DiscoverState of Change
State of Change
Claim Ownership

State of Change

Author: Clean Wisconsin: your environmental voice since 1970

Subscribed: 5Played: 57
Share

Description

Wisconsin's environment is changing faster and more dramatically than anyone expected. But there's another kind of change happening, too. Around the state, there's a growing movement to try and stop the dangerous trends before it's too late. From Clean Wisconsin, this is State of Change, a podcast telling the stories of Wisconsin's rapidly changing environment and the people who are trying to do something about it.
36 Episodes
Reverse
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
Wisconsin's Public Service Commission approved a large methane gas plant four years ago. The site: a bluff overlooking the Nemadji River near the Minnesota border in Superior. At ​the ​time, ​Superior's ​city ​council ​unanimously ​supported ​the ​project. ​But ​it ​didn't ​take ​long ​for ​opinions ​to ​change.  In this episode, Amy talks with ​Superior City ​Councilor ​Jenny ​Van ​Sickle who ​at ​first ​supported ​the ​plant ​and ​is ​now ​helping ​lead ​the ​charge ​to ​stop ​it. ​Find ​out ​what ​has ​changed -- and what YOU can do to help fight the plant. Host: Amy Barrilleaux Guest: Jenny Van Sickle, Bumble Bee Brigade Coordinator and Terrestrial Insect Ecologist, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Background Reading:  Take Action Now: Call on federal officials to denty funding for the Nemadji Trail Energy Center Fighting the Nemadji Trail Energy Center gas plant Indigenous tribes urge federal officials to deny loan for Superior gas plant  
A Toast to 1939

