State of Change
37 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 2 months ago -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.
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Episodes
Truth About Natural Gas
March 08, 2024 21:19 - 18 minutes - 25.6 MBWhen 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 th...
Last Line of Defense: Battle over Wisconsin Gas Plant intensifies
January 23, 2024 00:06 - 19 minutes - 27.4 MBWisconsin'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 ...
A Toast to 1939
December 20, 2023 22:16 - 18 minutes - 26.2 MB1939. 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 B...
Fallout of 'Forever Chemicals'
November 14, 2023 13:07 - 26 minutes - 37.2 MBIt'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 resear...
Uncovering Air Pollution
October 19, 2023 00:38 - 23 minutes - 32.8 MBHow 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 particula...
Wisconsin's Vanishing Bee
September 20, 2023 00:09 - 20 minutes - 29.1 MBEndangered 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 Rus...
Suppressing Solar? Alliant Energy, MG&E target home solar in rate plans
September 05, 2023 21:44 - 16 minutes - 22.5 MBIt 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. ...
Tainted Water: Dairy lobby sues Wisconsin over water protections
August 24, 2023 12:15 - 21 minutes - 30 MBBeach 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 Co...
Farming the Sun: WI Farmers Find a Lifeline in Solar
July 30, 2023 14:23 - 16 minutes - 23 MBIt’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, far...
The Disinformation Game
June 12, 2023 22:26 - 17 minutes - 24.6 MBDon’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: Am...
Confronting a Clean Energy Backlash
May 17, 2023 21:11 - 20 minutes - 27.8 MBSome 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 ...
I’ll drink to that! New Glarus Brewing Captures its Carbon
April 21, 2023 13:09 - 21 minutes - 29.1 MBOn 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...
Solar vs Corn for Ethanol: Which land use produces the most energy?
March 13, 2023 22:26 - 12 minutes - 17.6 MBWe’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? He...
Crisis of Contamination: Toxic PFAS in our Great Lakes
January 23, 2023 17:00 - 24 minutes - 33.3 MBSix 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...
Power to the People
October 26, 2022 12:46 - 14 minutes - 19.5 MBWhat 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 ...
Kernza Crunch: The race to develop the world’s first perennial grain crop
August 31, 2022 17:37 - 19 minutes - 26.4 MBHow 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 intermedia...
Communicating climate change
February 03, 2022 17:19 - 30 minutes - 41.5 MBDespite 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, ho...
The importance of wetlands
October 08, 2021 15:18 - 23 minutes - 32.5 MBWhen 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 alo...
Extreme heat in urban Milwaukee
August 25, 2021 16:02 - 35 minutes - 48.7 MBClimate 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 is...
Picking up the slack, a fight for clean water
July 23, 2021 11:00 - 25 minutes - 34.9 MBJoe 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 l...
Ruling in favor: Clean Wisconsin wins cases against DNR
July 08, 2021 18:29 - 9 minutes - 13.1 MBAfter years of court battles, the Wisconsin Supreme Court handed environmental advocates in the state a pair of victories today. The Court ruled in two separate cases, each named Clean Wisconsin v. Department of Natural Resources (DNR), that the DNR must exercise its authority to protect Wisconsin’s water resources. In this episode, Clean Wisconsin staff attorney Evan Feinauer breaks down the ruling in each case and what it means for water protections going forward.
Twists and Turns: State Supreme Court hears two Clean Wisconsin cases
June 01, 2021 16:11 - 34 minutes - 47.4 MBIn April, two cases brought by Clean Wisconsin to protect the state's water resources were heard by the Wisconsin State Supreme Court. Though these cases are centered around permits issued by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the implications of the rulings go far beyond the paperwork. In this episode, Clean Wisconsin’s staff attorney Evan Feinauer briefs us on the details of these cases, breaks down our arguments and explains what the future rulings could mean for water pro...
What happens now? An update on the state budget
May 06, 2021 21:58 - 11 minutes - 16 MBOn Thursday, leaders of the budget-writing Joint Finance Committee voted to scrap nearly 400 items in Governor Evers' state budget, including many important water and climate change initiatives. In this episode, Clean Wisconsin's President & CEO Mark Redsten breaks down what environmental protections were scrapped from the $91 billion dollar proposed budget, the message sent from Republican legislators and the future of these crucial clean water and clean energy initiatives. Background Re...
Electrifying transportation in Wisconsin
May 05, 2021 18:18 - 29 minutes - 40.9 MBThrough electrifying our cars, trucks, buses and other modes of transportation, we can cut carbon emissions and curb climate change in Wisconsin. While carbon emissions from electricity have gone down, carbon emissions from transportation have increased over the last decade and is now the leading contributor of carbon emissions in the United States. In this episode, we drive around with Clean Wisconsin's Jon Drewsen, an EV owner himself, to talk about the pros and cons of driving an electr...
Beer, wool socks and energy efficiency
April 01, 2021 18:21 - 24 minutes - 33.5 MBEnergy efficiency may not be as flashy as electric vehicles or solar panels, but it is an important step that all Wisconsinites can take to save energy and save money. In this episode, Clean Wisconsin's Climate Solutions Director Chelsea Chandler explains how residents and business owners have a great tool in their tool box when it comes to being more energy efficient, and that is the statewide program Focus on Energy. It is a program that provides Wisconsin state residents and businesses ...
