Wisconsin all in on going green

Wisconsin has long been known for its pristine natural beauty. But breathing our clean air and drinking our pure water are hardly guaranteed. That is why it is good that Wisconsin is finally joining the fight for a healthy environment. Governor Tony Evers has set the goal of ensuring the state becomes carbon-free by 2050. He has created a new Office of Sustainability and  Clean Energy to spearhead the effort. This is hardly a surprise. Walker had included the new state office in his budget proposal, but Republicans who control the legislature removed it from the budget bill. Now Evers has signed an executive order directing the Department of Administration to create the office and enact the carbon-free standard. Evers action comes one month after the city of La Crosse committed to 100% carbon-free electricity by 2050. La Crosse is the seventh Wisconsin city with carbon-free goals on the books. We have seen what can be done to conserve energy, even in our own backyard. The La Crosse County landfill captures methane gas and converts it to fuel. Gundersen Health System has become energy independent, creating more energy than it uses. These are good goals, and we have seen they are achievable. Of course, simply having a goal does nothing by itself. It will take work and ingenuity to achieve that goal. But it is good that Wisconsin is finally joining the effort.