Warm weather is finally here and so is wildfire smoke from Canada. Forecasters say we can expect air quality warnings to come and go and come again this month with no end in sight as fires blaze out of control across central and western Canada. Environmental advocates say the hazardous smoke blanketing our state—just when we want to head outdoors—shows no community is safe from the impacts of climate change and should be a wakeup call for policymakers.

The EPA pushing to end its popular Energy Star program that has helped families identify energy efficient appliances and home energy upgrades for about 30 years. A group of US Senators, including Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin, is calling on the EPA to reconsider, saying for every dollar spent on the program Americans get $350 dollars in savings.

Knowledge is power. For a deep dive into Wisconsin’s most pressing environmental issues, check out my Defender podcast at cleanwisconsin.org or wherever you get your podcasts.