Although many students are also ramping up for exams and summer internships, all across the country student activists hosted earth day events and actions to honor this planet and bring more people into the fight to protect it. In Michigan it looks like it was also a nice opportunity to spend some time outside, appreciating nature and good friends:

Photo from Connor Meston, MSU student.

And of course, Earth Day isn’t the only day students are hosting awesome events and taking action to make our world a more sustainable one. Most of these students are engaged in campaigns that work every day to undertake important sustainability goals on campus, like ending the sale of bottled water, transitioning to renewable energy, and divesting from fossil fuels. Stand in solidarity with these students by taking action today too! Take a minute to prevent oil spills in the Great Lakes by voicing your opposition to Enbridge’s tar sands pipelines. 

Despite the difficulty for students to access the endowment information, they now know that the university [of Michigan] has almost 1 billion dollars invested in fossil fuels out of its total 8 billion dollar endowment (one of the largest endowments in the country). This 1 billion dollars from UM accounts for 5% of the total amount of fossil fuel investments from US universities. Despite UM’s large amount of funding for faculty and research dedicated to sustainability and climate change, they still support the fossil fuel industry with this significant chunk of change from their endowment.

Michigan students are certainly not alone in this effort, there are already over 200 campuses involved, and many cities as well. This divestment movement also ties in with another, larger movement, something Bill McKibben would classify as the “Fossil Fuels Resistance”. McKibben recently wrote an article in rolling stone that goes over this movement and the many reasons why people all over the globe are finding the need to stand up to these companies that are intent on destroying our climate.

Click here to view the embedded video.

It’s a romantic view of farmers, but still it resonates with me. I grew up around farmers and the FFA and I don’t believe there’s a more important vocation on the planet. Farmers carry a lot of responsibilities, looking after the land, feeding their own families, and also producing food for the world. As I watched, I wondered why Dodge chose the Super Bowl to deliver that message of appreciation to farmers.

Maybe it was a show of solidarity after a hard year. First, there was the 2012 drought, one of the worst in recent history. Then, the House of Representatives and Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) let farmers down everywhere when they dropped the ball and failed to get a five-year farm bill on the floor.

But for me the Super Bowl commercial evoked an important question: What is the most important role of farmers in our society? It has always been my belief that one of the most important duties is farming the land in a way that protects the earth, and maintains natural resources for the next generation. Liberty Hyde Bailey, a Michigan farmer’s son and agrarian philosopher who lived over a hundred years ago, put it this way:

“We shall conceive of the earth, which is the common habitation, as inviolable. One does not act rightly toward one’s fellows if one does not know how to act rightly toward the earth.” – Liberty Hyde Bailey, The Holy Earth, 1915

Most of the lifelong farmers that I know share Bailey’s views. However, high crop prices, combined with farm subsidies have created a situation that removes the natural risks of farming.  As a result, some farmers are draining wetlands, and grasslands are being plowed up in the Prairie Pothole Region and Great Plains.

We need farmers, and we need to help support farmers as they provide food for the world, while still promoting good stewardship of the land. Two things need to happen in 2013:

1. Congress needs to pass a farm bill.
2. The farm bill must contain a conservation compliance provision and a Sodsaver provision.  This will close the loophole that eliminates natural risks and rewards bad practices.

Please consider writing personally to your Senator and Congressional Representative about this issue, and let s/he know that this is an important issue to you, and why.

There’s one vote on climate and clean energy this election that’s pretty clear and simple: Michigan’s renewable energy ballot initiative, Proposition 3. And right now, it needs our help.

Prop 3 is being called “the most important clean-energy vote this year” because it would substantially boost the state’s Renewable Energy Standard (RES) and help further develop Michigan’s clean energy economy, bringing much needed jobs to the state.

Not surprisingly (but still outrageous), dirty energy utilities and fossil fuel-funded front groups are spending million of dollars to defeat Prop 3, running misleading ads, producing faulty reports and spreading disinformation about the initiative. And it’s not just from in-state utilities, Canadian pipeline company Enbridge, which dumped nearly 1 million gallons into Michigan’s Kalamazoo River in 2010 and the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (a coal industry front group) also contributed to the campaign to defeat Proposition 3.

Phone bankers are encouraged to use this photo as their profile picture on facebook and Twitter to help spread the word about the importance of Prop 3!

Battles like Prop 3 are a clear contest between Big Polluters & People Power — and in these final days we need to bring the people power to the polls. We need make sure every young person in Michigan knows what’s at stake with Prop 3.

On Thursday and Sunday nights from 6-9pm ET, Energy Action Coalition partners, the Michigan Student Sustainability Coalition, and grassroots activists across the country are hosting phone banks to call over 10,000 young voters in Michigan. 

