Wisconsin Stewardship Network 2003 Meeting: A Report
by Lila and John Berge

The Wisconsin Stewardship Network (WSN) was formed eight years ago in response to the loss of the Public Intervenor Office, the loss of political independence of the Natural Resources Board and the threat of the Crandon mine at the headwaters of the Wolf River. For the first time, diverse groups and individuals from across the state and across the spectrum of environmentalists, hunters and fishers, native Americans and conservationists joined together to work on specific issues. WSN now includes such organizations as the Sierra Club's John Muir Chapter, Audubon Chapters, Wisconsin Environmental Decade, the Izaak Walton League, National Wildlife Federation, River Alliance of Wisconsin, Waterkeepers of Wisconsin, Trout Unlimited, Save Our Unique Lands (SOUL), Northern Thunder, the Mining Impact Coalition, Concerned Citizens of Newport, Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters, Wisconsin Wetlands Association and several others.

We attended the 2003 WSN Conference at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point on February 14?15 at the University Center. On Friday night, we heard several inspiring, amusing and very interesting talks, led off by Maude Barlow, the National Chairperson of the Council of Canadians. She is also a Director with the International Forum on Globalization. As such she travels all over the world visiting third world countries and attending international economic forums. Her latest book, “Blue Gold: The Battle to Stop Corporate Theft of the World's Water” is a real eye-opener. When countries allow privatization of their already scarce fresh water supply and delivery systems by for-profit-corporations, under the urging of the World Bank and other agencies, the cost to consumers goes up as much as two or three times, making it unavailable to all but the very wealthy citizens. Privatization is a growing trend in third world countries. No wonder a child dies of water borne diseases every eight seconds!

Barlow told the large audience of Conference Attendees and UW-SP students that by the year 2025, fresh water will be gone in 90% of Middle Eastern countries, and Mexico and China will have to decide how to divide scarce water supplies between people and industries. The demands to import fresh water from places like the Great Lakes and Lake Baikal in Siberia are growing; international trade treaties such as NAFTA and GAAT, and organizations such as the World Trade Organization and the International Monetary Fund will make it impossible to prevent large corporations from taking such water for free and making huge profits selling it to “water-welfare” nations. Privatization of water supplies is being promoted in Europe, Africa and South America by the World Bank and international corporations. To speak out and demonstrate against these abuses, Barlow will attend World Water Forums to be held in Kyoto in March and Mexico in September.

The next speaker was Professor of Law and Public Policy Robert Glennon. His talk was based on his recent book entitled “Water Follies: Groundwater Pumping and the Fate of America's Fresh Waters”, published by Island Press. His book contains a chapter on the attempts by Perrier to pump and bottle water from several sites in Wisconsin and their successful move to Michigan. Other chapters are on drying up rivers in Arizona, disappearing lakes in Florida, irrigation of Minnesota potatoes to make uniform length French fries for McDonalds, an artificial river for San Antonio's RiverWalk, and many other interesting cases around the country. He pointed out that we are pumping water from our aquifers faster than nature can recharge them…at a rate of 65 gallons per day for just the personal use of every man, woman and child in the USA, not even counting the agricultural and industrial use. He showed the inconsistency and recklessness of our groundwater laws, pricing and prioritizing and urged the reform of these laws and policies. His sold-out book was scheduled to go into a second printing in March. Professor George Kraft of the host University next reminded us that Wisconsin has lost more than 50% of our wet-lands, over-developed our shorelands and caused 40% of our rivers and 13% of our wells to be polluted with pesticides. In Southeast Wisconsin, there are arsenic and radon problems in well waters because of the heavy drawdown of our groundwater supplies. He pointed out that we have a “problem of the commons” with water as well as any other commonly used resource. And he amused us all with rewriting Genesis to include the creation of Wisconsin.

