CURRENT CONCERN

“Mni Wiconi” – if “water is life,” why is Wisconsin treating it so badly?
“…access to safe drinkable water is a basic and universal human right since it is essential to human survival and, as such, is a condition for the exercise of other human rights.” – Pope Francis in Laudato Sí

Without water, the planet is dead. Why do we search so hard for water anywhere else in the solar system? Because only where there is water might there also be life.

In recent years, Wisconsin has been treating its waters very badly, and this is an urgent concern for all of us. Two issues in particular require our attention and action right now. One is about the stress on our waters from Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), and the other is about a petition from a frac-sand mining company to fill in wetlands for a sand processing facility.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel published an article on April 22 about the concerns rising from the huge increase in CAFOs in parts of our state. Among longstanding issues are the demands for water from these operations. High-capacity wells have been draining groundwater and lakes, especially in the Central Sands region. In addition, there are the mounting threats of pollution from manure spreading. Kewaunee County has become the “poster child” of these dangers, its three major rivers and groundwater already polluted from manure runoff. [See more here: Massive dairy farms…Can manure from so many cattle be safely spread on the land?]

The state legislature and the governor have been generous in supporting the expansion of CAFOs, despite these heavy costs to the environment (not to mention the role of CAFOs in creating a milk supply glut that now threatens the survival of family-run, non-industrial dairy farms in our state). Numerous groups have come together around demands to limit CAFOs and to insist that the industry be constrained by strong enforceable environmental regulations. [See: “Factory Farming Impacts” from the Clean Water Action Council of Northeast Wisconsin] The faith community has a crucial role to play in bringing communities together in defense of clean water
Action: contact legislators and demand the full implementation of the 1972 Clean Water Act’s goal of zero discharge of animal wastes and excess nutrients to ground and surface waters from livestock facilities.

On the frac-sand mining issue, this from the Midwest Environmental Advocates: “Meteor Timber, LLC seeks approval from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to destroy an unprecedented amount—16.25 acres—of pristine forested wetlands for a proposed industrial sand facility. Meteor Timber asserts that it must fill these wetlands to construct a load out facility in Monroe County in the Town of Gant, which will supply sand to a planned processing facility in Jackson County. The project, if approved, would destroy high quality wetlands that provide critical ecosystem services to the county as well as a rare habitat for a number of threatened and endangered species, including the Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake.”

Communities are urged to add their voices in opposition to this plan. Not only are the potential impacts of this project considerable, but the precedent that would be set by permitting this to go forward could be devastating throughout the frac-sand mining region, and for other wetland areas threatened by future industrial projects.

Action: Our state government is not proving to be a good steward of our waters and is therefore in violation of “a basic and universal human right [that] is essential to human survival. They need to hear from voters about this issue. And I think the Pope would be happy to be quoted in your messages to legislators. Stay tuned to MEA for further actions.

Finally, to get a sense of the profound threat posed by the current state government to our Wisconsin waters, I urge you to read this article from Urban Milwaukee, State Gives Green Light to Billion-Gallon Groundwater Giveaway.

~ Margaret Swedish, Center for New Creation



Investing in Clean Energy / Divesting from Non-Renewables
The international conference “Laudato Si' & Catholic Investing: Clean Energy for Our Common​ Home”, which took place in late January at Pontifical Lateran University, featured many expert speakers and Catholic case studies who demonstrated that fossil fuel divestment and clean energy investment are both possible and necessary. Catholic institutions are called to use their financial investments to “put an end to the fossil fuel era and provide renewable energy access for all,” as the Catholic Bishops of all continents have called.  Learn more about this important method of creating dynamic shift in demand for cleaner energy and how both individuals and Catholic institutions can take concrete steps to care for our common home through their investments.

Watch the Video Here