Summer 2013: Gone to the Lakes

Posted on June 19, 2013 by Brady Loomis

This summer Clean Wisconsin is encouraging you to help Keep the Great Lakes Great. We’ll be posting different images, blog posts and videos about the health of the Great Lakes. This campaign will show what you can do to protect the Great Lakes from harmful chemicals, invasive species and dropping water levels.

Over the summer we will:

Update you on chemicals, such as mercury, in Wisconsin’s Great Lakes, Lake Michigan and Lake Superior. Due to mercury levels, statewide fish consumption advisory has been issued, but pollution from boats such as the S.S. Badger and from plastics due to littering cause chemical trouble too.

Photo by NASA Goddard, taken August 28, 2010 of the Great Lakes

Teach you how to keep invasive species out of the Great Lakes and inform you of the whereabouts of invasive species like Asian Carp. These nonnative species can have dramatic effects on the Great Lakes ecosystem making it crucial to keep them out.

Illustrate the drastic changes in water levels the Great Lakes have experienced in the last few decades. There are a few reasons why this is happening and many effects that impact aquatic life and Wisconsinites.

Define the Great Lakes Water Compact and how it protects the Great Lakes. Also we’ll hash out what’s happening in the city of Waukesha and why that’s important to the Great Lakes.

The Great Lakes are a major part of the Wisconsin lifestyle and they’re in danger. This summer let’s work together to help Keep the Great Lakes Great.

Exploring New Trails and Protecting Loved Places

Posted on May 31, 2013 by Brady Loomis

On Saturday, dust off your hiking boots, pack your trail mix, and grab a friend there are trails to explore!

The first Saturday of June is National Trails Day. Wisconsin is home to over 2,730 miles of hiking trails. While Wisconsin is lucky to have these hiking trails across that state, Clean Wisconsin is working harder than ever to protect these places we love.

Want to hit the trails this Saturday? Here are a few you’re sure to love.

North: For longer trips, a hike down the Nicolet State Trail might be just the ticket. Spanning 89 miles, it offers spots for fishing, water recreation, and watching wildlife. A trail head and parking lot are located in the town of Suring next to the city hall.
Northeast: Starting in Green Bay, the Fox River Trail is 14 miles long and allows for walking, biking or skating with paved paths. This historical trail follows a path Native Americans walked from village to village. The trail head is located just south of the Mason Street Bridge, with other entrances along the river.
East: With eight trails all less than one mile, Harrington Beach State Park a fun place to explore and wander. This park is open year-round and is just 35 miles north of Milwaukee.
South Central: Our “State Scenic Trail” is the Ice Age Trail that winds its way through the state. The Ice Age Trail follows along where the glaciers began to recede during the Ice Age. The portion of the trail in the Kettle Moraine Forest is 31 miles long. A trail head and new parking area is located in Fitchburg.
West: Following along an old railroad route, the La Crosse River State Trail is 22 miles long and permits biking and foot travel. This trail also connects to the Elroy-Sparta State Trail and the Great River State Trail for further adventures. The trail headquarters is located in Sparta on Milwaukee Street for daily and seasonal passes.

The Nicolet State Trail is a great way to spend National Trail Day.

Spending a day outdoors and enjoying nature is good for us and the environment. Maintaining trails and natural areas for public help prevent runoff, provide wildlife habitat and protect our natural resources, but recent funding cuts and other policy measures introduced in the state budget put these areas at risk. Clean Wisconsin is committed to protecting the places we all love.

For more information on trails in your area and around the state visit the Wisconsin DNR’s website.

It’s Barbecuing Month!

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Brady Loomis

May is National Barbecue Month, a great way to celebrate warmer weather and to kick off summer. Make your next cook-out environmentally friendly and a hit with your guests.

Set the table: It’s easy to default to paper plates since you’re eating outside, but instead try reusable dishware. This time of year, you can find outdoor-ready dishes and utensils in bright colors perfect for entertaining.

Fuel choice: Studies show that gas grills emit less carbon dioxide than charcoal grills. They cook more efficiently, saving you time and reducing your carbon footprint.

Think local: For your cookout shopping, hit up your local farmers market to buy everything from meats to vegetables. Supporting farmers markets is better for the local economy and the environment.

Toasting time: In Wisconsin, it’s easy to find a local microbrewery with great tasting beer close to home. Not only is it a short drive to buy it, but you are also supporting your local economy. Cheers to a win-win.

Easy cleaning: While the grill is warm, clean it with baking soda, water and a wire brush. This will prevent your grill from smoking and your food will taste better.

With these tips, the whole neighborhood will want to be at your next cook-out. Happy grilling!

Trade Four Wheels for Two

Posted on May 14, 2013 by Brady Loomis

On the fence about biking to work this Bike to Work Week? Here are 5 tips to make biking to work successful.

