Gov. Gretchen Whitmer aims 

to make Michigan completely 
carbon neutral by the year 
2050, her office announced in 
a press release Wednesday.

“The science is clear – 

climate 
change 
is 
directly 

impacting our public health, 
environment, our economy and 
our families,” Whitmer said in 
a statement. “This dangerous 
reality 
is 
already 
causing 

harm throughout Michigan, 
with communities of color 
and low-income Michiganders 
suffering 
disproportionately, 

which 
is 
why 
I’m 
taking 

immediate action to protect 
our state. We owe it to our 
children and grandchildren to 
leave them a cleaner, safer and 
healthier world.”

According 
to 
Whitmer, 

the steps outlined in both 
Executive Directive 2020-10 
and Executive Order 2020-
182 — both of which she signed 
this morning — will provide 
protections 
for 
Michigan’s 

environment, 
economy 
and 

public health. She wrote the 
new MI Healthy Climate Plan 
will also position Michigan to 
attract clean energy jobs.

The Council on Climate 

Solutions will take steps that 
address diversity and equity 
while working closely with the 
Department of Environment, 
Great Lakes and Energy. The 
Council and EGLE will be 
working together on emission-

reduction strategies to reduce 
the greenhouse gas produced 
in Michigan by 28%. This 
will be lower than the levels 
present in Michigan in the 
1990s.

In 
a 
statement, 
EGLE 

Director Liesl Clark wrote the 
executive order will protect 
the environment in Michigan 
for future generations.

“Michiganders 
have 

been on the front lines of 
environmental protection from 
the first Earth Day 50 years 
ago, and we continue to lead 
with these important steps to 
safeguard Michiganders and 
their natural resources,” Clark 
wrote.

Clark said the project will 

link together plans from cities 
and towns all over the state that 
have been implemented to help 
battle climate emergencies at 
the local level.

“We’re excited to amplify 

and elevate the work of so 
many 
Michigan 
cities 
and 

towns taking vital steps to 
protect their residents and 
resources, while sharing in 
the benefits brought by clean 
energy 
industries,” 
Clark 

wrote.

Public Policy senior Sabrina 

Butcher, 
Citizens 
Climate 

Lobby co-president, said she 
is pleased with the new orders 
from Whitmer.

“I think it’s really cool that 

part of their goal is to address 
environmental 
justice,” 

Butcher said. “Michigan has 
a lot of wind energy potential 

especially in the zone to be 
really cool to see renewable 
energy 
kind 
of 
take 
over 

Michigan 
and 
Michigan’s 

economy and to kind of come 
back that way.”

Citizens who represent a 

range of sectors, experiences 
and 
expertise 
relating 
to 

achieving carbon neutrality 
will be able to apply to be 
on the Council on Climate 
Solutions. Butcher expressed 
concerns with the open-ended 
call to the public to apply to be 
on the council.

“Bringing a lot of different 

voices together is cool, but I 
think that’s kind of a dangerous 
game because if we look at 
something like the President’s 
Commission 
on 
Carbon 

Neutrality, we’ve had it for a 
couple years now and it’s done 
absolutely nothing,” Butcher 
said. 
“I 
think 
sometimes 

commissions like that can be 
a little more symbolic instead 
producing 
actual 
strategies 

that get adopted.”

The City of Ann Arbor has 

plans of its own to go completely 
carbon neutral by 2030. The 
plan addresses the sectors 
of energy, mobility, resource 
reduction 
and 
adaptation 

and 
resilience, 
aiming 
to 

transition to renewable energy 
sources and design a zero-
carbon transportation system 
throughout the city.

Ypsilanti 
is 
following 

Ann Arbor’s lead, drafting a 
similar plan to achieve carbon 
neutrality by the year 2035. 

Despite 
challenges 
posed 

by 
the 
COVID-19 
crisis 

and concerns about budget 
shortfalls, 
Ann 
Arbor 
is 

pushing ahead with its billion-
dollar initiative.

Ann Arbor’s plan will rely 

on efforts at the University 
of Michigan to reduce the 
school’s carbon footprint. The 
President’s 
Commission 
on 

Carbon Neutrality is reviewing 
options for reaching carbon 
neutrality, but a timeline for 
a carbon neutrality initiative 
has not yet been set. The 
commission 
released 
its 

second interim report in June 
and is now beginning work on 
later phases of research and 
analysis.

In a press release, U.S. Rep. 

Debbie 
Dingell, 
D-Mich., 

wrote 
she 
supported 

Whitmer’s plan, noting more 
work must be done at all levels 
of government to transition to 
a net-zero emissions economy.

