We are breathing in and ingesting tiny plastic particles called microplastics and nanoplastics all the time. According to a recent study, tissues in a typical adult brain contains the equivalent of a plastic spoon’s worth of plastic particles. In this episode, find out what all that plastic accumulating in our brains, arteries and reproductive systems could mean for our health--and what we can do about it. Host: Amy Barrilleaux Guest: Kayla Rinderknecht, Population Health Fellow, Clean Wisconsin Resources for You: Microplastics in our Bodies: Exposures and Potential Health Harms Under the Lens: Microplastics in our Environment and Our Bodies
It’s no secret, Wisconsin has been rapidly losing its family farms, and with them, a way of life that’s defined much of our state for more than a century. But there’s a lifeline. In this episode, a southeastern Wisconsin farmer explains why he's trading in some of his ethanol corn -- for a chance to farm the sun. Host: Amy Barrilleaux Guest: Jay Wednt, farmer, Dean Kincaid, Inc. Resources for you: Analysis reveals solar farms produce 100 times more energy per acre than corn ethanol Farmers for Solar Wind and solar emerge as cheapest options for powering Wisconsin
Imagine feeling not quite yourself. You don’t feel like taking care of your kids. You can’t find your way to work anymore, don’t want to hang out with anybody. It would be awful. But it’s happening to bees all around us. Turns out a pesticide used on virtually all of our corn and soybeans, is harming our pollinators at very low levels of exposure in ways that are rarely studied. On this episode, hear from a University of Wisconsin Madison researcher who’s been looking at the lives of bees and the impacts of a neurotoxin we put on our food. Host: Amy Barrilleaux Guest: Dr. Hames Crall, Assistant Professor of Entomology, University of Wisconsin Resources for You: Episode: Neurotoxins on our Plates Episode: Wisconsin's Vanishing Bee Episode: No Mow May, Does it Work? Understanding the Impact of Neonicotonoid Pesticides Wisconsin Neonic Forum Video Series
What if I told you there was a grain that doesn’t have to be replanted every spring, that has roots growing 10-feet deep, taking in carbon and holding it deep in the soil, that helps prevent soil erosion and excess fertilizer from washing into our lakes--AND it makes a tasty beer. In this episode, a look at the work behind an experimental batch of Kernza® beer at Karben4 Brewing in Madison that has the farming research world taking notice. Host: Amy Barrilleaux Guest: Joe Walts, Karben4 Brewing Resources for You: Taste the Change: Wisconsin Kenrnza® Natural Climate Solutions: A path forward for Wisconsin's agricultural sector Three cheers for climate beer! Kernza® Crunch: The race to develop the world's first perennial grain crop
“Action is the antidote to despair.” On this episode we look at how to move forward on climate when it feels like our federal government is determined to push us backward. Learn about actions you can take right now, right here in Wisconsin to defend progress. And hear from climate advocate and Wisconsin farmer Chelsea Chandler on climate strategy in the age of "drill baby drill." Host: Amy Barrilleaux Guest: Chelsea Chandler Resources for you: Clean Wisconsin Take Action Analysis: Solar farms produce 100 times more energy per acrea than corn ethanol Threats to federal funding for pollution cleanup, clean energy initiatives spark anger in Wisconsin communities PSC approves most powerful solar project in Wisconsin history
In the wintertime, Wisconsin is one salty place. It’s all over our cars – in our cars – tracked into buildings, all over our shoes and boots. It’s a mess. Thankfully salt season is almost over, but it’s never over for our lakes or even our drinking water wells. Find out what happens to all that salt when winter is over, and hear from an advocate who's working to teach all of us out to be salt wise. Host: Amy Barrilleaux Guest: Allison Madison, WI Salt Wise More Resources for You: WI Salt Wise website
We are about to say goodbye to some basic water protections as the Trump Administration looks to undo decades of science-based work focused on keeping toxic chemicals out of our water supplies. Right now on the Defender, Amy talks with Clean Wisconsin attorney Evan Feinauer about how bedrock protections like the Clean Water Act could be at risk as the new administration targets regulations, research, and expert staff at the EPA. Find out what’s at stake and how Wisconsin can fight back. Host: Amy Barrilleaux Guest: Evan Feinauer Resources for You: Under the Lens: What we know about PFAS in Wisconsin's Water Nitrate pollution's impact on Wisconsn's health and economy Neonicotinoid pesticides and their impact More episodes with Evan: When Judges Rule the Environment: How bad are the new Supreme Court rulings? What Trump 2.0 means for our environment
