Moms are working in Wisconsin to fight for clean air and a stable climate. We host events, share information about what’s going on, and create opportunities for mothers to talk to their legislators about their concerns. Please join us in Wisconsin, and let us know about your priorities.
15,655
members in Wisconsin
How we’re making a difference in Wisconsin
Wisconsin Moms Work for Justice in Every Breath
Moms Clean Air Force works actively in Wisconsin to address climate change issues that disproportionately harm communities of color. We are committed to bringing moms together to develop events, policies, and actions to end environmental injustices in Wisconsin.
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE PROGRAMS
Wisconsin Moms fight for clean air in the classroom.
Wisconsin Moms Clean Air Force organizer Jayne Black is leading an effort to clean up the air inside classrooms. In 2023, she worked with state lawmakers to introduce a bill that would launch a process for monitoring the air quality in schools and protect children’s health.
Bad indoor air quality has been linked to increased student absences because of respiratory infections or allergic responses and reduced academic performance. And since many classrooms are aging, replacing the HVAC system is not enough to keep the air clean. Instead, Moms Clean Air Force and other clean air advocates are pushing for the adoption of classroom air purifiers.
Learn more about the Wisconsin bill.
Menominee women speak out for strong mercury protections.
In January 2020, as the Trump administration moved to undermine the federal Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS), Rachel Fernandez, a member of the Menominee Nation in northeastern Wisconsin, joined the chorus of Moms advocating for strong protections against mercury pollution.
In the US, the biggest source of mercury—a highly toxic heavy metal—is coal-fired power plants. When coal is burned for energy, mercury is released into the air, and from there, it falls onto rivers and lakes, entering the food chain. The entire state of Wisconsin is under a fish consumption advisory because of the high levels of mercury in our waterways. This is devastating for the 11 Tribal nations in the state that depend on hunting, fishing, and gathering.
Urging President Biden and EPA to move quickly on pollution protections.
In 2023, EPA proposed an unprecedented number of strong air and climate pollution standards: for mercury, methane, soot, petrochemical, power plant, and tailpipe pollution. Together, these standards could significantly slash the greenhouse gas pollution warming our planet. They could protect hundreds of thousands of people in Wisconsin at risk of the health impacts of air pollution. We need these rules finalized and implemented ASAP.
Calling on EPA to strengthen ozone pollution protections.
Twenty counties in Wisconsin experienced high ozone days according to the 2023 State of the Air Report. Ozone pollution is unhealthy and dangerous. It is linked to asthma and other health harms. And because it forms when pollutants in the air react with heat and sunlight, ozone levels climb on hot, sunny days—and in extreme heat exacerbated by climate change.
EPA announced in August 2023 that it would delay strengthening the current ozone standards, putting the health of hundreds of thousands of people in Wisconsin at risk for years to come. This delay is unacceptable.
Join Wisconsin Moms in telling EPA not to delay on setting strong ozone standards.
Working to transition Wisconsin’s school bus fleets to electric.
Millions of children still ride diesel-powered school buses, exposing them to harmful diesel pollution that can trigger asthma attacks and interfere with their ability to learn. Wisconsin moms have hit the road to build support for clean, electric school buses. We are working with local school districts to ensure they are taking advantage of federal funds from EPA’s Clean School Bus Program to transition their bus fleets to all-electric.
Learn more about electric school buses HERE.
Protecting our families from mercury pollution.
Mercury is a toxic heavy metal that occurs naturally in coal in small quantities. When coal is burned without adequate pollution controls, mercury gets into the air. From there, it falls on waterways and enters the food chain. Exposure to mercury can interfere with normal brain development and cause learning and behavioral problems. Children are especially vulnerable to the health effects of mercury, and pregnant women can pass mercury through their placenta into the brains of their developing babies. Mercury is also linked to heart disease.
Indigenous communities in Wisconsin, particularly the Menominee Nation, are reliant on fish as a food source and are particularly concerned about mercury pollution in their air, land, and water. Menominee moms spoke out against the Trump EPA’s efforts to weaken the national Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) in 2019 and 2020. Today, Wisconsin moms continue to elevate this issue and work with the current EPA to strengthen the mercury rule.
Our children are breathing polluted air.
Five counties in Wisconsin, including Kenosha, Racine, Ozaukee, Milwaukee, and Sheboygan, received failing grades for high ozone, or smog, in the American Lung Association’s 2023 State of the Air report. This dangerous level of smog is especially harmful to the more than 79,000 children with asthma in the state.
Not only does Wisconsin’s air quality worsen asthma, but it can also lead to death. In the US, soot, or fine particle pollution, contributes to over 100,000 deaths per year. Wisconsin experiences some of the country’s highest particle pollution deaths per capita, along with Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, Illinois, and New Jersey.
