Wednesday, July 1, 2026

July newsletter

 

July 7, 6:00 p.m., Online Line 5 Reroute Update     Enbridge's Line 5 Pipeline transports oil across Wisconsin and Michigan into Canada. It has spilled over one million gallons of oil and is being operated well beyond its intended lifespan. The proposed Line 5 reroute is 41 miles long and would allow the pipeline to continue operating over the opposition of the Bad River Band, on whose land the pipeline is currently trespassing. Hundreds of thousands of people from those near the Line 5 pipeline to every state in the country have taken action to oppose Line 5 and highlighted the need to shut down the pipeline and protect the Great Lakes, tribal sovereignty and treaty rights, and our climate and environment.

In February of this year, Enbridge began clearing the right of way for the Line 5 reroute as the legal case challenging their state permits for the projects continues. Despite the serious concerns raised by the Bad River Band and the environmental groups, Enbridge is proceeding with construction and preparing for the intensive, risky work they’ve proposed. Over the last few months, Enbridge’s behavior has raised concerns about the threats Line 5 opponents have warned of for years. Join us to hear an update on what's happening with Line 5 and how you can plug in to protect the Great Lakes, tribal sovereignty and our climate!

REGISTER FOR LINK: tinyurl.com/wisc-Line5Info-0726 

JULY 8 HIGHWAY CLEAN-UP     It’s time for the summer highway clean-up on our club’s section of River Valley Drive. We’ll meet at 6 p.m. at the pumping station just west of the intersection with Gillette and then spread out to pick up litter. Bags and vests are available or bring your own. We’ll work for about an hour and then gather (optional) at Rudy’s on La Crosse Street for refreshments. 

JULY 12 PSC HEARING PREP     Learn how to provide powerful testimony for upcoming 
Public Service Commission hearings on issues related to data centers. Several pending proposals call for an explosion of new gas plants which will increase power bills and methane emissions. Sign up for this 6 p.m. online webinar at https://tinyurl.com/WISC-pscprep726 

NO ACTION GATHERING IN JULY     There will be no local Action Gathering in July. We will resume in August. Watch for details in the August newsletter.

SUPPORT OUR TEAMS!      Our dedicated volunteer teams are fighting to stop the worst impacts of climate change, safeguard Wisconsin’s lands and wildlife, and ensure that when you turn on the tap, your water is safe to drink. This is your chance to support them and the important work they are doing for our environment and our communities. From now through August 13, each team will be raising funds and offering fun ways to celebrate grassroots activism and Wisconsin’s special places. Donate to your favorite team!
•    Wildlife Team: tinyurl.com/wisc-wildlife26
•    Water Team: tinyurl.com/wisc-water26
•    Transportation Team: tinyurl.com/wisc-transport26
•    Tar Sands Team: tinyurl.com/wisc-tarsands26
•    Lands Team: tinyurl.com/wisc-lands26
•    Beyond Coal Team: tinyurl.com/wisc-nocoal26

And, on July 29 at 6:30 p.m., join us online for a fun evening to celebrate the grassroots advocacy of the Wisconsin Chapter and explore how our work matters to the parts of our environment that come alive at night. Donate any time at: https://sc.org/DarkSkies

Revisiting Plastics at the June Action Gathering     by Chris Miller, CRSC Board Member

“Plastic pollution free world is not a choice but a commitment to life – a commitment to the next generation.” - Amit Ray, Indian author and spiritual master

We decided on the theme of reawakening ourselves to the plastic dilemmas for these reasons:
•    Plastic Free July started in Australia in 2011. It is now one of the largest environmental campaigns on the planet. We wanted to jump on board this global movement. 
•    Ninety-one percent of plastics are still not recycled.
•    These statistics lead to a tendency to feel helpless, become discouraged, and feel less empowered. So we wanted to re-imagine what can be done, how we can be inspired, and how we can feel empowered again. 

The narrative that consumers are the ones to blame has been perpetuated by the fossil fuel and petrochemical industry. Through targeted advertising and promotion of waste management solutions that rely on individual choices, like recycling, the fossil fuel industry has once again relied on manipulation and strategizing to keep us looking away from them and their responsibility.

