Dr. Katherine Gaulke
  • Home
    • Campaign Updates
    • Events
    • Election Info
  • About
    • Contact

Environment.

Picture
A great community protects its environment and fosters an appreciation for the beauty of nature. To further that appreciation in my own family, we enjoy boating on both Delavan and Geneva Lake. 

​I am also a Board Member of the Delavan Lake Improvement Association and Chair of the Lake Committee as Delavan Town Supervisor. In those roles, I support policies and actively work to protect and preserve our lakes, rivers, and waterways. I am in favor of restoring local control to counties to manage shoreline construction, as well as fully funding the DNR, so trees can be planted to protect fish habitats from warming temperatures.  I also fervently believe that the DNR should protect our natural resources, rather than the interests of businesses, which is why I support a fully funded, independent DNR, one headed by an individual with a natural resources background.


As your Assemblywoman, I will vote for bills that protect our water quality and address unsafe drinking water conditions.

Wisconsin’s climate is changing. It will come as no surprise to anyone in District 32 that a wealth of data shows our state has become warmer and wetter over the past 60 years. The Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts found that Southern Wisconsin had seen an annual precipitation increase by as much as seven inches. In the past 3 years we've had multiple 100-year rains which cause soil erosion, spread invasive species, and increase sediment/phosphorus in our lakes. It is both a moral imperative and an economic necessity that we act now because our local economy relies heavily on natural resources. 

As Wisconsin’s warming trend continues, plants and animals suffer as they struggle and fail to adapt. These increasing temperatures create new and more severe public health challenges. As heat waves become more frequent and climatic conditions boost air pollutants, smog and particulate matter foster asthma and other respiratory diseases. In District 32 and in communities near us, occurrences of ground-level ozone exceeding current air quality standards are increasing. 

These factors are also causing pollen production to increase. I've seen this first hand as my husband is suffering from allergies he’s never had before. He - like many of you - are miserable. We must stop these air pollutants and stop this suffering.

In addition to improving residents' health and quality of life, Wisconsin has the opportunity to increase access to living wage jobs by investing and fostering a green economy. Legacy companies in our state have realized this is a huge opportunity and are acting: for example, Miller - Coors is a leader in reducing water usage per barrel. 

Additionally, Wisconsin could provide immediate relief to economically distressed renters, generate immediate green jobs, and reduce climate emissions by massively expanding the state’s existing home energy assistance and weatherization programs. A panel of national climate experts recently listed it as the top Green New Deal policy for addressing the joblessness and economic misery of the COVID-19 crisis.

Unfortunately, instead of helping to foster a green economy and improve resident health, our current legislator listened to special interest donors and took away local government's ability to innovate and address climate change. His votes and actions have barred local governments from enacting or enforcing ordinances that regulate, prohibit, restrict, or impose fees on the use of “auxiliary containers,” including plastic bags. 

We need to restore local controls.  We must address climate change. 
Picture
Picture
Picture
PREVIOUS ISSUE
NEXT ISSUE
This website is paid for by the Committee to Elect Katherine R. Gaulke
It is the policy of the Committee to Elect Katherine Gaulke not to discriminate on the basis of age, disability, race, creed, color, national origin, religion, gender identity, or sexual orientation.
Copyright Gaulke for Supervisor © 2021 | Privacy Policy
  • Home
    • Campaign Updates
    • Events
    • Election Info
  • About
    • Contact