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February 2008
2/29/08- Research shows that in the next eight years, the market for green energy will more than quadruple. This is causing business owners to support the green market.
2/29/08 - The state of Wisconsin is debating whether to lift its 25 year ban on nuclear power plants.
2/29/08 - The Town of Waukesha is looking for ways to stop the city's eminent domain power to take 42 acres of land in the town for new wells.
2/29/08 - Waukesha's Retzer Nature Center plans to celebrate Aldo Leopold's legacy as one of the most influential people in environmental conservation.
2/28/08 - The national governments need to invest more in protecting and restoring the world's largest surface freshwater system from sewage overflows, invasive species, toxic pollution and other problems.
2/28/08 - Twenty-four ash trees in Sauk County have tested negative for the emerald ash borer, an invasive species of beetle that has destroyed over 20 million trees in Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana. So far, 437 Wisconsin trees have passed inspection.
2/28/08 - Large snow and ice accumulations on the Big Eau Pleine Reservoir have shut down photosynthesis, dropping oxygen to dangerous levels that are threatening the local fish population. The Wisconsin Valley Improvement Corporation has turned on its aerator to pump oxygen into the water.
2/28/08 - According to the Rice Lake Chronotype, Barron County is in the process of passing an ordinance which would force city residents to send their garbage to the county-owned incinerator as opposed to nearby landfills.
2/28/08 - The village of Wrightstown is debating the enactment of an ordinance that would ban the watering of lawns from 10am to 6pm, while exempting property owners that obtain permits for newly seeded or sodded lawns. The Green Bay Press-Gazette describes this ordinance as an effort to "promote water conservation."
2/28/08 - The town of Buchanan has approved an ordinance which regulates the growth and operation of wind energy turbines in the township. The ordinance is one more step in a growing wind energy controversy in the Fox Valley.
2/28/08 Technology at the Pleasant Prairie Plant in Pleasant Prairie, WI will work to find a solution to eliminating carbon dioxide in flue gas, a major contributor to global warming
2/27/08 - After reported cougar sightings in both Rock County and the city of Pewaukee, Wisconsin, the DNR has created a cougar Web site to inform residents about possible sightings and clear up misconceptions about the animal.
2/27/08 - Proposed bill to limit and abolish products with harmful mercury byproducts adopted by the Senate Committee on Environmental Resources.
2/27/08 - Who is really at fault over the St.Croix Bridge Plan...The federal Government or The Sierra Club?
2/27/08 - Wisconsin Wildlife Officials give hunter three options in the end of the year hunting in chronic wasting disease zones.
2/27/08 - American Indian Tribes in Wisconsin are saying that they should be included in and consulted with regarding the still un-ratified Great Lakes Compact, particularly because of the traditional links many tribes have to Wisconsin's natural resources. Tribes have asked the legislature to pass a joint resolution recognizing tribal governments in the hopes of fostering greater connection between the tribes and state government.
2/27/08 - Algoma-based East Shore Industries unveiled a new mop that is said to aid in helping the environment. It features a microfiber head that can be washed and reused numerous times, helping reduce the number of disposable mop products going to landfills.
2/27/08 - The Door County Board of Supervisors expressed its support for the Wisconsin companion bills to prohibit retailers from providing plastic bags for their customers, unless the bags were compostable or reusable.
2/27/08 - The NewPage Corp., a paper mill in Wisconsin Rapids, received a $30 million federal grant to produce diesel fuel from wood waste. The goal of this is to produce the next generation of biofuels and have them ready by 2012. The University of Wisconsin-Madison also received a grant to establish one of three bioenergy research centers in the U.S.
2/27/08 - The Wisconsin State Assembly rejected a motion that would have allowed it to vote on a bill aimed at reducing Wisconsin's greenhouse gas emissions to pre-1990 levels in the effort to help curb global climate change. Opponents to the bill argue that it will be ultimately ineffective, only hurt Wisconsin if it levies a "carbon tax" on essential industries, and favor looking at other ways Wisconsin can effectively play a role in reversing global climate change.
2/26/08 - Accessibility to Eau Claire's parks is debated between the city and its residents. The community is trying to find the right balance of improvements to increase accessibility and restoration of the parks without the parks being overused which would upset their fragile ecosystems.
2/25/08 - Terrell, Becker: Water quality rules key to good land use in county. Article found in the "Madison Capital Times" regarding water usage in Dane County.
2/25/08 - In Waukesha, Wisconsin, the Rolling Ridge South subdivision has been designated to display the "Wisconsin Trend Home 2008," a housing project that reveals ways to save water and maximize energy use.