A Toast to 1939

2023-12-2018:55

1939. It's the year researchers at the University of Wisconsin developed a hearty red corn that could tolerate Wisconsin winters and feed the state’s dairy cows. Before long, farms all over the state were sending trainloads of their ruby red corn to feed livestock across the country. But it didn’t last. The 1970s ushered in genetically modified corn with enormous yields and out went Wisconsin’s home grown red variety. Until now... In this episode, Amy heads to the home of J. Henry & Sons Bourbon in Dane County where Wisconsin’s old red feed corn is getting a  brand new life – as the key ingredient in world class bourbon.  A farm-to-glass experience that starts in the snowy fields of the Dairy State. Host: Amy Barrilleaux Guest: Joe Henry, J. Henry & Sons
It's no exaggeration to say PFAS 'forever chemicals' are everywhere. Some states have found PFAS tainting milk supplies and contaminating crops. What are the consequences of population-wide exposure to these toxic chemicals? Amy talks with Clean Wisconsin Science Program Director Dr. Paul Mathewson about the latest research. Host: Amy Barrilleaux Guest : Dr. Paul Mathewson, Science Program Director, Clean Wisconsin Background reading: Learn more about the latest PFAS health research in Clean Wisconsin's recent comments to the Natural Resources Board on the impact of proposed groundwater standards Find out more about PFAS contamination in Wisconsin Read the latest PFAS Fish Consumption Advisories for Wisconsin View an interactive map of PFAS contamination sites in Wisconsin Like ‘State of Change?’ Subscribe! Be sure to rate our show and give us a review. It helps other people find us. You can learn more about Clean Wisconsin and our work at www.cleanwisconsin.org Sign up to get the latest news from Clean Wisconsin in your inbox at www.cleanwisconsin.org/email Like State of Change? Help support our podcast and our work to protect Wisconsin’s environment at www.cleanwisconsin.org/donate
How do you know if the air you breathe is safe? It often depends on where you live--not just what town or city, but what neighborhood, what street. In this episode, Amy talks with Langston Verdin, founder of MKE Fresh Air Collective, a community-led air quality monitoring project in Milwaukee. Hear what he’s been finding out about the air we breathe and what it could mean for our health.  One of the most dangerous kinds of pollution in terms of health outcomes is in the air. Fine particulate matter airpPollution is made up of tiny airborne particles that are 30 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair. They can settle deep in the lungs, even make their way into the bloodstream, and are associated with asthma attacks and higher risk of heart attacks, strokes and premature death. According to an analysis from Clean Wisconsin – Wisconsin has the 3rd racial disparity in the country when it comes to exposure to these tiny particles. The particles come from burning fossil fuels, usually at coal and gas power plants, industrial facilities, or on busy roads with lots of cars, buses and heavy trucks. With all of those sources around, how do we know when the air is safe and when it’s not?  It’s vital information that Langston Verdin, founder of MKE Fresh Air Collective, wants everybody to have. The collective has been working to install neighborhood air monitors across the city. Amy meets Langston at the site of his very first air monitor, at his old duplex in Washington Heights. Host: Amy Barrilleaux Guest : Langston Verdin, Founder, MKE Fresh Air Collective, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Background reading: Learn more about the MKE Fresh Air Collective Study shows Wisconsin has one of the largest racial disparities in the nation for exposure to dangerous air pollution particles New Analysis: Proposed EPA power plant rules would save Wisconsin millions in healthcare-related costs Like ‘State of Change?’ Subscribe to State of Change on Apple Podcasts, Google Play Music, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Be sure to rate our show and give us a review. It helps other people find us. You can learn more about Clean Wisconsin and our work at www.cleanwisconsin.org Sign up to get the latest news from Clean Wisconsin in your inbox at www.cleanwisconsin.org/email Like State of Change? Help support our podcast and our work to protect Wisconsin’s environment at www.cleanwisconsin.org/donate  