Lead is a neurotoxin, and when you breathe it in, it gets into your bloodstream and can cause all kinds of health problems, including brain damage. It’s no wonder leaded gasoline was banned in the US nearly 30 years ago. But that ban didn’t cover small aircraft fuel. Turns out, those small airplanes buzzing around recreational airports across the state and country still use leaded gas. The planes are spreading tiny lead particles over people’s backyards, water wells, playgrounds, soccer fields and waterways just about every time they fly. It this episode, Amy talks with a small town Wisconsin lawmaker who is leading her community’s charge to get the lead out of our air. And she’s got an eye-opening study that shows how our drinking water could be at risk too. Host: Amy Barrilleaux Guest: Cynthia Richson, Town of Middleton, Wis., town board chair Resources for you: EPA Lead Endangerment Finding
If you care about the environment, protecting this planet, our home, our livable climate, chances are you’re a little stressed out right now. But what if I told you that environmental action can open the door… to joy. Heat from a Wisconsin woman who started on a journey a few years ago to get fossil fuels out of her home. No furnace, no gas stove, no gas hot water heater. She takes us on a tour of her house and shares her perspective on activism and the joy she finds in taking personal responsibility for our impact in this world. Host: Amy Barrilleaux Guest: Susan Millar Resources for You: How to Defend the Inflation Reducation Act The biggest investment to fight climate change in U.S. history is under attack. Find out how you can protect incentives that are helping Wisconsinites save energy and money.
True to its name, this podcast, State of Change is about to undergo some big changes. The first – a new name. Going forward, this will be the Defender podcast. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because it’s the same name as Clean Wisconsin’s quarterly newspaper, the longest-running environmental advocacy publication in Wisconsin, the Defender. And right now, that advocacy, that word “Defender” is so important. Environmentalism needs a voice, now more than ever. We’re also going to be rolling out new episodes weekly. So every Monday check your favorite podcast streaming service or your inbox to listen to the latest Defender episode. Every week, Amy will with scientists, advocates, farmers, experts, and just everyday people who are working right here in Wisconsin to make a difference to protect this place we call home. And learn how you can use your voice to be part of defending what we all care about.
It’s food season, also known as the holidays! And what you choose to put on your plate actually has an impact on the world around you. Agriculture is not only big business across the Midwest, it is also a major source of water pollution in Wisconsin and a major and growing source greenhouse gas emissions. But how do you make it better? In this episode, Amy talks with Kathryn (Kata) Young, Natural Climate Solutions Manager with Clean Wisconsin, about the places where eating and our environment connect. Host: Amy Barrilleaux Guest: Kathryn (Kata) Young, Clean Wisconsin
What does a new, better-prepared Trump Administration mean for the water we drink, the air we breathe, the safety of our food, our climate? We know a long list of federal environmental protections and programs will be rolled back or dismantled during the next presidential administration. We’re talking about erasing new standards for toxic PFAS chemicals in our drinking water, pulling out of the Paris Climate Agreement, diminishing wetland protections, pulling funding to replace lead pipes, undermining the EPA’s ability to regulate carbon, axing programs that help people weatherize their homes, getting rid of support for manufacturing of batteries and solar panels, and of course, lots more drilling and fracking. If you think it feels overwhelming, you’re not wrong. There are also plans to target the unbiased science and research that happens at our federal agencies, replacing civil servants with political appointees. So now that I’ve got you thoroughly angry, sad, scared, name the emotion, we’re going to dig into some of these issues and look at the road ahead to fight back. Host: Amy Barrilleaux Guests: Clean Wisconsin Attorneys Evan Feinauer and Brett Korte
For the past 25 years, we've been putting neurotoxins on our food. Neonicotinoids are potent chemicals that attack the central nervous systems of insects. Not only are they widely used on our food and in our soil, they're showing up in our drinking water in Wisconsin. And that leads to a big question -- what do they do to us? In this episode, Amy uncovers the truth about neonicotinoids with experts from Clean Wisconsin and the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. Host: Amy Barrilleaux Guests: Sara Walling, Water & Agriculture Program Director, Clean Wisconsin Carla Romano, Groundwater Specialist, Department od Agriculture Trade and Consumer Protection Background Reading: Understanding the Impact of Neonicotinoid Insecticides Agricultural Chemicals in Wisconsin Groundwater Report, Department of Agriculture Trade and Consumer Protection Neonitcotinoids and their impacts
