Last week, the League of Conservation Voters released their 2005 National Environmental Scorecard. Events were held in key states across the U.S. with LCV supporters and the media on hand.
Here is how our illustrious Congressmen scored.
Senator Feingold: 90% (Thanks, Russ!)
Senator Kohl: 75% (Hey Herb, that is a D in my gradebook!)
Representative Mark not-Green: 22% (This is a big fat F in anyone's gradebook!!!)
If you click the above names, you can see what votes they were "graded" on and email them a message about how you feel about their scores.
Sunday, March 05, 2006
Saturday, March 04, 2006
signs of a greener green bay
With all of the recent efforts to re-develop the city of Green Bay and to get people to live downtown, there has not been much public talk about "green cities" or environmentally correct and energy efficient development. In yesterday's Press-Gazette, there was some very hopeful reporting in the article "Mayor forecasts 'brighter future for Green Bay".
If they are serious about this it is very exciting news. As we move away from a fossil fuel economy, it is incredibly important that we revitalize our cities in a way that gets people to live near where they work. Chicago has made great strides in this area.
Right now, the Sierra Club has a very interesting COOL CITIES campaign that helps urban areas deal with these issues. One of their newsletters had a recent article, Cities Get Cool, about this effort. Green Bay should sign on!
eddy out,
rich
At the neighborhood level, new efforts will include a Greener Green Bay Initiative that will consider environmental factors from more efficient lighting to a policy for how long city vehicles should idle. Schmitt said he was intrigued by a similar initiative in Chicago and even discussed the possibility of a rooftop garden atop City Hall.
If they are serious about this it is very exciting news. As we move away from a fossil fuel economy, it is incredibly important that we revitalize our cities in a way that gets people to live near where they work. Chicago has made great strides in this area.
Right now, the Sierra Club has a very interesting COOL CITIES campaign that helps urban areas deal with these issues. One of their newsletters had a recent article, Cities Get Cool, about this effort. Green Bay should sign on!
eddy out,
rich
Saturday, February 18, 2006
UWGB embraces renewable energy
NatureWise program to provide 10% of power
Green Bay Press-Gazette
February 18, 2006
By Terry Anderson
Green Bay Press-Gazette
February 18, 2006
By Terry Anderson
Thursday, February 16, 2006
no "green drinks" tonight
Kavarna is closing at 4:00 PM today due to the weather (wimps!) and so there will not be a Kavarna "Green Drinks" tonight.
Orange and blue and then grey
The frosty twilight comes down
Through the thin trees. The fresh snow
Holds the light longer than the sky.
-Kenneth Rexroth, poet
ooo-oh that smell
Last Tuesday afternoon, there was a horribly obnoxious smell throughout Green Bay. I thought that there was a natural gas leak somewhere and my neighbor thought that someone was burning garbage in their fireplace. When Wednesday morning's paper came out, the mystery was solved. Apparently, the Kaukauna paper mill smells were reaching Green Bay for only the second time in 29 years! Green Bay residents can be grateful that they do not live in Kaukauna.
According to Patrick Schillinger, president of the Wisconsin Paper Council, an industry trade association, "there's nothing dangerous about" the smell. Sorry Pat, but I am not so sure we should take your word for it.
Here is the Press-Gazette article:
Paper mill odor wafts north, confuses some
Can an odor "waft"? I know that people can waft, in order to detect an odor, but can the odor itself waft? I don't think so. It can be wafted, but it can't waft.
I was one of the confused. That is not saying much though as I am perpetually confused.
eddy out,
rich
According to Patrick Schillinger, president of the Wisconsin Paper Council, an industry trade association, "there's nothing dangerous about" the smell. Sorry Pat, but I am not so sure we should take your word for it.
Here is the Press-Gazette article:
Paper mill odor wafts north, confuses some
Can an odor "waft"? I know that people can waft, in order to detect an odor, but can the odor itself waft? I don't think so. It can be wafted, but it can't waft.
I was one of the confused. That is not saying much though as I am perpetually confused.
eddy out,
rich
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Local DNR hearing deceived the public
This is a guest column sent to us by Steve Abitz.
A People's Forum letter commending Sen. (Alan) Lasee's DNR public hearing is laughable. The hearing was a setup. The results are intended to deceive the public.
The setup: The hearing occurred on a weekday, during the day, so most people could not attend. There was no speaker time limit. Those with an anecdotal DNR ax to grind could talk forever, and some did for 25 minutes. Speaker order was manipulated by letting those in favor of Lasee's agenda speak first. No one in opposition spoke the first hour, after which the TV media (shame on them) left and only one side of the story was aired.
The deception: Lasee's hearing was about personnel and communication problems in the DNR. Budget and personnel cuts, favored by Lasee, are the sources of these problems. He's using the hearing as a ploy to re-weaken Wisconsin's already weakened wetland regulations. It's a total disconnect.