2/25/08 - The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources extended an air quality advisory, an advisory prompted by particles in the air resulting from combustion sources such as power plants, factories and vehicle exhaust.
2/25/08 - When looking for ways to “be green,” look no farther than Evansville.
While 2007 is seen as a year our country became more environmentally conscious, officials say Evansville reached that point long ago.
2/25/08 - According to the Watertown Daily Times, state wildlife experts are recommending a return to more traditional whitetail deer hunting in southern Wisconsin where an always-fatal brain disease was discovered in some deer six years ago. The DNR recommends renaming the diseased area the "chronic wasting disease management zone.”
2/25/08 - Problems are mounting for proposed legislation that would make Wisconsin part of an eight-state compact to protect the Great Lakes. It is currently in the State Assembly, which ends its session on March 13, potentially stranding the bill another year, leaving Wisconsin as the only state not among the compact. Proponents worry that it will put Wisconsin at an economic disadvantage if it cannot protect the use of waters surrounding the state.
2/25/08 - A controversial"bioreactor" has been proposed in Dane county to speed up the decomposition of landfill waste in light of the county's landfills being filled too fast. Unexpected events, like tornadoes, have caused disproportionate amounts of waste (think: roofing shingles), presenting the county with a challenging problem. Critics, however, worry that a program like this will further delay conversations about reducing waste altogether.
2/25/08 - While southern Wisconsin braces for another round of winter storms, Appleton researchers are analyzing the possible connection between the unusually snowy winter this season and global warming. According to Kate McGinty of Gannett Wisconsin Media, scholars contend that while it is possible that the frequent snowstorms "might be background influenced by global warming or a climate change," the weather could just as easily be the result of "the right mixture of cold blasts and moisture blowing into the area, mostly from the west, created prime conditions for snowfall." In short, these scientists argue that there is still too little information to draw conclusions about climate change.
2/24/08 - Last week, Assembly Speaker Mike Huebsch (R-West Salem) and the chair of the Natural Resources Committee, state Rep. Scott Gunderson (R-Waterford), sent a kind letter to the president of the Ohio state Senate: Let’s work together, it said, to protect the Great Lakes. Is the Great Lakes Water Compact Doomed?
2/24/08 - UW-Madison and the Wisconsin Department of Administration hosted a town hall meeting Thursday evening at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ office to address future upgrades to four of Madison’s power plants.Forum allows input on Charter Street Heating Plant
2/24/08 - Read what policies the 2008 Presidential candidates are proposing to keep American green. Presidential Candidates on Green America
2/24/08 - A large acid spill occurred Friday in the Engineering Research Building on the UW-Madison campus, forcing the building to be evacuated by the Madison Fire Department.
2/24/08 - Nine Milwaukee County companies were cited with emitting toxins that may be contributing to illness in the county, according to a report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Area companies cited for toxins
2/24/08 - Conservation and property rights interests are clashing in the proposed Highway 12 bypass in Baraboo. Local landowners who will be displaced as a result of the current plan are challenging the Wisconsin DOT with their own alternative route. A representative of the Nature Conservancy in Baraboo prefers the current plan, saying it will not harm undisturbed wildlife areas.
2/24/08 - The number of Sauk County families qualifying for state-sponsored energy assistance is expected to rise by 35% this year due to unusually harsh seasonal conditions. Officials are troubled by the increase, especially in light of rising fuel costs and flat-lined government assistance for the program.
2/24/08 - The DNR issued an air quality advisory for the Madison area.
2/24/08 - State Plant expansions are expected to create 100 jobs in Wisconsin Rapids.
2/22/08 - An air quality advisory is issued for some western Wisconsin counties. Air quality was diminished because of particles and soot from power plants.
2/22/08 - The Ho-Chunk Youth and Learning Center kids help clean up our state's streets and ditches.
2/22/2008 - Pursuant to the Clean Water Act and in an effort improve the Lower Fox River Basin, three creeks in Brown County have been added to Wisconsin's Impaired Waters list by the state DNR. According to the Green Bay Press-Gazette, this "effort is separate from the ongoing work to remove or cap PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) sediment from the river."
2/21/2008 - State wildlife experts are recommending a return to more traditional whitetail deer hunting in southern Wisconsin where an always-fatal brain disease was discovered in some deer six years ago.
2/21/08 - The DNR will be displaying its deer poaching "Wall of Shame" at its Wisconsin Deer Classic.
2/21/08 - According the state DNR, the "thrill killing" of various animals is on the rise in Wisconsin, including cases of clubbing animals with baseball bats and a group of teenagers shining their car lights on deer and then shooting "the vulnerable animals paralyzed by the bright lights." This trend has led to outcries from DNR wardens seeking to disassociate these acts from lawful hunting.