“Thanks 
to 
Governor 

Whitmer’s 
leadership, 

Michigan takes seriously the 
effects of climate change on 
public health, environmental 
justice 
and 
an 
equitable 

transition to a more sustainable 
economy for our communities 
and workers,” Dingell wrote. 
“Michigan and the United 
States will stay at the forefront 
of innovation and technology 
and leave a healthy planet for 
generations to come.” 

Daily Staff Reporter Jenna 

Siteman can be reached at 
jsiteman@umich.edu. 

The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967) is publishing weekly on Wednesdays for the 
Fall 2020 semester by students at the University of Michigan. One copy is available 
free of charge to all readers. Additional copies may be picked up at the Daily’s office 
for $2. If you would like a current copy of the paper mailed to you, please visit store.

pub.umich.edu/michigan-daily-buy-this-edition to place your order.

ERIN WHITE
Managing Editor 
 ekwhite@michigandaily.com

SAYALI AMIN and LEAH GRAHAM 
Managing News Editors news@michigandaily.com

Senior News Editors: Barbara Collins, Claire Hao, Alex Harring, Ben Rosenfeld, 
Emma Stein, Liat Weinstein
Investigative Editor: Zayna Syed
Assistant News Editors: Iulia Dobrin, Julia Forrest, Jasmin Lee, Calder Lewis, 
Angelina Little, Hannah Mackay, Sarah Payne, Emma Ruberg, Julia Rubin, Jenna 
Siteman, Varsha Vedapudi, Kristina Zheng

EMILY CONSIDINE and BRITTANY BOWMAN
Editorial Page Editors tothedaily@michigandaily.com

Senior Opinion Editors: Elizabeth Cook, Zack Blumberg, Krystal Hur, Min Soo 
Kim, Joel Weiner

JOHN DECKER and JULIANNA MORANO
Managing Arts Editors 
 arts@michigandaily.com

ALLISON ENGKVIST and ANNIE KLUSENDORF
Managing Photo Editors photo@michigandaily.com

MAGDALENA MIHAYLOVA
Managing Statement Editor statement@michigandaily.com 

Deputy Editors: Andie Horowitz, Marisa Wright

MADISON GAGNE and SADIA JIBAN
Managing Copy Editors copydesk@michigandaily.com

Senior Copy Editors: Olivia Bradish, Sophie Kephart, Silas Lee, Olivia Sedlacek, 
Ellie Scott

PARTH DHYANI and SIMRAN PUJJI
Managing Online Editors 
 webteam@michigandaily.com

Senior Web Developers: Abha Panda, Rohan Prashant, Jonathan Liu

ALEC COHEN and ELI SIDER
Managing Video Editors video@michigandaily.com

Senior Michigan in Color Editors: Zoha Bharwani, Lora Faraj, Ayomide 
Okunade, Gabrijela Skoko

Senior Sports Editors: Daniel Dash, Lily Friedman, Connor Brennan, Brendan 
Roose, Kent Schwartz, Lane Kizziah, Rian Ratnavale
Assistant Sports Editors: Jared Greenspan, Nick Stoll, Drew Cox, Aidan 
Woutas, Abby Snyder, Jack Kingsley

Senior Video Editor: Iulia Dobrin

Senior Social Media Editors: Kristina Zheng, Ria Dubey, Ryan Postman, Haley 
Johnson, Atticus Raasch, Asha Lewis

Stanford Lipsey Student Publications Building

420 Maynard St.

Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1327

www.michigandaily.com

ARTS SECTION

arts@michigandaily.com

SPORTS SECTION

sports@michigandaily.com

NEWS TIPS

news@michigandaily.com

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

tothedaily@michigandaily.com

EDITORIAL PAGE

opinion@michigandaily.com

ANITA MICHAUD

Business Manager

ammichau@michigandaily.com

ELIZABETH LAWRENCE

Editor in Chief

esla@michigandaily.com

PHOTOGRAPHY SECTION

photo@michigandaily.com

NEWSROOM
734-418-4115 opt.3

CORRECTIONS

corrections@michigandaily.com

THEO MACKIE and ETHAN SEARS 
Managing Sports Editors sportseditors@michigandaily.com

Senior Arts Editors: Jo Chang, Elise Godfryd, Zoe Phillips, Jonah Mendelson, 
Ally Owens
Arts Beat Editors: Samantha Cantie, Dana Pierangeli, Andrew Pluta, Cassandra 
Mansuetti, Anish Tamhaney, Sophia Yoon