Endangered Rusty Patched Bumble Bee nest discovered in Milwaukee County Before the 1990s, they were everywhere in Wisconsin and beyond. Native Rusty Patched Bumblebees nested and foraged across 28 states and parts of Canada. Then the population hit a sudden, rapid decline. By 2017, the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee had become so scarce it was the first bee listed as a federally endangered species. In this episode, a walk deep into the Wisconsin woods for the rarest of discoveries: a nest of Rusty Patched Bumblebee queens. Amy looks at what it's going to take to bring our bees back and meet the dedicated experts and volunteers who are working hard to save our pollinators. Host: Amy Barrilleaux Guests: Elizabeth Braatz, Bumble Bee Brigade Coordinator and Terrestrial Insect Ecologist, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Jay Watson, Terrestrial Insect Ecologist, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Halley Minser, Restoration Ecologist, Milwaukee County Parks Background Reading:  Wisconsin Bumble Bee Brigade Saving Wisconsin's Native Pollinators Corn Ethanol vs. Solar: A Land Use Comparison  Milwaukee County Parks: Conservation
It feels like momentum is growing behind rooftop solar in Wisconsin. Federal tax incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act, Focus on Energy rebates, and falling prices could finally push us out of the bottom half of states when it comes to home solar. Except some utilities in Wisconsin appear to be pushing back.   In this episode, a look plans from MG&E and Alliant Energy that could slow adoption of rooftop solar in Wisconsin. FInd out what you can do to protect solar in your community. Net metering. It doesn’t sound that exciting, but it’s actually one of the biggest incentives for families and small businesses to go solar. When your rooftop panels produce more energy than you can use, that energy goes into the grid, and your utility credits you for it. Now, MG&E and Alliant Energy are taking aim at that net metering incentive. Both are seeking approval from the Public Service Commission to drastically change the way they treat customers who install solar panels. Host: Amy Barrilleaux Guests: Chelsea Chandler, Clean Wisconsin Climate, Energy & Air Program Director Ciaran Gallagher, Clean Wisconsin Energy & Air Manager Background Reading:  Take Action: Tell the PSC to Protect Rooftop Solar Wisconsin's Roadmap to Net Zero by 2050 Three big things: Transitioning to Clean Energy in Wisconsin  
Beach closures, fish kills, green lakes. They are unfortunate signs of summer in Wisconsin. A big reason: untreated animal waste. Large dairies can produce as much waste as a small city. It's not only hard to deal with, it's dangerous if it gets into our water. Animal manure is one of the biggest sources of water pollution in Wisconsin. Now, some of Wisconsin's largest dairies are suing the state, trying to limit oversight of the way they handle animal waste. Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce quietly filed the lawsuit just before Memorial Day weekend on behalf of the Wisconsin Dairy Alliance, a lobbying group representing a number of large concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). In this episode, Amy talks with Clean Wisconsin water and agriculture program director Sara Walling and attorney Evan Feinauer to find out what the lawsuit means for Wisconsin’s water resources and public health. Host: Amy Barrilleaux Guests: Sara Walling, Clean Wisconsin Water & Agriculture Program Director Evan Feinauer, Clean Wisconsin Attorney Background Reading:  Dangerous lawsuit puts water protections at risk Clean Wisconsin wins pair of landmark state Supreme Court cases
It’s no secret, Wisconsin has been rapidly losing its small family farms, and with them, a way of life that’s defined much of our state for more than a century. But there is a lifeline coming. About 30 miles outside of Lake Geneva, Amy meets Jay Wendt to take a long walk on a farm that’s been in his wife’s family for decades. These days, the family is joining farmers across Wisconsin who are choosing to lease some of their land for solar. Host:  Amy Barrilleaux Guest: Jay Wendt, farmer, Dean Kincaid, Inc. Background Reading:  Analysis reveals solar farms produce 100 times more energy per acre than corn ethanol Wind and solar emerge as cheapest options for powering Wisconsin Wisconsin’s Roadmap to Net Zero by 2050
Don’t believe everything you read on Facebook. Everybody knows that, but somehow misinformation still spreads like wildfire on social media, especially when it comes to climate change and clean energy like wind and solar. A sea of misinformation is getting in the way of badly-needed clean energy projects. Where are the false claims coming from, and why do people believe them? In this episode, what you can do to battle back – and recognize when disinformation is working on you. Host: Amy Barrilleaux Guest: Dr. Sedona Chinn, assistant professor of Life Sciences Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Background Reading:  Politicization and Polarization in Climate Change News Content, 1985-2017 Wind and solar emerge as cheapest options for powering Wisconsin Wisconsin's Roadmap to Net Zero by 2050