2/21/08 - A bill was introduced in Madison today to ban supplying non-biodegradable plastic bags to consumers, with the intent to increase demand for Wisconsin farm products, since biodegradable plastic bags can be made from corn. This is not, however, a plan to ban plastic bags altogether like many nations and communities have tended towards, still leaving the state to face the issue of waste.
2/21/08 - The Department of Natural Resources is recommending that two lakes along with a stretch of the Wisconsin River in Lincoln County be removed from a federal list of impaired waters. Standards have changed for the amount of mercury a person can consume, making the levels of mercury in these waters acceptable according to the new requirements.
2/20/08 - A purposed law could require pharmaceutical companies to apply for permits to burn medical waste due to potential health risks from mercury and incinerator ash. Incineration is the most common form of medical waste disposal.
2/20/08 - Madison residents are urged to speak up about concerns regarding the Charter Street heating plant, a coal-fired plant operated by the UW system, that was found to be in violation of the Clean Air Act. The hope is for residents to be actively engaged in implementing forms of alternative energy.
2/20/08 - The Forestville Town Board (in Door County) enacted a one-year moratorium for large wind turbines. According to the moratorium, wind turbines exceeding 170 feet cannot be built in the town for one year. Many other municipalities have already established similar moratoriums.
2/19/08 - So as to not be the last one on the bandwagon, the city of Madison is considering an educational program to deter the use of plastic bags. The plan is contingent upon voluntary reduction as the city does not want to impose taxes or bans. However, the educational/voluntary program proposed would cost the city (taxpayers) money that the budget cannot accommodate.
2/19/08 - Honey Creek, Prairie du Sac and Troy residents have all been given details on a drinking water test which will be conducted soon at a cost to them.
2/18/08 - A UWM Post editorial discusses the negative impact of biofuels. Fuels like corn-based ethanol emit more carbon in their production than they compensate for through burning, thus creating a carbon-debt that might just make the world better off if we stuck to conventional gasoline.
2/18/08 - The Watertown Times reports that agricultural producers will be able to attend a free presentation on Friday in regards to learning about obtaining state and federal grants to assist in getting started with sustainable agriculture research and education.
2/16/08 - The city of Green Bay and the state Department of Natural Resources received almost $750,000 in federal grant money to be contributed to a project to develop the Fox River. The aim of the development is to install piers, boat landings, and other riverside additions to "increase public access for boaters and pedestrians to the Fox River."
2/16/08 - Rick Henningfeld received a $100 grant from Wisconsin Ag in the Classroom to buy supplies for his “Got Worms?” project. He wants the school to try vermicomposting, a process by which worms convert organic waste into nutrient-rich, natural fertilizer.
“I want to show them that there are options for what to do with waste instead of tossing it into the garbage,” he said, which highlights the importance of worms in agriculture.
2/16/08 - Out of respect for Baraboo residents, the Baraboo Village Board members will not back a proposed quartzite quarry. The Gasser Construction Company claims that this will hurt the future of the company and its 130 employees.
2/15/08 - A group of activists planned to picket outside a regional meeting of Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, or WMC, members this morning in downtown Wausau. Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce
2/15/08 - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama paid a visit to the Midwest Airlines Center in downtown Milwaukee Friday morning for a rally before the primary next week. In the course of his speech, he toted an energy policy that would reduce dependence on foreign oil, favor alternative energy sources like biodiesel, solar, and wind, and vowed to place a "cap" on the emission of greenhouse gases. Obama noted to Milwaukeeans in attendance that he did not originally introduce this idea to "environmental groups, [because] that would be easy." Instead, he argued this point to the big automakers in Detroit, who, Obama joked, reacted with silence at the time. 2/13/08 – In the latest stage of the Otter Creek decision making process it was concluded that a solution to the loss of soil down the creek during rain fall must be found.
2/12/08 - Wisconsin's toxic history is imperiling the health of its citizens.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report indicates that it may be exposure to PCBs, lead, mercury and other industrially produced toxins in Milwaukee County that is contributing to the county's higher-than-average rates of infant mortality, low birth weight, premature births and deaths from colon cancer, coronary heart disease and stroke.It is important to note that this report was blocked by the CDC until public health advocates demanded its release. As one such advocate noted, this report is a huge red flag.
2/12/08- Georgia Pacific Corp.is investing $50 million to create a state-of-the-art recycling system at its Broadway mill in Green Bay that will retain or create hundreds of jobs in the area, Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle said Tuesday.
2/12/08- The planned construction of a factory farm in Western Fond du Lac County has divided the community due to the confusion over Wisconsin's Livestock Facility Siting Law works.
