This Defender highlights just some of the important work happening at Clean Wisconsin. Our legal team is working to stop the Trump Administration from enacting changes to ozone pollution rules—changes that mean more air pollution that is linked to serious respiratory illnesses like asthma and emphysema. Our water program is helping residents and local leaders in Northeast and Southwest Wisconsin understand the scope and health dangers of manure-contaminated drinking water wells. And our energy team is commenting on the Federal government’s inadequate replacement of the Clean Power Plan, while collaborating with utilities on short-and long-term solutions to reduce carbon pollution and promote clean energy.
Every bit of this work needs to happen, and could not be more important. The costs of and the health impacts from climate change and water and air pollution are enormous and widespread throughout our state. This year, we felt the impacts of climate change: record-setting, catastrophic flooding across the state, from Madison to Lake Superior, caused hundreds of millions of dollars of property damage, ruined people financially, and even took the lives of people caught in raging storm water. Furthermore, due to the way we spread manure, thousands of people in rural Wisconsin are getting sick and cannot drink their water without drilling expensive new wells or installing costly purification systems. And if EPA plans to weaken ozone standards go through, many vulnerable populations in Wisconsin will be exposed to harmful pollution that threatens their healthy and wellbeing.
As a life-long resident of Wisconsin, I’ve been extremely concerned about our state government’s response to these many problems. But as President of Clean Wisconsin, I’m proud of this organization’s work to protect and preserve Wisconsin’s environment, which also means protecting our public health and pocketbooks. We make the lives of everyday people throughout Wisconsin better, from Lafayette to Kewaunee County, from the shores of Lake Superior to your backyard. As always, thank you for your part in making our work possible.
