Wausau City Hall. MWC file photo.
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) – The Wausau City Council met on Tuesday night, and one of the topics discussed was the plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve energy security.
Wausau first became energy independent in 2008 with the passage of the energy independence resolution, and the city declared itself an eco-municipality in 2009. The city’s commitments at the time included reducing reliance on fossil fuels and reducing reliance on harmful chemicals and other manufactured substances that can have an impact on nature.
“Our sustainability commission worked on this for about a year to discuss what we can do as a municipality to address some of those climate concerns. The first step they considered was having this greenhouse gas admissions resolution for government functions, so we’ll start by looking at a baseline to see where we are and what kind of emissions we’re talking about “Mayor Katie Rosenberg stated after the meeting.
The Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts (WICCI) found continued warming, increases in rain and snow, and more frequent extreme rainfall events in a 2021 study.
In 2018, the American Lung Association gave eight Wisconsin counties a “F” for ozone air quality. Door, Kenosha, Manitowoc, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Rock, Sheboygan, and Walworth counties received failing grades in their study.
Wisconsin, on the other hand, has some of the cleanest air in the country. According to the same American Lung Association report, the Eau Claire/Menomonie and La Crosse/Onalaska areas had zero “high pollution” days over a three-year period. The counties of Ashland, Forest, and Taylor also received perfect scores.
Many scientists believe that some greenhouse gas effects are beneficial to the environment. According to studies from the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, gases like nitrogen and oxygen have no effect on climate, and in the right amounts, greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide are actually helpful because they can help regulate the temperature of the planet.
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