Expert panel reflects on sustained power and impact of Earth Day—as we celebrate Year 51

<p><a href="https://www.michigan.gov/egle/">James Clift</a> is the deputy director of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. And before that, he served as policy director for the Michigan Environmental Council. <a href="https://www.plunkettcooney.com/team-Saulius-K-Mikalonis">Saulius Mikalonis</a> is a widely respected environmental attorney in the Bloomfield Hills office of Plunkett Cooney.</p><p>“The impact and insignificance of Earth Day is that it started the ball rolling,” Mikalonis tells host Kirk Heinze. “Shortly thereafter, the EPA was created, and the Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act were passed. There were environmental statutes that were in the books before that, but they were very mild and not very well enforced. </p><p>“Environmental issues were always things that people were concerned about, but it didn't become actionable until they had a critical mass of people to work on it and the legislation passed.”</p><p>“I like Earth Day in that it helps trigger people's memory,” adds Clift. “How long have we been at this? It’s been 50 years since the first one. It’s good for people to think about how much progress have we made over time or areas where maybe there's been a little bit of a lack of progress. But if you don't have an end date, a mark to kind of put in the sand, it's sometimes hard to conceptualize the time that is passing.”</p><p>“What are some of the key implications for the environment that you see in the early stages of the Biden administration?” asks Heinze.</p><p>“The infrastructure package is key, and I think it's really kind of interesting how it overlaps Earth Day in a way,” Clift says. “We really built today's water infrastructure in the '60s and the '70s through some of the grant programs that were developed at that time.</p><p>“Well, that infrastructure is now 50 years old and is in much need of help. And that old aging infrastructure is having public health impacts in communities across the state. It's really a great tribute to Earth Day in the co