Promoting quiet recreation in Wisconsin.
Opposing the coming attempts to sell off Wisconsin's natural heritage.
Fighting denial about climate change. When are we hitting the streets?


Sunday, December 29, 2019

The Overstory

The OverstoryThe Overstory by Richard Powers

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


My favorite book of 2019. A great book about people and trees, and a good antidote for complacency and cynicism.



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Our Living Ancestors: The History and Ecology of Old-growth Forests in Wisconsin (And Where to Find Them)Our Living Ancestors: The History and Ecology of Old-growth Forests in Wisconsin by John Bates

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Northern Wisconsin Naturalist John Bates has written a great book about remnants of old growth forests. This book is not only a social and natural history of these bits of forest, it is also a great guidebook, so if you like exploring Wisconsin, this will be a must-have book to take along with you.



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Thursday, November 21, 2019

Evers' Law

Governor Evers inexplicably signed an ALEC bill making  protests that take trespass on pipeline property a felony.    Laws against trespassing already exist.   This is about keeping the fossil fuel flowing through the pipelines.

Fossil Fuel companies know that their biggest immediate threat isn't legislation, but loss of Wall Street support.   Investors are starting to get itchy about fossil fuels.   Pipelines are expensive, and the returns are not as sure as they used to be as, in the long run, renewables become cheaper.   These companies know they have a short window of time to get their planet-destroying product extracted and sold.

Protests that hinder pipeline expansion even for a year or two create a loss of confidence for investors.

Hence the reason behind the Felony protest bill, now to be called "Evers' Law".     Fossil Fuel corporations are going to try to get pipeline expansion done as quickly as possible, before law suits are settled, so that their existence is a fait accompli "a done deal".

  Protests that actually impede expansion slow things down, giving courts time to look at  environmental impacts and the rights of landowners and tribes.   Investors start looking elsewhere for a sure thing.

Its hard to know why Governor Evers knifed his allies on this.  Politically,  it will not win him one ally in the State senate or Assembly.     It will take some of the energy out of his claim to care about the environment.    It won't be enough for newly energized young people, environmentalists, civil libertarians, and tribal members that he is "better than the Republican alternative".

The first time someone is sentenced under this bill (and it will happen!) we need to call it "Evers' Law"  I really hope he can recover from this.  He could start by having his  Climate Task force  research place a moratorium on pipeline expansion in the State.



Wednesday, November 20, 2019

A Look Around the Place

I had a Coleridge-Kubla Khan moment (sans the opium)the other day.  I'd been thinking about restarting a blog for the past few months, or perhaps starting a new one.  I awoke from a nap the other day with a great name for a blog focusing on walking and the environment.   It seemed such a good name that I decided to start a new blog.   About an hour after waking up, I completely forgot the name.    It was something like "A look around the place" but it was much better.   So, anyway, instead of starting a new blog, I am going to continue with the old one.   I do know a bit how Coleridge felt, though..





Friday, December 28, 2018

First thing to read for the new year.




This Dave Roberts Essay   is a great introduction to the  history, politics, and as yet unfinished platform of the Green New Deal.



Tuesday, January 17, 2017




Saturday, January 07, 2017

Checklist: What will happen in a Trump/GOP administration


At this point it shouldn't be too hard to predict what is going to happen, legislatively and behaviorally, in the Trump/GOP coalition.    I am compiling a list, so that you can keep me honest.   Your milage may very as to whether you think these things are good or not.   Some are happening already.  Feel free to comment if you think I am missing anything.


1. Obamacare repeal without adequate replacement__
2.     Privatizing medicare/Medicaid/Social Security__
3.    Privatizing V.A. medical care__
4.     Vastly increased Russian power in Eastern Europe__
5.    War against Iran__
6.     Rolling back climate change treaties__
7.    Rolling back environmental protections__
8.     Selling off public assets__
9.    Cutting taxes on the wealthy__
10.  Return of deficits, national debt growth__
11.  Deregulated wall street, large financial institutions__
12.  Economic collapse following re-deregulated wall street__
13.  Imposed “austerity” after next economic collapse__
14.   Criminalization of protest__
15.   Govt. transparency, press access greatly curtailed__
16.  Use of private “troll armies” to control social media, intimidate opposition__
17.   Random populist gestures by President to distract from unpopular programs__
18.   Support for voting restrictions__
19.   Appoints Supreme Court judges to the right of Scalia__
20.  Roll back of LGBTQ protections__
21.  Roll back of women’s health care access__
22. Roll back of norms re: conflict of interest__
23. Roll back of independent ethical oversight of Congress, President__
24. Violation of bipartisan norms in order to rush through and hide unpopular legislation_
25.  Crackdown on civil liberties as a means of cracking down on illegal immigration__
26. Cutting the legs out from under,  then privatizing, public education__

 I will flesh out some of these items as time goes on.   For example, I think in the early stages, I am not sure whether Congress will go for a quick strike against Social Security/Medicare or whether they will try the stage approach-that is, weaken the programs and make them unsustainable first, then strike later as part of an austerity package.




Jamelle Bouie: Trump/GOP most extreme coalition since the civil war.   It can't be stressed enough: these guys aren't "conservatives".

Monday, December 12, 2016

Manty Ellis at the Jazz Estate



Since we moved to Milwaukee, I have wanted to make it to the reopened Jazz Estate. finally got a chance this week.