Environmental issues and the upcoming November election will be the focus of a program in Brighton later this month.

The Crossroads Group of the Sierra Club is presenting “Politics of the Environment”, which will focus on the races and candidates that voters in the area will see on the ballot in November. The featured speakers will be Legislative/Political Director Mike Berkowitz with the Michigan Chapter of the Sierra Club, as well as Political Committee Chair Richard Barron. They’ll talk about the various positions up for grabs in the mid-term election and where various candidates at the state and federal level stand on environmental issues and environmental justice.

Lee Burton is chair of the local group and tells WHMI a lot rides on elections. He says the club is strictly non-partisan but does endorse political candidates, stressing all final decisions are based on environmental stance. He says they will send out questionnaires to political candidates, ask if they’ll meet with club representatives, and then endorse candidates that support environmental issues. Burton says the Enbridge Line 5 oil pipeline is a serious environmental issue, as is renewable energy. He says gerrymandering is considered an environmental justice issue so that people can be properly represented, along with another ballot measure trying to expand absentee ballot and make it easier to register to vote. As for the Crossroads Group, Burton says the local environmental organization represents Livingston County and some surrounding area. He says it’s simply a group of people who live in the area and are concerned about the environment that take opportunities to get out and enjoy nature but also protect natural resources.

The upcoming “Politics of the Environment” program will be held at the Brighton District Library on Wednesday, September 19th at 7pm. (JM)