Growing old forests

Northern Wisconsin was once covered with extensive old growth forests.

It is not too late to halt Line 3 for health.

The Anishinaabe peoples are one group who will be negatively impacted. Their tribal lands and livelihoods are threatened.

Farmers say Budget Damages Farm Research, Schools and Conservation Input – By State Senator Kathleen Vinehout

“It’s very important that we are here today,” the farmer from Independence told me. “In fact, it’s more important that we be here than anywhere else.” Here was in my Capitol office. Local farmers were visiting as part of Ag Day at the Capitol. The weather that day was dry and warm. It was perfect for getting early spring chores done. Instead, these farmers drove hundreds of miles to meet with their legislators. They were on a mission to change parts of the state budget that hurt rural communities. The first thing on their mind – in every group that visited – was rural schools. “What are you going to do about rural schools?...

Choices for a Happy, Healthy Planet

After a bitterly cold winter, a pretty chilly spring and what seems to many of us here in Wisconsin a darn mild summer, global climate change may not be our most pressing concern. I, for one, find it easy to mistake my home for the whole world, so it came as a surprise to discover that globally 2014 ranks as the fourth hottest year on record, at least through the end of June, and that many scientists are betting we’ll end up breaking the all time record before the year is out. Globally, May and June were the hottest months since 1880 when we started keeping records. For several months running our atmosphere has been above 400 parts per million ...

How Climate Changes Affect Wisconsin Agriculture

by Dan Dieterich You’d think that global warming would be good for Wisconsin farmers, wouldn’t you? After all, it means a longer growing season. In central and northwest Wisconsin, the growing season is already 20 days longer than it was in 1950. Global warming is also giving us warmer spring soil temperatures, less risk of frosts in late spring and early fall, and higher demand for food production. All of that’s good news for Wisconsin agriculture! So, what’s the problem? Our atmosphere is getting hotter, which is causing more droughts and wildfires. But the warm air also holds more moisture, which means bigger, more intense ...