Climate Change & Environment


POPE FRANCIS CALLS FOR WORLD DAY OF PRAYER ON SEPTEMBER 1, 2015

Pope Francis waving
POPE FRANCIS CALLS FOR WORLD DAY OF PRAYER ON SEPTEMBER 1, 2015 By Virginia Kirsch Pope Francis called for a World Day of Prayer for Care of the Earth on September 1. Care of the Earth is top priority for Pope Francis. He wishes all of us could realize our responsibility in caring for the earth and protecting it for the next generations. Pope Francis said that on September 1, people can “reaffirm their personal vocation to be stewards of creation, to thank God for the wonderful handiwork which he has entrusted to our care.” Stewardship of the earth crosses ...

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Eminent Enbridge Domain

Pipeline being installed
Eminent Enbridge Domain by James Botsford Enbridge Pipeline Corporation is a multi-national corporation based in Canada. In the early days of the feeding frenzy created by the discovery of frackable oil in the Bakken oil fields of Western North Dakota, Enbridge moved in. They put on nice suits and went to visit with the kind and apparently trusting state government officials. I suppose they said they were world-wide experts in such matters and knew how to help North Dakota plan for the most efficient and expeditious way of capitalizing on this oil boom. That ...

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STOP HOG FACTORY FARM NEAR LAKE SUPERIOR

Hogs in a farm
STOP HOG FACTORY FARM NEAR LAKE SUPERIOR By Virginia Kirsch Badgerwood LLC wants to build and operate a 26,000 hog factory-farm in Eileen Township of Bayfield County. Badgerwood LLC is from the Reicks View Farms in Iowa. Why choose such an ecologically delicate area close to Lake Superior? Perhaps the plan includes exporting animals from the Great Lakes by rail to British Columbia and then by ship to China. This long journey sounds like cruel treatment! The proposed hog factory farm is 8 miles from Lake Superior. The proposed factory farm is in the Fish Creek ...

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WIND POWER

Wind Farm
WIND POWER By Jeanne Larson Science Alert reports that on a particularly windy July 2015 day Denmark's wind farms produced between 116 and 140% of the nation's electricity requirements, and they weren't even operating at full capacity. Germany and Norway took 80% of the excess, storing the surplus in hydropower systems for later use, and Sweden took the rest.                  Oliver Joy from the European Wind Energy Association said this shows that a world powered 100% by renewable energy is no fantasy. Denmark cannot rely on wind energy to ...

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So Enbridge Sued Us

Image of James Botsford and his wife
SO ENBRIDGE SUED US By James Botsford (Editor’s Note: James and Krista Botsford of Wausau, Wisconsin are being sued by Enbridge, a multi-national oil pipeline corporation based in Canada, over land in North Dakota that the Botsfords own.) One day around dinner time the phone rang and it was someone from a multi-national oil pipeline corporation telling me they wanted to run a 24-inch pipeline across our farmland capable of transporting 300,000 barrels of oil a day in order to get it to a seaport so it could be sold on the world market. I told them my wife and I ...

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Shrink the Pentagon’s Massive Contribution to Climate Change

Military Planes on Runway
Shrink the Pentagon's Massive Contribution to Climate Change by Lenore Hitchler (This article was first published in The Capital Times) Roads melting from a heatwave in India. Droughts. Floods in Bangladesh. Many scientists believe the dramatic increase in extreme weather is a result of global climate change. Pope Francis is particularly concerned about the ethics of not stopping global warming, as he discusses in his encyclical. A lot of talk about the causes of climate change emphasizes the contributions of individuals to the problem. The solutions to climate ...

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Home…A Good Movie To Watch

Home Documentary Image
HOME…..A GOOD MOVIE TO WATCH World renowned photographer, Yann Arthus-Bertrand, released HOME on World Environment Day, June 5, 2009. The film was shot in 54 countries and 120 locations over 217 days. HOME is almost entirely composed of aerial footage showing how everything on earth is interconnected. Though the visually stunning images inspire a sense of awe, wonder, and appreciation for our home planet, this film was produced to awaken a collective conscience and responsibility. HOME poses the prospect that unless we take responsible action to protect the ...

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COME TO THE 4TH ANNUAL LAKE MONONA WATER WALK

Lake Monona
COME TO THE 4TH ANNUAL LAKE MONONA WATER WALK JULY 10 – 12, 2015 Friday July 10 – Evening with Bill Miller (Mohican). Overnight camping. Saturday July 11 – Pow Wow, Elders Teaching Lodge, Inipi and Moon Lodge Ceremonies at Frostwoods Beach, Monona. Camp Overnight. Sunday July 12 – Pipe Ceremony, All Traditions Water Blessing, Drums Circle the Lake, Water Walk, Feast, Camp overnight. Monday July 13 – Clean up grounds. Leave no trace. Share the vision of What’s Next. “It is said that when the water turns to poison and you can no longer eat the fish, A ...

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HELP RENEW THE EARTH – MIDWEST ENERGY FAIR

HELP RENEW THE EARTH by Middle Wisconsin Editorial Staff Here’s is your chance to help renew the earth. Attend the 26th Annual Energy Fair 2015 June 19-21, Friday – Sunday in Custer, Wisconsin. You can learn about renewable energy as well as network with people already living a sustainable lifestyle. Over 15,000 people will attend this grand event in beautiful central Wisconsin. They come from all walks of life and have one thing in common: love and concern for renewing our earth. Buses will come from Madison and Milwaukee. A shuttle bus runs every 15 ...

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Citizen Input Provides Important Details of Conservation Budget Cuts

Picture of Senator Vinehout
Citizen Input Provides Important Details of Conservation Budget Cuts By State Senator Kathleen Vinehout "Why is it I keep hearing more about what’s in the governor’s budget?” the woman asked me. “Don’t you see it all at once and then decide what to do?”It can be difficult for legislators to know the full effect of cuts without the critical input of citizens.For example, news of cuts to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) made its way to western Wisconsin. Constituents communicated back to me the effect of these cuts. Through emails, phone calls ...

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