On Saturday morning we attended one of several break-out sessions, a panel discussion entitled “Wisconsin and Great Lakes Water Protection”. Speakers included Jon Steinhaus of Waterkeepers of Wisconsin, Joan Christopherson-Schmidt of Concerned Citizens of Newport, Terry Swier president of Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation, Derek Scheer of Wisconsin Environmental Decade and Robert Glennon of the University of Arizona. We learned that Perrier, now owned by Nestlé, is planning to come back to Wisconsin for more of our water. They still own land in the Newport area. Under current laws, Perrier pumps 400 gallons/minute free in Michigan (wants 800 gpm), bottles it ready for shipping at a cost of three cents per bottle, makes a profit of up to $1.8 million/day, gets $10 million in tax and other incentives, and pays only $11,000 in state and local taxes. The local cost in air pollution, water loss, reduced stream flows in a nearby trout stream, increased traffic from 90 trucks/day, and construction of a 12-mile pipeline through wetlands from well to bottling plant, are not balanced by 80 jobs. Under current law, Perrier can sue the state of Wisconsin if they were denied a permit by the DNR for a large-volume well. Waterkeepers proposed protective legislation, but then-Governor Tommy Thompson line-vetoed the provision. It will be very difficult to write laws that prohibit the export of large amounts of water without affecting the beer and other industries in Wisconsin. Local zoning is the only current protection Newport Citizens have. Derek Scheer pointed out that water in Lakes Superior and Michigan is 18 inches low now. While this is part of a natural cycle, Great Lakes Basin governors need to approve an annex to the Great Lakes Joint Agreement with Canada banning inter-basin water transfers based on

(1) No harm to wetlands, streams, rivers and lake watersheds, (2) Return flow requirements, and (3) Water quality improvement (not mitigation after the fact).

Glennon pointed out that the huge profits that Perrier (Nestlé) and the few other big conglomerates that monopolize the bottle water industry do not justify paying more for a bottle of their water than a can of Coke, or an equal volume of gasoline. Drinking so-called “spring water”, which comes from a well just as does the tap water in the majority of Wisconsin towns and cities, is a recent cultural fad in the USA, taken over from Europe and undeveloped countries where a legitimate health reason may be present. No matter what the label, you are probably drinking well water. (Nestlé and Perrier own the trade name “Ice Mountain” for their well in Michigan; it hasn't been ice for decades or maybe centuries, and there are no mountains anywhere near there.)

We attended different afternoon break-out sessions. Lila will report on “Beyond Recycling: zero waste and producer responsibility” and “Forest Fragmentation Issues in Wisconsin” in our next newsletter and John will report on “How to speak with and influence your legislator on conservation and environmental issues”. Other break-out sessions were: “How to get $500 in services from your $35 WI Stewardship Network membership”, “Preventing water pollution: an interactive workshop on shaping Clean Water Act permits”, “Next steps in the fight against Chronic Wasting Disease”, “Wisconsin's motorboat gas tax: Are highwaymen stealing water money?”, “Rating the WLCV scorecard”, “Going back on our resolve? Rewriting Wisconsin's shoreland zoning rules”, and “Professional tips for outdoor photography”. It is unfortunate that there were not enough Southeast Gateway Group members to cover all of these sessions.

We always come away from these WSN and John Muir Chapter events with useful information and renewed enthusiasm for environmental protection. They are open to all members and not expensive like some other conferences. The information shared and personal contacts are priceless.

CALENDAR:

April 3: Conservation Committee will meet at John Barge's house, 1529 Crabapple Drive, Racine at 7:00 p.m. Contact John at (262) 633-8455 for information.

April 8: Water of Wisconsin: To the world, drop of life. Presentation by David Kuckuk, director of Sheboygan's Maywood Ecology Center, at the Golden Rondelle, 1525 Howe St. in Racine, at 7:00 p.m. Reservations are required, call (262) 260-2154.

April 10, 7:00 p.m.: Southeast Gateway Group Executive Committee Meeting at Messiah Lutheran Church located at 3015 Pritchard Drive in Racine. All members are welcome.

April 17: Biodiversity in Central America. Greg Meyer, Associate Professor in Biological Sciences at Parkside will speak about his recent trip to Central America. The meeting will be held at Messiah Lutheran Church on Durand and Pritchard in Racine at 7:00 p.m.