CHRISTINE JEGARL and LIZZY RUEPPEL
Managing Design Editors 
design@michigandaily.com

Senior Design Editor: Hibah Mirza

MAYA MOKH and ANA MARIA SANCHEZ CASTILLO
Michigan in Color Editors michiganincolor@michigandaily.com

JOHN GRIEVE and BEN KORN 
Managing Social Media Editors

Editorial Staff

Business Staff

Senior Photo Editors: Madeline Hinkley, Asha Lewis, Miles Macklin
Assistant Photo Editors: Julia Schachinger, Ryan Little, Emma Mati, Sophia 
Afendoulis, Becca Mahon

MOLLY WU
Creative Director

SAMANTHA SMALL and SONYA VOGEL
Managing Podcast Editors

RYAN KELLY

Sales Manager

JENNA SITEMAN
Daily Staff Reporter 

Gov. Whitmer announces plan to 
achieve carbon neutrality in MI

Executive orders aim to reduce carbon footprint to zero by 2050 while 
making Michigan into a hub for clean energy jobs, protecting environment

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
News
2 — Wednesday, September 30, 2020 

 ASHA LEWIS/Daily

Governor Gretchen Whitmer announces her plan to make Michigan carbon-neutral by 2050 on Wednesday afternoon (Note: This photograph was 
taken in January 2020).

ADVERTISING

WMG-contact@umich.edu 

“Not every university has 
this type of legal agreement 
with the county, so I think 
we’re able to help in a way, 
and provide some students 
learning 
experiences 
in 

a way that I think other 
universities probably can’t. 
So that’s also a reason why 
moving in this direction 
seems like a possibility.”

Business freshman Audrey 

Thedford learned she came 
into contact with someone 
who had tested positive for 
COVID-19 after receiving a 
call from a contact tracer. 
She said she was confused 
about why she was sent to 
quarantine 
housing 
and 

wished her contact tracer had 
given her more information.

“My contact tracer was 

really nice, but when he first 
contacted me, I was freaked 
out,” Thedford said. “I wish 

they could have told me who 
I came in contact with … 
I emailed (CTC) about my 
concerns and at one point, he 
just stopped responding to 
me about that specific issue 
but responded to me about 
another issue, so I just kinda 
felt swept under the rug.”

LSA 
senior 
Libby 
Kirk 

learned she had interacted 
with someone who tested 
positive for COVID-19 after 
the person reached out to 
her directly. A day later, CTC 
called her. She quarantined 
last week.

Though the contact tracing 

program was helpful in her 
situation, Kirk said it was 
also imperative for the person 
who tested positive to inform 
her so she could get tested 
right away. 

“In general, I think what 

has been more helpful is the 
person who tested positive 
contacting us right away,” 
Kirk said. “Because if I did 
have it, I wouldn’t have 

known for a whole day until 
they contact traced me, so 
I think the most helpful 
thing has been the person 
contacting me themselves.”

Kirk 
also 
said 
one 
of 

the 
program’s 
flaws 
is 

that it relies on student 
accountability.

“I think in some ways it is 

(working),” Kirk said. “But 
in other ways, it’s relying on 
students to be accountable for 
their actions, which I don’t 
think we can really count on 
everybody for that.” 

Public 
Health 
professor 

Emily Martin, who runs the 
COVID-19 
sampling 
and 

tracking 
program, 
spoke 

at the University Board of 
Regents meeting Thursday 
afternoon and shared data 
from the first wave of results. 
Martin told The Michigan 
Daily how multiple negative 
tests could change within 
14 days and, if students are 
ordered to quarantine, they 
must do it for the full two 

weeks.

“You can give me 100 

negative tests while you’re in 
quarantine and you still have 
to stay in quarantine because 
you could turn positive at 
any point during that time 
frame,” Martin said. “So, 
unfortunately, 
there 
have 

been some people who have 
suggested that, ‘What if we 
use tests earlier in quarantine 
to try to release people?’ It 
doesn’t (work like that) … 
I think that this is still the 
safest way to do that process.”

Thedford 
said 
she 
is 

currently 
quarantined 
at 

her 
permanent 
residence 

after spending a week at 
Northwood 
apartments. 

Thedford 
said 
she 
was 

concerned 
about 
getting 

the 
virus 
from 
residents 

who 
tested 
positive 
after 

encountering these students 
outside of her quarantine 
room. 

TRACING
From Page 1

See TRACING, Page 3

