Go vegan for Earth Week
My alma mater, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, has long celebrated not just Earth Day, but Earth Week on its campus. I too celebrate Earth Week, and honestly attempt to do right by the planet everyday. While we need far more than the actions of individuals to tackle problems such as climate change, some individual actions really do make a difference. One of the most impactful is to adopt a plant-based diet.
Nuclear weapons are now illegal
Most of the world agrees with these two former national leaders on opposite sides of the Cold War. On January 22, 2021, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons became international law. Nuclear weapons are now illegal. Nations who possess, threaten to use, or use these weapons of mass destruction will be outlaws. This is a big step toward abolishing them altogether.
Earth Day has its roots in Wisconsin
Wisconsin and Earth Day go back a long way together. Truth be told, without Wisconsin, Earth Day might not even exist. Dismayed by a disastrous oil spill off the coast of California in 1969, our own Senator Gaylord Nelson conceived and set in motion the gears that made Earth Day 1970 a phenomenon to be reckoned with.
Discrimination isn’t always a bad thing
When you hear the word discrimination, what comes to mind? Likely you equate the term with prejudice. But one doesn’t need to prejudge or generalize in order to discriminate.
Joint Finance Committee announces details for virtual public hearing
Registration to take part in the virtual public hearing on the state budget opens today at 10 a.m. and runs through April 26th at 5 p.m. The virtual hearing will take place on April 28th.
Peace groups call for police reform
The Duluth area Northland Chapter of Grandmothers for Peace and Twin Ports Veterans for Peace Chapter 80 call for the reform of the public safety practices in our communities.
Take time to shape the future of conservation in Wisconsin tonight
The annual Conservation Congress spring public hearing starts tonight at 7 p.m. Traditionally, each county holds a hearing at the same time in a designated location. Last year, the hearing went virtual, and once again, this year, people are welcome to vote and submit resolutions online beginning at 7 p.m.
Visit the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources website to take part.
Moving Forward in Wisconsin
In Wisconsin, the chauvinistic, conservative – and I would add racist – voice of the Republican legislature is obstructing just about everything good for people. A number of “clearly common sense” actions are being blocked or ignored by political leadership who – as Jimmy Carter once said about Republicans – “are men of narrow vision, who are afraid of the future.”
Stepping back is hard to do
When you decide to step away from something you feel is important, it is much like when you have a sudden onset disability. The change in your life is disruptive. You find yourself itching for the old routine and sometimes slip into autopilot even months after. This is normal. These routines have been reinforced through years of training and it takes time to weaken the neural pathways you created in your brain. You will create new pathways as you build up a new routine. That is what our brain does.
The fascinating hobby of moon study
First, watch the full moon rise from the eastern horizon — preferably with binoculars. It’s fun to see the top ridge of the moon come up first, then the rest of the moon. Select an eastern horizon that is free of obstructions. Your horizon should be as clear as possible and as level as you can find.