We watched CAN WE FIX THIS? Why the plastic pollution problem is so much worse than you think

The key point: We cannot clean our way out of our plastic dilemma. 
What can be done?
•    Reduce how much we make: packaging material, single use beverage
•    Reduce how much we use
•    Make more reusable and refillable options
•    Design more products to be recyclable
•    Scale up waste collection in underserved countries: 4 billion people lack access
•    Expand recycling capacity by double
•    Make recycling cheaper and more profitable than landfills
•    Use science to redesign plastic so it can be used over and over
•    Build places where plastic can be stored and by products not disturb the environment
•    Reduce waste we export to lower income countries

You can see that these are all depend on system changes. The hopeful note is that if we did these things, we can cut our total plastic waste by 90% by 2040! So the most important action individuals can take is to advocate for system change like that illustrated in the zero waste hierarchy.

While we can’t fix the problem through individual choices alone, we can still choose to practice a joyful zero waste lifestyle and to incorporate principles into our lives. Practicing zero waste is a great way to resist dominant models of linear consumption, reduce our exposure to chemicals, save money, and inspire others to take action.   

We took action:
•    We signed a letter to the mayor educating him about Plastic Free July and advocating that he make plastic waste a priority in the Climate Action Plan.
•    Will work to set up a tour of Harters Recycling to educate ourselves on really what is going on with recycling in our area.
•    We took individual pledges that inspired us all including using plastic-free household items, being more mindful of use, using a metal refillable cup or bottle, using Ridwell, writing to companies about packaging, talking to others, including children, about zero waste. 

View the PowerPoint presentation from our Action Gathering at https://tinyurl.com/crsc-plastic0626 and check out the Sierra Club’s Room-By-Room Plastic Free Action Guide at https://www.sierraclub.org/Sierra/plastic-free-guide-room-by-room. You can read more about the Zero Waste movement at https://www.zerowaste.com.

We invite you to make your own pledge on July 1 at https://www.plasticfreejuly.org/pledge/

"We don't need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly." - Anne Marie Bonneau, @zerowasteche 

CRSC POTLUCK     Despite threatening weather and a few rain drops, our annual summer potluck was a great success. Many old and new friends gathered to share great food, stories, and plans. We learned a bit about upcoming state and local club initiatives and how we can be involved in the many challenges facing our environment. Thanks to all who attended!
Because of the unsettled weather, our tour of Southern Bluffs School’s Prairie was postponed until this fall. More details will be announced when it’s rescheduled.

COULEE REGION YOUTH     by Aditi Muduganti, Grade 12, Onalaska High School
Project Get Outdoors is a La Crosse initiative that connects youth experiencing mental health challenges with local natural spaces. A school club started by La Crosse teachers last fall has been taking students on weekly trips to local bluffs, creeks, and forests. Both efforts are built on the same idea: that young people are spending less time outside and that it matters. 

That outdoor access requires real work to maintain. La Crosse County has spent years cutting energy use across county buildings and recently installed solar panels at sites including Goose Island and the downtown offices as part of a larger push toward carbon neutrality by 2050. A recent county survey found strong majorities of residents worried about clean drinking water and ecosystem loss. The county is now developing a Community Sustainability Plan and seeking resident input to shape it. 

The City of La Crosse is moving alongside that work. The Climate Action Plan Steering Committee has backed goals this year to expand the urban tree canopy, increase renewable electricity generation, and improve recycling access for renters. The School District already has solar running at three schools, with a fourth on the way. For the students hiking bluffs on Tuesday mornings and the county planners meeting on Monday nights, the work is pointing in the same direction.

MORE JULY EVENTS

SUSTAINABILITY INSTITUTE SEEKS UWL STUDENT FOR EVENT PLANNING AND ENGAGEMENT INTERNSHIP FOR 2026-2027. Read more and apply here.


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Monday, June 1, 2026

June Newsletter

 

June 17, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. SUMMER POTLUCK at Goose Island County Park, Shelter #3!  

Make or buy some delicious food to share, bring your own beverage and your personal picnic kit (plate, utensils, cup/bottle), and bike, carpool or drive to Goose Island Shelter #3 on Wednesday, June 17. Bring your bug stuff, too! Starting at 5:30 p.m., we’ll talk, eat, share news about current Sierra Club campaigns, and enjoy another summer along the river together.

