The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia faces the prospect of a titanium dioxide mine near its border.

Alabama-based Twin Pines Minerals aims to mine titanium and zirconium near Trail Ridge, sparking environmental concerns about potential ecological harm to the area.

Christian Hunt, senior federal lands policy analyst for the nonprofit Defenders of Wildlife, warned mining could threaten the ecosystem and its diverse species. He said the Okefenokee also holds broader significance, playing a critical role in fighting the effects of climate change.

"It will lower the water table of the swamp, which would fundamentally change the habitat for all sorts of species," Hunt pointed out. "If mining is to occur, periods of drought will be worsened in the swamp, exposing it to catastrophic fires."

Georgia's Environmental Protection Division granted draft permits to the mining company in February, allowing it to establish an 820-acre mine within a three-mile radius of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. Defenders of Wildlife is among about 40 groups in a new Okefenokee Protection Alliance, bringing together thousands of voices against the project.

Ben Prater, Southeast program director for Defenders of Wildlife, said projects like this are often justified for national security or technological advancement. But he noted the potential harm to the Okefenokee outweighs the value of the minerals extracted.

"It's important to know that this mine is going after titanium dioxide, which is nothing more than a pigment we use to make our paint white, make our toothpaste white," Prater asserted. "It's in no way something that's so vital that we have to obtain that we put a world-class treasure like the Okefenokee at risk. "

Prater highlighted the uphill battle to safeguard the Okefenokee, citing the loss of crucial federal protections. He stressed it is more than opposition to the proposed mine and called for longer-term solutions.

"This is just the latest iteration of a threat that's been against the Okefenokee for decades," Prater contended. "What we're seeking and hoping to see is a permanent solution, encouraging the federal government to assert its reserved water rights to protect the integrity of the refuge."

The public comment period is set to close April 9. Defenders of Wildlife has added a link to its website so people can directly submit comments to the Georgia Environmental Protection Division.

As Michigan faces growing concerns over landfill emissions, researchers have launched the third phase of a major methane detection study which could bring much-needed answers.

Methane is one of the most potent greenhouse gases. The study, funded by the Environmental Research and Education Foundation, in partnership with FluxLab, tests methane detection technologies under real-world conditions. Earlier tests using drones, trucks, and towers showed big differences in detection. The third phase adds satellites, aircraft, overnight tests, and detailed weather and terrain data.

Bryan Staley, president and CEO of the foundation, shared the most surprising part of the study.

"Even just detecting the methane releases with these high-tech approaches was not as straightforward as we thought it would be," Staley explained. "The work that we have undertaken is helping advance that ball pretty quickly to get a better understanding of why that was happening and how we can make improvements with those technologies."

With more than 40 active landfills, Michigan ranks among the top 10 methane polluters, driven by high waste volumes and imports. A 2023 law boosted state efforts to improve methane capture and detection.

In the first two phases of the study, researchers tested at a closed landfill in Canada. Results showed no clear front-runner. The second phase incorporated weather and wind factors, with input from global tech providers. Those results are forthcoming.

Staley emphasized detecting methane where waste is placed is common but there are cases where its presence in a landfill raises concerns.

"It would be more concerning if you're seeing methane coming from an area of the landfill that is not receiving the waste," Staley pointed out. "Those are the kinds of emissions that should be detected and mitigated for and basically fixed."

The Environmental Protection Agency tracks landfill emissions but outdated methods may underestimate them by half. New rules also aim to curb underreported methane.

A District Court judge in Iowa has ruled in favor of an effort to protect the state's wetlands.

The legal move protects a key environmental provision, known as Swampbuster.

The Union of Concerned Scientists says 30 million acres of wetlands in the Upper Midwest are responsible for preventing at least $23 billion per year in residential flood loss costs.

The Iowa Environmental Council's General Counsel Michael Schmidt said the court ruling was crucial in protecting those sensitive areas.

"It is important because it protects wetlands in agricultural areas that would otherwise probably be farmed over," said Schmidt. "Those wetlands are important because they reduce flooding downstream, they provide really important habitat for wildlife, and they improve water quality by filtering the water that moves through them."

Critics of Swampbuster and other environmental conservation provisions call them unconstitutional, and claim they infringe on land owners' property rights.

At least half of the state's lakes are closed for recreation in the summer because they are polluted with runoff from nearby animal confinement operations.

Schmidt said reducing the environmental benefits of wetland protections would have made matters worse, especially as the number of severe flooding events is on the rise.

"Wetlands also provide the water quality benefits," said Schmidt, "that are really important for drinking water, because we have some significant drinking water problems in the state as well. "

Swampbuster and other environmental provisions are part of the Farm Bill, which is up for renewal, but is already more than two years behind schedule.



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Southwest Wisconsin is seeing a surge in clean energy, emerging as a hotbed for large-scale renewable projects proponents said are economically benefiting the community.

About 10% of Wisconsin's electricity is from renewable sources. The industry employs about 6,500 people and invests $15.5 million a year in property, state and local taxes, and more than $15 million annually in land lease payments.

Kaden Crapp, field representative for the Wisconsin Land and Liberty Coalition, said along with the economic benefits, clean energy has the potential to provide the state with autonomy.

"One of the biggest benefits that including these renewable energies into the state grid can bring is that we can start becoming a net exporter," Crapp explained. "By being able to create our own Wisconsin-grown energy and be able to distribute it to other states as well."

Several proposed projects are slated for the area including the Whitetail Energy Center, the Badger Hollow Wind Energy Center and the Uplands Wind project. Each is projected to generate millions of dollars annually and collectively produce hundreds of megawatts of energy to power homes and businesses across the state.

Amy Seeboth-Wilson, director of grants for Southwest Wisconsin Technical College, said the school is leading the pack in innovation in the renewable energy space. She noted it offers degrees to prepare students for the rising industry and is the first in the Wisconsin Technical College system to install solar arrays with batteries.

"I think a lot of people appreciate how Southwest Tech is leaning into technological innovation and demonstrating how it can be really useful as a way to save money, and how it can benefit our communities," Seeboth-Wilson observed. "There's a lot of excitement around having that conversation and it's been exciting to be a part of that."

Josh Bedward, director of facilities for Southwest Tech, said the solar arrays offer a dual benefit by saving them about $30,000 annually in utility costs while serving as a battery backup, ensuring continuous service to students even during utility outages.

"By saving that $30,000 on our operating cost, that allows us to reinvest in programs and our students," Bedward pointed out. "That's something that we'll be able to continue to invest back into them."

The renewable-energy influx has faced some controversy with critics saying they replace some of the state's agricultural uses. Opponents say less than 2% of Wisconsin's 14 million acres of agricultural land would be needed to reach the state's clean-energy goals.