The Defender Podcast

No Mow May is here, but does it really make a difference in the battle to save our bees and butterflies? Amy walks through a typical Wisconsin yard with pollinator expert Elizabeth Braatz. Host: Amy Barrilleaux Guest: Elizabeth Braatz, Bumble Bee…

Sat Apr 27, 2024

23:28

When you think about the future of energy, do you picture you gas-fired power plants? In this episode, Amy looks at why power companies are racing to build new gas plants and what it means for the future of energy bills, our health and our climate. We…

Fri Mar 8, 2024

18:28

Wisconsin’s Public Service Commission approved a large methane gas plant four years ago. The site: a bluff overlooking the Nemadji River near the Minnesota border in Superior. At ​the ​time, ​Superior’s ​city ​council ​unanimously…

Tue Jan 23, 2024

19:45

1939. It’s the year researchers at the University of Wisconsin developed a hearty red corn that could tolerate Wisconsin winters and feed the state’s dairy cows. Before long, farms all over the state were sending trainloads of their ruby red corn to…

Wed Dec 20, 2023

18:55

It’s no exaggeration to say PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ are everywhere. Some states have found PFAS tainting milk supplies and contaminating crops. What are the consequences of population-wide exposure to these toxic chemicals? Amy talks with Clean…

Tue Nov 14, 2023

26:53

How do you know if the air you breathe is safe? It often depends on where you live–not just what town or city, but what neighborhood, what street. In this episode, Amy talks with Langston Verdin, founder of MKE Fresh Air Collective, a community-led…

Thu Oct 19, 2023

23:43

Endangered Rusty Patched Bumble Bee nest discovered in Milwaukee County Before the 1990s, they were everywhere in Wisconsin and beyond. Native Rusty Patched Bumblebees nested and foraged across 28 states and parts of Canada. Then the population hit a…

Wed Sep 20, 2023

20:59

It feels like momentum is growing behind rooftop solar in Wisconsin. Federal tax incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act, Focus on Energy rebates, and falling prices could finally push us out of the bottom half of states when it comes to home…

Tue Sep 5, 2023

16:20

Beach closures, fish kills, green lakes. They are unfortunate signs of summer in Wisconsin. A big reason: untreated animal waste. Large dairies can produce as much waste as a small city. It’s not only hard to deal with, it’s dangerous if it gets into…

Thu Aug 24, 2023

21:46

It’s no secret, Wisconsin has been rapidly losing its small family farms, and with them, a way of life that’s defined much of our state for more than a century. But there is a lifeline coming. About 30 miles outside of Lake Geneva, Amy meets…

Sun Jul 30, 2023

16:41