If you would like to tour the Southern Bluffs school prairie before the potluck, please see below.

If you are driving, consider offering a carpool ride. Offer or seek a ride at https://tinyurl.com/CRSCJune26Ride or call 608-315-2693. 

You do not need to be a Sierra Club member to attend, though the Sierra Club is doing some pretty important work and welcome new talent and energy! Join here: https://tinyurl.com/CRSC-joinus 

June 17 at 4:45 p.m. TOUR THE PRAIRIE at SOUTHERN BLUFFS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL!      Tour the prairie established at Southern Bluffs Elementary School with the help of a CRSC Environmental Education grant! Meet at the school parking lot, 4010 Sunnyside Drive, by 4:45 p.m. and Southern Bluffs teacher Darcy Lenz will guide us to the prairie. The school is just five minutes from the site of our annual summer potluck! See above for a link to the carpool option!   

JUNE 2 - BOOK CLUB     This month’s book club is hosted by the Sierra Club’s Transportation Access and Equity Team. Paved Paradise by Henry Grabar is, “a beguiling and absurdly hilarious mix of history, politics, and reportage. Slate staff writer Henry Grabar brilliantly surveys the nation’s parking crisis, revealing how the compulsion for car storage has exacerbated some of our most acute problems— from housing affordability to the accelerating global climate disaster—and, ultimately, how we can free our cities from park­ing’s cruel yoke.” 
RSVP for this online event June 2 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at https://tinyurl.com/WISC-PavedBook or call 608-315-2693 for access information. 

JUNE 19 - CRSC ACTION GATHERING     Join CRSC members and friends on Friday, June  19 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. learning about important environmental issues and taking action together to make a difference. We’ll watch a short educational video and then learn what we can do to work toward shared goals. Plus, there’s pizza! Questions? Call 608-315-2693 or email CRSierraClub@gmail.com.

JUNE 23 - CHAPTER ACTION HOUR     Every month, the Wisconsin Chapter offers friends and members the opportunity to learn about a current environmental concern and take action together. Fall elections will bring new legislative leaders and possibilities. At the same time, federal policies and programs are changing rapidly. RSVP for this online event, from 6 to 7 p.m. online, at https://tinyurl.com/WISC-626Action or call 608-315-2693 to learn how to participate by phone. 

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION GRANTS     CRSC awarded several Earth Month environmental education grants this year. We’ll report on them over the next few months. First up, a report from Darcy Lenz, Southern Bluffs Elementary School in La Crosse.
On (Earth Day), Southern Bluffs was able to host two programs thanks to generous support from the Sierra Club! The $200 grant helped offset the $625 fee to host both programs.

Grades 3-5 International Owl Center Presentation - Owls and Us Game Show
This was hands-on and very engaging! Students learned basic facts about owls in Wisconsin, their role in the ecosystem, human-owl interactions, and then students learned about ways to help keep owls healthy. Kids were fired up!

PK-2 International Owl Center Presentation
The Owl Center gave a wonderful presentation to the younger students. Our program was called, “So You Want to be an Owl “ (interactive program on owl behavior) for the K-2nd grade group. The students were excited and engaged in learning about the owls. There was a lot of interaction with students which kept their interest and the questions coming. 

MORE JUNE EVENTS

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Thursday, May 21, 2026

Birding 101

 

Saturday, May 30 from 7:30 to 10 a.m. at The Nature Place

Bird watching is one of the most popular pastimes in the United States, with approximately 96 million adult participants. The benefits of bird watching extend beyond simple enjoyment. Numerous studies have documented the health benefits of exposure to nature, particularly birds. Birdsong has been shown to be an especially effective tonic for personal well-being.

This fun course is designed to introduce bird watching fundamentals to interested adults. The morning will include a brief lecture on birdwatching basics followed by a two-hour birding hike in the La Crosse Marsh with local bird experts.

Registration is required.  No experience is necessary, but curiosity and a sense of awe are welcome. Bring binoculars if you have them; a limited number of binoculars will be available.

Presenter Bio:

Craig began working in natural resource conservation when gas was 96 cents per gallon. Now retired, much of his career focused on migratory bird conservation. He is a co-founder and President of Driftless Birds, an organization dedicated to accelerating bird conservation in the Driftless Area. When not watching birds in Wisconsin, he often leads bird watching tours in Latin America.


