The Defender

What's it going to take to make clean energy Wisconsin's new normal? It helps to have a bunch of fresh-faced new college graduates ready to take on the world. UW Platteville has a 100% placement rate for graduates in Sustainability and Renewable Energy Systems. Hear from Renee Stram who just got her diploma--and a job--about her optimistic take on fighting climate change. Host: Amy Barrilleaux Gue...

Where to Listen: It's not easy to locate and document Wisconsin's endangered species, but luckily Ernie and Betty White are on the case! They are two of Wisconsin's specially-trained conservation dogs, and they could be the secret to finding some of our state's most threated species. Host:  Amy Barrilleaux Guests:  Laura Holder, Owner, Conservation Dogs Collective Betty White, Ernie, and Boxie Res...

Many farmers are choosing to integrate solar panels into their fields. Now a new analysis shows that decision can impact a lot more than energy costs and the climate. Putting solar panels on conventional farmland can actually change the environment where those panels are located--for the better. Host:  Amy Barrilleaux Guest:  Dr. Paul Mathewson, Clean WIsconsin Resouces for You: Integrating solar...

No Mow May is here, but is it the best way to protect pollinators in our yards? Amy walks through a typical Wisconsin yard with pollinator expert Elizabeth Braatz to learn if No Mow May really works. Host: Amy Barrilleaux Guest: Elizabeth Braatz, Bumble Bee Brigade Coordinator and Terrestrial Insect Ecologist, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Resources for You:  Wisconsin Bumble Bee Briga...

if you look around at houses, schools, churches--you're probably seeing more and more solar panels on their rooftops. A lot of that is thanks to federal incentives through the Inflation Reduction Act that make solar more affordable. But those programs are now at risk of being cut, and tariffs could be pushing the low solar costs we've been seeing much higher. Fortunately, solar has a pretty determ...

Clean Wisconsin has been keeping track of the many attacks on bedrock environmental safeguards being carried out by the Trump Administration. Dozens of rules and regulations that protect our air, water, land, endangered species and more are being targeted. With so much happening in such a short time, how do you know what's important, what's just a lot of bluster, and what's even legal?  Host:  Amy...

There is no question the winters of our childhood are disappearing. In 2024, a rainy January gave way to tornadoes in February, flooding in June and drought in July and August. So what is next for Wisconsin and how can we prepare? In this episode, Amy talks with Wisconsin's state climatologist about what could be the new normal for our state. Host:  Amy Barrilleaux Guest:  Steve Vavrus, Wisconsin...

We are breathing in and ingesting tiny plastic particles called microplastics and nanoplastics all the time. According to a recent study, tissues in a typical adult brain contains the equivalent of a plastic spoon's worth of plastic particles. In this episode, find out what all that plastic accumulating in our brains, arteries and reproductive systems could mean for our health--and what we can do...

It's no secret, Wisconsin has been rapidly losing its family farms, and with them, a way of life that's defined much of our state for more than a century. But there's a lifeline. In this episode, a southeastern Wisconsin farmer explains why he's trading in some of his ethanol corn -- for a chance to farm the sun. Host:  Amy Barrilleaux Guest:  Jay Wednt, farmer, Dean Kincaid, Inc.  Resources for y...

Imagine feeling not quite yourself. You don't feel like taking care of your kids. You can't find your way to work anymore, don't want to hang out with anybody. It would be awful. But it's happening to bees all around us. Turns out a pesticide used on virtually all of our corn and soybeans, is harming our pollinators at very low levels of exposure in ways that are rarely studied. On this episode, h...

What if I told you there was a grain that doesn't have to be replanted every spring, that has roots growing 10-feet deep, taking in carbon and holding it deep in the soil, that helps prevent soil erosion and excess fertilizer from washing into our lakes--AND it makes a tasty beer. In this episode, a look at the work behind an experimental batch of Kernza® beer at Karben4 Brewing in Madison that ha...

"Action is the antidote to despair." On this episode we look at how to move forward on climate when it feels like our federal government is determined to push us backward. Learn about actions you can take right now, right here in Wisconsin to defend progress. And hear from climate advocate and Wisconsin farmer Chelsea Chandler on climate strategy in the age of "drill baby drill." Host:  Amy Barril...

