Clean energy advocates joined conservation and elected leaders to march for clean air, Great Lakes protections

KALAMAZOO – On Saturday, April 29 at 2:30 p.m., federal and local leaders, elected officials and members of the Southwest Michigan community gathered at Bronson Park in Kalamazoo to march and raise awareness about the need for clean air and water, joining thousands in Washington, DC and communities across the country as part of the Peoples Climate March. 

After the march through downtown Kalamazoo, citizens were connected to local environmental advocates and provided with opportunities to get involved at home, within their community, and with policy makers in Lansing and Washington DC. Speakers included U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, State Rep. Jon Hoadley (D-Kalamazoo), Anne Marie Hertl from the Michigan League of Conservation Voters, and other community leaders.

I believe in science and science is clear: climate change is an urgent threat to all of us. That’s why the Trump Administration needs to stop unraveling national policies to protect our economy and our environment. Continuing to side with polluters when it comes to protecting our air, water, and public health will only make things worse,” said U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow. “The Trump Administration also needs to hear the voices of folks in Kalamazoo and all over Michigan who are fighting to defend the Great Lakes, tackle threats like Asian Carp, and preserve the beaches and fisheries that are so important to our Michigan economy and way of life.”

The thousands of marchers who took to the street here in Kalamazoo and across the country made it clear that they are not willing to back down in this essential fight for the future of our planet,” said State Rep. Jon Hoadley (D-Kalamazoo). “As a state representative, I take the responsibility to do everything I can to address climate change very seriously and I am eager to keep fighting for Michigan’s clean energy future in the months ahead.”

Taking that first step of attending a march and getting involved at the local level, is a game changer,” said Anne Marie Hertl of the Michigan League of Conservation Voters. “That is why I am so excited to be seeing so many new people joining the march, learning how they can become advocates for the values they care about far beyond today. And as I told so many marchers I spoke with—while President Trump is slashing funding for the Great Lakes, greenlighting dangerous pipelines, and scrapping efforts to develop clean energy—it has never been more urgent to fight to protect our communities and our land, air, and water.”

The event was hosted by Michigan League of Conservation Voters.

Photo: South Bend Voice via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0.