Wind Farm Energy Update, By Lila Berge

According to the August 16th Milwaukee Business Journal, WE Energies has pledged to provide 5% of its electricity from renewables by 2011. They currently own a small wind farm in Fond du Lac County.

A 200 megawatt wind farm is currently under negotiation in the Darlington area, 30 miles south of the 30 megawatt wind farm on Hwy. 18 featured in our last newsletter. This latter project is owned by FPL Energies of Vero Beach, FL and pays three farmers $3,000/year/tower, a nice additional income.

“Wind on the Wires” group in St. Paul, MN is sponsored by the Isaac Walton League. They are urging construction of 6,500 windmills in the Midwest between 2003 and 2007 at 16 sites. The American Wind Energy Association, (AWEA) and Midwest Independent System Operator (MISO) group are working to get utilities to build the necessary transmission lines to get wind generated energy to urban markets like Milwaukee / Chicago. MISO was created two years ago to monitor midwest interstate transmission line traffic and recommend improvements. The American Transmission Company has the responsibility for building new high voltage lines. Their ten year plan is estimated to cost $1.5 billion.

Wind power facilities can be built two to three times faster than natural gas or coal fired plants. Currently it costs about four cents/kilowatt hour to produce electricity from wind, compared to two or three cents from natural gas or coal. (Of course new power lines add to any cost estimate)

The Sierra Club has concerns about WE Energies “Power the Future” proposal to add three new coal fired units at Oak Creek. The health impacts of burning coal are discussed in a report titled “Death, Disease and Dirty Power” by Abt Associates. They predict 450 premature deaths per year in Wisconsin from cancer, asthma, emphysema, stroke and heart disease from air polluted by fine particulates. Airborne mercury causes neurological impairment and pollutes land and waters. The Bush administration is seeking to allow coal mines to dump mining waste into valley streams and rivers without regard to environmental impacts. We know the burning of fossil fuels adds to global warming, too. None of these human and environmental costs are part of the calculation in the paragraph above. If they were added, coal power plant costs would be ten times higher than natural gas plants. WE Energies is replacing a Port Washington dirty coal plant with a new natural gas plant, but not at Oak Creek. Fortunately S.C. Johnson has joined the citizen groups protesting the plans for Oak Creek. The fight for clean energy will be long and costly.



A “Thank You” Note…

The following note was recently received from an employee of Racine County:

“Hello, My name is Jeff Trentadue, and I work for the Racine County Highway Department. I am responsible for Highway 38.

“I would just like to say thank you for the excellent job your organization did on your recent Adopt A Highway clean-up. “Your hard work does not go unappreciated! “It’s volunteers like you that make Racine County a better place to live.

“Together we can make Highway 38 a memorable road to drive. Thanks for all your hard work!”


Recipe Book Project…

We have received 36 recipes for our recipe book. The goal was a minimum of 75. If we can get another 39 recipes (or more), we may still be able to do this project. Send any additional recipes to: Gary Zumach, 2548 Pinehurst Ave. or by email to: gzumach@wi.net.


Watchdog, By Jean McGraw

It’s great to be active in an environmental organization, to write letters of support for good causes, to work at eliminating noxious weeds; but the bottom line is: Congress and your state legislature and other elected officials will make the decisions that vitally affect every one of us regarding the environment, your health, education, and your financial security. Therefore, our priority must be to get persons elected who will do everything possible to protect these values. So become knowledgeable about the voting records of candidates, and go out there and vote in September and November.

The Bush Administration, using the cover of terrorism, has already dismantled decades of progress on environmental protections. Their priority is to reward corporate contributors, who got their big tax break at what cost to the rest of us? Some of the actions of the Administration so far (and only Congress can take steps to halt this exploitation): Bush slashed $4 million from EPA enforcement programs, cutting 200 enforcement staff. (Accounting sleight of hand: Bush gave states more enforcement authority by taking money away from federal enforcement agencies.)

Bush is cutting $20 million from the $30 million Congress approved for the Beaches Environmental Assessment Act that provides grants to reduce beachwater pollution. $138 million is cut from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund for wastewater treatment projects.

The Republican Congress has failed to reauthorize the tax which paid for Superfund cleanups, so taxpayers will be forced to foot more of the bill for toxic cleanup. Polluters are home free.

A lawsuit filed by snowmobile manufacturers is holding up the decision to bar snowmobiles from Yellowstone National Park, where the air on snowmobile routes is so polluted that it is worse than the air in Los Angeles. Park Rangers are forced to wear gas masks while controlling the traffic. The Bush EPA refuses to fight the snowmobilers although that is its obligation.

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is not safe although Congress did refuse to go ahead with Bush’s plans for drilling. Bush also plans many new oil wells on Bureau of Land Management lands in pristine areas. This means new roads, water pollution, loss of habitat and permanent loss of wilderness.

Bush has not fulfilled his promise to eliminate the backlog of maintenance in our national parks. In Florida, the Modified Water Deliveries Project would help restore the Everglades to their natural state. Bush cut the funding in half. Also motor boat and jet and water ski operators were granted permission to operate in so-called manatee protection areas. These machines are the major cause of injuries and death to this endangered species.

This only scratches the surface. I could go on and on. It is difficult to see how any person concerned about the environment could support this administration.


From the Chair, By Dana Huck

Congratulations to Bob Turner on his victory in the 61st Assembly District Democratic primary! The narrow margin, however, reminds us that every vote counts. There are several important races this year, and November 5th is an opportunity to put the environment back on the political agenda.

The Sierra Club has made several endorsements in critical races. These endorsements are not made lightly. Two levels of approval are required for all political endorsements. Just so everyone understands the process, a Sierra Club Group, such as the Southeast Gateway Group, that wishes to endorse a candidate is required to seek the approval of the John Muir Chapter. Similarly, if the John Muir Chapter wishes to endorse a candidate, it is required to seek the approval of the Club at the national level.

Please give your support to the candidates who have earned the endorsement of the Sierra Club!