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Friday, May 15, 2026

May 29-31 Paddles and Premieres

Celebrate paddling and have a “reel” good time with a special film showing at the Rivoli Theatre, local paddle excursions, scenic trails, and more. As the Midwest’s premier paddle destination, the La Crosse Region is making waves—don’t miss your chance to ride along!

Activities include paddling at Pettibone Park, Lake Neshonic, and Goose Island; kayak safety courses; a paddling film fest and more.

See the full schedule at https://explorelacrosse.com/paddles-premieres/

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Friday, May 1, 2026

May newsletter

 

MAY 15 at 5:30 P.M. CRSC ACTION GATHERING     Join CRSC friends and members as we learn about an important environmental issue and then take meaningful action together. All are welcome - you don’t need to be a Sierra Club member to participate. RSVP (optional) by calling 608-315-2693 or at https://forms.gle/34yPvEL5putiuUtR7 to help us know how much pizza to have on hand. Please enter at the back door. BYO non-alcoholic beverage.

CHAPTER ACTION HOUR - RTAS     Tuesday, May 26 at 6 p.m. Online
Wisconsin transit advocates want to pass Regional Transit Authority (RTA) legislation in the upcoming legislative cycle so Wisconsin cities can have transit systems that work for residents. Come hear from Dave Steele with MobiliSE Wisconsin about how and why you should be a champion for RTAs. This issue is important for Coulee Region Group members who have been frustrated by the struggle to retain our Scenic Mississippi Regional Transit. RTAs provide funding and administrative solutions for regional transit systems. Learn more and RSVP here: https://tinyurl.com/wisc-rtas-may26 

REGULATING DATA CENTERS      On Friday, April 17, the Action gathering group met at the UU Fellowship for our monthly Action Gathering. The group continued to learn about data centers, but this time focused on regulation, local and statewide. 

Our guest speaker, via phone, was the La Crosse County Board Chair, Tina Tryggestad. She answered prepared questions then those from participants. She said La Crosse County has not taken a position or any action on data centers. A plan for a study committee is expected to come before the Board soon. She know of no planned data center in La Crosse County. However, the county doesn‘t have jurisdiction over land use within municipalities and wouldn’t know if data centers were proposed there.

Our region may be attractive to data centers because we have a lot of underground water, and most data centers require water to cool their equipment. Local governments can’t "zone" groundwater nor regulate it.

The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) is a regulatory authority that was primarily established by the 1907 Public Utilities Law, making Wisconsin one of the first states to regulate public utilities. The PSC has  three members chosen by the Governor and confirmed by the State Senate. They serve staggered six-year terms. The Wisconsin commissioners are Chairperson Summer Strand, Commissioner Kristy Nieto and Commissioner Marcus Hawkins. 

Wisconsin utilities have recruited data centers and proposed building new fossil gas plants for the centers’ enormous energy demands while proposing special, low rates which will affect everyone’s electricity rates.

After hearing from Tina, we visited the PSC website: https://psc.wi.gov where  we learned how to file a comment online by clicking on Public Comment, then clicking on File A Comment Online. More about the state chapter’s work on data centers, including ongoing actions we all can take, can be found at https://www.sierraclub.org/wisconsin/datacenteraction

It is only through educating concerned citizens that the Wisconsin PSC might begin to hear more feedback from an average consumer than the big energy utilities. [Info from Colleen Gnabasik and Kathy Allen.] 

APRIL REPORT     A Climate Collage Craft Night was held at UW-La Crosse on April 21 where information about Line 5 was shared and discussed.

Eleven CRSC members met on Saturday, April 25 to do our first highway clean-up of the year along the club’s section of River Valley Drive. The next club clean-up will be in July. 

CRSC tabled at the La Crosse Earth Fair on April 26 in La Crosse. Our display highlighted our recent work–action hours, environmental education grants and the high school stewardship award, and advocacy for renewable energy, clean transportation, stopping Line 5, and connecting with allies and like-minded groups in the area. In addition, some CRSC members participated in the Drive Electric Earth Month (DEEM) “Ask Me About My EV” event at the Earth Fair, handing out literature and talking with visitors about their EV experience. The Sierra Club is a national DEEM sponsor as part of its Clean Transportation for All campaign.

