Environment

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Winter is historically when water levels recede in the Great Lakes. But in January 2020, Lake Michigan broke a 33-year-old record high, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
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Climate change could rob Wisconsin of its maple syrup, a North Woods forest ecologist says. According to projections by federal scientists, if carbon emissions aren't cut back, the state will become much less hospitable to the sugar maple, along with a host of other tree species.
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A record amount of cargo containing components used for generating wind power moved through the Twin Ports during the 2019 shipping season. The surge in wind traffic comes as Duluth-Superior handled the lowest amount of coal in more than three decades.
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What's considered normal weather changes over time. To account for that, the National Weather Service will recalculate a 30-year average of weather patterns from 1991 to 2020.
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As Enbridge explores new possible routes for Line 5, the pipeline has created division among neighbors and communities over the path it may take. And, federal and state regulators have no authority to weigh in on the siting of the proposed line.
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Three more counties had wild deer test positive for chronic wasting disease during 2019. As a result, 30 counties in the state have had CWD detections in wild herds since the disease was first detected in 2002.
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Wisconsin is putting in for a FEMA assessment of Lake Michigan shoreline damage in Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha counties following winter storms and lakeshore flooding. Racine County Emergency Management coordinator David Maack discusses the damage to public infrastructure.
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The Solar on Schools program is asking K-12 schools in Wisconsin to consider installing solar panels as part of their energy mix.
As climate change increases the likelihood of more extreme storms and subsequent floods in coming years, what is the state doing about the potential risks to dams? What does the situation look like at a more local level?
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PFAS "forever chemicals" have become a fixture of public attention and policymakers are taking steps to address their use. UW-Madison civil and environmental engineering professor Christy Remucal discusses what is known about PFAS and the risks associated with them.