Yes, ten thousand. And yes, that’s a lot. And with a close race in Michigan, these 10,000 young voters could be the margin of victory.

Let’s go for it. With clean energy and the elections under attack by big polluters, Michigan’s Prop 3 is our chance to win a clear victory for clean energy and climate action. It’s time to dig in. Let’s leave no stone unturned.

On Thursday or Sunday night from 6-9 pm ET, organize a phone bank, or make calls yourself, to remind young voters in Michigan to vote YES on Prop 3!

Personal calls are the best way to ensure people get out to vote. Round up a couple friends, or just pick up the phone and join us in calling over 10,000 young voters in Michigan!

To join, go to PowerVote.org/phonebank

Cross-posted from WeArePowerShift.org. 

Coal-fired power plant on the Detroit River. Photo: Michigan Sea Grant Extension

From Lake Michigan hitting 82 degrees in July to Lake Superior running 15 to 20 degrees above average–the lakes are showing the effects of our warming climate. The record hot waters surprised swimmers, shocked fish that could not survive the heat, and are making the Great Lakes more hospitable to invaders that harm native species.

On November 6th Michigan voters can cast their vote for the Great Lakes by voting YES on proposal 3, which would establish a stronger standard for renewable energy.

Proposal 3 is Michigan’s opportunity to fight global warming by requiring power companies to buy renewable energy for 25% of Michigan’s electricity by 2025–which will create jobs in Michigan–rather than spending money on harmful coal from other states and spewing harmful carbon and mercury pollution into air and water.

Get Ready to Vote

If you have not already voted, find your polling place and look at your ballot to research which candidates and proposals to support.

Michigan voters, sign the pledge to vote YES on proposal 3–support renewable energy to fight harmful pollution from coal.

Harnessing Michigan’s Land-based Wind & Solar

Right now, nearly 60% of Michigan’s electricity comes from coal-fired power plants whose carbon pollution drives climate change, and toxic mercury pollution poisons fish in our lakes.

Already, Michigan is on track to meet the state’s current renewable energy goal of 10% by 2015 and voting YES on proposal 3 is our chance to do even better. Renewable energy that is developed and sited to avoid impacting sensitive wildlife habitat is the long-term solution to reduce carbon pollution that drives climate change.

Michigan has enough wind and land energy to meet 25% renewable energy by 2025. According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Michigan needs to harness just 8% of the more than 54,000 MW of high-quality, land-based wind generation potential of the state. Michigan also has more sunny days than Germany, one of the world’s leading producers of solar energy.

But, Michigan utilities oppose proposal 3, because they make more money burning coal and want to continue to do so even though Michigan families are paying huge rate increases caused in part by the rising prices of coal delivered to Michigan. That cost has increased 71 percent in the last four years. In addition to fueling climate change, pollution from burning coal contributes to respiratory illnesses.

Less Pollution, More Michigan Jobs

Proposal 3 specifically states that the legislature should enact incentives to encourage the use of Michigan workers and Michigan made goods.  A Michigan State University study determined that Proposal 3 will create at least 74,000 Michigan jobs that can’t be outsourced. Construction jobs account for more than 30,000, and operation and maintenance more than 40,000.

There will be another 40,000 jobs related to manufacturing the parts required to build the renewable energy facilities. With Michigan’s manufacturing talent and know-how, Michigan could capture 50 percent of that manufacturing market, increasing the number of jobs to 94,000.

Renewable Energy Amendment on a Living Constitution

Proposal 3 is a Michigan Constitutional Amendment, because the Michigan Constitution is much different from our federal Constitution.  The Michigan Constitution was designed to be a living document that reflects our values, and is designed to change with the times. That’s why it requires we vote every 16 years on whether to hold a convention to rewrite it. In fact, there have been 69 amendments offered since the latest overhauled version was adopted in 1963.

A major advantage of putting 25 by 2025 in the Michigan Constitution is that utilities cannot use their political influence to sway the Legislature and bypass the consumer protection measures, such as the 1% cap on rates on any given year.

Right now, Michigan is locked into outdated and expensive energy sources like coal for our electricity. But the Legislature won’t act because they have sold out to the big oil and coal companies, DTE, Consumers Energy and their lobbyists.

Thanks to proposal 3 being a Constitutional Amendment, Michigan voters are empowered to cast their ballot in favor of what is best for Michigan–not what further enriches utility companies.  As the Michigan The Oakland Press said, “To reject the proposal just because it entails a state constitutional amendment just further empowers wealthy lobbyists like those working for the utility companies.”

Help Make Calls for Michigan

Right now, it is crunch time and your chance to make a big impact in the fight for healthier wildlife, and cleaner air and water in Michigan.

