by jboullion | Feb 10, 2010 | Uncategorized
From a news release posted on the Web site of WQOW-TV (Eau Claire):
Eau Claire – The Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce has selected 10 Chamber member businesses as the initial group of business to be identified by the Chamber as Green Sustainable businesses.
Those businesses selected include: Applied Data Consultants, Department of Interiors Ltd., Laser Product Technologies, Liberty Exteriors Inc., Luther Midelfort-Mayo Health System, PESI, LLC, Phillips Plastics Corporation, RealityWorks, Inc., Superior Auto Body, and Sacred Heart Hospital. These businesses range from five employees to 4,500 employees.
The areas of selection include: 1) Energy Conservation 2) Purchasing 3) Recycling 4) Transportation 5) Social Capital 6) Waste Prevention 7) Water Conservation. Businesses must earn at least 40 points in five categories, if they employee 50 or fewer employees and 60 points in all seven categories if they employee more than 50 employees. The selection is done by a panel of six Chamber member representatives based on an application submitted by the businesses. The committee will meet monthly to review future applications that are submitted to the Chamber.
by jboullion | Feb 10, 2010 | Uncategorized
From an article by Liz Welter in the Marshfield News-Herald:
Marshfield city government and infrastructure could reduce its non-renewable energy consumption by 25 percent using a plan the Sustainable Marshfield Committee devised.
The proposed plan to achieve the 25 percent reduction isn’t unanimously supported by Common Council members.
The council debated the plan last month prior to approving it 8-2 with Alderpersons Alanna Feddick and Ed Wagner voting no. The plan calculates the costs and savings to the city if projects are implemented from 2011 to 2025. . . .
The committee has identified potential cost-saving measures, but what to implement is the council’s decision, Earll said.
The cost of some of the items would burden the city with long-term debt, Feddick said.
“My concern is that the price tag put on these blue sky or pie-in-the sky ideas will be paid for by our future generations.
“I’m all for recycling and protecting the environment, it’s something my family has done for years, but we need to protect the taxpayers too,” Feddick said.
The Marshfield 25×25 Plan for Energy Independence was the product of a grant initiated by Gov. Jim Doyle to demonstrate that communities throughout Wisconsin could reduce their dependence on fossil fuels 25 percent by 2025.
The committee has applied for another grant that would provide about $225,000 to implement some of the identified energy-saving measures, said Amy Peterson, a municipal planner who was contracted to assist the committee regarding the grants.
“If the city gets the (grant) and uses it along with the projects for the fire station (construction), they will be well on their way to meeting the 25 by 25 goal,” she said.
by jboullion | Feb 10, 2010 | Uncategorized
From a news release issued by Govenor Doyle:
MADISON – Governor Jim Doyle announced today that the City of Madison, Kenosha County and the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) have joined the Wisconsin Energy Independent Community Partnership. They have pledged to work toward Governor Doyle’s “25×25” goal of generating 25 percent of the state’s electricity and transportation fuels from renewable resources by the year 2025. . . .
“I welcome Madison, Kenosha County and MMSD as new partners in working toward energy independence that keeps energy dollars in our state, creates good jobs and cleans our air and water,” Governor Doyle said. “Every year, we send $16 billion out of state to power our homes and businesses and fuel our cars. Building a clean energy economy is not only an enormous opportunity to capture those dollars, but also create good jobs here in Wisconsin.”
Last month, Governor Doyle launched the Clean Energy Jobs Act, a landmark legislative package to accelerate the state’s green economy and create jobs. The package calls for updating renewable portfolio standards to generate 25 percent of Wisconsin’s fuel from renewable sources by 2025 and sets a realistic goal of a 2 percent annual reduction in energy consumption by 2015. A comprehensive economic assessment of the package found that it would directly create at least 15,000 green jobs in Wisconsin by 2025.
by jboullion | Feb 10, 2010 | Uncategorized
From a description of the MOSES Organic Farming Conference:
The MOSES Organic Farming Conference is the largest organic farming conference in the U.S. Organized by the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES), and held annually in La Crosse, WI, the OFC is an extraordinary, farmer-centered event.
