(WWJ) – Earlier this week Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a package of six bills that she and her supporters say will take direct action against climate change in Michigan.
Through a number of new energy and waste standards, along with other new initiatives, the MI Healthy Climate Plan aims to get Michigan into carbon neutrality by 2050.
But is that even possible? On a new Daily J podcast, WWJ’s Zach Clark learns that optimism and skepticism are both running high.
While Whitmer touted the progress on climate change at Tuesday’s bill signing, the vote came down on strict party lines. And Republicans aren’t the only ones who are skeptical.
Dr. Chris Kobus, the Founding Director of the Clean Energy Resource Center at Oakland University says localized action isn’t enough.
“This is a global issue. How much impact are we gonna have as a state if we meet targets? As a country we have been reducing our CO2 output for the last 20 years. If I broaden that out a little bit more globally, by whatever amounts we’re reducing our carbon footprint, China is increasing theirs way more than we are reducing ours,” Kobus said.
He called whatever action is being taken on a local level “just a drop in the bucket.”
“This whole issue of climate science is a global issue,” said Kobus, who asserts that the energy industry should be leading the charge, not governments.
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