Some rural communities in Wisconsin are pushing back against wind & solar, but it doesn't have to be that way. Find out how you can help stop a clean energy backlash. To reach our climate goals, Wisconsin needs to build one major wind project and three to four large solar farms every year for the next few decades. But a wave of pushback could be coming. Some Wisconsin communities are working to pass ordinances making it harder to build those clean energy projects. It’s something happening across our region. In this episode we talk with Dr. Sarah Mills from the University of Michigan who’s been working in rural communities as they respond to the clean energy projects that are cropping up in their backyards. Host: Amy Barrilleaux Guest: Dr. Sarah Mills, University of Michigan senior project manager and lecturer Background Reading:  Wisconsin's Roadmap to Net Zero by 2050 Analysis reveals solar farms produce 100 times more energy than ethanol Modeling shows Koshkonong solar farm will improve the health for nearby waterways
On a hilltop in southern Wisconsin, a small brewery, long famous for its beer, is making headlines for a very different reason. Since last fall, New Glarus Brewing has been capturing more than 330 pounds of carbon dioxide (a bi-product of beer making) every hour of operation and reusing it. Join co-founder and master brewer Dan Carey for a tour. Host:  Amy Barrilleaux Guest: Dan Carey, co-founder and master brewer, New Glarus Brewing Background Reading:  New Glarus Brewing: Our Story Supporting Climate-Smart Agriculture Wisconsin's Roadmap to Net Zero by 2050
We’re hearing it more and more: Solar farms in Wisconsin are taking away prime farmland used for food. But it turns out, a million acres of farmland in Wisconsin are already being used energy production by growing corn for ethanol. A quarter of all the corn grown in our state is processed into ethanol. Nationwide, it’s 45%. But which land use produces the most energy per acre, corn or solar? And how much land do we really need for solar in Wisconsin to end our reliance on coal and gas?  Hear from Clean Wisconsin Science Program Director Paul Mathewson, Ph.D., about his latest analysis that’s been getting a lot of attention. Host: Amy Barrilleaux Guest: Dr. Paul Mathewson, Science Program Director, Clean Wisconsin Background Reading: Corn Ethanol vs. Solar: A Land Use Comparison Wisconsin's Roadmap to Net Zero report Modeling shows Koshkonong Solar Energy Center will improve the health of nearby waterways Clean Wisconsin Science Program page Like “State of Change”? Subscribe to State of Change on Apple Podcasts, Google Play Music, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Be sure to rate our show and give us a review. It helps other people find us. Help support our podcast and our work to protect Wisconsin’s environment at www.cleanwisconsin.org/donate
Six years ago, families in Marinette and Peshtigo, Wis., got the news that would change everything, for them, and eventually the whole state. PFAS from firefighting foam produced for years at nearby Tyco Fire Products had infiltrated groundwater, creeks, streams and drinking water wells across the area. Now University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers say they’ve linked contamination in Lake Michigan's Green Bay to Tyco. But it’s an issue that goes far beyond Green Bay. PFAS have been found in water bodies and drinking water sources across the state, including Eau Claire, La Crosse, Madison, Rhinelander, Marshfield, Manitowoc and Wausau, often near airports and airbases where training with firefighting foam has gone on for decades. While two types of PFAS chemicals called PFOA and PFOS have been phased out in the U.S. and will soon be regulated in drinking water by the EPA, there are thousands more, many of which are still widely used in all kinds of consumer products. Hear what needs to happen next to get a handle on growing PFAS contamination across Wisconsin and the world. Guests:  Dr. Christy Remucal, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at UW-Madison. Dr. Paul Mathewson, Science Program Director, Clean Wisconsin Host: Amy Barrilleaux Background Reading Find out more about PFAS contamination in Wisconsin Read the latest PFAS Fish Consumption Advisories for Wisconsin View an interactive map of PFAS contamination sites in Wisconsin Like “State of Change”? Subscribe to State of Change on Apple Podcasts, Google Play Music, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Be sure to rate our show and give us a review. It helps other people find us. Like State of Change? Help support our podcast and our work to protect Wisconsin’s environment at www.cleanwisconsin.org/donate
Power to the People