CRSC donated money toward children’s activities at the May 2 Coon Creek Community Watershed Council’s Coon Creek Confluence event in Chaseburg.

COULEE REGION YOUTH - KNOWLES-NELSON STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM     by Aditi Muduganti, Grade 12, Onalaska High School

Since its creation in 1989, the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program has protected more than 650,000 acres of public land in Wisconsin. It has helped preserve forests, rivers, wildlife habitats, and trail systems while also expanding access to outdoor recreation across the state. The program has received strong bipartisan support over the years, and recent polling shows that 93% of Wisconsin voters support it.

Even with that level of public backing, the program's future remains uncertain because it lacks permanent, stable funding. Without continued support, there is concern that future land protection projects and access improvements could be delayed or halted. This would especially affect landlocked public areas that communities rely on for recreation and connection to nature.

At the Wisconsin Conservation Congress Spring Hearing on April 13 at Irvin Pertzsch Elementary School in Onalaska, Aditi Muduganti submitted a proposal supporting continued and permanent funding for the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program. The proposal emphasized the importance of protecting and keeping Wisconsin’s public lands accessible, especially for future generations in the Coulee Region and across the state.

It also highlighted how the program supports more than just land conservation. It improves access to public spaces, protects natural resources, and maintains habitats important to wildlife and water quality. These are things that directly affect local communities, especially in areas where outdoor access is a big part of daily life.

The proposal called for long-term funding so that conservation efforts do not depend on short-term decisions year by year. For residents of the Coulee Region, the program represents something simple but important: keeping Wisconsin’s land open, protected, and available for everyone, not just now, but in the future, too.

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Wednesday, April 1, 2026

April Newsletter

 

 

APRIL 17 AT 5:30 P.M. - ACTION GATHERING - DATA CENTERS - PART 2     Join CRSC friends and members as we learn about an important environmental issue and then take meaningful action together. All are welcome - you don’t need to be a Sierra Club member to participate. This month, we’ll continue learning about data centers and what we can do about them. In addition to energy and water use, what other issues surround data centers and the drive to build so many of them so quickly? RSVP (optional) by calling 608-315-2693 or at https://forms.gle/34yPvEL5putiuUtR7 to help us know how much pizza to have on hand. Please enter at the back door. BYO non-alcoholic beverage.

EARTH MONTH     SIERRA CLUB BOOK CLUB! Join the Sierra Club Wisconsin to read and discuss great books! WEDNESDAY, April 8 at 6:30 p.m., we’ll  discuss The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer. 
Our economy is rooted in scarcity, competition, and the hoarding of resources, and we have surrendered our values to a system that actively harms what we love. Meanwhile, the serviceberry’s relationship with the natural world is an embodiment of reciprocity, interconnectedness, and gratitude. Kimmerer considers the gift economy, Indigenous wisdom. Learn more about it at https://tinyurl.com/wisc26bookclub

HIGHWAY CLEAN-UP  Saturday, April 25 at 9:00 a.m. join fellow CRSC members and friends to help pick up litter along River Valley Drive. We’ll meet at the pumping station just northwest of the Gillette Street stop light. Vests and bags are provided. For more information, please email CRSierraClub@gmail.com or call 608-315-2693.

CLIMATE COLLAGE CRAFT NIGHT - Tuesday, April 21 at 5 p.m. at UW-La Crosse Student Union (East Ave. and La Crosse Street - take the #4 bus!)  Come craft with us at the UW-La Crosse campus! We'll do some collaging in response to the questions "what do you want to protect from climate change?" and "why do you care about climate change?" Celebrate what you want to protect in the world, from lands and waters to the people around you. Drop by to craft and meet fellow Sierrans as well as new people interested in Sierra Club. There will be a presentation on Sierra Club's work, the Line 5 fight, and how people can get involved. All are welcome! Save room for snacks!  RSVP (optional) to help us plan! https://tinyurl.com/wisc-cccn0421

CAN YOU HELP US TABLE on Sunday, April 26 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the LA CROSSE EARTH FAIR at Myrick Park? Please email or call to volunteer!  

