3 results for author: Michael Ciabatti


Vote for the Climate and Against Ignorance

This month, the Southeast has faced two devastating hurricanes. Not only are families forced into shelters, but entire communities have been wiped from the map. And the road to recovery will be long, arduous, and uncertain. Our hearts should go out to all the victims. Yet the science is clear, that human-caused climate change is making these storms more severe. We experience stronger, longer, and deadlier weather phenomena than ever before, even here in Wisconsin with more extreme flooding, drought, wildfire smoke, and inconsistent snowfall. This has a bona fide economic impact, too. In the last decade, extreme weather has caused over $1.3 trillion ...

When Someone Shows You Who They Are, Believe Them (and Vote Accordingly)

Are we suffering from amnesia? Our climate is rapidly getting more perilous. Just look at last winter, when local economies had to grapple with lower-than-ever snowfall and higher-than-ever temperatures. And yet, Wisconsin is a dead heat in this year’s presidential election. We need to remember. During his first year in office, then-President Trump withdrew America from the Paris Climate Agreement, joining Iran, Libya, and Yemen as the only countries to not ratify it. Two years later, Trump approved the Keystone XL Pipeline and approved rollbacks of offshore drilling regulations, extending our reliance on harmful fossil fuels and distracting from ...

The Inflation Reduction Act Helps Wisconsin

Look, it’s hard to blame folks who feel Washington, D.C. is disconnected and worlds away from Wisconsin. The decisions made across the country, or lack thereof, sometimes seem pointless and detached from reality. But every so often, legislation is passed that has a profoundly positive impact in the Badger State – the Inflation Reduction Act is such a moment. We have reaped the benefits of this law. This year, Wisconsin became the first state to launch programs aimed at providing discounts for improving energy efficiency in homes. The Urban League of Greater Madison also seized the opportunity, using the Direct Pay provisions to help build the ...