The Shepherd Express interviewed six local leaders regarding their plans for Earth Day and the future.
Jennifer Bolger Breceda: Executive Director of Milwaukee Riverkeeper
Jennifer Bolger Breceda
What is Milwaukee Riverkeeper doing on Earth Day?
Every day is Earth Day around here! For the month of April, we will kick off our Adopt-a-River Program and organize one of the largest volunteer events in the state, our annual Spring Cleanup. On Saturday, April 27, more than 4,000 volunteers will come out to the rivers throughout the entire Milwaukee area (seven counties) and remove trash and debris from the waterways, parks and rivers. Our amazing volunteers remove more than 100,000 pounds of trash from the environment and make our community cleaner and healthier.
The event runs from 9 a.m. to noon, and afterwards, we host a cleanup party in partnership with Rock the Green. The Rock the Green Earth Day event is great and includes a pedal-powered stage, local musical artists, sustainable/local food vendors, an “eco-village,” and best of all no trash is created by the event; everything is recycled, composted or biodegrades. Each spring cleanup volunteer will also receive a free beer from Good City for their hard work. Our monitoring season begins this month, too, with trainings and preparations. We have many volunteer opportunities. The month of April and, in particular, Earth Day, signifies the launch of our busy river season where our winter planning turns into action, restoration and a better community. It is a busy time, and we are excited to get back on the river.
What are the most pressing issues for Milwaukee Riverkeeper?
Water quality issues are the most pressing, including phosphorus, bacteria, chloride and sediment. Many sections of streams and waterways do not meet legal standards for these and other parameters at different times of the year. Milwaukee and more than 40 million people elsewhere rely on the Great Lakes for drinking water. Our rivers are part of that resource. What goes in our rivers and Lake Michigan must be treated before we drink it. Additionally, wildlife and aquatic life need clean waterways to survive.
There are many sources and factors that impact our waterways and lower the water quality. We identify and monitor those impacts, and we also work really hard to help decision-makers think about water when making decisions. Since the rivers cannot speak, and we cannot always see impacts, we collect basin-wide information and publish the data, so people know what is happening in their neighboring waterways. We want to see a Milwaukee River Basin that is swimmable, fishable and active. A clean, healthy waterway equals a thriving, healthy community, which is what we are working for every day.
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Mark Redsten: President & CEO of Clean Wisconsin
Mark Redsten
What is Clean Wisconsin doing on Earth Day?
Clean Wisconsin staff will be attending and promoting the Nelson Institute event for Earth Day this year. We will be promoting other Earth Day efforts by partnership organizations as well.
What are the most pressing issues for Clean Wisconsin?
For the past 49 years, Clean Wisconsin has worked primarily in two broad program areas: water and energy/climate change. Today, within those two broad program areas, we emphasize access to clean, safe drinking water for all, the reduction of climate-change pollution and the promotion of clean energy solutions in Wisconsin.
Drinking water is a huge issue in Wisconsin right now due to increased awareness about pollution issues—from lead pipes in cities to rural drinking water wells contaminated with nitrogen, pathogens and pesticides, to other toxins like PFAS emerging at an alarming level; drinking water concerns are everywhere in Wisconsin. We are pleased that Gov. Tony Evers declared 2019 the Year of Clean Drinking Water in part because of all of these concerns.
Climate change is probably the most important issue of our generation. Solutions to climate change seem even more important after the IPCC report saying we have only 12 years to reduce carbon emissions before we see irreversible environmental damage. Fortunately, younger voters are especially motivated by this issue, and economics and technology are adding to the fast pace of change from fossil fuels to clean energy. Again, we are pleased Gov. Evers set an important goal that all electricity produced within the state should be 100% carbon-free by 2050.
Clean Wisconsin is leading many policy and legal initiatives to help Wisconsin residents have access to clean drinking water and to promote climate change solutions. Every day should be Earth Day, but there have been annual Earth Day celebrations each year since April 22, 1970, thanks to former Wisconsin Gov. Gaylord Nelson, who brought special attention to the environmental challenges we face. This year, our local groups will again lead or participate in various Earth Day activities, so please join in.
Glenna Holstein: Branch Manager of the Urban Ecology Center
Glenna Holstein
What is the Urban Ecology Center doing on Earth Day?