2/12/08 - Recycle your plastic bags at the grocery store. And if your grocery store doesn't have an easily accessible recycling location set up, put in a request. Let us know if your grocery store recycles plastic bags.
2/11/08 – Two Menasha businesses are using tax credits and WE Energies incentives to help with the installation of new solar energy units.
2/11/08 - According to the Watertown Daily Times, the Dodge County Board of Supervisors will consider a five-year plan to address land and water resource management planning.
2/10/08 - An agricultural group promoting a new carbon credit program suggests landowners in central Wisconsin can earn cash and help reduce greenhouse gases at the same time.
2/10/08 - Devil's Lake State Park will remain open this spring while the DNR applies a natural pesticide in an effort to control gypsy moths. According to the DNR, the pesticide to be used is a natural bacteria that is harmless to humans and toxic to a small number of insects.
2/10/08 - Carmakers show off their eco-friendliest offerings at the Chicago Auto Show.
2/10/08 - Sledding hills open at Milwaukee county parks.
2/10/08 – The sturgeon spearing season has opened and already the largest male lake sturgeon since 1956 has been registered at 104 pounds.
2/10/08 - Hunzinger Construction is profiled in today's Journal-Sentinel for its environmentally-friendly construction practices. In fact, Waukesha is home to a number of cutting-edge projects that save businesses money and protect the environment.
2/08/08- Green becoming the color of choice for Milwaukee businesses, due in large part to the money-saving advantages of environmentally conscious business choices.
2/8/08 – The Otter creek flooding problems will be discussed on Saturday at the Badger Army Ammunition Plant.
2/8/08 – A closed Neenah paper mill was found to have low level of PCB contamination in the site's soil. Glatfelter Paper officials deny that any contamination has has affected the population, and the site will be cleaned for redevelopment.
2/7/08- A group of environmentalists known as the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition reacted against President Bush's proposed federal budget for 2009, arguing that the budget does not allocate enough money to the Great Lakes region for efforts to combat sewage contamination and invasive species in the lakes, as well as "restore fish and wildlife habitat." See the Green Bay Press-Gazette for more information.
2/7/08 – Book to be released in 2009 documents the history of Sturgeon spearing on lake Winnebago, including protections and their impacts.
2/7/08 – Business columnist points out that continued innovation and efficiency will be required for the American paper industry, prevalent in Wisconsin, if it hopes to remain competitive and improve production with increasing environmental regulations.
2/7/08 - Legislators are being urged to act quickly on a bill supporting the Great Lakes Compact so as to avoid water being diverted from the Great Lakes region as populations and water demand increase. Wisconsin is the only Great Lake state to not introduce any legislation in support of the compact.
2/7/08 - In Fond du Lac a gasoline leak occured during this week's severe winter weather and now threatens to contanimate the nearby Fond du Lac River.
2/7/08 - According to the Wauwatosa Now, more Tosa residents have started to recycle since the city distributed the new recycling carts. The reason for this is said to be that the new carts make the whole process easier.
2/6/08 - According to the Rice Lake Chronotype, the Rice Lake Farmers Union merges with the Ridgeland Chetek Cooperative to better position the co-ops for the future.
2/6/08 - According to the Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune a report issued by a citizens advisory group on Chronic Wasting Disease was fragmented, with no easy answers.
2/6/08 – Wausau paper cited increased material costs in $27.6 million dollar fourth quarter net loss, reflecting the overall increase of natural resource costs.
2/6/08 - Even if you would like to protect the environment by driving an electric car, if you live in Delavan it would not be possible. The alderman in Delavan is proposing that the city pass an ordinance that would permit neighborhood electric vehicles in the city.
2/6/08 - Reduced funding from the U.S. Army will delay the demolition and cleanup of the Badger Army Ammunition Plant in Sauk County, creating a potential asbestos hazard and raising public health concerns. Wisconsin Senators Russ Feingold, Herb Kohl, and Representative Tammy Baldwin (D-Madison) have requested that the funding be restored.
2/6/08 - Madison residents voiced their concerns over a new power line that the city says is necessary to keep up with the area's energy demand. Residents, however, don't want it running through their farms or nature trails and are concerned about the impact of construction near or through known wildlife areas.
2/5/08 - Western Wisconsin is making investments to make its electricity greener. The new plants will use methane to create electricity.