The toxic reality of PAH
March 22, 2021 15:00 - 35 minutes - 48.4 MBIt's that time of the year when the days get warmer and Wisconsinites start their spring cleaning. For some, that means re-sealing their driveways, but certain pavement sealants can be harmful to both the environment and public health due to having high levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAH. In this episode, we sit down with Clean Wisconsin's water resource specialist Ezra Meyer and staff scientist Paul Mathewson to explain what PAHs are and how certain pavement sealants are t...
What's in the state budget?
March 05, 2021 17:52 - 27 minutes - 37.2 MBOn February 16th, Gov. Tony Evers outlined his $91 billion dollar 2021-2023 biennial budget. Despite the many challenges our state is facing right now with the COVID-19 pandemic, impacts from climate change and many residents struggling without clean drinking water, the governor's budget includes strong clean energy and clean water initiatives. We sit down with Clean Wisconsin’s Director of Government Relations Carly Michiels to break down what exactly is in the governor’s budget, what hap...
What does the Biden administration mean for climate action in Wisconsin?
February 12, 2021 21:03 - 26 minutes - 133 MBWith the recent election of President Joe Biden, there is a new focus on strengthening environmental protections and building the momentum to take action on climate change at the federal level. We’re also seeing leadership and opportunities for climate action in Wisconsin. In today’s episode, we sit down with Clean Wisconsin’s Climate Solutions Director Chelsea Chandler to dive into how climate has become a winning political issue, the new momentum for climate action in various levels of g...
The vicious cycle of nitrate contamination
February 06, 2021 12:00 - 33 minutes - 335 MBImagine turning on your faucet to get a glass of water or to fill up a pot for dinner but that water is contaminated with dangerously high levels of nitrates. That's the reality for hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites who use groundwater as their drinking water source through private wells or public water systems, limiting their access to clean drinking water and putting their health at risk. In this episode, we sit down with Clean Wisconsin's water program director Scott Laeser to lear...
Looking back, looking forward
December 18, 2020 15:36 - 17 minutes - 172 MB2020 has been a challenging year as the coronavirus pandemic continues to surge across Wisconsin and the rest of the country. Despite having to transition working from home during these difficult times, Clean Wisconsin has been able to continue its work to protect our environment and public health. In this episode, we speak with Clean Wisconsin President and CEO Mark Redsten about the organization’s big accomplishments in the past year, as well as priorities for 2021. We also sit down wit...
A very modest rule, delayed
October 05, 2020 15:34 - 18 minutes - 25.8 MBThe ongoing crisis of PFAS pollution in Wisconsin drinking water centers around one primary source: firefighting foams. While some are trying to take aim at tackling this major threat to public health, others are standing in the way. In this episode of the podcast, we talk with our policy expert, Carly Michiels, about industry efforts to upend emergency rules for 'forever chemical' pollution, and what it could mean for drinking water in public health around the state. Background: In Epis...
When the waters came
August 20, 2020 11:00 - 39 minutes - 54.7 MBTwo years ago, the small village of Mazomanie, in Dane County's northwestern corner, saw the small creek that runs through the center of their town grow into a raging river as record rains fell in an unprecedented storm. After it was all over, the region saw more rain in a 24 hour period than has ever fallen in Wisconsin before, costing small communities like Mazomanie homes, businesses, and millions of dollars in damage. The science community has long pointed to climate change as a major...
Protecting our H.O.M.E.S.
April 17, 2020 17:40 - 28 minutes - 39.6 MBIn March 2020, a group of Wisconsin residents traveled to Washington, D.C., to advocate lawmakers in Congress to support funding and protections for our Great Lakes. These Wisconsin residents come from many different backgrounds and communities along Lakes Michigan and Superior, but one thing connected them all: water, and the aim to protect it from the threats brought by invasive species, pollution and climate change. In this episode of the podcast, we head to nation’s capital to meet up...
Episode 2: Not a drop to drink
March 10, 2020 15:31 - 25 minutes - 35.5 MBMarinette is defined by water. From industry like shipbuilding to its location where the Menominee River empties into the Bay of Green Bay, water is at the center of life there. But it's also been the Wisconsin community at the center of a drinking water pollution crisis from a class of chemicals called PFAS, which has been linked to serious health issues including cancer. Residents in the area have struggled to get access to clean drinking water after it was found that the chemical had be...
Not a drop to drink
March 10, 2020 15:31 - 25 minutes - 35.5 MBMarinette is defined by water. From industry like shipbuilding to its location where the Menominee River empties into the Bay of Green Bay, water is at the center of life there. But it's also been the Wisconsin community at the center of a drinking water pollution crisis from a class of chemicals called PFAS, which has been linked to serious health issues including cancer. Residents in the area have struggled to get access to clean drinking water after it was found that the chemical had...
Nemadji
February 24, 2020 12:00 - 17 minutes - 24.2 MBSuperior, Wisconsin, was once home to booming industries, which have all but disappeared. But recently, a new opportunity for economic development came knocking: a 625 megawatt gas-fired power plant on the banks of the Nemadji River, which feeds into Lake Superior. While for some this sounds promising, for others in Superior and nearby communities, there are serious concerns: not only would the plant contribute billions of tons of carbon emissions over its lifetime, contributing to climate...
Trailer: This is State of Change
January 27, 2020 19:37 - 2 minutes - 3.74 MBWisconsin'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.