EARTH MONTH ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION GRANTS     We are happy to announce five new environmental education grants for Earth Month projects! These annual grants for K-8 programming help local agencies and educators enhance students’ connections with and understanding of the natural world. Along with our annual High School Environmental Stewardship Award, these grants solidify the Coulee Region group’s commitment to the next generation of environmentalists. This year’s recipients are:

  • Southern Bluffs Elementary School (La Crosse) - plants and supplies for third grade plants and soil project.
  • Logan Middle School (La Crosse) - safety vests and special shirts for students participating in school and neighborhood clean-up and environmental events. 
  • The Nature Place (La Crosse) - materials, supplies and prizes for elementary and middle school students’ participation in “The Community Science Game,” an exercise that helps students and families learn about projects they can get involved with.
  • Southern Bluffs Elementary School (La Crosse) - help fund a program by the International Owl Center for Earth Week.
  • Coulee Region Sparks Leo and Cub Club - help purchase edible shrubs and fruit trees which will be planted by club participants at the REACH Center in La Crosse.

Watch for our next environmental education grant - the High School Environmental Stewardship Award. Learn more about our education work and how you can help support it at https://sierraclub.org/Wisconsin/Coulee/Education

DRIVE ELECTRIC EARTH MONTH     Drive Electric Earth Month is a national campaign to share information about electric vehicles throughout the month of April. In addition to being better for the environment, electric vehicles are more fun to drive, more convenient to fuel and less expensive to operate than gasoline vehicles. 

The Sierra Club is an original national sponsor. Transportation is a major source of air pollution and has the largest, fastest-growing climate emissions in the US. Shifting to pollution-free vehicles, accessible public transit, and making our communities more walkable, bikeable, and transit-friendly for all, no matter their zip code, race, income level, age, or any other factor, can have a major impact on greenhouse gas emissions. 

To counter a deliberate, well-funded campaign opposing clean energy and clean transportation, these events can help people learn more about buying and owning an electric vehicle with real EV owners providing facts and answers to questions about range, charging, costs, traveling and more.

Saturday, April 18 - Wisconsin Electric Vehicle Association Ride-n-Drive from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the PDC Movie Theater, 1205 E Prairie Street, in Prairie du Chien. https://driveelectricearthmonth.org/event?eventid=5086

Sunday, April 26 - Ask Me About My EV from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the La Crosse Earth Fair (lower level near trail head). https://driveelectricearthmonth.org/event?eventid=5121 

WISCONSIN CONSERVATION CONGRESS     The Wisconsin Conservation Congress is the only statutory body in the state where citizens elect delegates to advise the Natural Resources Board and the Department of Natural Resources on how to responsibly manage Wisconsin's natural resources for present and future generations. The Congress accomplishes this through open, impartial, broad-ranged actions.

The 2026 Spring Hearing will be held in each county in person on April 13 and online from April 13 to 15. The annual Spring Hearing is an opportunity for the public to provide input on a wide array of natural resources-related proposed rule change questions presented by the DNR and advisory questions presented by the Conservation Congress. 

The public also has the opportunity to provide input on resolutions that members of the public previously submitted online between Jan. 5 and Feb. 9, 2026. New in 2026: The WCC will also consider resolutions submitted during the in-person county spring hearings. Day-of submissions are required to follow the same criteria as a resolution submitted via the Citizen Resolution Submittal Form. Guidance for submitting a resolution is found under the "For Your Information" heading on this page.

Public input received through this process is advisory to Natural Resources Board members, DNR staff and anyone working on these issues.

Learn more about the WCC and Spring Hearings - where they are, how to participate, and where to find the online survey and questionnaire by visiting  https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/about/wcc/springhearing 

ACTION GATHERING - DATA CENTERS by Chris Miller, CRSC Board Member

Together We Can
"When two violins are placed in a room
if a chord on one violin is struck, 
the other violin will sound that same note. 
Know how powerful you are.
Know you can make music in the people around you
just by playing your own strings."

The CRSC Action Gathering group met on March 20 at the Unitarian Universalist Church to become educated about the explosion of Hyperscale Data Centers. We want to acknowledge the UU church for welcoming us. 
We welcomed Representative Tara Johnson as a guest speaker. She gave us a detailed history of the attempts at cultivating a law to address Data Centers. None of them have met with success. The legislature has adjourned without voting on the new Data Center Bill: Assembly Bill 840 and Senate Bill 729 - Data Center Accountability Act. More information needs to be obtained about the exact requirements this bill establishes. Tara answered questions from the audience and a lively discussion ensued. 

