Environment
Wisconsin Forests at Risk
“I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees. I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues. Dr. Seuss in the children's book “The Lorax”
Wisconsin Green Fire recently published a report that speaks for trees and all the other organisms in Wisconsin's forests. “Wisconsin Forests at Risk: Engaging Wisconsinites in Another Century of Forest Conservation” is a warning about the declining health of forests across the state. They say, “Wisconsin’s forests have long enriched our state’s economy and quality of life. Yet, just when we need healthy, diverse, and ...
The Age of Plastics
“Welcome to the Plasticene. If you’re under age 70, it’s possible you’ve lived in the Plasticene for your entire life. It’s a new geologic age some scientists have proposed to mark the near-universal spread of plastic around Earth. Since the 1950s, researchers say, we’ve been living in the Age of Plastics.” Kristen Minogue, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center.
Geologists have divided the 4.5 billion years of earth's history into a geologic time scale. These divisions, or “geochronologic units,” include eons, eras, periods, epochs and ages. We ...
The Myth of Recycling Plastic
“The idea that recycling can solve the problem of plastic waste has always been a fraud, and it's always been a way for the industry to sell more plastic,” Richard Wiles, president of the Center for Climate Integrity.
As I wrote about recently, the use of plastic has increased enormously, creating a huge worldwide problem with plastic trash (“The age of plastics,” December 19, 2024). Much of this plastic is for single use products like packaging and shopping bags. Recycling is suppose to mitigate these problems. But for many reasons, recycling plastic simply ...
November Marsh Marigolds
If not the very first to flower in the Central Wisconsin spring, the radiant yellow Marsh Marigold is by far the most exciting of the spring ephemerals. These perky bouquets love shallow seeps of water, poking their golden heads above a green nest of round edged leaves, and where conditions are favorable, they carpet the wet, leafless spring woods for several glorious weeks in April. My first picture this year is dated April 14th, about the time our Forsythia blooms. This early splash of color in the drab days not long after winter's end is joy incarnate. It ...
Rights of Nature Reads
Here is a great list of books from the librarian at the Indian Community School in Franklin about the place of Nature in Native American Culture.
The Night Watchman by Louise ErdrichThis novel, based on the life of Erdrich's grandfather, a Native rights activist, explores the effects of government policy on Indigenous communities. It delves into themes of resilience, family, and connection to land.
All Our Relations: Native Struggles for Land and Life by Winona LaDukeWinona LaDuke, a prominent Indigenous environmental activist, offers insights into ...
FREE NOVEMBER 23 EVENTS WILL BRING PROMINENT SPEAKERS TO WAUSAU
FREE NOVEMBER 23 EVENTS WILL BRING PROMINENT SPEAKERS TO WAUSAU
Events at Jefferson Street Inn will cover requesting public records from the government and contamination on Wausau’s southwest side
Have you ever wondered what your rights are in Wisconsin when it comes to getting public records from the government or how to actually request the records?
Or would you like to get important information about serious contamination on Wausau’s southwest side – like dioxin contamination – some of which the government has never provided?
If so, ...
Where Have all the Monarchs Gone?
I just enjoy sitting on my patio, surrounded by the beautiful native plants that grow all along the patio. It is a wonder to me to watch the bees, moths and butterflies along with the birds that visit the plants. If I am quiet enough and don’t move, it is very common to have a goldfinch or other birds that are hungry and want to eat, fly and land on a stalk from the flower that is no more than 6 feet away from me. The birds will stay there as long as I don’t make any quick motions, or my dog doesn’t disturb them. There is nothing better than to see all this ...
Vote for the Climate and Against Ignorance
This month, the Southeast has faced two devastating hurricanes. Not only are families forced into shelters, but entire communities have been wiped from the map. And the road to recovery will be long, arduous, and uncertain. Our hearts should go out to all the victims.
Yet the science is clear, that human-caused climate change is making these storms more severe. We experience stronger, longer, and deadlier weather phenomena than ever before, even here in Wisconsin with more extreme flooding, drought, wildfire smoke, and inconsistent snowfall. This has a bona fide ...
We Need a Serious Leader Like Kyle Kilbourn
Those of us who live in northwestern Wisconsin desperately need a serious leader who understands the challenges we face in the 7th Congressional District. We need a leader who will bring fresh, energetic leadership to Congress.
Kyle Kilbourn will be that serious leader. He is the candidate we need to elect this November.
Kyle Kilbourn will work to keep our air and water clean. The incumbent representative, Tom Tiffany, does the opposite. He consistently opposes conservation measures and environmental protections. For example, he has voted to cut spending for ...
When Someone Shows You Who They Are, Believe Them (and Vote Accordingly)
Are we suffering from amnesia? Our climate is rapidly getting more perilous. Just look at last winter, when local economies had to grapple with lower-than-ever snowfall and higher-than-ever temperatures. And yet, Wisconsin is a dead heat in this year’s presidential election.
We need to remember. During his first year in office, then-President Trump withdrew America from the Paris Climate Agreement, joining Iran, Libya, and Yemen as the only countries to not ratify it. Two years later, Trump approved the Keystone XL Pipeline and approved rollbacks of offshore drilling ...