Environment News and Investigative Reporting - Page 2 of 33 - Wisconsin Watch

A person holds a shovel that is holding a leafy plant with roots and soil attached in a green field, with a vehicle parked in the field in the background under a blue sky with some clouds.

For these faithful, nurturing the Earth is rooted in spiritual beliefs

by Madeline Heim / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel January 17, 2026January 15, 2026 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

A large yellow crane's lifting line is attached to a large concrete wall panel at a construction site with rollers, dirt piles, traffic barrels, and vertical posts behind a fence.

Data center boom follows decades of declining electricity and water use in Wisconsin

by Rich Kremer / WPR January 13, 2026January 12, 2026 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

A sandy beach is next to greenish lake water, with a wooden breakwater extending into the water. Stairs behind a brown and orange structure lead up a wooded bluff to houses above the shoreline.

Environment, Government

Public property. No trespassing? Man hopes his $313 ticket will reshape Lake Michigan shoreline access

by Dan Egan for Wisconsin Watch January 8, 2026January 8, 2026 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

Open water ripples in the foreground as people and small shelters sit scattered across a snow-covered frozen lake, with buildings and trees along the far shoreline.

Environment, Health & Welfare

On thin ice: Falls through the ice on Wisconsin lakes are becoming more common. There’s more than just warm weather to blame.

by Jess Miller for Wisconsin Watch January 8, 2026January 9, 2026 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

Two green harvesting machines move across a large tan field, leaving parallel rows and dust clouds, with patchwork farmland and trees on the horizon.

Economy, Environment

China is investing billions in Latin America, potentially sidelining US farmers for decades to come

by Mónica Cordero / Investigate Midwest January 1, 2026January 15, 2026 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

A man stands next to a creek and a small foot bridge of logs while surrounded by forest.

As data centers boom, rural Waldo braces for high-voltage lines over wetlands and homes

by Christian Thorsberg / Circle of Blue December 29, 2025December 26, 2025 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

Arial view of a ship in icy, moving waters on a gray day.

‘We can put a man on the moon … but we can’t get a tugboat out of a harbor’: Who will move the abandoned Donny S.?

by Emily Small / Door County Knock December 25, 2025December 22, 2025 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

A person wearing a hooded sweatshirt with "STEIGER" on the front stands on grass in front of several large corrugated metal grain bins with "WESTEEL" on them.

Economy, Environment

Soybeans have been a top US ag export for decades. What happens when the top buyer stops buying?

by Cassandra Stephenson / Tennessee Lookout, Gabrielle Nelson / Buffalo’s Fire and Mónica Cordero / Investigate Midwest December 24, 2025December 16, 2025 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

A person in a blue shirt holds a partially husked ear of corn while standing beside another person outdoors with vehicles in the background.

Corn’s clean energy promise is clashing with its climate footprint

by Ames Alexander / Floodlight December 3, 2025December 2, 2025 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

Solar panels reflect sunlight beside a white metal building with a red roof under a blue sky.

Environment, Government

Wisconsin lawmakers look to break utility grip on community solar

by Kari Lydersen / Canary Media November 26, 2025November 21, 2025 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

Cows graze in a green pasture under a clear blue sky, with one black and white cow in the foreground wearing an ear tag labeled "53."

As cover crop use grows, many farmers struggle to commit to the practice

by Olivia Cohen / The Cedar Rapids Gazette November 20, 2025December 16, 2025 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

Map of the United States titled “U.S. 2025 Billion-Dollar Weather & Climate Disasters” showing 14 disaster locations from January to June 2025, including tornadoes, severe storms, flooding, and Los Angeles wildfires.

Environment, Government

A tool tracking billion-dollar disasters is back after the Trump administration retired it

by Héctor Alejandro Arzate October 30, 2025October 29, 2025 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch