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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