University of Wisconsin-Madison
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Monday, January 25, 2016
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Whitewashed +OPINION, page 6
Women’s hockey gets its revenge +SPORTS, page 8
Game encourages sustainable practices By Helu Wang THE DAILY CARDINAL
Employees at over 45 companies receive the words, “You made cool choices yesterday. Here are some new choices that you can make today,” in their e-mail inboxes. Cool Choices, a newly introduced online card game, promotes sustainability in workspaces. Participating employees take sustainable action according to cards, getting points and beating their colleagues. The game was created by an environmental organization to assist Madison in becoming more sustainable. Cool Choices is a part
of Green Madison, a citywide effort to win the $5,000,000 Georgetown University Energy Prize. “We found that social experience is an effective way to help people change behaviors,” said director of Programs at Cool Choices, Raj Shukla. “They meet and talk to people who [are] struggling in the same issue so that they feel supported when working it out. That’s why we start the environmental game by forming a team and do this together.” The Cool Choices game lasted for eight weeks in late 2015 and will start another round this spring. The environmental action cards are categorized in four areas: ener-
gy, transportation, water and wellness. Cool choices releases new action cards every day to engage people in adopting sustainable practices in their personal lives. Shukla said most of the actions are easy to practice, like biking instead of driving or watching less television in a given day. He said he believes Cool Choices involves citizens in practical sustainability. “The point of each action indicates what action is going to save the environment the most so that people get a clear sense about what to do next,” Shukla said. Cool Choices also shares messages with other environmental
organizations to help people take deeper action after the game. Elevate Energy, an organization based in Chicago, works with the Madison Metropolitan School District on energy efficiency in its buildings, as well as homeowners of moderateincome to weatherize their homes. The Brendle Group also cooperates with municipal governments in improving operational efficiencies. The sustainability knowledge gap is a common problem that most Madison environmental organizations face. Some individuals and businesses who intend to practice sustainably have no ideas about what they should do.
Each year, dozens of businesses participate in a full-year project that includes a monthly training seminar and five customized business projects. Participating organizations range from manufacturers, to restaurants, churches and governments, according to Sustainable Business Initiative of Sustain Dane, Stacie Reece.
“We found that social experience is an effective way to help people change behaviors.” Raj Shukla director of programs Cool Choices
Sustain Dane, a nonprofit environmental organization, serves as a hub for sustainability information and resources. Sustain Dane MPower Business was launched seven years ago to help businesses identify and solve problems. “For instance, a company can get a rebate from recommended local resources if it wants to conserve water by purchasing lowflow toilets,” Reece said. According to Reece, most organizations start from no-cost or lowcost projects, such as putting sticker signs next to faucets to remind employees to turn them off. “Organizations who have a little bit of money might install faucet aerators which control water [to COURTESY OF GREEN MADISON
Green Madison is an effort to win the $5 million Georgetown University Energy Prize, a nationwide competition to reduce energy.
game page 2
State senator seeks to repeal abortion statute Wisconsin state Sen. Fred Risser, D-Madison, is proposing a bill to eliminate an outdated state statute that criminalizes abortion. Risser is reviving a push to eliminate the statute on the grounds that it is unenforceable, according to a Senate press release.The law is still on the books, despite being rendered obsolete by the Supreme Court’s 1973 ruling in Roe v. Wade. Risser, the longest-serving state legislator in the country and a longtime advocate for abortion rights, has put out a notice seeking co-sponsors for his bill. The bill is not expected to pass the Republican-controlled legislature. The Legislature has recently passed multiple bills limiting access to abortion, including a
bill signed into law by Gov. Scott Walker in July that bans abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Last week, the Senate passed a bill designed to defund Planned Parenthood and divert funds to other health providers in the state. Risser’s bill would reverse the trend toward restricting abortion access. “It is time to take this harsh and obsolete law out of our books. Abortion is a routine medical procedure that should be safe and accessible to all women,” Risser said in the statement. In Democrats’ past attempts to eliminate the criminal abortion statute, Republicans have argued that the law should remain in place in case the Supreme Court overrules its Roe v. Wade decision.
COURTNEY KESSLER/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO
Sen. Fred Risser is once again trying to eliminate the state statute criminalizing abortion. The statute has been unenforceable since Roe v. Wade became federal law in 1973.
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”