Page 26 - 2015 Compass Now

COMMUNITY Efforts to protect the environment

Landfill waste is an inefficient use of resources, and since there is no national law that mandates recycling,
state and local governments often introduce recycling requirements. Problematic recyclable materials
include appliances, tires, batteries (lead acid), used oil, oil filters, fluorescent and HID lamps, and
antifreeze. Non-problematic recyclable materials include textiles, cardboard, paper, aluminum, glass,
plastic, carpet, pallets, latex paint, and organics.
Finding alternative sources of energy is a trend that is gaining momentum in the Great Rivers Region.
Alternative, sustainable, or renewable energy is defined as generating energy in ways that does not use up
natural resources or harm the environment. The most common forms of alternative energy development in
our region are solar energy, wind energy, and biogas digestion (the conversion of methane gas into energy).
These strategies both protect the environment and cut expenses for municipalities and businesses by
becoming less dependent on electricity. The state of Wisconsin has registered and has partially funded over
2,200 projects since 2002 in the areas of biogas, biomass, solar electric, solar hot water, and wind projects.
Wind turbines or wind farms are emerging in the Great Rivers Region. Wind passing over a turbine creates
rotary motion that turns an electric generator and creates electricity. While wind energy is clean, non-
polluting, and non-depletable, the location of turbines requires careful consideration, requiring high open
land where the winds are unimpeded by trees and buildings. Zoning and noise are other issues that require
consideration. Despite this, in 2010, there were 104 business and residential wind energy projects listed on
the Wisconsin’s Focus on Energy website, including projects in Monroe and Vernon Counties. Since 2000,
utility-scale wind generation in Wisconsin has grown by over 124%.
Solar energy is the conversion of light from the sun to electricity using photovoltaic (PV) cells. As light
strikes the PV cell, it creates an electrical potential that generates a current of electricity. Even though
there are many cloudy days in the upper Midwest, solar energy can still be a viable source of electricity.
Wisconsin’s Focus on Energy website identified over 1,000 solar electric and 970 solar hot water projects
funded in the state over the past eight years. Businesses across the Great Rivers Region, particularly in La
Crosse and Vernon Counties, are adding solar panels to building projects to assist in heating water, building
or converting the energy into electricity.
Gundersen Health System began a project in 2009 to convert waste biogas from City Brewing Company in
La Crosse into electricity. In addition, they partnered with the La Crosse County Landfill on a project that
converts waste biogas created from the landfill and turns it into clean electricity that is sent to the power
grid. The engine also creates heat used to warm buildings and water on the Onalaska campus, and has
made that campus 100% energy independent.
Communities and businesses in the Great Rivers Region are also focused on energy efficiency. This would
include using the least amount of energy, for example, updating to Energy Star appliances or ensuring that
energy is not wasted by poor or outdated construction. Many new buildings in the Great Rivers Region are
receiving LEED certification. LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is an internationally
recognized green building certification system. “LEED promotes sustainable building and development
practices through a suite of rating systems that recognize projects that implement strategies for better
environmental and health performance 1.”

18 COMPASS NOW 2015