Wisconsin

Instead of cleaning up lake, dumbasses dye it blue

Lake Delton, in the Wisconsin Dells, has been looking a little like your mom: hard-used and fungusy. Algae overgrowth gave the lake a greenish cast, and made it appear less-than-healthy to swim in. The solution, according to the company that maintains Lake Delton: Just dump a whole lot of blue dye in there and call […]

Election recap: Much ado (and cash) results in nothing

What do millions of dollars in television ads and mail and voter outreach get you? The status quo in Wisconsin and California.

Wisconsin hospital is powered by beer and cheese

Gundersen Lutheran Hospital, in La Crosse, Wis., aims to be energy independent by 2014. Hospitals use a ton of energy, so that’s a tough goal to meet. But Gundersen is getting there by piggybacking on Wisconsin’s best-known industries: beer and cheese. Beer and cheese, while delicious, both slough off a lot of gas while they’re […]

Critical List: Gas prices could drop; Poland blocks E.U. carbon reforms

Gas prices could be heading down. Poland, which depends on coal-fired power, keeps vetoing European Union plans to crack down on carbon emissions. Climate scientists predicted the spread of mountain pine beetles, which due to warming temperatures are decimating tree populations in the American West. Andrew Steer, who was working at the World Bank as […]

Recent Coal to Clean Energy Victories Worth Celebrating

This week we’re celebrating as more utilities are recognizing that coal is dirty and expensive, and are deciding to make the switch to clean energy. Earlier this week, Wisconsin’s Dairyland Power Cooperative announced that it will cease burning coal in three of the six units at its Alma Station by the end of the month. […]

Wisconsin town wants to outlaw biking and walking

The town of Hull, Wis., has a creative response to solving the problem of bike and pedestrian safety: Forbid bikers and pedestrians from using the roads.

‘Walkerville’ tent city springs up in shadow of Wisconsin’s grand Capitol

The Wisconsin State Capitol Building.Photo: Sarah GoodyearI wrote back in January about the importance of public space and urban design in the Egyptian revolution, and more generally about the role it plays in the ability of people to protest the actions of their governments and demand political change. Well, last week I was in Madison, […]

The grand tour: How bike tourism helps local economies

This is the eighth column in a series focusing on the economics of bicycling. Bike-friendly cities, off-road paths, and scenic country roads where cyclists can spin along in comfort aren’t just good for the people who live in those places. They also attract tourists. And tourists mean money for the local economy. Tourism is one […]

Wisconsin Gov. Walker rejected high speed rail but wants the money anyway

Before he was the guy who tried to kill Wisconsin unions, Scott Walker was the guy who campaigned on a promise to kill high-speed rail in Wisconsin. There wasn’t a lot of room for interpretation or anything — I mean, one of his campaign websites was NoTrain.com, for chrissakes. But now Walker is asking for […]