Lansing, MI — Today, top Michigan public and environmental health advocates urged the state’s elected leaders in Washington to support federal investments in clean transportation infrastructure. The press conference was hosted by the Moms Clean Air Force Michigan and is part of a series of events occurring across the country as the Biden administration and the U.S. Congress consider broad infrastructure proposals and investments in clean transportation.
Speakers urged U.S. Representative Elissa Slotkin (MI-08) to continue supporting clean energy growth and the expansion of the market for clean vehicles and buses to improve public health and create economic opportunity for all Michiganders. Modernizing our transportation sector and investing in clean vehicle technologies are critical to combating climate change, which makes extreme weather events like heat waves, droughts, floods, and hurricanes more frequent and intense.
“Michigan knows firsthand the urgency of confronting climate change and aggressively pursuing renewable energy. A significant investment in clean transportation infrastructure represents not only an opportunity to protect our state’s environment, but also to create family-sustaining union jobs and stimulate the state’s economy. This is a once in a generation opportunity for us to address climate change,” said State Representative Julie Brixie.
Investments in clean transportation and electric buses and vehicles are essential to meeting our nation’s climate goals, reducing air pollution, improving public health, achieving environmental justice, and spurring the economy. The electric school buses currently operating in Lansing and Oxford have already improved air quality and saved the school districts money on fuel costs, and there were 125,365 Michiganders working in clean energy as of 2019. Meaningful federal investments can spur the advancement of such programs that lead to cleaner air, reduced fuel costs, and more jobs for our communities
“We already know the pollution of vehicle pollution and the impacts of climate change disproportionately affect low-wealth communities and communities of color. Washington needs to honor its responsibilities to pursue environmental justice by making sure that the infrastructure measures being debated in Washington contain a big and bold investment in clean transportation,” said Ingham County Commissioner Derrell Slaughter.
Recent polling found that these investments are popular in Michigan’s 8th Congressional District. Eighty percent of voters in the 8th Congressional District support investments to rebuild roads and bridges and modernize public transportation to ensure it is cleaner and able to serve more people. Sixty percent also support investments in electric vehicles and charging stations to reduce pollution and help more Americans buy clean cars.
“Whether we’re talking about safer air for our children or reducing the risk of extreme weather events that threaten lives, transitioning to electric buses is a key step to protect public health and the health of our children,” said Elizabeth Hauptman, Michigan State Coordinator for the Moms Clean Air Force.
“Investing in the development of electric vehicles is essential to our national security and our environmental security. Staying on the cutting edge in this field will create new jobs at facilities like GM’s plant at Lake Orion; it will help us address the climate crisis; and it will keep us ahead of the curve as we compete with countries like China. Congress has to create the right circumstances for this industry to grow, and especially as we consider new infrastructure investments, this will continue to be a top priority for our office,” U.S. Representative Elissa Slotkin (MI-08) stated after the event.
For a video of the press conference, click HERE.