The Defender

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, research, and expert staff at the EPA. Find out what's at stake and how Wisconsin can fight back.

Host: Amy Barrilleaux

Guest: Evan Feinauer

Resources for You:

Under the Lens: What we know about PFAS in Wisconsin's Water

Nitrate pollution's impact on Wisconsn's health and economy

Neonicotinoid pesticides and their impact

More episodes with Evan:

When Judges Rule the Environment: How bad are the new Supreme Court rulings?

What Trump 2.0 means for our environment

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 are spreading tiny lead particles over people's backyards, water wells, playgrounds, soccer fields and waterways just about every time they fly.

It this episode, Amy talks with a small town Wisconsin lawmaker who is leading her community's charge to get the lead out of our air. And she's got an eye-opening study that shows how our drinking water could be at risk too.

Host: Amy Barrilleaux

Guest: Cynthia Richson, Town of Middleton, Wis., town board chair

Resources for you:

EPA Lead Endangerment Finding

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 of her house and shares her perspective on activism and the joy she finds in taking personal responsibility for our impact in this world.

Host: Amy Barrilleaux

Guest: Susan Millar

Resources for You:

How to Defend the Inflation Reducation Act The biggest investment to fight climate change in U.S. history is under attack. Find out how you can protect incentives that are helping Wisconsinites save energy and money.

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" is so important. Environmentalism needs a voice, now more than ever.

We're also going to be rolling out new episodes weekly. So every Monday check your favorite podcast streaming service or your inbox to listen to the latest Defender episode.

Every week, Amy will with scientists, advocates, farmers, experts, and just everyday people who are working right here in Wisconsin to make a difference to protect this place we call home. And learn how you can use your voice to be part of defending what we all care about.

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 Climate Solutions Manager with Clean Wisconsin, about the places where eating and our environment connect.

Host: Amy Barrilleaux

Guest: Kathryn (Kata) Young, Clean Wisconsin

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 Paris Climate Agreement, diminishing wetland protections, pulling funding to replace lead pipes, undermining the EPA's ability to regulate carbon, axing programs that help people weatherize their homes, getting rid of support for manufacturing of batteries and solar panels, and of course, lots more drilling and fracking.

If you think it feels overwhelming, you're not wrong. There are also plans to target the unbiased science and research that happens at our federal agencies, replacing civil servants with political appointees.

So now that I've got you thoroughly angry, sad, scared, name the emotion, we're going to dig into some of these issues and look at the road ahead to fight back.

Host: Amy Barrilleaux

Guests: Clean Wisconsin Attorneys Evan Feinauer and Brett Korte

In this episode, Amy uncovers the truth about neonicotinoids with experts from Clean Wisconsin and the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.

Host: Amy Barrilleaux

Guests:

Sara Walling, Water & Agriculture Program Director, Clean Wisconsin

Carla Romano, Groundwater Specialist, Department od Agriculture Trade and Consumer Protection

Background Reading:

Understanding the Impact of Neonicotinoid Insecticides

Agricultural Chemicals in Wisconsin Groundwater Report, Department of Agriculture Trade and Consumer Protection

Neonitcotinoids and their impacts

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 with energy expert Dr. Ciaran Gallagher.

Host: Amy Barrilleaux

Guest: Dr. Ciaran Gallagher, Energy Manager, Clean Wisconsin

Background Reading:

Under the Lens, the Truth About Natural Gas

Stopping Gas Expansion in Wisconsn

Power Wisconsin Forward: An affordable, reliable, fossil-free future

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, PhD

Background Reading:

The Future of Persistent 'Forever" Chemicals

Under the Lens: What we know about PFAS in Wisconsin's drinking water

Toxic PFAS pollution devastates two Wisconsin Communities (video)

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, not just for the environment but across the board, and the harm will be far reaching.

Amy Barrilleaux

Evan Feinauer, Clean Wisconsin attorney

Rulings from U.S. Supreme Court a disaster for the environment

Clean Wisconsin takes legal action to protect communities from toxic mercury pollution

New EPA power plant rules will save lives in Wisconsin

Clean Wisconsin Legal Work