by jboullion | Mar 22, 2010 | Uncategorized
A letter to the editor of the Eau Claire Leader Telegram:
I was alarmed this month when the National Weather Service issued air quality alerts several times for the Chippewa Valley. These are supposed to happen in big cities, not here.
I have flown hot air balloons in this area for more than 10 years, and the visibility used to be good for more than 30 miles. I haven’t had visibility that good for more than five years. Initially, it was more evident at 1,000 feet, where we usually fly, but now it seems to be hazy all the time.
According to a National Weather Service publication, “Certainly natural forms of haze do exist. But … the type of haze commonly seen over the eastern half of the United States during summer is not predominantly natural. It is in fact primarily a vast blanket of man-made pollution.” The problem is that it’s been such a gradual change that we don’t notice it.
I look forward to taking my grandchildren on a balloon flight someday, but I doubt they will ever witness the incredible views I once did. While this makes me sad, what concerns me more is what we are leaving for future generations. Our quality of life is already being affected by the constant haze in the air.
The Web site www.airnow.gov provides a map of the Air Quality Index for the U.S. An air quality alert is issued when a dome of high pressure sits over an area for an extended time and traps the pollutants we emit. It’s like having the ventilation fan quit working in your bathroom. As the number of alerts increases, so do respiratory problems.
How bad will it have to get before we do more to fix this? I don’t care whether you call it global warming or climate change, whether you’re worried about polar bears or peak oil, whether you’re a Republican or Democrat: We need to get going.
The phrase used in the 1970s was, “The solution to pollution is dilution.” That seemed logical then because the oceans and atmosphere seemed so vast, but we learned that you can’t just dump everything in the water. We’ve done a pretty good job of cleaning up our waters, but now we have managed to reach the turning point of how much pollution our atmosphere can hold.
The climate change issue is primarily concerned with CO2 emissions and global warming, but the haze and pollution we experience has the same cause and solution. The solution is to reduce our emissions and to use more clean energy.
We are smart people in the Chippewa Valley, and I think we know what needs to be done, but we say it’s either “inconvenient” or “the payback isn’t fast enough” or “I’m not going to do anything until everyone else does too.” The time for excuses is done; we need to step up.
I don’t think things will ever be the same as they were unless we start making some big changes. I don’t believe anything until I see it with my own eyes, but now I can’t deny that things are getting worse, even in our backyard. This has been “An Inconvenient Proof” for me.
Idso lives in Eau Claire.
by jboullion | Mar 19, 2010 | Uncategorized
From an article by Richard Mial in the La Crosse Tribune:
One hundred high-speed rail advocates, several riding Amtrak from Minnesota, gathered Thursday in La Crosse to promote having the proposed Chicago-to-Twin Cities passenger train follow the river route used by Amtrak.
Billed as a rail “summit,” the event at Train Station BBQ featured Wisconsin Transportation Secretary Frank Busalacchi and Minnesota Department of Transportation Commissioner Tom Sorel as keynote speakers.
“I really feel that this route will come out on top,” said Winona, Minn., Mayor Jerry Miller, who heads the Minnesota High-Speed Rail Commission of officials from communities on Amtrak’s Empire Builder line.
“That route is the only shovel-ready route,” Miller told the group.
But the two state officials were noncommittal about which of three options might be chosen:
•Amtrak’s Empire Builder route through Tomah, La Crosse, Winona and Red Wing into St. Paul.
•Through Rochester to the Twin Cities. Rochester has never had a passenger rail connection to the Twin Cities.
•From Madison north to Eau Claire.
The two state transportation departments will recommend a choice to the Federal Rail Administration in late 2010 or early 2011, said Tom Faella, director of the La Crosse Metropolitan Planning Organization.
Wisconsin has received $8 million in federal stimulus to upgrade the Hiawatha route between Milwaukee and Chicago, and to begin planning an extension to the Twin Cities from Madison, which will have passenger rail service from Milwaukee.
by jboullion | Mar 18, 2010 | Uncategorized
From a news release issued by the Environmental Law & Policy Center:
A new report from the Environmental Law & Policy Center (ELPC) demonstrates how farmers and rural small businesses are making clean energy the newest cash crop. From a Pennsylvania syrup maker that cut its energy costs in half, to an Illinois dairy that generates electricity frommanure (using a Wisconsin company’s technology), to a Montana brewery that taps solar power, clean energy is improving the bottom line for rural America.
