JASON J. CZARNEZKI

Temperatures in Wisconsin projected to increase 6 degrees

We screened the documentary film Gasland in my seminar today, and it was so depressing it completely sucked all energy out of the room.  Imagine the scenes…tap water of fire, sick moms, pets losing fur; all due to the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing that can pollute groundwater.

If this topic interests you, the University at Buffalo Environmental Law Program and the Baldy Center for Law and Social Policy will host the conference: Hydrofracking: Exploring the Legal Issues in the Context of Politics, Science and the Economy.  The Call for Papers/Presentation is here.

I’m a Packers fan. I’m number 15,354 on the season ticket waiting list after 14 years, and hope they win the big game tomorrow. But wetlands are more important than the Packers…apparently the Packers and the new Governor of Wisconsin don’t agree. Do the Packers and Bass Pro Shops also oppose high-speed rail?

…is the title of this interesting little opinion piece in the Times, offering up some ways to improve our food system.  One idea I like, but I’ve never heard discussed from a public policy standpoint is how to encourage people to cook.  The piece says:

Encourage and subsidize home cooking. (Someday soon, I’ll write about my idea for a new Civilian Cooking Corps.) When people cook their own food, they make better choices. When families eat together, they’re more stable. We should provide food education for children (a new form of home ec, anyone?), cooking classes for anyone who wants them and even cooking assistance for those unable to cook for themselves.