Climate Change & Environment
WHAT WILL IT BE: GOLF OR CAFO?
Mike Keiser is a Chicago businessman and golf developer. He built a first-class golf course in Bandon, Oregon, a small town that was transformed by the golf course. Keiser is planning a Sand Valley golf course to open in northern Adams County in 2017. This area is a thriving residential/ recreation spot that can attract many tourists through the new Sand Valley Golf Resort.
This soil in this area is sandy and water permeates rapidly. Many years ago, this land was at the bottom of an ancient glacial lake. Such soil is easily polluted. A golf course would work on this ...
To our Readers from the Editor….
To our Readers from the Editor….
Today is Pearl Harbor Day.
Seventy-one years ago on December 7, Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbor, thinking that would keep the USA out of the Pacific war front. Instead it galvanized the American people and the next day President Roosevelt declared war on the Japanese.
Americans had stayed out of the war until then. Once attacked, Americans did what they knew was needed. They needed to stop the totalitarian forces attempting to take over the world. Americans of all ranks and social classes joined the military. Women and ...
FARMS NOT FACTORIES
FARMS NOT FACTORIES
By Joyce Luedke
(This letter was written to Mr. Bill Clark, Environmental Review Supervisor, DNR Service Center, 810 W. Maple Street, Spooner, WI 54801)
Re: Proposed Badgerwood LLC Swine CAFO in Bayfield County—Comments on EIS Scoping
Dear Mr. Clark:
“We offer these comments on the scope of the Badgerwood swine CAFO Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to ensure that the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) independently, thoroughly credibly evaluates the Badgerwood proposal. As you know, we had requested the DNR to undertake ...
BOBFEST 2015
BOBFEST 2015
By Virginia Kirsch
Bobfest 2015 occurred September 19 in Madison’s historic Breese Stevens Field. It is the fourteenth year for this unique event. Hundreds of people came for a fun day oF progressive politics and music.
Bobfest is named after Robert M. “Fighting Bob” La Follette, who presented many speeches in many parks and fairgrounds throughout Wisconsin 100 years ago. He fought to put government back in the hands of the people.
Once again, Wisconsin is in the hands of moneyed forces that obey special interests and buy politicians for themse...
ACTION NEEDED ON CLIMATE CHANGE
ACTION NEEDED ON CLIMATE CHANGE
By Rev. Janet Wolfe
Pope Francis issued his encyclical in June encouraging us to take action now on climate change. Then the Environmental Protection Agency issued its Clean Air Plan last week. Both of these are important to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the biggest contributor to global warming. Protecting the environment should not be a partisan issue, because it is extremely important for the future of the planet, for our grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Ninety seven percent of scientists believe that ...
POPE FRANCIS CALLS FOR WORLD DAY OF PRAYER ON SEPTEMBER 1, 2015
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 ...
Eminent Enbridge Domain
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 ...
STOP HOG FACTORY FARM NEAR LAKE SUPERIOR
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 ...
WIND POWER
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 ...
So Enbridge Sued Us
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 ...
