A Vote for Gary Peters is a Vote for Michigan
Surfer: Ella Skrocki
These days in northern Michigan, the wind is crisp and every day the temperature drops introducing a new autumn hue along the lakeshore. As leaves are blown from the trees, we receive a stark reminder that winter fast approaches. For many of us, this means that surf season is finally here on the Great Lakes. This year, it’s also voting season, and the future of our freshwater playground is on the ballot.
Michigan is one of the few swing states that could decide the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, as well as the Senate election. There is so much at stake, which adds to the pressure an average election year and incoming winter of ice cover typically brings. Unfortunately this change of season always increases a bit of angst due to the looming threat of an oil spill in the heart of our Great Lakes.
The aging, 67 year old Line 5 pipelines carry nearly 23 million gallons of crude oil and natural gas liquids through the open water of the Straits of Mackinac every day. Line 5 is a mere shortcut for Canada’s benefit, with less than 5% to 10% of the product used in Michigan. The pipeline is owned by the Canadian company Enbridge, Inc., who was responsible for the nation’s largest-ever land-based oil spill, just down the road, in Kalamazoo, Michigan. And since 1968, Line 5 has spilled 33 times and at least 1.1 million gallons along its length, which crosses through an additional 400 pristine rivers, streams, and wetlands.
The Great Lakes contain 21% of the world’s surface fresh water and 90% of the surface freshwater in the United States alone. They’re the primary water source for more than 40 million people. The health of the Great Lakes are not only vital to those 40 million, and the fragile, diverse ecosystem, but also to Michigan’s economy. I live in Empire, Michigan, home to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, an area that encompasses all that is pure Michigan. It’s where my parents opened Sleeping Bear Surf & Kayak, which was inspired by their love for the lake. Like many small towns and businesses along the lakeshore, we rely on tourism to thrive and tourism relies on the health of the lakes.
It is vital for Michigan to elect people to office who understand that preservation and protection of our freshwater resources is not simply good for the environment, but deeply connected with sustaining our economy.
Come November 3rd, it is crucial that we flip the Senate. Despite who wins the Presidential election, the Senate and House of Representatives will have the ability to obstruct all legislative priorities of the President. So here’s the really scary scenario: if Trump wins a second term, without a democratic Senate, we can expect to see even more deregulation, fewer checks, balances, and little to no accountability than we have now around environmental polluters. A blue Senate will help ensure that environmental protections are not intentionally stripped away for the benefit of corporate interest.
It is critical to have a proactive regulatory environmental policy in Michigan and at the federal level. Incumbent candidate Gary Peters continues to be our guy for the job. In 2018, Peters took Enbridge to task for not maintaining industry transparency, special safety protocols and emergency preparedness to protect against potential oil spills. Despite the President’s efforts to slash critical funding for Michigan’s water, Gary Peters was instrumental in gaining bipartisan support to bring back and increase funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. He continues to be a voice for Flint and additional communities affected by lead water pollution. He helped convene the Senate’s first-ever hearing on PFAS, and he led efforts to establish clear standards on cleaning up and limiting exposure to toxic chemicals. Rather than buying into the dollars and doubts of powerful special interests, Peters listens to the science, and understands the urgent need to address the causes of global climate change. Throughout his career, Gary Peters has pushed for accountability from the federal level, which is exactly what Michigan residents want and need. He is an integral part of moving forward because he understands that the strength of Michigan’s economy is directly tied to the long-term health of the Great Lakes.
Peters is one of the two Senate Democrats who are up for reelection in states that Donald Trump won in the 2016 election. In that same election, Michigan’s margins were the smallest of any state, making it of dire importance that Michiganders show up to the polls or our clerk’s office in this year’s 2020 election. If you haven’t made a plan to vote yet, now is the time. There could be the swell of the season on November 3rd, so cast your votes early. The last date to request an absentee ballot in Michigan is October 30th. Apply for an absentee ballot or get in touch with your clerk’s office. Ballots must be in before November 3rd at 5:00pm. If you prefer watching as your ballot is counted, get to the polls early on November 3rd and wear a mask.
The Great Lakes need our vote, and it’s time to give back to the resource that nourishes us, provides for us, and fuels our stoke. I surf and I am voting blue in 2020 because I want to be on that wave of change.
By: Ella Skrocki