April 19, 10:00 a.m.: Hike Cliffside County Park located at 7375 Michna Road in Racine, followed by lunch at a nearby restaurant. Contact Dana Huck at (262) 639-0465 for more information.

April 26 from 8:30? Noon: The Sierra Club will join with other organizations to celebrate Earth Day. Our project is the planting of native plants and seeds in the disturbed area along the Root River Pathway in Racine's Colonial Park. Wear gardening clothes and work gloves. Bring a spade, gardening trowel and watering can or pail. Meet at the West High St. end of the trail. For more information and to sign up, call John Berge at (262)-633-8455.

May 1: Deadline for the June?July issue of the Southeast Sierran.

May 1: Conservation Committee will meet at John Barge's house, 1529 Crabapple Drive, Racine at 7:00 p.m. Contact John at (262) 633-8455 for information.

May 3, 9:00 a.m.: Highway 38 Clean-Up. Meet at Bob and Betty Gericke's, 3927 North Lane in Franksville. A pot-luck lunch follows. Wear work clothes, comfortable shoes, hat and gloves; the rest of the materials will be supplied. Call Betty or Bob for details at (262)-886-9057. We need at least a dozen people to do the job well.

May 8, 7:00 p.m.: Southeast Gateway Group Executive Committee Meeting at Messiah Lutheran Church located at 3015 Pritchard Drive in Racine. All members are welcome.

May 15: Dinner & Awards Meeting. The program will be the presentation of the Green Award and other membership awards as well as slides of John and Lila Barge's New Zealand trip. Our annual spring dinner meeting will be at the Italian American Club, 2217 52nd St. and 22nd Ave. A social hour will begin at 6:00 p.m. and dinner will be at 7:00 pm. Please select from the following menu choices: chicken and mostaccioli, broiled cod and baked potato, or cheese ravioli (vegetarian). The price is $16.00. Please notify Donna at (262) 637-3141 or Roz at (262) 694-3351 of your choices by May 10th.

May 17, Saturday, 10:00 a.m.: Hike Petrifying Springs Park located on Highway 31, between county A and county JR in Kenosha, followed by lunch at a nearby restaurant. Contact Dana Huck at (262) 639-0465 for more information.

Household Hazardous Waste Petitions

by John Berge

The Conservation Committee of the Southeast Gateway Group has been working to convince the Racine County Board to institute a county-wide, multi-site, regularly-scheduled, broadly-inclusive household hazardous waste collection and disposal system without much success. The word we get back is that we need to show a ground swell of support. To this end, the Conservation Committee has developed the tri-fold brochure that is included with this issue of the Southeast Sierran. We also have printed some petitions which we will be circulating in the very near future.

After reading the brochure, and assuming you agree with us, call or write your Racine County Board Supervisor and tell him or her of your support and ask him or her to commit to supporting such a program in Racine. Their first response may be that it is a nice program but too expensive; you can tell them our research shows that other counties give their citizens this protection for less than a dollar per person. (While our current efforts have been for Racine County, there is no reason that Sierrans in Kenosha and Walworth Counties can not start pushing in their Counties too.) If you are connected with a group or organization which you think will also support such a program with their individual signatures on a petition, call John Berge at (262) 633-8455 for extra brochures and one or more petitions. We need your support.

While many may know who their County Board Supervisor is, many do not, so their names, addresses and home phone numbers (all are area code 262) are listed below as listed in the “2002 Official Directory of Public Officials”. If you don't know your District, you probably can work it out from their addresses.