We signed individual letters to the three Public Service Commissioners detailing our concerns. We also sent thank you notes to Rep. Jill Billings and State Senator Brad Pfaff for sponsoring one of the data center bills. 

At our next session–April 17 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.–we will continue to look at data centers. All are invited.  

Chris Miller presented a power point informing us about the concerns about data centers. You can view it at https://tinyurl.com/crscdatactrppt.
Basic Points: 

  • A hyperscale data center is a very large campus housing buildings that hold networked computer servers, serving AI, cloud storage, cryptocurrency. 
  • Wisconsin is seeing a data center explosion.
  •  Wisconsin is vulnerable to data center encroachment because it lacks a clean energy requirement written into law
  • It also lacks an integrated resource planning requirements which would help keep utilities accountable for their long-term energy investments and provide more opportunities for things like stakeholder engagement.
  • The state budget established broad sales and use tax exemptions to attract certified data centers that include land, equipment and electricity exemptions.
  •  Utility companies have actively recruited these large data centers.
  • Last January, President Trump signed an Executive Order encouraging a loosening of economic and environmental regulations to pave the way for hyper-scale data centers.  
  • A more recent executive order “seeks to limit the ability of states to regulate artificial intelligence, while attempting to thwart some existing state laws.
  • Wisconsin has water and land that these Data Centers need. 

There are many unanswered and worrisome questions, including: 

  • What is the demand on local water resources? 
  • What is the impact on local electrical capacity?
  • What is the ecological impact?
  • Who will pay the cost?
  • What is the sound and light pollution impact?
  • What are actual employment opportunities?
  • Will there be local revenues that are recouped?

Problems include 

  • Lack of transparency: Use of non-disclosure agreements (NDA’s) with host communities and labeling information such as water usage as a trade secret. 
  • Rapid Growth without plans
  • Energy Consumption: for example, two proposed facilities will use as much energy as 4.3 million Wisconsin homes in a state with only 2.8 million housing units.
  • Water Consumption: Clean potable water is used to cool data centers. The water is not returned to ground, it evaporates. 
  • Fossil fuel use: Some companies are using fossil gas which is about 90% methane, and they’ll depend on diesel fuel for backup generators.
  • Land Impacts: Large tracts of farmland will be permanently lost with no plans for decommissioning abandoned facilities. 
  • Who Pays?: Utilities are building billions of dollars of new generation facilities, transmission lines, and related infrastructure. Data centers could be responsible for over a third of electricity costs by 2050 and these costs are usually socialized or spread out among all the customers.

Solutions include coalition-building, lobbying for sunshine laws or public access to public records and open meetings, and community engagement. Four projects were canceled last year due to local efforts. 

Get yourself educated: read Tool Kit for Hyperscale Data Centers in Wisconsin and learn about local actions at https://cr-sierra.blogspot.com/p/crsc-action-data-centers.html 

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Sunday, March 1, 2026

March Newsletter

 

MARCH 20 AT 5:30 P.M. ACTION GATHERING - DATA CENTERS     Join CRSC friends and members as we learn about an important environmental issue and then take meaningful action together. All are welcome - you don’t need to be a Sierra Club member to participate.
This month's topic will be data centers - what are the potential impacts in Wisconsin? What regulation is being proposed? What can we do to protect our communities? RSVP (optional) by calling 608-315-2693 or at https://forms.gle/34yPvEL5putiuUtR7 to help us know how much pizza to have on hand. Please enter at the back door. BYO non-alcoholic beverage.

(NOT) TALKING ABOUT CLIMATE      Climate scientist and communicator Katharine Hayhoe notes in her blog, Talking Climate, that “climate hushing,” the lack of or deliberate blocking of discussion of the climate crisis, is becoming a dangerous global issue. She quotes Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, “When leaders don’t talk about something, enthusiasm falls among voters.”

In a joint statement issued in late 2025, the German Meteorological Society and the German Physical Society warned that, “Global warming has entered a phase of acceleration. By around 2050, warming could even reach 3 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels … Climate model results indicate that warming of up to 5 degrees Celsius is likely by the end of the century. This can only be prevented by a fundamental shift in human behavior.” 

