Eco-Minute

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 […]

Tue Jun 10, 2025

1:00

June is pollinator month, and some Wisconsin lawmakers have introduced a package of bills to protect our bees, butterflies and other insects. The bills would prevent the DNR from using a class of pesticides of called neonicotinoids which are known to harm pollinators. They would also prevent retailers from labeling plants as pollinator-friendly if they’ve […]

Tue Jun 3, 2025

1:00

Dismantling the IRA and other federal clean energy incentives will add half a gigaton of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. That’s according to modeling from Princeton University. House Republicans passed aggressive cuts to clean energy incentives in their latest budget. Slowing down energy efficiency, electrification, and clean energy progresswill also cause higher energy costs for most families and […]

Tue May 27, 2025

1:00

Sen. Tammy Baldwin presses EPA head Lee Zeldin on Great Lakes funding at a hearing on Capitol Hill. The exchange came just one week after Clean Wisconsin, the Healing Our Waters Coalition, and Alliance for the Great Lakes met with Baldwin to stress the importance of fully funding the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. Zeldin ended […]

Tue May 20, 2025

1:00

A major program that protects drinking water is on the chopping block in Congress. Lawmakers are considering slashing $2.4 billion dollars from the State Revolving Fund. The program helps Wisconsin replace lead pipes and filter toxic contamination out of drinking water supplies. Our state will lose $54 million next year if funding gets cut. Parts […]

Tue May 13, 2025

1:00

Wisconsin’s general fishing season opens May 3rd. With more than 15,000 lakes, 42,000 miles of streams and rivers, 1,000 miles of Great Lakes shoreline and 260 miles of the Mississippi River, there are plenty of great places cast your line. But you might want to check the DNR’s fish consumption advisories before you head out. […]

Tue Apr 29, 2025

1:00

Rules that protect Wisconsinites from seven so-called “super toxic” air pollutants including mercury, PCBs and benzene are on the chopping block in Congress. Lawmakers are considering a joint resolution that would roll back stronger safeguards for the chemicals under the Clean Air Act. Never in the Act’s 50-year history has Congress ever reduced clean air […]

Tue Apr 8, 2025

1:00

The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin taking the unusual step of extending its public comment deadline on a proposed methane gas power plant in Oak Creek. That’s after We Energies customers packed a recent public hearing on the plant. Many are worried about air pollution, climate impacts and the eye-opening price tag. We Energies wants […]

Tue Apr 1, 2025

1:00

Thousands of Wisconsin homeowners and businesses are getting tax credits this April for installing solar. The Inflation Reduction Act passed almost 3 years ago provides a tax credit to cover 30% of the cost of solar. Non-profits, schools, and local governments can also access the credit even though they don’t pay taxes through the Direct […]

Tue Mar 25, 2025

1:00

A record number visitors toured America’s national parks and monuments last year, including sites in Wisconsin. More than 331 million people flocked to national parks in 2024. Here in Wisconsin, Apostle Islands and the St. Croix Scenic National Riverway both saw boosts in visitors. But it’s unclear what the summer travel season will hold this […]

Tue Mar 18, 2025

1:00