Illinois regulators ended a four-year feud as they signed the first fracking permit to Woolsey Operating Company on Aug. 31, 2017. The argument between environmentalists and the oil drilling industry has been a long one and the decision came as a shock because the regulations put in to practice years before. Located in White County, the company plans to move ... Read More »
In President-elect Donald Trump 100-day plan he has proposed two major policies that will impact the natural resources of the country. First, according to his website Trump hopes to “lift the Obama-Clinton roadblocks and allow vital energy infrastructure projects, like the Keystone Pipeline, to move forward.” Pipelines are categorized as vital because they transport fossil fuel from cheap, domestic sources ... Read More »
On Nov. 22 Winona County in Minnesota voted to ban frac sand mining. Sand mining is the procedure of extracting specific sand types for use in hydraulic fracturing in the western United States. Frac sand mines are found throughout southwestern Wisconsin and neighboring parts of Minnesota. While there are no active sand mining sites in Portage County, neighboring Wood county is ... Read More »
It is finally getting colder out and in Wisconsin that means it’s time to crank up the heat. Most students avoid turning on the heat for as long as possible by wearing sweaters around the house until it is too much to bear. Saving money is a huge concern for many students, and one way to save money is by ... Read More »
Climate change has a history of being a hot topic debated by American politicians. Many still claim climate change is not human-caused and therefore it is not the government’s responsibility to do anything to address it. Many voters consider environmental protection to be a very important factor in deciding who to vote into public office. Logan Hubbard, senior wildlife and ... Read More »
On Feb. 11, new legislation that would prohibit companies from making new leases on federal lands and waters for coal, oil and gas was introduced to Congress. If passed, this would permanently protect Arctic and Atlantic coasts from new oil explorations and drilling operations. The “Keep it in the Ground Act” would ban gas, oil and coal extraction on publicly ... Read More »
The controversial petroleum and natural gas pumping process known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, has strong roots within Wisconsin’s sandy soil. Environmental activist group 350 Stevens Point is drawing attention to sand mines in western Wisconsin that currently hold 75 percent of the frac sand market throughout the United States. During fracking, millions of gallons of fresh water and chemicals are ... Read More »
The Pointer UW-Stevens Point Student Newspaper