A February 6 Mother Jones article (There May Be No Turning Back This Climate Crisis) explains, “The reason for the escalation is that the climate system is in a pincer grip. First, emissions of planet-warming gases remain stubbornly high, and second, natural carbon sinks are weakening. The result is an accelerating rise in atmospheric concentrations of CO2—2024 saw the biggest jump ever.”

In the UK, ITV News has seen a “classified government intelligence report which appears to show some of the most worrying potential impacts of our loss of nature weren't disclosed to the public.” The study was to have been released in late 2025 but only a summary came out, after public pressure, in January 2026. View their report at https://tinyurl.com/26ukclimatereport

Unfortunately, the EPA is rolling back and ending climate action programs and policies, as detailed in this February 15 Sierra Club magazine article: Environmental Groups Vow to Stop Trump’s EPA From Revoking the Endangerment Finding. The Sierra Club, the Environmental Defense Fund, and other environmental groups are preparing to take legal action. 

The Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts (WICCI) has released its 2026 Assessment Report which offers a five-year update on how Wisconsin's climate has continued to change. “Wisconsin continues to experience significant climate change impacts, including rising temperatures, increased precipitation, and more frequent extreme weather events. … Additional impacts include the arrival of new pests, infrastructure stress from heavier precipitation and temperature swings, and growing mental health concerns linked to climate uncertainty.” https://uwmadison.app.box.com/s/a4r2o4wpzoqrmogfeud6po3ughu2f9j0

HELP OUT AT THE APRIL 26 EARTH FAIR!  CRSC will table at the La Crosse Earth Fair on    Sunday, April 26. Can you take a shift to help let others know about our club? Or, can you participate in the Ask Me About My EV event at the fair? Call 608-315-2693 or email CRSierraClub@gmail.com.

COULEE REGION YOUTH     by Aditi Muduganti, Grade 12, Onalaska High School

You’re walking down your favorite, everyday La Crosse sidewalk in Riverside Park. People are talking, peaceful mornings galore, and the sounds of the river are flowing through your ears… except, on this particular morning, a group of students isn’t walking here. Instead, they are in front of the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison with Wisconsin Blue Books in hand. This act of engagement must have been done by none other than a group of La Crosse County students.

In conversations with Senator Pfaff and Representative Johnson, the students discussed farming and soil practices common in the Driftless Region and how state policies intersect with agriculture. They also discussed renewable energy projects, including local efforts such as the rooftop solar installation at The Nature Place in Myrick Park and solar panels on county public buildings as part of La Crosse County’s climate planning work.

During the visit, the students met with researchers from the Wisconsin Energy Institute to learn about ongoing energy research being studied at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. During this session, they learned about work connected to air quality research and planning in Kampala, Uganda, where UW-Madison researchers have contributed to developing air quality action plans. They also heard how to optimize roads for bikers… and yes, downtown can get busy enough to make even a squirrel nervous.

The topic of AI data centers was also part of the discussion. Across Wisconsin, multiple data center proposals have raised questions about energy demand. The students listened to Midwest Environmental Advocates as they explained how these facilities are evaluated and how energy planning is addressed.

Back in La Crosse County, these discussions connect to ongoing projects in our own community. Clearwater Farm in Onalaska developed a wetland habitat and education space designed to demonstrate water conservation. In the Coulee Region, solar projects continue to develop nearby, including construction on a solar farm near Lake Hallie intended to provide renewable energy.

Every part of the trip offered the students a chance to hear from those working on environmental and agricultural issues in both regional and global contexts. From the Capitol halls to the labs at the Energy Institute, and even to skies over Uganda, the students carried knowledge and a little bit of awe back to the Coulee Region.

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Aditi will be the featured speaker at this month’s Enviro-Wednesday, March 4 at 7 p.m. at the Nature Place in La Crosse. She will talk about her work on her sustainable technology book and her Miyawaki forest projects, both of which she did with funding from the Youth Climate Action Fund. She will also discuss sustainability and climate education in schools and how it is so important for the younger generation to be informed. The program is free and open to all. Learn more at https://tinyurl.com/tnpew0426 

MORE MARCH EVENTS     

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