What's it going to take to get Wisconsin to 100% clean energy? If you listen to the state's biggest power companies, it's more methane gas. Wisconsin is on the verge of an expensive gas construction boom if utilities like We Energies in Alliant Energy have their way. But what about wind and solar? Is it possible for Wisconsin to finally trade in fossil fuels for clean energy right now? Amy talks with energy expert Dr. Ciaran Gallagher. Host: Amy Barrilleaux Guest: Dr. Ciaran Gallagher, Energy Manager, Clean Wisconsin Background Reading: Under the Lens, the Truth About Natural Gas Stopping Gas Expansion in Wisconsn Power Wisconsin Forward: An affordable, reliable, fossil-free future
New research reveals how much it would cost to remove toxic PFAS 'forever' chemicals from the environment at the same rate we're currently producing and using them. Spoiler alert: we don't have enough money in the world. Hear from the researcher behind the study who says it should inspire optimism not hopelessness in the face of our growing PFAS problem. Host: Amy Barrilleaux Guest: Ali Ling, PhD Background Reading: The Future of Persistent 'Forever" Chemicals Under the Lens: What we know about PFAS in Wisconsin's drinking water Toxic PFAS pollution devastates two Wisconsin Communities (video)
What keeps you safe -- when you drink water, take medicine, get on an airplane, or take out a loan? It’s often a government agency charged with implementing our health, safety and consumer protection laws. But recent rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court have cast a long shadow. Legal experts say the rulings point to a Court that is actively working to unravel longstanding protections and policies, not just for the environment but across the board, and the harm will be far reaching. Host: Amy Barrilleaux Guest: Evan Feinauer, Clean Wisconsin attorney Background Reading: Rulings from U.S. Supreme Court a disaster for the environment Clean Wisconsin takes legal action to protect communities from toxic mercury pollution New EPA power plant rules will save lives in Wisconsin Clean Wisconsin Legal Work
How do you get people to start paying attention to the urgency of climate change? Just like the name says, Science Moms is a growing non-partisan group of scientists and mothers who are spreading the word about our climate and joining forces to demand change from our leaders. Amy talks with UW Madison professor Dr. Tracey Holloway, who is a member of Science Moms. Host: Amy Barrilleaux Guest: Tracey Holloway, Professor of Environmental Studies & Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at the University of Wisconsin, Madison; Science Mom Background Reading: Science Moms website Wisconsin Agriculture's Critical Role in Addressing Climate Change New Energy Study Shows Net-Zero Emissions Possible for Wisconsin by 2050 Federal Funds for Wisconsin: Take advantage of sweeping federal investments in clean energy and efficiency
What if there was a grain that didn’t have to be replanted every year? One with deep roots that stay in the soil, trap carbon, prevent erosion, filter water. Kernza – the world’s first perennial grain crop – could be a game changer when it comes to sustainable food production and using our land to help fight climate change. But the big question: does is make a good beer? In this episode, Amy heads to Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee to find out. Kernza® is the trademark name for the grain of an intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium) being developed at The Land Institute in Kansas. Host: Amy Barrilleaux Guest: Russ Klisch, Owner & Co-Founder of Lakefront Brewery Background Reading: Climate-Smart Crops: Kernza Kerna Crunch: The Race to Develop the First Perennial Grain Crop (podcast) Impacts of Conventional Agriculture in Wisconsin The Land Institute: Kernza Grain
No Mow May is here, but does it really make a difference in the battle to save our bees and butterflies? Amy walks through a typical Wisconsin yard with pollinator expert Elizabeth Braatz. Host: Amy Barrilleaux Guest: Elizabeth Braatz, Bumble Bee Brigade Coordinator and Terrestrial Insect Ecologist, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Background Reading: Wisconsin Bumble Bee Brigade Saving Wisconsin's Native Pollinators Corn Ethanol vs. Solar: A Land Use Comparison
When you think about the future of energy, do you picture you gas-fired power plants? In this episode, Amy looks at why power companies are racing to build new gas plants and what it means for the future of energy bills, our health and our climate. We Energies, the largest power company in Wisconsin, recently announced plans to transition two major power plants from coal to natural gas, build two more new gas-fired facilities, and build another new facility to hold liquefied gas. If you think it sounds like a major shift toward more fossil fuel development, you're right. We Energies’ parent company WEC Energy Group filed an application with the Public Service Commission to get special accounting treatment on the high-dollar projects before they’ve established a need for all that gas. Are gas-fired power plants the bridge to clean energy that power companies claim? Host: Amy Barrilleaux Guests: Dr. Paul Mathewson, Science Program Director, Clean Wisconsin Katie Nekola, Attorney, Clean Wisconsin Background reading: Under the Lens: The Truth About Natural Gas We Enegies Doubles Down on Gas