Route planning: Check for bike paths and residential streets that have less traffic. In larger cities, combining a bike ride and a public transit commute is also effective.
Morning preparation: Biking to work is exercise. Make sure to eat a good breakfast and drink plenty of water before starting to bike. The Wisconsin morning sun can be hot, bring an extra shirt so you can confidently tackle your day when you get to work.
This could be you on your way to work this week!
Extra storage: Planning on doing errands before or after work? Attach a rack to the back of your bike or a basket to the front. You can carry anything you need to pick up or drop off right there on your bike.
Maintenance: The miles will start to add up quickly, so check your tires and brakes often. Keeping your bike in top shape will keep you in better shape and keep you safe.
Dress Up: Wearing a helmet can protect you from anything you hit while biking. Wearing reflective bands and attaching a blinking light to your bike will prevent anything from hitting you. While on your mission to saving the environment, remember safety.

Want some extra riding time? Join us every Thursday starting May 16 for the Clean Wisconsin & Friends Bike Club. We leave at 5:30 from the Clean Wisconsin office. Each week we’ll offer two different routes, and everyone is invited to join us afterward at our neighborhood bar, Echo Tap, for Happy Hour pricing (bring your own wallet)!

Let’s All Breathe a Little Easier

Posted on May 3, 2013 by Brady Loomis

It’s Air Quality Awareness Week!

Now that spring is here, it’s time to head outdoors. Unfortunately for some, it might get a little harder to breathe. This Air Quality Awareness Week, here are five easy ways to improve your air quality.

Huge turn off: It seems simple, but remember to turn off lights when leaving the room and power down unneeded appliances and electronics. Using less energy means power plants create less particle pollution, while reducing your electric bill.
This week we can all work together to help each other breathe a little easier.
Firewood etiquette: Last winter was harsh, but now is the time to start preparing for next winter. By chopping wood in the spring, it will be dried out by the winter, reducing the amount of smoke and particles created when burned.
Ride with company: Catch a ride to work with coworkers. Carpooling reduces pollution from traffic and you’ll save gas money by rotating who drives each morning.
Freshen up: During spring cleaning and touch-up, opt for the environmentally friendly cleaners and paints to keep from breathing in chemicals.
Collect, combine, compost: Instead of burning yard wastes, which is banned in some cities and causes high particle pollution, start your own compost or contribute to your city’s composting site.

Enjoy this great spring weather we are finally having, but remember to check for air quality alerts to keep you and your family safe.

Current Thermostat Recycling Program Fails to Keep Toxic Mercury out of Wisconsin Waters

Posted on April 4, 2013 by Brady Loomis

A manufacturer-run program for collecting mercury thermostats is failing to keep dangerous toxins out of the trash, threatening children’s health and the environment in many states including Wisconsin, according to a new report released today by a multistate coalition of groups fighting mercury pollution.

The report, Turning Up the Heat II, found that states that provide a nominal financial incentive for recycling mercury thermostat collection are highly effective. For instance, in Texas the voluntary industry-run collection program collected less than 5,000 thermostats in 2011. By contrast, Maine, which offers a $5 incentive for each mercury thermostat recycled, collected 6,600 with a population 20 times smaller.

“In the last decade, the voluntary industry-led program to collect mercury thermostats recycled less than one in ten, resulting in 50 tons of mercury being improperly discarded,” said Tyson Cook, staff scientist at Clean Wisconsin. “And with Wisconsin’s poor collection rates falling even further, there is vast room for improvement.”

While a state law passed in October 2009 bans the sale of non-essential products containing mercury, including thermostats, no Wisconsin law addresses the disposal of existing thermostats.

Mercury can cause harmful problems to both people and the environment.

A neurotoxin, chronic exposure to mercury potentially results in memory loss, speech difficulties, troubles with vision, and cardiovascular problems in adults. It can also critically affect development, and an estimated 5,000 to 9,000 children born in Wisconsin every year are at risk of developmental and cognitive issues as a result of mercury consumption. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and Department of Health currently list every inland body of water in the state under a fish consumption advisory because of mercury pollution.

“It only takes one gram of mercury a year, less than the amount in a single thermostat, to contaminate a 20-acre lake over time,” said Cook. “When a voluntary program fails to work, as this one has, we have to engage the industry in more aggressive measures to make manufacturers responsible for these products at the end of their life.”

Wisconsin has such a model in its successful Electronic Waste recycling (E-Cycle) program, which now has more than 400 collection sites in 69 of the state’s 72 counties, with about 100 million pounds of electronics collected in the first three years.

“Wisconsin’s e-waste law provides a great model for keeping toxic mercury from thermostats out of Wisconsin’s environment,” said Cook. “The report released today highlights a big problem with an easy fix. It’s time to make industry responsible for their products at the end of their life and engage them in more aggressive measures like financial incentives for mercury thermostat recycling.”

Raise a Glass for Clean, Abundant Water

Posted on March 19, 2013 by Brady Loomis

MADISON — This Friday, let’s make a toast to our most precious natural resource: Water!