1: Donnie Snow, 1111 Villa St., Racine 53403, 637-2394

2: Gaynell Dyess, 1618 Linden Ave., Racine 53403, 633-5219

3: Diane M. Lange, 2908 Ruby Ave., Racine 53402, 639-0356

4: Kenneth Lumpkin, 1646 East St., Racine 53404, 634-4260

5: Raymond J. DeHahn, 2706 Diane Ave., Racine 53404, 637-6089

6: Pamela Zenner-Richards, 810 Kentucky St., Racine 53405, 633-6618

7: Van H. Wanggard, 1246 Blaine Ave., Racine 53405, 632-0687

8: Q. A. Shakoor II, 1516 W. 6th St., Racine 53404, 637-5421

9: Daniel F. Sharkozy, 4120 Olive St., Racine 53405, 554-9768

10: Russell (Rusty) A. Clark, 2913 Ashland Ave., Racine 53403, 633-9282

11: Hubert H. Braun, 4912 - 90th St., Racine 53403, 886-4233

12: Robert N. Miller, 1438 Woodchuck Ct., #102, Racine 53406, 637-8875

13: Wendell E. Anderson, 4505 Hwy. H, Franksville 53126, 835-4910

14: Michael J. Miklasevich, 1423 Windsor Way, #1, Racine 53406, 886-5041

15: Kenneth A. Vetrovec, 716 Hialeah Dr., Racine 53402, 639-0307

16: H. John Anderson, 6900 Douglas Ave., Racine 53402, 639-0157

17: John R. Anderson, 3059 76th St., Franksville 53126, 835-4949

18: Peter L. Hansen, 4728 57th Dr., Sturtevant 53177, 878-3953

19: Joseph F. Bellante, Jr., 25901 S. Wind Lake Rd., Wind Lake 53185, 895-2909

20: Jeff Halbach, 31610 High Dr., Burlington 53105, 534-6994

21: Gilbert Bakke, 646 E. Main St., Waterford 53185, 534-3673

22: Thomas Pringle, 340 Smith St., Burlington 53105, 763-7011

23: Robin J. Vos, 224 N. Kane St., Burlington 53105, 763-8357

Pringle Nature Center Hike…

A small, but hardy, group of Sierrans met at Pringle Nature Center on February 15th for the first monthly hike of this year. The temperature encouraged a relatively brisk pace, and we were able to hike nearly all of the trails at Pringle, only avoiding those that took us into windy territory. After our invigorating hike, we adjourned to Taste of Wisconsin for lunch and conversation. A good time was had by all.

Hikes are held on the third Saturday of each month, usually starting at 10:00 a.m. and followed by lunch at a nearby restaurant. We will be hiking at locations in all three of our counties, so check the calendar for details and join us when you are able.

Fundraiser Report

The Executive Committee of the Southeast Gateway Group of the Sierra Club would like to thank the following individuals for their contributions during the summer fund-raiser:

Linda Anderson, Joan Bennett, Rose Marie Crist, Eugene & Sharon Dodd, Frank & Andrea Egerton, Jennifer Erdmann, Wayne Finnell, Mark Giese, Nancy Hennessy, S. Jamieson, Stephen Koermer, Roselyn McHugh, Laura Mesick, David Misun, Shawn & Stacey Mulvihill, John Raymond, Miriam Samick, E. Shadel, Christine Steinmetz, Laura Thompson, Robert & Joanne Wanasek and Jay & Melissa Warner.

Also, special thanks to those who contributed to the Sierra Club

Foundation: Herbert & Laura Clausen, Calvin & Marge Hewitt and Paul & Katherine Zavada.

Make a personal resolution to become more involved in defending our environment in 2003. It can be as simple as writing a letter to your elected officials or the editor of your local paper to let them know how you feel about a particular environmental issue or perhaps you could attend a public hearing so your voice can be counted among other concerned citizens. It can also be as simple as trying to recycle more and consume less. Attend a general meeting of the club to learn more about what's happening in our area and bring a friend. There are many ways to become involved; each is important.

Your Legislative Watchdog

by Jean McGraw

Fifty years ago coral reefs worldwide were pristine, and the bounty of the fish catch seemed inexhaustible. Today the reefs are decimated and even threatened with extinction. Coral reefs are not built in a day. It takes hundreds, even thousands, of years to create a coral reef.

What are the causes of their decline? Perhaps the biggest threat is global warming. Coral is not an independent animal. It lives in a symbiotic relationship with an alga. The alga not only give color to the corals and their skeletons, but produce carbon compounds that nourish the coral. In return they get a protected place to live and are supplied with vital nitrogen and phosphorus. Coral is an extremely sensitive animal. It cannot tolerate water that is either too warm or too cold, salinity levels that are too high or too low, turbid water or pollutants. When disturbed the coral may expel the algae, and both die.

