Environmental blog
Setting it Straight on Wind Energy
Wind farms are a common sight here in Wisconsin, and Milwaukee recently landed a contract to manufacture wind turbine components, so I naturally thought my adopted state was a leader in wind energy. Wrong.
Jeff Anthony of the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) recently spoke to a packed house at Wingspread and set me straight. While the US is currently the lead nation in wind energy generation (with China predicted to surpass us shortly), Wisconsin sits in the middle of the pack for “installed capacity” relative to other U.S. states. The leading state is, not surprisingly, T. Boone Pickens’ home state of Texas. But I was surprised to learn that next in line is Iowa. Yes, Iowa. Iowa captures more wind energy than California!
And if you think of it as a percent of the state’s total electric generation capacity, Iowa is in a class all its own. According to Anthony, Iowa gets 14.2% of its energy from wind. That’s still a long ways from Denmark’s contribution (21%) but far ahead of the next state in line, Oregon, which comes in at 6.4%.
And how much of Wisconsin’s energy comes from wind? A mere 0.66%. Yes, that decimal point is in the correct place. While there are many factors that contribute to this, Anthony claims that one of the reasons for our low showing is that Wisconsin has a reputation as a state where projects are likely to get blocked by local opposition. Who would have guessed?
I take my hat off to Iowa, quietly doing its part for sustainability. I’ll think about that each day as I pass the train cars loaded with coal, on their way to our local power plant.
Watch our video of Anthony's presentation
Stormwater: Up-Close and Personal
Guest post by Wingspread's Graduate Fellow, Laura Maker
I've had the pleasure and fortune to spend my summer working at the Johnson Foundation, where for the last two months I've accumulated a great cache of hands-on learning experiences to take with me when I go. But last week I was able to take experiential learning to a new level when the subject of a Wingspread Briefing, stormwater, came literally flooding into my life and home. Read more »
Remarks on Climate Change Adaptation
On July 15th, 2010 I had the opportunity to address the White House's Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force during their meeting in Chicago. Here are my remarks, based entirely on the input we've heard through The Johnson Foundation Freshwater Forum:
Contaminants of Emerging Concern: Sound science, personal choice
People who have worked with me long enough have heard me say “There’s perfect, and there’s done,” usually followed by “and I want ‘done.’” If they could read my internal voice, they’d also know that another of my mantras is “it’s never as simple as you think it’s going to be.” Both of these “isms” apply to the work of a group of scientists that met at Wingspread earlier this week.
Groundwater-borne Diseases Here at Home
Earth Day Memories
Here it is - Earth Day. This is the 40th anniversary, which means that forty years ago today I was out picking up litter with my 5th grade class in front of Fairview Elementary School in Fairfax County, Virginia where I grew up. If my teacher had simply told us it was Earth Day, I doubt I would still remember what I was doing on April 22nd, 1970. But because we learned this date with our hands, it stuck. Read more »
Water Efficiency Makes Sense no Matter Where We Live
Yesterday The Johnson Foundation had the pleasure of hosting Mary Ann Dickinson, President and CEO of the Alliance for Water Efficiency, for a presentation to a packed house of nearly 100. The audience was a mix of regional professionals working in water-related endeavors, elected officials, and interested citizens. From the engaged discourse that followed the formal presentation, it seemed that everyone left a little more knowledgeable than they were when they arrived.
World Water Day, National Water Year
Phosphorus by the Numbers: Boston's Charles River
It seems like everywhere we turn, there’s too much phosphorus in our waters. The resulting algal blooms are unsightly and frequently toxic. And of course, when the algae die and decompose, offensive odors and dead fish ensue. But you knew that.
Water Hits the Bottom Line - Corporate Reporting on Water
Let’s face it - water is a big concern for a lot of corporations. Beverage companies need it to make their product, power companies rely on for efficient cooling, energy extraction companies use it for forcing natural gas and tar sands out from bedrock, clothing manufacturers rely on water indirectly through their supply chains, and so on. Read more »