In the wintertime, Wisconsin is one salty place. It's all over our cars – in our cars – tracked into buildings, all over our shoes and boots. It's a mess. Thankfully salt season is almost over, but it's never over for our lakes or even our drinking water wells. Find out what happens to all that salt when winter is over, and hear from an advocate who's working to teach all of us out to be salt wise...

We are about to say goodbye to some basic water protections as the Trump Administration looks to undo decades of science-based work focused on keeping toxic chemicals out of our water supplies. Right now on the Defender, Amy talks with Clean Wisconsin attorney Evan Feinauer about how bedrock protections like the Clean Water Act could be at risk as the new administration targets regulations, resear...

Lead is a neurotoxin, and when you breathe it in, it gets into your bloodstream and can cause all kinds of health problems, including brain damage. It's no wonder leaded gasoline was banned in the US nearly 30 years ago. But that ban didn't cover small aircraft fuel. Turns out, those small airplanes buzzing around recreational airports across the state and country still use leaded gas. The planes...

If you care about the environment, protecting this planet, our home, our livable climate, chances are you're a little stressed out right now. But what if I told you that environmental action can open the door… to joy. Heat from a Wisconsin woman who started on a journey a few years ago to get fossil fuels out of her home. No furnace, no gas stove, no gas hot water heater.  She takes us on a tour o...

True to its name, this podcast, State of Change is about to undergo some big changes. The first – a new name. Going forward, this will be the Defender podcast. If that name sounds familiar, it's because it's the same name as Clean Wisconsin's quarterly newspaper, the longest-running environmental advocacy publication in Wisconsin, the Defender . And right now, that advocacy, that word "Defender" i...

It's food season, also known as the holidays! And what you choose to put on your plate actually has an impact on the world around you. Agriculture is not only big business across the Midwest, it is also a major source of water pollution in Wisconsin and a major and growing source greenhouse gas emissions. But how do you make it better? In this episode, Amy talks with Kathryn (Kata) Young, Natural...

What does a new, better-prepared Trump Administration mean for the water we drink, the air we breathe, the safety of our food, our climate? We know a long list of federal environmental protections and programs will be rolled back or dismantled during the next presidential administration. We're talking about erasing new standards for toxic PFAS chemicals in our drinking water, pulling out of the Pa...

For the past 25 years, we've been putting neurotoxins on our food. Neonicotinoids are potent chemicals that attack the central nervous systems of insects. Not only are they widely used on our food and in our soil, they're showing up in our drinking water in Wisconsin. And that leads to a big question -- what do they do to us? In this episode, Amy uncovers the truth about neonicotinoids with expert...

What's it going to take to get Wisconsin to 100% clean energy? If you listen to the state's biggest power companies, it's more methane gas. Wisconsin is on the verge of an expensive gas construction boom if utilities like We Energies in Alliant Energy have their way. But what about wind and solar? Is it possible for Wisconsin to finally trade in fossil fuels for clean energy right now? Amy talks w...

New research reveals how much it would cost to remove toxic PFAS 'forever' chemicals from the environment at the same rate we're currently producing and using them. Spoiler alert: we don't have enough money in the world . Hear from the researcher behind the study who says it should inspire optimism not hopelessness in the face of our growing PFAS problem.   Host: Amy Barrilleaux Guest: Ali Ling, P...

  What keeps you safe -- when you drink water, take medicine, get on an airplane, or take out a loan? It's often a government agency charged with implementing our health, safety and consumer protection laws. But recent rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court have cast a long shadow. Legal experts say the rulings point to a Court that is actively working to unravel longstanding protections and policies,...

How do you get people to start paying attention to the urgency of climate change? Just like the name says, Science Moms is a growing non-partisan group of scientists and mothers who are spreading the word about our climate and joining forces to demand change from our leaders. Amy talks with UW Madison professor Dr. Tracey Holloway, who is a member of Science Moms. Host: Amy Barrilleaux Guest: Trac...

What if there was a grain that didn't have to be replanted every year? One with deep roots that stay in the soil, trap carbon, prevent erosion, filter water. Kernza – the world's first perennial grain crop – could be a game changer when it comes to sustainable food production and using our land to help fight climate change. But the big question: does is make a good beer? In this episode, Amy heads...