March 22 is World Water Day, a day dedicated to sustainably managing the world’s drinking water. A vital natural resource, it’s critically important that even in a water-rich state like Wisconsin, residents do all they can to protect their waterways and drinking water.

“While our families have clean drinking water, it’s not something we should take for granted,” said Ezra Meyer, water resources specialist at Clean Wisconsin. “World Water Day is a great time to take a few easy actions that help ensure our water remains clean and healthy for generations to come.”

Rain barrels are an easy way to collect rain water for later use.

Here are 5 tips to make that happen:

Pet Patrol: Cleaning up after your pet won’t just keep the bottoms of your shoes clean, it helps keep our waterways clean too. Pet waste contains phosphorus and when excess phosphorus gets into our lakes, rivers, and streams it can cause stinky, dangerous algae blooms.

Green Rule of Thumb: Don’t run off to the garden store just yet. Lawn and garden fertilizers can be harmful to our waters, so be sure your garden needs it before applying fertilizer this spring. If your lawn or garden does need a pick-me-up, use fertilizer sparingly and as recommended.

Free Water: April showers bring May flowers, but that rain water can work overtime so you don’t have to. Direct your downspout toward your garden for effortless watering or collect rainwater in a rain barrel for later use.

Four-Wheel Inspection: Most vehicles can’t tell you when they have sprung a leak, so do a spring car check-up and look for leaking fluids, such as oil and antifreeze. These fluids get washed off of driveways, streets, and parking lots and straight into our rivers and lakes.

Less is More: Every drop of water we don’t waste is one we’ll have on hand to meet our needs in the future. Install water-saving appliances such as toilets, dishwasher, washing machine, shower heads, and faucets in your home.

When we all do our part, our rivers, lakes, and drinking water can stay clean and healthy for everyone to enjoy!

Help Make Highland Wind a Reality

Posted on February 21, 2013 by amandawegner

The Highland Wind Project proposed for St. Croix County would bring over 100 jobs and enough clean renewable energy to power 29,000 homes in Northwest Wisconsin, should it get approved.

Unfortunately, the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) denied the Highland Wind Project’s permit on February 14, imposing burdensome new sound modeling standards and asking the developer to reapply for a permit.

Please email Gov. Walker and Rep. Honadel today to ask them to support this important project.

Public support from these key leaders could represent a turning point in the fight to make the Highland Wind project a reality.

PSC Puts Highland Wind Project on Hold

Posted on February 14, 2013 by amandawegner

The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) voted 2-1 today to put the proposed Highland Wind Project in St. Croix County on hold, inviting the developer to reapply for a permit using different sound modeling.

“The PSC’s decision today demonstrates an abundance of caution that delays the application process, but does not kill this project,” said Katie Nekola, attorney for Clean Wisconsin. “Clean Wisconsin continues to support this project that promises to bring clean, renewable energy and jobs to Northwest Wisconsin.”

The PSC is requiring the applicant to provide additional evidence that the wind project will not exceed sound standards set by state law, according to a PSC press release issued today. Despite opponents’ claims that low frequency sound from wind turbines causes adverse impacts, all three commissioners agreed there was no proof linking the two.

“Study after study has proven that wind farms are a clean, safe and economic way to produce energy,” said Nekola.

The project would bring an estimated 100 jobs to St. Croix County and enough clean energy to power 29,000 homes. A bipartisan poll conducted in January 2012 found that 85 percent of Wisconsin voters would like to increase the use of wind energy to meet Wisconsin’s energy needs.

“Clean, renewable wind energy enjoys strong support from residents across the state and can help create thousands of jobs,” said Nekola. “Today’s decision is an unfortunate delay, but we look forward to working with Highland Wind to make this project a reality.”

Assembly Mining Committee set to Meet on Wednesday

Posted on February 4, 2013 by samweis

The Penokee Hills, Image: Mario Quintana

On Wednesday, the Assembly Mining Committee is meeting to discuss the mining bill. While they say they’ll consider changes to the environmentally devastating mining bill, we know that the only way to “fix” this mining bill is to start from scratch.

As written, AB 1/SB 1 (the mining bill) cuts the public out of the process and ties the hands of the DNR in protecting our air and water. It grossly rolls back current protections for wetlands, groundwater and lakes, rivers and streams. In short, it swings the door wide open for environmentally destructive mining in our Northwoods and beyond.

Tell your legislator today: Don’t roll back environmental protections for mining.

We know that just one legislator’s vote can make the difference on this devastating legislation and over the next month or so, we need you to continually remind your legislators of what’s at stake to make the difference on this issue. They need to hear from people like me and you, people who don’t want our Northwoods sold to the highest bidder or our pristine waters turned to a toxic stew. From here on out, every voice, every contact matters.

Tell your legislators we don’t want to sacrifice our health, air, water and special places for mining companies – keep mining legislation strong and protective!

Post contributed by Sam Weis, communications director.