by jboullion | Jul 24, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article in the West Salem Coulee News:
MADISON – Gov. Jim Doyle recently announced the creation of a new nonprofit organization, the Wisconsin Climate Change Action Initiative to build on Wisconsin’s strong efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Formation of the nonprofit organization was recommended in the report from Doyle’s Task Force on Global Warming as a way to build upon Wisconsin’s national leadership on climate change.
“The Wisconsin Climate Change Action Initiative brings together leaders of business, government, non-governmental advocacy organizations and the research community to increase voluntary conservation practices that will save money and have positive environmental impacts,” Doyle said. “As we continue to move forward on the recommendations of my Global Warming Task Force we will be building our economy with clean and renewable energy, growing green jobs and finding savings through energy conservation.”
WCCAI will focus on providing education, practical advice and expertise to residents, communities and businesses on simple, effective steps to reduce our carbon footprint, without affecting comfort or productivity.
This effort will complement existing programs like the Focus on Energy Schools and Government Program and the Wisconsin Energy Independent Community Partnership, which are designed to achieve Doyle’s goal of getting 25 percent of our electricity and 25 percent of our transportation fuels from renewable sources by 2025.
by jboullion | Jul 20, 2009 | Uncategorized
From the Web site of the 6th Annual Kickapoo Country Fair:
Saturday and Sunday, July 25-26, 2009
Live Music, Sustainability Workshops, Rural Heritage Exhibits, Beer and Dancing!
The 2009 Kickapoo Country Fair will be about hope, and a celebration of the simple things that make for a life rich in beauty, culture and connections, whether to the land, our past or the surrounding community. The 6th annual Kickapoo Country Fair will take place Saturday and Sunday, July 25-26, 2009 on the grounds of Organic Valley’s headquarters in La Farge, Wisconsin, set in the ancient and beautiful hills of the Kickapoo River Valley. The all-weekend event will feature organic farm tours, farmers and farm animals, sustainability workshops, hiking, Butter Churn Bike Tour, food and artisan vendors, not-for-profit exhibitors, family “farm-friendly” activities, all-day music and entertainment, and dancing!
Fair schedule.
by jboullion | Jul 17, 2009 | Uncategorized
A question from AskFocusonEnergy:
Quesiton: Would I save more energy by replacing my old dishwasher or doing my dishes by hand?
Answer: Compared to washing dishes by hand, an ENERGY STAR qualified dishwasher:
+ Can lower utility bills
+ Uses half as much energy
+ Saves nearly 5,000 gallons of water per year
ENERGY STAR qualified dishwashers:
+ Use 25% less energy than conventional models
+ Use less hot water, saving you $90 over their lifetime
+ Internal water heaters, which reduce water heating costs by 20%
+ Boost water temperatures to 140 degrees — well above scalding temperatures. Washing dishes with hotter water allows for improved disinfection compared to washing by hand at much lower temperatures.
+ Run quieter than older models — over 50% quieter than models produced 10 years ago!
by jboullion | Jul 16, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article in the Rochester, MN, Post-Bulletin:
LA FARGE, WIS. — Meet and celebrate your passion for organic food and local flavor at Organic Valley Family of Farm’s Kickapoo Country Fair, the Midwest’s largest organic food and sustainability festival of it’s kind, July 25-26 in La Farge, Wis.
The two-day event features food, music, farm and bike tours, cooking demonstrations, theater, activities for kids, dancing, author readings and more.
Cost is $10 for adults, $8 for kids under 12, free for kids under 5.
This year’s fair also has several artists scheduled to perform, including folk/rock singer/songwriter Brett Dennen. Dennen will perform songs from his newly released album, “Hope for the Hopeless,” on July 26 at 8 p.m.
This year’s keynote panel will feature a discussion among five industry pioneers including Tim LaSalle of Rodale Institute, Ken Cook of the Environmental Working Group, Ronnie Cummins of the Organic Consumers Association, and biologist and author Dr. Sandra Steingraber. The panel will be moderated by Theresa Marquez, Organic Valley’s chief marketing executive and founder of Earth Dinner.
by jboullion | Jul 15, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an Associated Press story on WXOW News, La Crosse:
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – A Wisconsin appeals court is limiting the restrictions that local municipalities can place on the installation of wind turbines.
The District 2 Court of Appeals says state law promotes alternative energy sources such as wind energy and discourages local policies that arbitrarily limit them.
The court says localities can restrict wind energy systems only when necessary to protect public health or where the regulations do not impact a system’s cost or efficiency.
From the written decision of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, District 2 in ruling against Calumet County’s ordinances:
To encourage the use of renewable sources of energy, the legislature resolved to remove legal impediments to such systems in four ways: (1) codifying the right of individuals to negotiate and establish renewable energy resource easements; (2) clarifying the authority of, and encouraging, political subdivisions to employ existing land use powers for protecting access rights to the wind and sun; (3) creating a procedure for issuing permits to owners and builders of active solar and wind energy systems; and (4) encouraging political subdivisions to grant special exceptions and variances for renewable energy resource systems. Numrich, 242 Wis. 2d 677, ¶18 (citing Laws of 1981, ch. 354, § 1(2)(b)). No. 2007AP210913
These strategies indicate that the legislature determined it appropriate to give political subdivisions the power to assist in the creation of renewable energy systems and thus become an integral and effective factor in the State’s renewable energy goal. But, this history does not indicate that the State intended to delegate the power of policymaking. Instead, the evidence is that the State delegated the authority to execute and administer its established policy of favoring wind energy systems, and the statutory scheme was intended to create avenues for political subdivisions to assist the State. If the County and other similarly situated localities believe that localities should be able to decide for themselves whether and to what extent wind systems are welcome in their geographical area, their argument is best made to the legislature.
Because the legislature did not delegate legislative powers to localities, the County cannot make findings of legislative fact. The County thus exceeded its authority under WIS. STAT. § 66.0401 when it created its wind energy ordinance. We therefore hold the ordinance to be [beyond the authority of the county].
We reverse and remand with directions that the circuit court reconsider the Ecker Brothers’ declaratory judgment action given that the ordinance is [beyond the authority of the county].