Like ex-U.S. Speaker Tom DeLay, Lasee despises all governmental regulations.
Like DeLay, Lasee is a slave to the corporate and business agenda.
Like DeLay, Lasee has deceived the public and betrayed their interests.
Like DeLay, Lasee deserves the same fate.
Steve Abitz
A People's Forum letter commending Sen. (Alan) Lasee's DNR public hearing is laughable. The hearing was a setup. The results are intended to deceive the public.
The setup: The hearing occurred on a weekday, during the day, so most people could not attend. There was no speaker time limit. Those with an anecdotal DNR ax to grind could talk forever, and some did for 25 minutes. Speaker order was manipulated by letting those in favor of Lasee's agenda speak first. No one in opposition spoke the first hour, after which the TV media (shame on them) left and only one side of the story was aired.
The deception: Lasee's hearing was about personnel and communication problems in the DNR. Budget and personnel cuts, favored by Lasee, are the sources of these problems. He's using the hearing as a ploy to re-weaken Wisconsin's already weakened wetland regulations. It's a total disconnect.
Like ex-U.S. Speaker Tom DeLay, Lasee despises all governmental regulations.
Like DeLay, Lasee is a slave to the corporate and business agenda.
Like DeLay, Lasee has deceived the public and betrayed their interests.
Like DeLay, Lasee deserves the same fate.
Steve Abitz
Sunday, February 05, 2006
Walks with Charlie - Dec/Jan
This is a guest column from Charlie Frisk.
This is the first of what is hoped to be monthly phenology reports from Baird Creek. I hike the trails at Baird Creek two to three times a week and I am always fascinated with the seasonal changes. If any of you have contributions that you would like to make to this column e-mail them to kathyf44@netzero.net
Late December, early January reports
On Dec. 23 I observed a pileated woodpecker in the park for only the second time. The pileated was observed on the high ground just above the hemlock grove, the same location it was seen two years ago. Two years ago I was watching one pileated and heard another one in the distance so hopefully the park has a breeding pair. I have observed pileated excavations in many locations in the park. The pileated work can be easily identified because the holes are roughly rectangular and much deeper and larger than those of other woodpeckers.
This year was a bumper acorn crop. Oaks typically have three lean years followed by a bumper year. The lean years depress the squirrel and chipmunk populations so that in the bumper year many of the acorns go uneaten and have a chance to become great oaks. When there was still snow on the ground it was easy to see where deer had dug down through the snow and leaves to get to the acorns on the forest floor. During the lean years almost every acorn is eaten or stored away by squirrels or chipmunks as soon as they hit the ground. This year there are still acorns lying around on the forest floor in January.
On January 1st I observed skunk cabbage and marsh marigolds poking through the ground in the seeps at Christa McAuliffe Park. Gary Fewless, (botany professor from UWGB), said that when very cold weather such as we had in early December is followed by a period of above freezing temps like we had in late December that these plants are tricked into thinking spring has come. He said the skunk cabbage are well adapted to sub-freezing temps and will not be hurt, but the marsh marigolds will not survive their early adventures. Only a couple of marsh marigolds pushed through but Gary said that in years where large numbers of plants are fooled into sprouting early the population can be greatly depressed the following spring due to the die off.
This is the first of what is hoped to be monthly phenology reports from Baird Creek. I hike the trails at Baird Creek two to three times a week and I am always fascinated with the seasonal changes. If any of you have contributions that you would like to make to this column e-mail them to kathyf44@netzero.net
Late December, early January reports
On Dec. 23 I observed a pileated woodpecker in the park for only the second time. The pileated was observed on the high ground just above the hemlock grove, the same location it was seen two years ago. Two years ago I was watching one pileated and heard another one in the distance so hopefully the park has a breeding pair. I have observed pileated excavations in many locations in the park. The pileated work can be easily identified because the holes are roughly rectangular and much deeper and larger than those of other woodpeckers.
This year was a bumper acorn crop. Oaks typically have three lean years followed by a bumper year. The lean years depress the squirrel and chipmunk populations so that in the bumper year many of the acorns go uneaten and have a chance to become great oaks. When there was still snow on the ground it was easy to see where deer had dug down through the snow and leaves to get to the acorns on the forest floor. During the lean years almost every acorn is eaten or stored away by squirrels or chipmunks as soon as they hit the ground. This year there are still acorns lying around on the forest floor in January.
On January 1st I observed skunk cabbage and marsh marigolds poking through the ground in the seeps at Christa McAuliffe Park. Gary Fewless, (botany professor from UWGB), said that when very cold weather such as we had in early December is followed by a period of above freezing temps like we had in late December that these plants are tricked into thinking spring has come. He said the skunk cabbage are well adapted to sub-freezing temps and will not be hurt, but the marsh marigolds will not survive their early adventures. Only a couple of marsh marigolds pushed through but Gary said that in years where large numbers of plants are fooled into sprouting early the population can be greatly depressed the following spring due to the die off.
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