This Tuesday, October 30th you can also help make sure we pass proposal 3 by joining hundreds of volunteers in making phone calls to Michigan citizens during our Day of Action–urging voters like you to support proposal 3.

Email info@nwa.org for more information on making a big impact in Michigan.

This week registered student organizations from five Michigan campuses signed on to endorse Prop 3. These student groups were also joined in their endorsements by two statewide groups: the Michigan Student Sustainability Coalition and the Michigan Federation of College Democrats.

Michigan State MSSC students educating their peers about clean energy and Prop 3

If you are interested in supporting Michigan students, or clean energy, please join us for our national day of action on October 30 to support Prop 3. Individuals and organizations from all over the country will be making phone calls to undecided voters in Michigan and educating them about clean energy and Prop 3. Please sign up here to get involved and help support our future, and the future of clean energy for our country.

Common loons in the Seney National Wildlife Refuge, Michigan

Photo by Flickr member McGill’s Nature in Motion

See more photos by McGill’s Nature in Motion on Flickr >>

Your Photo Could Be Here

We want one of your nature photos to be the next Photo of the Day! Share your images with our Flickr group and tag them with PhotoOfTheDay-NWF12.

Don’t have a Flickr account? It’s free and easy to create one.

"Wu" the WuShock Mascot

Wichita State Wushock

What is a WuShock you ask? Wichita State describes their mascot, the WuShock as big, bad, muscle-bound, bundle of wheat. Fitting, as back in the early 1900′s many of the Fairmont College (later became Wichita State) football players earned tuition by harvesting or “shocking” wheat during the summer. Unfortunately, this wheat bundle isn’t as invincible as he seems. Over the last 30 years, we’ve seen global yields for wheat decrease by 5.5%, and scientists predict that this trend will continue as temperatures rise. A recent study from Stanford University found that a two degree increase in temperature could reduce the growing season by nine days, resulting in 20% less yield.

ISU Cyclone

Iowa State Cyclones

You won’t see a college student donning a twister costume on the court of ISU athletic events–rather, you’ll see “Cy” the cardinal wearing red and gold. Story goes, that the cardinal was ISU’s mascot until 1895 when damaging tornadoes wrecked havoc on central Iowa. When ISU stomped Northwestern 35-0 in a football match up that year, the headline in the Chicago Tribune the next day read “Struck by a Cyclone: It Comes From Iowa and Devastates Evanston Town”. The name stuck. Destructive storms and tornadoes continue to occur in the heartland, and as our air warms and moisture in the atmosphere increases due to climate change, we can expect even more dangerous storms. Warming winters and springs may cause some twisters to happen earlier as well–for example, Nebraska recorded their first February tornado on record this year.

Credit: Robert Postma

Michigan Wolverines

There are varying theories of why Michigan’s mascot is the wolverine. No wild wolverines exist in the state as far as we know. My favorite theory goes back to the Ohio-Michigan rivalry: Michiganders were called ‘wolverines’ in 1803 when the two sides argued over where to place the state line. What is unclear, however, is if Michiganders called themselves wolverines due to their tenacity and strength, or if Ohioans coined the term due to the gluttonous habits of their neighbors to the north. Either way, wolverines today are extremely threatened by climate change. As few as 250 wolverines may be left in the contiguous United States, of which only 35 individuals are thought to be successfully breeding.  Snow is melting earlier, putting the wolverine, who requires snowy habitat to find mates, reproduce, and survive in danger.

Credit: OSU

Ohio State Buckeyes

Brutus Buckeye is the famous mascot of the Ohio State University and is named after Ohio’s state tree, the buckeye. Contrary to popular belief, squirrels (thanks Jon Stewart!) are not the only threat to Brutus Buckeye. Climate change is moving the Ohio buckeye north into–dare I say it–Michigan. The Forest Service recently published a Climate Change Tree Atlas that predicts northward movement of the Ohio buckeye tree with a warming climate. Ohio State University student Kristen Arnold said in a 2008 press conference, “As a die-hard Buckeyes fan, the only thing worse than losing to Michigan would be giving them our mascot. This is one thing Buckeye and Wolverine fans should team up on: work together on global warming so they keep their wolverines and we save our buckeyes.”

Monte from Montana

Montana Grizzlies

Montanans have long recognized the grizzly as a symbol of the state’s wild heritage. The famous mascot, Monte the Grizzly hails from the University of Montana. The University’s basketball team officially became the Grizzlies in 1923 when they joined the Pacific Coast Conference–this was the same year Montana became the first state the in the nation to designate grizzlies as a protected game animal. Grizzly bears are slowly expanding their habitat range higher into the Arctic, to areas once thought to too chilly for the bear. This more northern habitat has been traditionally dominated by polar bears, leading many scientists to wonder about the ecological impacts of this habitat clash. I wonder if any team will adopt the Grolar bear as a mascot in the future?