Corals require a water temperature of between 65 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit, well-illuminated, clear water and salinity close to 35 parts per thousand. If the temperature of the water increases just a couple of degrees (which appears to be happening worldwide), the coral dies—“bleaches”. All reefs from the Great Barrier Reef of Australia to Belize have shown unprecedented signs of bleaching.

Other problems: Too much coral is being taken for the jewelry trade, road building material, etc. The practice of dynamiting or putting cyanide in coral reefs to stun and enable the capture of the abundant and diverse fish that live there is unfortunately very prevalent in tropical oceans. The fish are then exported for aquariums. Probably the coral and other sea-dwellers die from the shock. If you have an aquarium, be sure the fish you buy were raised domestically in the United States, not imported from the Philippines or Indonesia. The practice of dynamiting is increasingly forbidden, but it is hard to stop poaching by the poor natives of those countries. Efforts are being made to substitute aquaculture and ecotourism to give these people another way to make a living.

And there is pollution. Our only coral reefs in Key west are constantly subjected to massive pollution, mostly from runoff motor vehicle and boats. The corals there are in very poor condition. Efforts are being made worldwide to protect the reefs. The Great Barrier Reefs are protected, and while the reefs in Oahu and Maui are greatly deteriorated, the reefs in the northwest chain of the Hawaiian Islands, a string of atolls stretching from Kaui to Midway, are in very good condition and well protected. Very little visitation is allowed, mostly only by people willing to help with reef maintenance.

And then there are the scuba divers who are loving the reefs to death. If a boat touches a coral formation, that coral dies. Coral dies even when only brushed against by a diver. Efforts are being made to educate divers, but there is a long way to go.

And what of the open ocean and the supposedly inexhaustible supply of fish? The practice of using trawling nets is destroying the fish resource. They drag along miles of ocean floor, catching and discarding all the living creatures other than the desired fish, severely disrupting the ecosystem. Efforts are now being made to outlaw this type of of fishing, but it's still going on. Atlantic bluefin tuna have declined eighty percent during the last twenty years. Fishermen never catch the huge mature tuna that formerly were so abundant. The tuna are no longer allowed to mature. Only small, half-grown tuna are harvested.

Swordfish populations have declined to the point of endangerment. Sharks, the top of the ocean foodchain, are now vastly overfished, and populations are being depleted at an alarming rate. The cod fishery in the North Atlantic has almost disappeared. Some restrictions have been put on, but probably all cod fishing should be banned for a number of years until the population returns to healthy levels. Orange roughy is becoming scarce. Alaskan pollock, once considered a trash fish, is being rapidly depleted, and the Stellar sea lions who depend on it as a major food source, are starving.

Salmon: We know the sad history of our once vast Pacific salmon fishery. That network of enormous dams on the Columbia and other rivers in the Pacific northwest is gradually destroying the native salmon runs. Half-hearted attempts are being made to correct the problem, but they are insufficient.

There is aquaculture. Look for the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) label when you purchase salmon. The label ensures well-managed fisheries which attempt not to disrupt surrounding ecosystems. Aquaculture of shrimp, salmon, etc., is a growing industry but unfortunately is subject to the same dangers as factory farms: overcrowding, pollution and problems with the disposal of polluted water.

Disgusted with the methods now being used to raise our pork, beef and chicken, factory farms with unsanitary, inhumane conditions, overuse of antibiotics, a threat to human health, you have perhaps turned to fish as an alternative protein source. But while hogs, cattle and chickens are raised and slaughtered in deplorable conditions, they are in absolutely no danger of extinction. I can't say the same for the resources of the oceans. They are disappearing, and while the half-hearted attempts are being made to make the necessary regulations, they are insufficient. Experts know what needs doing, but the public so far is ignorant and uninterested. Public supports is needed. Please become a knowledgeable consumer and urge our elected officials to pass the needed legislation before it is too late. Be aware that with your fish dinner you are ingesting unacceptable amounts of mercury. All the world's oceans are polluted.