Power to the People

2022-10-2614:10

What does the We Energies rate case tell us about how Wisconsin energy companies make money? Spoiler Alert: It’s not by promoting energy efficiency. We Energies customers across Wisconsin are bracing for higher bills. The company is asking the Public Service Commission to approve a large rate hike, insisting its investment in new solar and wind infrastructure is driving the increase. But We Energies customers are still paying off a $2 billion construction price tag for the company’s Oak Creek coal plant completed in 2011, and they’ll keep paying long after it’s shut down in two years. The Oak Creek coal plant may be a burden for customers, but it was a windfall for We Energies’ shareholders. Experts say that points to a big problem with the way energy utilities in Wisconsin make money. Hear from Clean Wisconsin attorney Katie Nekola about what has to change – and find out and what other states are doing to bring power to the people in the face of rising bills. Find out more about Clean Wisconsin's legal work at the Public Service Commission here: https://www.cleanwisconsin.org/our-work/legal-action/ Episode Host: Amy Barrilleaux Guest: Katie Nekola, General Counsel, Clean Wisconsin
How often do we think about the food we eat and its impact on climate?   A new food product called Kernza® perennial grain is part of a major effort to fight climate change by changing what we plant and eat. But can Kernza really find a place on dinner tables – and in cereal bowls –across Wisconsin? In this episode, we sit down to taste a few samples and learn why changing farming systems is key to helping our climate.   Kernza® is the perennial grain crop from an improved intermediate wheatgrass developed by The Land Institute in Kansas. Research partners in the US, including Wisconsin and Minnesota, and abroad continue to improve the grain.   Thank you to our guests: Nicole Tautges, agro-ecologist with the Michael Field Institute; Valentin Picasso, associate professor of agronomy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison; and Scott Laeser, Clean Wisconsin Water Program Director   Host: Amy Barrilleaux, Clean Wisconsin   Background Reading:   Agriculture is responsible for 15% of Wisconsin’s total greenhouse gas emissions, and that contribution is growing. Find out how natural climate solutions like perennial agriculture can help – and why they’re urgently needed in Wisconsin: cleanwisconsin.org/natural-climate-solutions Like “State of Change”? Subscribe to State of Change on Apple Podcasts, Google Play Music, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Be sure to rate our show and give us a review. It helps other people find us. You can learn more about Clean Wisconsin and our work at www.cleanwisconsin.org.  
Despite science proving the climate crisis is real, many people are reluctant to take action against it, or even care! In this episode, we break down why that is and how the words we use to talk about climate change and who those words are coming from can influence the way we think about it. We first sit down with Ph.D. student Mikhaila Calice from the Department of Life Sciences Communication at UW-Madison who is researching why some people react differently to the phrase climate change, how our political climate has influenced the way we think about it and what we all can do to bring more people into the fight to protect our future. Later in the episode, we hear from Dr. Andrew Lewandowski, a pediatrician in Madison, who has started communicating climate change to his patients and measuring its effectiveness. Background Reading: Learn more about climate change and the work Clean Wisconsin is doing to fight it. Read Dr. Andrew Lewandowski's study "Patients value climate change counseling provided by their pediatrician: The experience in one Wisconsin pediatric clinic" Clean Wisconsin's Climate Change Mini-Report includes different recommendations that can help move Wisconsin forward on addressing climate change while building healthy communities and a healthy economy for all.
When you think about Wisconsin’s great outdoors, you might picture our lakes and rivers, our hiking trails that lead to breathtaking bluffs and waterfalls, but you might not think about our wetlands. Even though they cover more than five-million acres of our state, wetlands don’t always top the list of Wisconsin’s most beloved outdoor spaces. But maybe they should, especially considering we’ve lost more than half of our wetlands in just the last century or so.   In this episode, come along with us as we walk through a wetland in south-central Wisconsin with Katie Beilfuss of the Wisconsin Wetland Association to learn about these special places and why people are fighting to keep them protected and preserved.  
Climate change is making summers hotter, leaving people without air conditioning in Milwaukee and other cities vulnerable to its dangerous health impacts. Low-income communities and communities of color are often more likely to experience the harsh impacts of severe heat brought by climate change. In this episode, we travel to the Century City Triangle Neighborhood in Milwaukee where over half of residents do not have air conditioning. We break down the dangers of Milwaukee’s urban heat island effect, why some communities feel the impacts of heat more than others, and what can be done to protect people going forward. Hear from Yvonne McCaskill from the Century City Triangle Neighborhood Association, Clean Wisconsin Milwaukee Program Director Pam Ritger, and Caitlin Rublee from Wisconsin Health Professionals for Climate Action.
Joe and Kathy Weitekamp have lived in the same home for nearly 40 years in the Town of Campbell, but they are just now learning of PFAS contamination in their private well. And they are not alone. Recently, La Crosse area residents are discovering PFAS in their drinking water, many over the state's recommended limit of 20 parts per trillion, from firefighting foam used by the city's fire department. In this episode, we hear how residents are stepping up to advocate for clean water as local governments are slow to take action and how one piece of legislation moving through the state legislature could help not only clean-up current PFAS contamination, but help prevent more in the future.
loading
Comments 
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store