At all three of our branches [East Side, North Side and South Side], we are partnering with Milwaukee Riverkeeper for their 24th Annual Milwaukee Riverkeeper Spring Cleanup. We provide the bags and gloves, and our wonderful volunteers provide the energy to pick up trash and other things that find their way into our river system. After the event, we are inviting people to join in a community lunch or celebration at or near each of our branches.
What are the most pressing issues for the Urban Ecology Center?
We always like to remind people that “every day is Earth Day!” We love to see the swell of support that happens in April, and we also like to encourage people to think about what they can do every day—at home, work and in their communities—to be good stewards of our Earth.
Tyler Huebner: Executive Director of RENEW Wisconsin
Tyler Huebner
What is RENEW Wisconsin doing on Earth Day?
On Monday and Tuesday, April 22 and 23, our program director, Heather Allen, will be participating in UW-Stevens Point’s Earth Day programming on clean and renewable energy. The following weekend (April 26 and 27), Jane McCurry, a program manager, will be speaking on electric vehicles and solar energy at the Egg Harbor “Every Day is Earth Day” festival in Door County.
What are the most pressing issues for RENEW Wisconsin?
Wind and solar electricity have become very cost effective, and we are working to ensure new projects can gain local and state approval to generate a lot more renewable energy in Wisconsin. We’re also working to expand opportunities for families, businesses and nonprofits to add solar energy to their homes, buildings and properties.
We continue to support bioenergy, local hydropower and geothermal technologies that can further reduce Wisconsin’s dependence on energy from other states. And in our newest initiative, we are working to kickstart the market for clean electric vehicles in Wisconsin, as we envision a future where we can both power our lives and move people around with clean renewable energy.
Cassie Steiner: Public Relations and Outreach Associate of the Sierra Club—John Muir Chapter
Cassie Steiner
What is the Sierra Club doing on Earth Day?
The Sierra Club is partnering with other groups throughout Southeastern Wisconsin. This year, the Great Waters Group will again be celebrating Earth Day on two fronts, showcasing our service to our Mother Earth with a focus on water and community as part of the Milwaukee Riverkeeper’s 24th Annual River Cleanup on Saturday, April 27. Volunteers will also cleanup trash along a wild stretch of Lincoln Creek from 35th and Congress streets to 34th Street and Hampton Avenue.
The Earth Day Nearby Nature Community Celebration, Washington Park Urban Ecology Center, celebrates the grassroots environmental movement in the community. There will be service work in Washington Park from 9 a.m.-noon and a lunch for volunteers at noon. The keynote speaker will be August Ball, founder and CEO of Cream City Conservation, and there will be information tables.
These are examples of the many events our groups regularly hold or participate in to highlight and bring attention to our love of nature and support for our environmental heritage. Don’t miss out on many more opportunities on Saturday, May 11, when we’ll have events around the state to show our support for restoring the funding our state parks need.
What are the most pressing issues for the Sierra Club?
In Wisconsin, the Sierra Club has five priority-issue campaigns: moving beyond coal to clean energy; moving beyond oil by fighting tar sands, oil pipeline expansions and advocating for clean and equitable transportation priorities in the state; stopping destructive mining; protecting water quality and quantity; and protecting wildlife, forests and public lands.
We accomplish our goals through direct and grassroots legislative and administrative lobbying, education, outings, litigation and electing environmental champions to local, state and federal office.
Erick Shambarger: Environmental Sustainability Director of the City of Milwaukee Environmental Collaboration Office (ECO)
Erick Shambarger
What is the Environmental Collaboration Office (ECO) doing on Earth Day?
Every day is Earth Day for the ECO. We’ll be doing what we always do: working to make Milwaukee a world-class eco-city with practical programs in energy efficiency, renewable energy, water and urban land restoration. As for events, on Saturday, April 27, we’ll celebrate by supporting Milwaukee Riverkeeper’s Annual Spring Cleanup followed by the Rock the Green concert.
What are the most pressing issues for ECO?
The most pressing issues for the ECO are to hasten the transition to renewable energy in Wisconsin while helping the government of the City of Milwaukee and the private sector use energy more efficiently. We are also finalizing our Green Infrastructure Plan and working to green up our neighborhood commercial corridors.
