Tag Archives: Environment

Students can earn a Permaculture Design Certificate through a three-week study abroad trip to Kenya next summer. Holly Petrillo, course leader and associate professor of forestry, describes permaculture as a set of ethics and principles for designing sustainable living systems. “We really like the permaculture curriculum because it integrates the natural resources and the sustainability aspect but also the community ... Read More »

Liberation Farm in Almond, offers diverse food options. Holly Petrillo, assistant professor of forestry, began the farm with her husband John Sheffy in 2011. Petrillo said that they first got into farming because they wanted to be able to grow their own food and provide their young daughter the opportunity to grow up on a farm. One of Petrillo and ... Read More »

A bill has been proposed which could make it easier to develop state wetlands in Wisconsin. If passed, Assembly Bill 547 would remove permitting requirements for wetlands which are not federally protected. Typically, only wetlands next to navigable waters are under federal protection leaving isolated wetlands and ephemeral or seasonal wetlands under state jurisdiction. According to the Wisconsin Wetlands Association, ... Read More »

A change in legislature may affect cooperative members statewide. The Senate Bill 281, Assembly Bill 353, allows for cooperatives, also known as co-ops, to make changes to their bylaws that were once seen as illegal. According to the Wisconsin Farmers Union, the changes would have about 20 percent of co-op board members be replaced by investors or other outsiders. Members ... Read More »

A crucial component of living sustainably is reducing the amount of waste produced. In 2013, the EPA estimated that the average person produces 4.4 pounds of waste per day. There has been a great deal of emphasis put on recycling and composting, and while these are helpful strategies, it is equally important to consider consuming less. This could be through ... Read More »

Jazmine Bevers is a senior communications and forestry management major. What does sustainability mean to you? It means creating a world that can sustain not only humans but every other living thing on it as well as its resources through technology, inclusivity and diversity. Why do you think sustainability is important? I think it’s important because we are living on ... Read More »

In rural Wisconsin, climate change can seem like nothing more than a policy battle waged between political adversaries in Washington D.C., but scientists expect to see significant changes in our own state in the near future. A 2011 report by the Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts predicted that the average state temperature will increase six to seven degrees Fahrenheit ... Read More »

With bike racks found around every corner and students able to make their own compost pile, it is no surprise the university could be labeled environmentally friendly. However, the college has managed to take it a step further. The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point received a rating of 99, the highest possible from The Princeton Review Green College Honor Roll of ... Read More »

Renewable energy jobs continue to grow nationally and in Wisconsin. Wind energy is one of these promising fields. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that wind turbine service technicians will gain jobs faster than any other occupation at a rate of 108 percent between 2014 and 2024. Wind energy is not alone. The solar energy field has also grown remarkably. ... Read More »