Chair of the Michigan Environmental Council Lana Pollack tried to shatter the popular notion that a clean environment is incompatible with a vibrant private sector
During a campus discussion yesterday Pollack encouraged environmental activism in her speech, titled "State Environmental Issues and Student Action," before a sparse crowd of 15 students gathered in the Michigan Union as part of Earth Week. Pollack's appearance was sponsored by the campus chapter of the College Democrats.
Pollack, a former state senator, reflected on the claims of auto industry firms and plastic cup producers that stringent health regulations would cause their bankruptcy, and she maintained that such claims are often exaggerated.
Through MEC, Pollack said she tries to deliver the facts regarding the social and economic ramifications of environmental regulation to the public.
"We feel the public has a right to know and we spend a considerable amount of our resources trying to pry secrets out of the government and the private sector," Pollack said. "There is a real (disconnection) with what the public is interested in and what the power people and opinion leaders are interested in."
Pollack said the environmental issue that Michigan residents worry about most today is the depletion of natural resources by business developments.
"The No. 1 issue is sprawl," Pollack said. "Michigan is losing 10 acres of farmland every hour of every day. You can see it here in Washtenaw County, Detroit, Saline ... in any direction you'll see the slice and dice of this state."
Pollack said she is inclined to believe studies conducted by public agencies rather than those of private firms on environmental issues. Pollack said she suspects the environment is in worse condition than is commonly believed.
"Environmentalists have been accused of exaggerating, but I would say more often than not, we have actually underestimated the consequences of environmental contamination," Pollack said. "Cleanup is extremely problematic - it often costs a lot of money, it's imperfect, it's uncertain."
The MEC, which is comprised of 47 environmental organizations, and is affiliated with major health groups including the American Lung Association, provides information to hundreds of local environmental agencies throughout the state.
SNRE junior Mona Hanna said Pollack's speech helped to promote student activism by raising awareness about pressing environmental issues.
"I think it was very informative," Hanna said. "It gave a good background of Michigan's environmental problems and how we can get involved."
SNRE senior Ami Grace said the discussion was helpful for students because Pollack focused mainly on state issues.
"I thought it was good because it was based on the state of Michigan," Grace said. "She discussed landfills, recycling, zoning ... they're all issues that are easy for students to understand and are tangible."