by jboullion | Jan 18, 2010 | Uncategorized
State Agriculture Secretary Rod Nilsestuen and Public Service Commission Chair Eric Callisto will be in La Crosse on Tuesday, Jan. 19 to tour local clean energy projects and hold a press conference at Honda Motorwerks to discuss how the Clean Energy Jobs Act will improve Wisconsin’s economy by promoting renewable fuels, conservation and innovation. Sec. Nilsestuen and Commissioner Eric Callisto will be joined by PSC Commissioner Mark Meyer.
Gundersen Lutheran (GL) Clinic Entrance
9:30 – 10:00 AM: Presentation “Energizing Healthcare at Gundersen Lutheran”
10:00 – 10:30 AM: Walking GL Tour and site visit to City Brewery to see the digester that produces electricity for GL.
10:30 – 11:00 AM: Wrap up Discussion and drive to Honda Motorwerks
11:00 – 11:30 AM: Photo Op and Press Conference – Honda Motowerks
11:30 AM: Return to GL
by jboullion | Jan 15, 2010 | Uncategorized
A letter to the editor by Kristina Steger in the La Crosse Tribune:
Do you make an effort each day to keep your carbon dioxide emissions down? Chances are that is the last thing you are worrying about amidst your family, career, school and friends.
Well, climate change is real. It threatens serious and even catastrophic disruption of our community and the natural environment itself. Earth is getting warmer at an extremely quick rate. Most of it is caused by a buildup of greenhouse gas emissions, which trap the sun’s heat in the atmosphere, just like a greenhouse.
It may seem hard to “worry” about this when western Wisconsin hasn’t seen the drastic effects of climate change yet. The key word, however, is “yet.” The temperature in the permafrost in Iceland has been rising at a rapid rate for the past 25 years. Storm surges are already occurring in various parts of Alaska. Glaciers at Glacier National Park are expected to vanish by 2030. The disintegration of the entire Greenland ice sheet could be set in motion in a matter of decades. Once an ice sheet begins to melt, it starts to flow faster, making it thin out faster, which encourages further melting.
If our CO2 emissions aren’t controlled, this process could begin occurring in a matter of decades. When this process starts, it will be virtually impossible to stop and will cause a global disaster.
All of us need to have a greater sense of urgency to making commitments to reducing CO2 emissions and thus helping to slow (or prevent) climate change.
by jboullion | Jan 14, 2010 | Uncategorized
From an article by Kryssy Pease, Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, in the Coulee News:
Electric heaters, which have long been a bad deal for most people trying to lower their energy bills, are an even worse deal in Wisconsin this winter because of falling prices for natural gas.
But that doesn’t stop manufacturers of electric heaters from using newspaper and Internet ads — some of which feature home-repair guru Bob Vila and pictures of Amish craftsmen — to attract buyers by promising big savings.
Jack Brennan, 70, of Green Bay, bought two $350 EdenPURE electric heaters after seeing an ad that vowed to “cut your heating bill by up to 50 percent.” When his next bill came from Wisconsin Public Service, it was three times higher than normal.
“I almost died,” Brennan said. “A gal from (Wisconsin) Public Service called me and she said, ‘What are you doing? What did you buy?’ When I told her I bought two of those heaters, she said, ‘Well, you just answered the question.’ “
Steve Kraus, media relations manager at Madison Gas and Electric, said ads promising big savings “are very deceptive,” but spokesmen from two major electric heater companies said they stand by their products.
by jboullion | Jan 13, 2010 | Uncategorized
From a post by Steve Jagler on Milwaukee Biz Blog:
The controversy over Gov. Jim Doyle’s proposed Clean Energy Jobs Act illustrates a deep philosophical divide that is emerging within Wisconsin’s business community.
In some ways, the emerging chasm pits the politics of tomorrow against the politics of yesterday.
On one side of the divide – in favor of the green jobs plan – stand the coalition for Clean, Responsible Energy for Wisconsin’s Economy (CREWE) and the Wisconsin Business Council.
The CREWE includes venerable companies such as CleanPower, Alliant Energy, EcoEnergy, Johnson Controls Inc., Xcel Energy, C5•6 Technologies, Axley Brynelson, Madison Gas and Electric, Orion Energy Systems, Forest County Potawatomi Community, Wisconsin Energy Corp., Poblocki Sign Company, Emerging Energies of Wisconsin, MillerCoors, American Transmission Co., WPPI Energy, DTE Energy Services and Kranz, Inc. . . .
The plan also has the support of the Wisconsin Business Council, which includes leaders from several of the state’s key businesses, including American Transmission Co., Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, AT&T Wisconsin, Commerce State Bank, Dean Health System, Midwest Natural Gas, MillerCoors, Mortenson Construction, Orion Energy Systems and Park Bank (in Madison). . . .
On the other side of the divide stands the Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC), which is joined by 22 other business organizations, including the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC), in opposition to Doyle’s proposal.
The WMC cited a study by the conservative Wisconsin Policy Research Institute that contends the proposed green legislation would kill 43,093 private-sector jobs in Wisconsin. . . .
Adding even more intrigue to this philosophical divide among Wisconsin’s business community is the fact that many members of the CREWE and the Wisconsin Business Council in favor of the green jobs plan also are dues-paying members of the WMC, the MMAC and the other organizations that are against the plan.
“It’s really created massive fault lines within the business community between the deniers (of global warming) and those that think something must be done,” said Thad Nation of the CREWE. “It’s probably going to get messier before it gets better.”
by jboullion | Jan 12, 2010 | Uncategorized
From a news release issued by Bubbling Springs Solar:
MENOMONIE, WIS. – Bubbling Springs Solar will join with Organic Valley, a farmer-owned cooperative of more than 1,300 organic family farmers nationwide in La Farge, Wis., to provide discounted bulk purchase rates for solar thermal collectors. This collaboration will help make solar energy affordable to their member farmers, and employees. Additionally, Organic Valley is currently working with Wisconsin’s Focus On Energy to assess the feasibility of installing Bubbling Springs’ flat plate collectors at one of their facilities in La Farge.
“We are extremely excited to work with Bubbling Springs Solar on this joint venture. Organic Valley and our farmer owners recognize the potential of harnessing the sun, both for the environment and for our bottom line. We remain committed to lowering our carbon footprint and believe clean, renewable energy generated on site is a cornerstone to achieving this goal,” said Jennifer Harrison, Sustainability Program Manager, Organic Valley.
Bubbling Springs Solar is dedicated to providing manufacturing jobs in Wisconsin and to making high-quality solar thermal collectors readily available to the growing customer base in the upper Midwest. Bubbling Springs Solar collectors have been created in line with strong values for both renewable energy and for environmentally friendly manufacturing. Organic Valley is also a mission-driven organization that has grown dramatically since their inception as a small, organic farmer cooperative in 1988. Now the organization has more than 1,300 member farmers in 33 U.S. states and Canada that produce award-winning products, including milk, eggs, juice, soy and produce, and a full range of meat products under the Organic Prairie label.