Climate change is making our health worse.
Milwaukee and Green Bay have witnessed two of the five fastest warming winters in major cities across the U.S. over the past 50 years, with temperatures soaring by an average of 6 degrees Fahrenheit. This shift is reshaping ecosystems that rely on frozen landscapes and snowfall, creating ripple effects for the state’s environment and public health.
Climate change brings frequent heavy rainfall to Wisconsin, resulting in flooding that can erode soil and coastlines, wash out roads and bridges, and break dams. If this occurs, sewers and wastewater treatment plants can become compromised, leading to algae blooms and illnesses. Moreover, rising temperatures from climate change intensify the risks of extreme heat events, increasing the risk of heatstroke and worsening chronic illnesses, such as asthma, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.
Clean energy policy will save lives.
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin have found that cutting air pollution generated by burning fossil fuels would save over 50,000 lives and provide more than $600 billion in health benefits. The researchers also conclude that clean energy policy like that proposed by the Biden administration is key to reducing the worst sources of harmful air pollution: coal-fired power plants, gasoline-powered cars and trucks, and buildings and industries fueled by coal, oil, and natural gas. While other studies have linked air pollution to fossil fuels, this may be the first that specifically highlights the important role public policy can and must play in achieving air quality goals.
The study emphasizes the advantages of transitioning to clean energy as much as it warns about the dangers of not doing so. “We are trying to shift mindsets from burdens to benefits,” Professor Jonathan A. Patz at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies told the Washington Post.
“Shifting to clean energy sources can provide enormous benefit for public health in the near term while mitigating climate change in the longer term.”
Green Bay Parenting Expo
Thornberry Creek at Oneida 4470 N. Pine Tree Rd., Hobart, WI, United StatesMoms Clean Air Force will be tabling at the Parenting Expo. Stop by our booth to make an upcycled necklace out of bottle tops.
Past Events
March 2024
On March 21, Moms Clean Air Force Wisconsin organizer Jayne Black attended WI Faith in Place Advocacy Day and spoke about Moms in Madison.
On March 20, Moms Clean Air Force Wisconsin organizer Jayne Black attended Thrive WI Women’s Network event to speak about Moms.
On March 13, Moms Clean Air Force Wisconsin organizer Jayne Black and a Supermom attended an event with President Biden in Milwaukee, WI.
On March 1, Moms Clean Air Force Wisconsin organizer Jayne Black held an early Earth Day event at the Boys and Girls Club. She taught children how plastic is made, why it’s bad for our health and our earth, and how to use their voices by making cards.
February 2024
On February 15, Moms Clean Air Force Wisconsin organizer Jayne Black tabled at the Love Your City event.
On February 9, Moms Clean Air Force Wisconsin organizer Jayne Black tabled at the Green Bay Home & Lifestyle Experience, demonstrating how to make a DIY air purifier and sharing information about Moms.
On February 2, Moms Clean Air Force Wisconsin organizer Jayne Black attended Renew Wisconsin event, which aims to propel the state into a stronger, healthier future powered by clean energy.
January 2024
On January 18, Moms Clean Air Force Wisconsin organizer Jayne Black traveled to DC along with Moms Clean Air Force Michigan organizer Elizabeth Hauptman and Moms Clean Air Force Arizona organizer Hazel Chandler to meet with legislators about climate-focused regulation, IRA climate wins, and defending climate investments.
August 2023
On August 15, Moms Clean Air Force Supermom Jayne Black hosted a family-friendly event in Voyageur Park in De Pere to talk about air quality and how it affects our children’s health.
Life in the Obscene: Moms Make News
Rolling Toward Environmental Justice With Electric School Buses: Moms Make News
"State of the Air" Finds Millions Breathe Unhealthy Air
How Bills Become Laws in Your State
40% of Americans Breathe Polluted Air
More Americans Breathe Unhealthy Air. How Does Your State Stack Up?
Native American Moms Discuss Why Mercury Standards Matter: Interview with Rachel Fernandez
EPA Testimony: "No Amount of Profit Can be Traded for a Healthy Kid."
Good News! Newly-Elected Attorneys General Are Committed to Children's Health
Great News! Major Wins for Climate Safety.
Climate Change Increases Wildfires: Find Out How Your Region Is Affected
Play-in for Climate Action 2018 Photos and More!
2024
- Local 5, Wisconsin Leaders Highlight the Benefits of Electric Vehicles in Green Bay and Beyond
- Press release, Wisconsin Moms & Local Leaders Highlight the Benefits of Electric Vehicles in Green Bay and Beyond
- Local 5, Breathe cleaner air with a DIY project from Rooted In Inc
- Press release, Millions of people will breathe cleaner, healthier air with new EPA soot protections, Wisconsin Moms say