With over 60 informative workshops, 140+ exhibitors, locally-sourced organic food, live entertainment and inspirational keynote speakers, the OFC is celebrated as the foremost educational and networking event in the organic farming community.
From its humble beginning with 90 attendees twenty years ago, our most recent conference in February attracted over 2,600 farmers, advocates, educators, and community members!
CONFERENCE REGISTRATION DEADLINES
Mail-in Registration Deadline: This Friday, February 12, 2010
Download a REGISTRATION FORM to mail in. (Mailed registrations must be post-marked by Feb. 12th to be accepted)
Online Registration Deadline: Wednesday, February 17, 2010 – Midnight. Go to ONLINE REGISTRATION now!
by jboullion | Feb 9, 2010 | Uncategorized
From an announcement of community roundtables by the University of Wisconsin System:
Six regional Sustainable Communities Roundtables — in Central Wisconsin, De Pere, Waukesha, Chequamegon Bay, Rhinelander, and Chippewa Valley — begin in late February and lead up to the March 25-26 Sustainable Communities Public Policy Forum. The two- to three-hour sessions will open with an overview of sustainability efforts in the state and conclude with a facilitated process to identify sustainability policy issues, barriers, strengths, and possibilities.
Chippewa Valley Roundtable
Date: March 3, 9-11 a.m.
Location: Eau Claire County – UW-Extension, 227 1st Street West, Altoona
Contact: Andrew Dane, andrew.dane@ces.uwex.edu, 715-226-1347
Chequamegon Bay Roundtable
Date: March 3, 6-8 p.m.
Location: Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center, 29270 County Highway G, Ashland
Contacts: Timothy Kane, timothy.kane@ces.uwex.edu, 715-373-6104
Tom Wojciechowski, tom.wojciechowski@ces.uwex.edu, 715-682-7017
The Sustainable Communities Public Policy Forum is the third in a series of forums designed to focus University of Wisconsin System resources on Wisconsin’s most vexing social, environmental, and economic challenges. These forums inform the debate around selected current issues confronting Wisconsin residents by bringing objective, research-based information to the dialogue. Forums utilize experts to cover issues impacting the state of Wisconsin.
Sustainable Communities Policy Forum
March 25-26, 2010
University of Wisconsin-Fox Valley
Communication Arts Center
1478 Midway Road, Menasha
by jboullion | Feb 9, 2010 | Uncategorized
From an announcement of community roundtables by the University of Wisconsin System:
Six regional Sustainable Communities Roundtables — in Central Wisconsin, De Pere, Waukesha, Chequamegon Bay, Rhinelander, and Chippewa Valley — begin in late February and lead up to the March 25-26 Sustainable Communities Public Policy Forum. The two- to three-hour sessions will open with an overview of sustainability efforts in the state and conclude with a facilitated process to identify sustainability policy issues, barriers, strengths, and possibilities.
Central Wisconsin Roundtable
Date: Feb. 26, 9 a.m.-noon
Location: Travel Guard, 3300 Business Park Drive, Stevens Point
Contact: Center for Land Use Education, 715-346-3783
Rhinelander Roundtable
Date: March 5, 9-11 a.m.
Location: University Transfer Center, Room 200, Nicolet College, 5364 College Drive, Rhinelander
Contact: Daniel Kuzlik, dan.kuzlik@ces.uwex.edu, 715-365-2750
The Sustainable Communities Public Policy Forum is the third in a series of forums designed to focus University of Wisconsin System resources on Wisconsin’s most vexing social, environmental, and economic challenges. These forums inform the debate around selected current issues confronting Wisconsin residents by bringing objective, research-based information to the dialogue. Forums utilize experts to cover issues impacting the state of Wisconsin.
Sustainable Communities Policy Forum
March 25-26, 2010
University of Wisconsin-Fox Valley
Communication Arts Center
1478 Midway Road, Menasha
