by jboullion | Feb 9, 2010 | Uncategorized
From an announcement of community roundtables by the University of Wisconsin System:
Six regional Sustainable Communities Roundtables — in Central Wisconsin, De Pere, Waukesha, Chequamegon Bay, Rhinelander, and Chippewa Valley — begin in late February and lead up to the March 25-26 Sustainable Communities Public Policy Forum. The two- to three-hour sessions will open with an overview of sustainability efforts in the state and conclude with a facilitated process to identify sustainability policy issues, barriers, strengths, and possibilities.
Chippewa Valley Roundtable
Date: March 3, 9-11 a.m.
Location: Eau Claire County – UW-Extension, 227 1st Street West, Altoona
Contact: Andrew Dane, andrew.dane@ces.uwex.edu, 715-226-1347
Chequamegon Bay Roundtable
Date: March 3, 6-8 p.m.
Location: Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center, 29270 County Highway G, Ashland
Contacts: Timothy Kane, timothy.kane@ces.uwex.edu, 715-373-6104
Tom Wojciechowski, tom.wojciechowski@ces.uwex.edu, 715-682-7017
The Sustainable Communities Public Policy Forum is the third in a series of forums designed to focus University of Wisconsin System resources on Wisconsin’s most vexing social, environmental, and economic challenges. These forums inform the debate around selected current issues confronting Wisconsin residents by bringing objective, research-based information to the dialogue. Forums utilize experts to cover issues impacting the state of Wisconsin.
Sustainable Communities Policy Forum
March 25-26, 2010
University of Wisconsin-Fox Valley
Communication Arts Center
1478 Midway Road, Menasha
by jboullion | Feb 9, 2010 | Uncategorized
From an announcement of community roundtables by the University of Wisconsin System:
Six regional Sustainable Communities Roundtables — in Central Wisconsin, De Pere, Waukesha, Chequamegon Bay, Rhinelander, and Chippewa Valley — begin in late February and lead up to the March 25-26 Sustainable Communities Public Policy Forum. The two- to three-hour sessions will open with an overview of sustainability efforts in the state and conclude with a facilitated process to identify sustainability policy issues, barriers, strengths, and possibilities.
Central Wisconsin Roundtable
Date: Feb. 26, 9 a.m.-noon
Location: Travel Guard, 3300 Business Park Drive, Stevens Point
Contact: Center for Land Use Education, 715-346-3783
Rhinelander Roundtable
Date: March 5, 9-11 a.m.
Location: University Transfer Center, Room 200, Nicolet College, 5364 College Drive, Rhinelander
Contact: Daniel Kuzlik, dan.kuzlik@ces.uwex.edu, 715-365-2750
The Sustainable Communities Public Policy Forum is the third in a series of forums designed to focus University of Wisconsin System resources on Wisconsin’s most vexing social, environmental, and economic challenges. These forums inform the debate around selected current issues confronting Wisconsin residents by bringing objective, research-based information to the dialogue. Forums utilize experts to cover issues impacting the state of Wisconsin.
Sustainable Communities Policy Forum
March 25-26, 2010
University of Wisconsin-Fox Valley
Communication Arts Center
1478 Midway Road, Menasha
by jboullion | Feb 8, 2010 | Uncategorized
From an article by KJ Lang in the La Crosse Tribune:
People don’t often think of food as recyclable, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse student Jessica Kotnour noted.
“It’s really easy to recycle the nutrients in our foods, but oftentimes food waste just gets discarded,” she said.
Food waste makes up about 10 percent of material in landfills in Wisconsin, according to a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources-commissioned study in 2002.
But UW-L students no longer contribute to that waste. Student this semester now dump fruit and vegetable scraps into compost buckets to later be used for landscaping on university grounds.
Students started the program in the university’s dining hall with a $3,000 grant from the UW System’s Solid Waste Research Program, which is funded by a state tipping fee on landfilled waste. These grants funded nine other student solid waste research projects in 2009-10, including another at UW-L to cut down plastic water bottle usage, said Eileen Norby, UW System Solid Waste Research Program manager. . . .
UW-L started a program about a year ago to have cooks compost scraps from food preparation. Combined with the food waste collected after meals, UW-L generates nearly 1,000 pounds of food waste a week for composting.
by jboullion | Dec 30, 2009 | Uncategorized
From The GreenLaCrosse.com Promise:
Every little bit together – can make a big difference. We encourage everyone to do whatever they can to make their own green choices.
My GreenLaCrosse.com Promise:
1. I will reduce my fuel consumption by carpooling, riding a bike, using public transportation, walking etc.
2. I will use more green cleaning products.
3. I will eat more local and organic foods.
4. I will write a letter to my Representatives and Senators to express my green ideas
5. I will buy more local products within a 150-mile radius from my home to support the local economy and reduce transportation overhead.
6. I will dispose of my yard waste in accordance with the law. I promise to never burn my yard waste and to compost or re-use it whenever possible.
7. I will purchase and install a programmable thermostat to save money and energy on heating and cooling.
8. I will pick up litter when I see it and dispose of it properly.
9. I will recycle as many types of materials as possible including paper, aluminum, plastic and cardboard.
10. I will dispose of hazardous wastes in accordance with the law. This includes paints, household chemicals, electronics, fluorescent light bulbs and NiCd and Li-Ion batteries.
by jboullion | Dec 18, 2009 | Uncategorized
Each year citizens from across Wisconsin descend on the Capitol to share their conservation values with their Legislators. Since the first Conservation Lobby Day in 2005, it has grown from just 100 citizens to more than 600! As we head into the 6th annual Conservation Lobby Day, there is one thing we can guarantee-when citizens come together to make their conservation values known, legislators listen, and conservation victories soon follow!
The reauthorization of the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund and the passage of the Strong Great Lakes Compact are two great examples of how citizen lobbying resulted in ground-breaking conservation laws.
Conservation Lobby Day is a unique opportunity to share your conservation stories and experiences with legislators and have a huge impact on conservation policies affecting all of Wisconsin.
This Conservation Lobby Day, you can help to:
* Preserve Groundwater: Wisconsin’s Buried Treasure: manage Wisconsin’s groundwater resources to preserve lakes, streams, wetlands and drinking water supplies.
* Stop Global Warming in Wisconsin: address the threats of global warming in Wisconsin through clean, renewable energy jobs and energy conservation.
* Restore Conservation Integrity: return Wisconsin to an Independent DNR Secretary and a timely appointment of Natural Resource Board members.
* Protect Wisconsin’s Drinking Water: protect Wisconsin’s drinking water supplies by making sure we safely spread agricultural, municipal, and industrial waste.
For a 1-page brief on each of these issues and more information about Conservation Lobby Day 2010, go to: http://www.conservationvoters.org/Public/index.php?custID=110
Registration starts at 9:00am on the day of the event, but you MUST REGISTER BEFORE JANUARY 19th by visiting http://www.conservationvoters.org/Public/index.php?custID=110 and signing up. There you can learn more about the issues in order to better prepare you for the day’s events.
