Eco-Minute

Time is running out for Wisconsin’s Knowles-Nelson stewardship program, the long-running conservation effort that has helped preserve more than 750,000 acres across all of Wisconsin’s 72 counties. Funding for the program ends on June 30th. This year, Wisconsin’s legislature declined to renew funding for Knowles-Nelson after 37 years of protecting Wisconsin’s treasured natural areas. New […]

Tue Jun 23, 2026

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Wisconsin’s largest power company, We Energies is joining forces with tech companies behind the Port Washington AI data center to challenge a recent order from the Public Service Commission. In April the Commission told We Energies that its new AI data center customers must meet strict credit and collateral requirements to ensure they can cover […]

Tue Jun 16, 2026

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Some Federal Funding could be coming to Wisconsin – to keep an old coal plant running. The 1970s-era Columbia Coal Plant was supposed to be shut back in 2022, but Alliant Energy never followed through. Now the plant is part of a $425 million dollar emergency order by the Trump Administration to keep coal burning. […]

Tue Jun 9, 2026

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The Trump Administration’s new budget for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration—or NOAA—could spell disaster for our Great Lakes. Funding for research programs that work on everything from water quality to maritime safety and weather observations are zeroed out in the budget. The $1.3 billion in cuts to NOAA still must be approved by Congress. […]

Tue Jun 2, 2026

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Happy 75th birthday to Wisconsin’s State Natural Areas Program created in 1951—the first program of its kind in the country and the largest. There are nearly 700 natural sites cared for and protected through the program. Our very first state natural area was Parfrey’s Glen in the Baraboo Hills. How often do you think about […]

Tue May 26, 2026

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The EPA says it wants to toss out a rule that keeps coal power plants from releasing hundreds of millions of gallons of toxic metals into nearby waterways. EPA administrator Lee Zeldin said the rule is so hard to comply with that it could cause coal plants to shut down, and that would deprive AI […]

Tue May 19, 2026

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The US House has voted to remove controversial provisions from the Farm Bill that would have weakened pesticide protections and given chemical companies legal immunity. The provisions sought to strip states of their authority to pass stronger protections against pesticides, allow pesticide applications near schools and playgrounds, and block people harmed by exposure from suing chemical […]

Tue May 5, 2026

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New research from Clean Wisconsin shows it’s not great to live next to an AI data center. Turns out air pollution from diesel generators on the sites can harm your health. The research shows the hyperscale Vantage data center in Port Washington could cause $960,000 to $1.29 million in annual public health costs statewide. Most of […]

Tue Apr 28, 2026

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Just when you thought there might be a lull in the push to build AI data centers in Wisconsin, another project has been announced – this time along the Wisconsin River in Wisconsin Rapids. Few details have been made public, but there will be a hearing at the city’s Planning Commission on May 4th. Residents […]

Tue Apr 21, 2026

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More details about a possible AI data center in Wisconsin’s Driftless Region. The small Mississippi River town of Cassville is reportedly being eyed for what could be the biggest construction project ever in Grant County. County officials have refused to name the tech company behind the project, but say it’s a famous one. Some residents […]

Tue Apr 7, 2026

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