Graphic Credit: Chambers Design, Photo Courtesy of Smart USA
Wisconsin is not the first place I think of as a hotbed for green innovation. It's better known for cheeseheads, the Green Bay Packers and political unrest. But the Badger State is surprisingly green and almost ultra green when it comes to small & large-scale wind power. Innovative waste management and a potential hatchery for progress green building design, the New North is making strived toward a sustainable future.
I wasn't expecting much for my trip to University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh (UWO). My trips to neighboring states had left me feeling the Midwest had lost its way to a green tomorrow that would standout from more famous leading regions. Instead I found exhilarating optimism and application of green solutions everywhere I looked.
During my to drive north on US-41 from Milwaukee to Oshkosh, I discovered a magnificent large-scale wind power projects stretched across the landscape from Lake Winnobago south to Columbia County. The turbines follow the Niagara Escarpment, one of the few natural geological high points in the state. Two of the projects in the area, Blue Sky and Glacier Hill, began only a few years ago - but are estimated to have the potential to generate more than 250 megawats of power combined.
Pulling into the UWO campus, it didn't scream green pioneers. Yet I was soon to learn a tremendous amount of how the school is positioning itself to be one of the greenest universities in the nation. To start, they built a large aerobic digester to tap an underused renewable resource in the area; namely food waste. The digester sits only feet from office of Michael Lizotte, a former ecology/biology professor turned the sustainability director for UWO. He explained to me "the biodigester uses microbes to break down organic waste such as yard clippings and grocery store food product". The system can potentially generate as much as 10% of the university's electricity.
For many schools, that is where they would stop - a single renewable energy technology, but at UWO they didn't. They have also installed more photovoltaic and solar thermal panels than any other university in Wisconsin. Atop of nearly every building sit substantial solar arrays.
Lizotte showed me how UWO is working to implement a thoughtful water management strategy with bioswales and rain gardens. Soon the university will have to deal with all on its stormwater onsite, so these more sustainable management techniques will be vital. The first few bioswales construction on campus weren't executed very well, so they have had ongoing problems. Those responsible for maintenance still have a mentality of lawn management so the bioswales aren't handled cared for appropriately either - only making problems worse. Lizotte has found a learning opportunity in this by orchestrating an annual Adopt a Bioswale Day were anyone interested can get firsthand experience with replanting and fixing the plots. Students love this kind of education of getting their hands dirty.
