The Defender Podcast

What does a new, better-prepared Trump Administration mean for the water we drink, the air we breathe, the safety of our food, our climate? We know a long list of federal environmental protections and programs will be rolled back or dismantled during…

Sun Nov 10, 2024

34:21

For the past 25 years, we’ve been putting neurotoxins on our food. Neonicotinoids are potent chemicals that attack the central nervous systems of insects. Not only are they widely used on our food and in our soil, they’re showing up in our drinking…

Sun Oct 13, 2024

23:04

What’s it going to take to get Wisconsin to 100% clean energy? If you listen to the state’s biggest power companies, it’s more methane gas. Wisconsin is on the verge of an expensive gas construction boom if utilities like We Energies in Alliant Energy…

Mon Sep 16, 2024

23:22

New research reveals how much it would cost to remove toxic PFAS ‘forever’ chemicals from the environment at the same rate we’re currently producing and using them. Spoiler alert: we don’t have enough money in the world. Hear from the researcher…

Sun Aug 18, 2024

21:17

  What keeps you safe — when you drink water, take medicine, get on an airplane, or take out a loan? It’s often a government agency charged with implementing our health, safety and consumer protection laws. But recent rulings by the U.S….

Mon Jul 8, 2024

30:10

How do you get people to start paying attention to the urgency of climate change? Just like the name says, Science Moms is a growing non-partisan group of scientists and mothers who are spreading the word about our climate and joining forces to demand…

Sun Jun 2, 2024

18:18

What if there was a grain that didn’t have to be replanted every year? One with deep roots that stay in the soil, trap carbon, prevent erosion, filter water. Kernza – the world’s first perennial grain crop – could be a game changer when it…

Fri May 10, 2024

16:19

No Mow May is here, but does it really make a difference in the battle to save our bees and butterflies? Amy walks through a typical Wisconsin yard with pollinator expert Elizabeth Braatz. Host: Amy Barrilleaux Guest: Elizabeth Braatz, Bumble Bee…

Sat Apr 27, 2024

23:28

When you think about the future of energy, do you picture you gas-fired power plants? In this episode, Amy looks at why power companies are racing to build new gas plants and what it means for the future of energy bills, our health and our climate. We…

Fri Mar 8, 2024

18:28

Wisconsin’s Public Service Commission approved a large methane gas plant four years ago. The site: a bluff overlooking the Nemadji River near the Minnesota border in Superior. At ​the ​time, ​Superior’s ​city ​council ​unanimously…

Tue Jan 23, 2024

19:45