Teddy Roosevelt once said "A nation
that destroys its soils destroys itself."
As a Forestry major in
college, I understand that protecting the environment is a
responsibility we must all accept, both for our own sake and for that
of our children.
I am an original co-sponsor of two
pieces of environmental legislation vital to Michigan's future, the
International Solid Waste Importation and Management Act (H.R. 518) and
the Great Lakes Collaboration Implementation Act (H.R. 1350).
The International Solid Waste Importation and Management Act passed the House of
Representatives with my strong support and is awaiting action in the
Senate. This bill will help to curtail the importation of solid waste from Canada
to Michigan.
Canada continues to be the largest source of waste imports
to Michigan, as last year Canada dumped more then 4.4 million tons of
waste in Michigan.
Michigan’s
most beautiful and important resource is the Great Lakes. I am an
active member of the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration (GLRC), which
is
working to implement a strategy for the restoration and protection of
the Great Lakes. We are working to prevent invasive species, such
as Asian Carp and Sea Lamprey, from destroying the Great Lakes
ecosystem.
As a
member of the House Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus, I am
working with members on both sides of the aisle to increase the
availability and use of alternative energy sources. I believe this is
important not only because it will reduce our dangerous dependency on
Middle Eastern Oil, but also because of the environmental benefits of
using cleaner sources of energy from renewable resources.
To learn more about my views on the environment, please listen to this interview.