Wisconsin Fish Tales
It was a real eye opener for those of us who fish Wisconsin's waters last week when retired DNR fisheries biologist Frank Pratt spoke at the UW Center for Civic Engagement. He told us how our changing climate already affects the fish in our rivers, lakes and streams, and what is yet to come. The news could hardly have been worse.
Careful monitoring and diligent record keeping reveal that the waters our fish live in are warming. Numerous factors determine just how much, but the temperature rise ranges between half and one and a half degree Celsius - as much as almost ...
The Year of Clean Drinking Water
It is a remarkable question to have to ask: Why do people oppose protecting our air and water? One would think protecting these vital resources would not be a controversial or a political issue. Everyone's heath and the health of the economy depend on clean water and air. Tourism, agriculture and many other industries must have clean water. You aren't going to have many tourists coming north to see smog and enjoy “dead zone” rivers and lakes.
Governor Tony Evers is trying to move the state forward on these issues. Will the Republican controlled legislature coopera...
Fixing Market Madness
“The focus by elites on making money out of money rather than making real goods and services has led to wealth for the few, and overall national economic decline. In a financialized economy, the financial tail is wagging the economic dog.” Steve Denning, (Forbes magazine, May 31, 2015)
America used to make things, but now we make financial deals. Leveraged buy-outs, mergers, hostile takeovers, and similar stock manipulation games don't actually grow the real economy. None of this increases sales or production. None of it improves the financial security of the ...
Latin American Deja Vu
Deja vu is French for the feeling that something is strangely familiar. You feel like you are experiencing something that you have already experienced. For anyone even vaguely familiar with the history of U.S. interventions in Latin America, the news about Venezuela should spawn Deja vu. In the words of a song by Vietnam veteran Pat Scanlon,
“I've got a feeling I've been here before
In a jungle in a dirty little war
Young men can die so fast
My God let's not repeat the past
I've got a feeling I've been here before.” *
The U.S. has frequently interv...
COMMUNITY SCHOOLS PART II
III. Strategies for Community Schools
A. “A strong and proven curriculum, engaging students with culturally relevant and challenging material, and offering a robust selection of classes, AP and honors courses, as well as after-school programs in the arts, languages, and ethnic studies, ELL, Special Ed, GED preparation, and job training.”
The curriculum in Community Schools emphasizes real-world learning and community problem-solving skills. These opportunities would be provided by partners in the community--environmental groups, businesses, community gardens, ...
MAKING THE WORLD WORK FOR EVERYONE – A PALE BLUE DOT PART IV
Planet Earth from a distance of 4 billion miles. Photo by Voyager I. Source: NASA/JPL Feb. 1990 (Just below middle of page in orange/brown color band on right)
“We stand today upon the fulcrum of history, a crossroads at midnight with a blood moon rising. Down one road lies fire, flood, famine, failure and the final triumph of greed. What awaits down the other road is unknown, terra incognita, a mystery to be solved one gentle step at a time. As a species, we tend to recoil from what we do not know, often choosing the awful alternative simply because it is ...
Water is Prosperity – Part II
Last week I wrote about how water is life. This week I hope to show how important water is for all of us to not only survive, but also to thrive.
In my Capitol office hangs an old re-election poster for former Governor Gaylord Nelson. The founder of Earth Day, Governor Nelson was one of Wisconsin’s fiercest advocates for our environment. He was also a pragmatist – he understood not only how important clean water was, but he also acknowledged its importance for our economy.
Milk, cheese, beer, and paper -- these are quintessential Wisconsin products. Each of these ...
‘IF YOU ARE NOT OUTRAGED YOU ARE NOT PAYING ATTENTION” Action Alert
Trump's declaration of emergency is a blatant attempt to bypass congressional control over federal spending. Having failed to get the money he wanted to build the wall, both from the prior Republican controlled House and the latest budget compromise, he is illegally trying to bypass Congress. This is illegal because no actual emergency exists on the border.
This is dangerous because a declaration of emergency gives Trump essentially dictatorial powers that can be used to do much more than build a border wall. Given Trump's known impulsive, racist, authoritarian behavi...
There is Hope
What are the legal limits to using corporate money to finance presidential campaigns? Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez shows the broken campaign finance laws. Watch the video here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h810bO-4LIs#action=share