Farm Energy Success Stories highlights clean energy projects made possible with grants and loan guarantees from the Farm Bill’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). The report cover highlights a Wisconsin solar project in Burlington, Wisconsin and another Wisconsin solar project in Oak Creek is highlighted as a Success Story. A previous report highlighted the manure digester at Five Star Dairy in Elk Mound.
Wisconsin has benefitted from this federal program due to our clean energy leadership, as other states struggle to compete. Wisconsin farmers and rural small businesses have received over $15 million (third highest) in funding under the program, with most awards being for manure digesters, helping to make Wisconsin the national leader for (planned) farm digester development.
However, even with REAP funding, many of these digesters have not yet been built because Wisconsin’s farmers often have trouble getting a fair deal from utilities for their clean “cow power.” The Clean Energy Jobs Act — as currently drafted prior to weakening amendments — would change that by providing fair Advanced Renewable Tariffs (a.k.a. “renewable energy buyback rates”) for farm energy projects statewide.
“With the help of farmers, ranchers and rural small businesses, America and Wisconsin can make great strides toward solving our energy problems.” said Andy Olsen, Senior Policy Advocate for ELPC. “A strong Clean Energy Jobs Act can also create rural economic development, energy independence and a cleaner environment one farm at a time.”
by jboullion | Mar 16, 2010 | Uncategorized
A news release from the Public Service Commission:
The Public Service Commission (PSC) today announced appointments to Wisconsin’s Wind Siting Council, an advisory body created by 2009 Wisconsin Act 40 (Act 40). Act 40 directs the PSC to develop administrative rules that specify the restrictions that may be imposed on the installation or use of wind energy systems. The new law also requires the PSC to appoint a Wind Siting Council that will advise the PSC as it develops uniform wind siting standards for Wisconsin.
“I am very pleased to have the Wind Siting Council up and running,” said PSC Chairman Eric Callisto. “Wind siting regulation is complex and sometimes controversial. I look forward to the Council’s input as we develop these rules for Wisconsin, and I thank the Council members for their service.”
Council members were selected to adhere to Act 40’s specific categorical requirements. The following people have been appointed to serve on Wisconsin’s Wind Siting Council:
Dan Ebert, WPPI Energy
David Gilles, Godfrey & Kahn
Tom Green, Wind Capital Group
Jennifer Heinzen, Lakeshore Technical College
Andy Hesselbach, We Energies
George Krause Jr., Choice Residential LLC
Lloyd Lueschow, Green County
Jevon McFadden, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine & Public Health
Tom Meyer, Restaino & Associates
Bill Rakocy, Emerging Energies of Wisconsin, LLC
Dwight Sattler, Landowner
Ryan Schryver, Clean Wisconsin
Michael Vickerman, RENEW Wisconsin
Larry Wunsch, Landowner
Doug Zweizig, Union Township
by jboullion | Mar 15, 2010 | Uncategorized
From a letter to the Wisconsin legislature from Public Service Commission (PSC) Chair Eric Callisto:
Yesterday [March 12, 2010], several interest groups wrote legislators urging opposition to the Clean Energy Jobs Act. The groups warned that the cost of renewable energy standards and enhanced energy efficiency programs would be “enonnous” and the benefits only “nominal.” Once again, the clean energy naysayers have it wrong. Enhanced renewable portfolio standards and increasing our efforts in energy efficiency reduce our dependence on imported energy, keep more of our energy dollars here at home, and help to ensure that Wisconsin and our country is competitive in the global energy economy.
You should know that the memo from clean energy opponents includes some key factual errors.
In particular, it claims that enhanced energy efficiency programs will add $700 million in new costs for consumers, citing a report by the Energy Center of Wisconsin (ECW). In reality, we will save money on our energy bills the IOOre we do on energy efficiency. It is common sense — the less energy we consume, the less we pay on our utility bills.
As for the ECW report, what it actually concludes is that Wisconsin consumers will save $900 million per year in energy costs if we invest between $350 and $400 million in energy efficiency programs; and if we invest roughly $700 million in energy efficiency. Wisconsin consumers will save $2 billion per year in energy costs. . . . Incidentally, ECW also found that enhancing our energy efficiency programs would support between 7000 and 9000 new jobs. The
bottom line is that if we don’t invest in energy efficiency, we will be spending significantly more on new generation.
The memo also claims that meeting a 25 percent renewable portfolio standard will add more than $15 billion in extra costs for consumers. Increasing our renewable energy portfolio can reduce Wisconsin energy costs in the long run, particularly when implemented alongside enhanced energy efficiency programs – as the Clean Energy Jobs Act envisions. The enclosed, recent Public Service Commission analysis, confirms that.