Water Follies By Robert Glennon

In our article on the Wisconsin Stewardship Network's annual meeting on page one, we mentioned Robert Glennon and his book “Water Follies: Groundwater Pumping and the Fate of America's Fresh Waters”. We want to recommend his book to anyone who is interested in improving the irrational behavior in this country towards both ground and surface water…and that should be all of us. In his book he has thirteen very readable chapters outlining the specific issues and problems concerning groundwater in different locations around the country starting with Wisconsin (Perrier's bottled water) and reaching from Maine (Wild Blueberries and Atlantic Salmon) through Minnesota (irrigated potatoes for McDonald's) to California (the Corps of Engineers and the Cosumnes River).

In his last chapter he gives his recommendations for changing the water laws of this country and attempting to avoid or reduce what biologist Garrett Hardin has called “the tragedy of the commons”. In his penultimate paragraph, he gives us some good advice on personal choices:

“Our consumer preferences for ‘spring’ water, gold jewelry, and blemish-free French fries involve innocent choices made by individuals, but their cumulative impact has the potential to devastate springs and rivers. As consumers, we might cut back on french-fry consumption; it would be good for our hearts as well as for our rivers. Because most domestic water use goes for exterior purposes (lawns, swimming pools, gardens), homeowners might rethink their choice to water a sprawling lawn with groundwater. They might also install low-flow faucets, showerheads, and toilets. These involve relatively pain-free changes.”

Earlier he stated that “…some proposals for new bottled water plants, like Perrier's adjacent to the Mecan River in Wisconsin are appalling.” But also wrote, “Despite the criticism of Perrier, it is not a crime or a violation of any ethical or philosophical norm to drink spring water. Indeed, it's a healthy substitute for Pepsi, coffee or beer—all made with water.” The same can be said for our tap water in southeast Wisconsin which does not take away from our natural springs and rivers.

Water Follies is an easy and enjoyable read as well as educational. Robert Glennon teaches water law, constitutional law, and an American legal history course on the Colorado River at the University of Arizona where he is the Morris K. Udall Professor of Law and Public Policy, but this is not a dry, professorial recitation of facts, figures and foibles.

Coal-Fired Power Plants

With the proposed expansion of the coal-fired power plant in Oak Creek at the fore-front of the news and a high priority focus of our Group, more people are becoming aware that our nation's biggest air polluters are its 600 coal-burning power plants. If Wisconsin Energies proposals for the Oak Creek facility were to be approved by the Public Service Commission, it would become the sixth largest such plant in the United States.

Coal-burning power plants generate 54% of our electricity. Just one 500 megawatt power plant emits 3.7 million tons of carbon dioxide, 10,000 tons of sulfur dioxide and 170 pounds of mercury each year.

Two huge coal-burning power plants are under construction just three miles across the border in Mexico. They are being built by American power companies to furnish power to the U.S., not Mexico. Guess why these plants are being located in Mexico?

Do Our Actions Speak of Our Convictions?

by Lila Berge

If asked, all Sierra Club members would probably say they joined because they care about the environment. Right? You, too? Most Americans agree that a clean and healthy environment is desirable for all living things. So what’s the problem?

The problem is we fail to recognize the connection between our actions and the environment. We waste our money on water in little plastic bottles that we use once and throw away, seldom thinking about the harmful extraction process involved, the transportation, packaging waste, and theft of somebody else's natural resource. Are our kitchen taps so hard to use, the water so suspect, reusable containers so hard to find? We buy disposable dishes and cups although our kitchen cupboards are not bare.

Of course, all Sierrans recycle plastic bottles, etc.…don't we? Perhaps not. At our Group's December potluck, a liter soda bottle, two aluminum cans and a glass liquor bottle were put in the trash can. What does that say about our environmental group to our host church members?

Our Group has a policy…we wash and reuse #5 plastic plates and cups. Unfortunately, the city of Racine does not accept #5 plastic items for recycling, so eventually they end up in the trash. Perhaps the Group ExCom should make it a policy not to use these things at all. What do you think? Should members be told to bring plates, cups and flatware from their own kitchens to potlucks and picnics? Or should Sierrans not need to be told?