LETTER: Michigan should strengthen, not weaken, climate goals

The purpose of this letter is to respond to a recent letter to the editor suggesting that Michigan’s EGLE should reduce climate goals based on what the Trump EPA is trying to do (Feb. 5, “Michigan Healthy Climate Plan by EGLE is obsolete”).

Wow, that’s like suggesting we close the firehouse based on recommendations from a serial arsonist.

Climate change is happening. We know why.

We need to increase remedial efforts not reduce them. Since 1951, annual average temperatures have increased by 2.3°F (1.3°C) across the 8 U.S. Great Lakes states (i.e., IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, NY, PA, and WI). (https://glisa.umich.edu/resources-tools/climate-impacts/temperature/) Historically, a 2-degree F temperature change would happen over thousands of years!

Some 90% of the excess heat is absorbed by the oceans. Wonder why sea ice is melting, coral reefs dying? In the 1980’s, US climate disasters resulting in over a billion dollars damage averaged less than 4 per year, between 2020 and 2025 they averaged 23 per year.

Confused about climate change vs. extreme weather frequency and intensity? There’s a lot of good information available on the subject. Google it.

A recent Yale Program on Climate Change survey (Nov ’25) revealed that 72% of the US believe climate change is happening, 58% believe it’s from human causes. That’s a lot of agreement on anything.

Let’s stop wasting time debating bogus distractions by big money interests and focus on solutions.

Our kids and grandkids are depending on us. Let’s not let them down.

Need some inspiration? Try Andrea Gibson’s “Homesick: A Plea to Save Our Planet.” It works for me.