Albert & Alberta

Florida Gators

Albert and Alberta Gator (one of the few male and female mascot pairings in the NCAA) call the University of Florida home. Appropriately suited since over 1 million alligators live in Florida and in 1987 the state of Florida declared the American Alligator their official state reptile. Climate change threatens alligators as sea levels rise, causing an influx of saltwater to the gator’s freshwater and brackish habitat. What’s worse, we may be seeing fewer ‘Albertas’ in the future. Eggs incubated at warmer temperatures tend to be born as males–altering the male to female sex ratio.

Which mascot will fend off extinction elimination in the tourney? My guess is a more climate resilient mascot will win this year…

Lake Michigan, March 2012. Source: Flickr (farlane)

Skiing on Lake Michigan

When I was 10, we rented a house along the shores of Lake Michigan for a winter weekend. Growing up in Chicago, I had spent many hours playing on the beach in the summertime. But, this was my first visit to the lake during winter. And it was magical, like something out of an actual winter wonderland. We spent hours cross-country skiing through forests frosted with icicles.

Most amazing of all was the lake. In contrast to the summer waves lapping the shore, there was ice extending probably hundreds of yards out into the lake. The ice was more than thick enough for us to ski right out on the lake! I still remember how thrilling this felt!

After a winter like 2011-2012, these sorts of memories feel distant, almost archaic. With this year’s warm winter weather, the lakes have had very little ice. Satellite images indicate that only 5 percent of the lakes froze over, much less than the around 50 percent ice cover that was typical when I was a child.

Great Lakes Are Losing Ice

It’s not just this year. The annual mean lake ice area observed on Lake Michigan has declined by 77 percent from 1973 to 2010, according to a recent paper published by Jia Wang and other researchers at NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory and the University of Michigan. In fact, all of the lakes have seen a long term decline in ice cover, with an average loss of 71 percent.

The authors point to increasing winter air temperatures as an explanation. Over the same time period, winter temperatures increased by 2.7 – 4.0 degrees Fahrenheit on average in the Great Lakes region. Water temperatures are increasing even more. With less ice cover to reflect the Sun’s rays back to space, the lakes can absorb more heat each year.

Of course, the decline in ice cover isn’t a steady downward march. The year-to-year variability caused by natural cycles is still an important factor in how much ice will form in any particular year. This new paper also sheds light on the roles of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation and the Arctic Oscillation in controlling the short-term variability.

More than Ice at Stake

The loss of winter-time ice in the Great Lakes has ripple effects for wildlife and outdoor activities alike.  NWF staffer Melinda Koslow summarizes some potential impacts of lost ice: dangerous algal blooms, the loss of protection for fish eggs and near-shore wetland habitats, and increased evaporation leading to lower lake water levels. Meanwhile ice fishing activities have been curtailed across the Midwest and in other northern states this year.

Take Action

The last few months serve as a window into what winter will usually look like in a warmer world. Let’s also use this winter as a wake-up call to start taking actions to preserve the outdoor winter traditions that we each treasure.

Email officials at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to let them know you support limits on carbon pollution from coal-fired power plants.

The polluter stranglehold on the House of Representatives continued today.

Power plants are the nation’s single largest source of climate change causing air pollution pumping roughly 2.4B tons of carbon dioxide into the air each year. Setting standards to limit this air pollution are critically needed to tackle the climate crisis and two recent Supreme Court rulings (2007 and 2011) have said the Clean Air Act requires the EPA to set these standards.

The new letter, however, continues the 2011 House track record of seeking rollbacks to the Clean Air Act.  It is also another classic example of how big polluters are running Washington.

Here is a quick glance at the big polluter connection to the letters’ three authors – all members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

• Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI), Chairman, House Energy & Commerce Committee. Top Industry Sector 2012 election cycle supporter: Electric Utilities.
  Among Largest Contributors: Southern Co., DTE Energy.
• Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-KY), Chair, House Energy & Commerce Cmte., Energy & Power Subcommittee. Top Industry Sector 2012 election cycle supporter: Electric Utilities. Among Largest Contributors: Southern Co.
• Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX). Top Industry Sector 2012 election cycle supporter: Electric Utilities. Among Largest Contributors: American Electric Power.

Of course, EPA’s new database on carbon pollution emissions shows that key contributors Southern Co., DTE Energy and American Electric Power (AEP) own a total of five of the nation’s ten largest carbon polluting power plants.

You can help NWF fight back against the big polluters. Take action now to support the new limits on power plant carbon pollution.