‘MI Healthy Climate Corps’ helping community with combating climate change
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LANSING, Mich. (WLNS)– The ‘MI Healthy Climate Corps’ started in March and members of a new state program are focused on helping communities with initiatives to help tackle climate change.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed the ‘MI Healthy Climate Plan’ in November, to make Michigan carbon neutral by 2025. Officials of The Environment Great Lakes and Energy, also known as EGLE, said the new program is meant to help achieve this goal.
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Isidor Mitchell, a Sustainability Project Coordinator for MI Healthy Climate Change said they are focused on organizing drop-off sites for organic food waste.
“It’s a lot of just the planning process for figuring out who in the community do I need to talk with and engage with. To figure out where are we going to put the drop-off site,” said Mitchell.
Brion Dickens, a Program Manager for Solar Sighting, is a member just like Mitchell and is stationed in the city of East Lansing, said he has around 50 sights that have been identified in the city.
“My role is to look at the viability of those 50-plus sites to host renewable energy systems in particular, such as solar and possibly wind. They need to continue and get another kick start with what they’ve been doing, which has been fabulous. From recycling and other initiatives for energy savings. But then to actually start developing their own forms of generations,” said Dickens.
Another member, Rowan Price, is a Project Manager stationed at the Spartan Housing Co-op. He said he is focused on looking at how to create sustainable lifestyles for those in the Co-op housing buildings and help identify funding opportunities.
“How can we impact where they’re getting groceries in a way that’s more sustainable, how can we impact how people get around in a way that’s more sustainable.”
Officials say 30 people with different focuses are all working together to make the state’s climate change goals a reality. Host sites could be non-profits, local governments, or state agencies because they all applied to the same program.
The initiative will end in November, but EGLE officials hope to continue in the future with more members.
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