2/5/08 - Read about the plans discussed at Thursday's "Focus the Nation" conference for Madison to become a "greener" city. Focus on carbon emissions
2/5/08 - Working groups of scientists from the UW System and state agencies have joined together in a project designed to assess the potential consequences of climate change in Wisconsin.Scientists collaborate on Wisconsin climate change initiative
2/5/08 - There was a public meeting today in Brown County in regards to an insecticide spraying to be conducted in the town of Hobart. According to the Green Bay Press-Gazette, the spraying is intended to target a gypsy moth infestation occurring in the area.
2/4/08 - Looking for ways to Go Green? The Chippewa Valley Online Newsource provides an interactive calendar with suggestions on how you can help conserve energy and resources.
2/4/08 - UW-Madison students are supportive, yet skeptical about Mayor Dave Cieslewicz's ambitions to make Madison one of the nation's leading green cities, suggesting that they are good changes but don't go far enough to institute sustainable, lasting change.
2/4/08 - The Rice Lake Chronotype reports that the Town of Rice Lake has set three goals as part of a Smart Growth Plan to protect the township's agricultural, natural and cultural resources. It includes the preservation of productive agricultural land, ethical land use, and woodlands protection. Go to article
2/4/08 - The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel continues its remarkable reporting on the dangers of toxics in our daily lives today with a report about dangerous chemical substances called phthalates. The bottom line is that these chemicals are everywhere, including baby lotions, creams, and powders. This is a must read story and I highly recommend going back and reading the previous stories from the J-S on other chemical poisons found in everyday products.
2/3/08 - Here is an interesting article about water bottle containers and what potential health effects they might pose for both people and the environment from The Daily Press from Ashland, WI.
2/3/08 - According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, an air quality watch is in effect for the entire state of Wisconsin until midnight tonight. As reported by the Green Bay Press-Gazette, "the watch for particle pollution was issued because of the forecast for elevated levels of fine particles in the air. Fine particle pollution is composed of microscopic dust, soot, liquid droplets and smoke particles, coming from combustion sources such as power plants, factories, vehicle exhaust and outdoor fires."
2/3/08 - UW-Madison botanist Don Waller follows Aldo Leopold's advice of "pay attention" in conducting his state-wide reseaerch that documents change in Wisconsin's natural communities.
2/2/08 - Door County passed a wind energy ordinance that regulates commercial wind turbines in excess of 170 feet.
2/2/08 - Pending legislation would make the DNR secretary accountable to the seven member Natural Resource Board rather than the Governor. There appears to be a critical mass of support developing after excessive meddling by Doyle's office and the appointment of an inexperienced Secretary. Still, democratic accountability can be harnessed for good results, so let's beware of any poorly measured action on this.
2/2/08 - Lake Country Publications has reported that there is a new Delafield citizen group has been formed by the founders of a CARE (Conserving a Rural Environment). This new organization is intended to promote and support projects that are beneficial to the city.
2/12/08 - Lake Country Publication has reported that in recent development of Pabst Farm in Oconomowoc, Wi has damaged ancient Indian burial mounds. As the Historical Society orders for better protection of the effigy mounds, the Oconomowoc community grows in decent against the development and sprawl that is happening in the area.
02/01/08 -- Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz addressed a group of UW-Madison students, vowing to keep environmental issues at the forefront of issues facing the city. Madison is already a leader in city-wide efforts to be more environmentally conscious.
2/01/08 - Gov. Jim Doyle has convened a Global Warming Task Force and the state Legislature is debating whether to place limits on the emissions of greenhouse gases, which contribute to global warming. Global warming hits home
2/01/08 - A Wisconsin State bill, which would have mandated renewable fuel options for the near future, was scheduled to vote on Thursday but was delayed and sent back to committee. Senate passes alcohol ID bill, ethanol bill stalls
2/01/08 - Wisconsin lawmakers held a conference on Thursday to address the State's responsibility for global warming. All of the lawmakers agreed that the voters and not the lobbyists could be the strongest influence in passing legislation.
Lawmakers urge more action on global warming
2/01/08 - While some still debate the effects of global warming, the continually changing and unusual winter temperatures in Wisconsin are changing more than the way people think about climate change. Ice quake rocks campus
2/01/08 - Sick of the second-hand effects of nearby smokers? A Milwaukee-area inventor devised a progressive alternative you may want to suggest to your smoking colleagues. Wisconsin inventor creates smokeless cigarette
2/01/08 - Marquette University's engineering school has received another large donation which will go toward, among many objectives, "renovating the curriculum" and "building a new facility." In addition, the funds will toward an "energy workshop" designed for students "to explore and address energy-related issues by studying energy resources and uses." Engineering school gets another $25 million
2/01/08 - A big name grocery store is taking small steps to making your shopping experience a little greener. See how you can help protect the environment while you shop with no hassle. Whole Foods Market stops use of plastic bags...
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