Rephonic
Artwork for The Defender
Wisconsin
Clean Wisconsin
Climate Change
PFAS
Neonicotinoids
Clean Energy
AI Data Centers
EPA
Inflation Reduction Act
Pollinators
Agriculture
Solar Energy
Public Health
Renewable Energy
Pesticides
Line 5
Bumblebees
Clean Air Act
Groundwater Contamination
Foraging

Welcome to the Defender, Wisconsin's environmental podcast, where we talk about the most pressing environmental issues facing Wisconsin and how you can plug in to defend our air, water, land and climate. The Defender is hosted by former radio and TV journalist Amy Barrilleaux. She'll help cut through the jargon and all the misinformation that's out there and have real conversations about how to bu... more

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Artwork for The Defender

Latest Episodes

It has never been easy to be a farmer. But these days, in the face of rising costs, tariffs, and consolidation, keeping a small farm in business seems next to impossible. But there is a way to survive, and it might just be the key to protecting our h... more

The Wisconsin Public Health Association recently adopted a resolution saying unregulated hyperscale data centers are a threat to public health in our state. In this episode, hear from one of the co-authors of that resolution to find out the health an... more

YouTube

What does it take to get plastic out of your life? Well, unless you can go back in time 100 years, it's pretty much impossible. But what about *some* plastic? Just a place to start?

In this episode, we're talking about plastic waste in the grocery ... more

YouTube

While federal money props up old coal power plants in Wisconsin, the EPA is busy relaxing rules meant to keep coal's toxic pollution out of our air and water.

In this episode, what our nation's new commitment to old coal means for Wisconsin's water... more

YouTube

Key Facts

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Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Kayla Rinderknecht
Public Health Manager, Clean Wisconsin Community Health
Clean Wisconsin
Episode: Do AI Data Centers Hurt Your Health?
Brendon Smith
Marketing and Communications Director at Willy Street Coop
Willy Street Co-op
Episode: Are You Ready for the Plastic-Free Challenge?
Sarah Walling
Water and Agriculture Program Director at Clean Wisconsin
Clean Wisconsin
Episode: Is Ethanol a Scam?
Alexander Frie
Researcher with Minnesota Sea Grant, led the PFAS rain/snow study
University of Minnesota Sea Grant
Episode: What's in Our Rain (and Snow)?
Hannah Richersen
Water policy manager at Clean Wisconsin
Clean Wisconsin
Episode: The Truth About AI Data Centers and Our Water
Evan Danells
Cadre chef and owner
Cadre
Episode: How Chefs Can Protect the Planet
Brett Korte
Clean Wisconsin attorney
Clean Wisconsin
Episode: What's a Data Center Tariff and Why Should You Care?
Madeleine Bohn
Madison high school student and plaintiff
Wisconsin youth climate plaintiffs
Episode: Meet The Teen Who Is Suing Wisconsin Over Climate Change
Skylar Harris
Attorney with Midwest Environmental Advocates
Midwest Environmental Advocates
Episode: Meet The Teen Who Is Suing Wisconsin Over Climate Change

Host

Amy Barrilleaux
Host of The Defender; longtime journalist and commentator focused on Wisconsin environmental issues; affiliated with Clean Wisconsin.

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 34 ratings
  • excellent!!

    Fact based, local environmental analysis- a weekly must listen for me!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    chicsweetie88
    United States6 months ago
  • Must listen

    Clean Wisconsin does a great job of breaking down complicated environmental issues in their Defender podcast. Between this and the Defender newsletter from Clean Wisconsin, I feel informed about the most important environmental issues in my state. Thank you Clean Wisconsin!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    j.internet
    United States10 months ago
  • Approachable & important!

    This show makes me interested in topics I didn't even think I cared about. Takes on important environmental issues without being overwhelming.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    KT 316
    United Statesa year ago
  • On the Rebranding

    Love the rebranding of this podcast! The down-to-earth interviews help to demystify the opportunities that we all have to protect and restore Mother Earth. Looking forward to learning more!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Palmtree78
    United Statesa year ago
  • Approachable, accessible, important

    This podcast is a must-listen for environmentally minded Wisconsinites.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    BeccaLuke
    United States3 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Engaging storytelling with local impact and community voices.
Balances technical detail with clear call-to-action for listeners.
Reassuringly objective and fact-based analyses of Wisconsin issues.
More accessible than prior coverage of environmental topics.
High-quality guests that provide practical policy insight.

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The Ezra Klein ShowNew York Times Opinion
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Determined Society with Shawn French | Adversity & Mindset
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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Are You Ready for the Plastic-Free Challenge?
Q: Brendon, thank you so much for being here. And I guess, how did the idea to start promoting this come about?
Sustainability is a core part of Willy Street Co-op's mission; the Plastic Free July trend inspired the co-op to focus on reducing plastic in stores and helping customers avoid it as well.
Is Ethanol a Scam?
Q: So is this kind of new push toward higher ethanol blends really a solution for farmers, or does it create more risks and costs?
The guest explains that while increasing ethanol blends could temporarily boost demand for corn, it can exacerbate environmental harms, raise fertilizer and input costs, worsen nitrate contamination, and lock farmers into a costly monoculture system without addressing the underlying inefficiencies. She emphasizes the need for more farmer options, better nutrient management, and consideration of alternatives like reduced reliance on neonics and integrated pest management.
What's in Our Rain (and Snow)?
Q: What made you want to look at PFAS in our atmosphere and in the rain?
We shifted focus from traditional single-site contamination to atmospheric transport because evidence showed PFAS in remote regions and in the atmosphere could contribute to deposition far from sources, which is why monitoring rain and snow provides a fuller picture of exposure pathways.
What's a Data Center Tariff and Why Should You Care?
Q: What would a win look like in these PSC cases for Clean Wisconsin?
A win would involve adopting a tariff with protective provisions and/or requiring Alliant to propose a tariff, ensuring consistency across data centers and avoiding ad hoc contract-by-contract arrangements that obscure public accountability and increase risk for non-data-center customers.
What's a Data Center Tariff and Why Should You Care?
Q: First, why would WeEnergies want to limit the tariff to data centers of 500 megawatts or more?
The guest explains that the initial threshold is a way to limit the number of customers in the tariff while keeping a cap that aligns with the bespoke-generation assets that would serve those large centers; lowering the threshold could bring more data centers into the tariff and spread costs, but the utility argues for scale and manageability.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Gender Skew
Location
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Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About The Defender

What is The Defender about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A Wisconsin-focused environmental podcast that covers air, water, land, and climate issues with a practical, policy-minded lens. Episodes frequently feature legal and policy analysis from Clean Wisconsin, scientific context on contaminants like PFAS, implications of energy infrastructure and data centers, and on-the-ground stories from farmers and communities. The show stands out for clear explanations of regulatory processes, actionable policy insights, and a balanced, evidence-based approach to complex environmental debates in the state.

Noteworthy strengths include accessible interviews that translate technical topics into relatable policy implications, a steady stream of local case studies, and collaboration with subject-matter experts... more

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How many subscribers and views does The Defender have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The Defender has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to The Defender?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Defender:

1. The Rachel Maddow Show
2. Runaway Country with Alex Wagner
3. The NPR Politics Podcast
4. Code Switch
5. Volts

How many episodes of The Defender are there?

The Defender launched 7 years ago and published 83 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Defender?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

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Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The Defender from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

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What guests have appeared on The Defender?

Recent guests on The Defender include:

1. Kayla Rinderknecht
2. Brendon Smith
3. Sarah Walling
4. Alexander Frie
5. Hannah Richersen
6. Evan Danells
7. Brett Korte
8. Madeleine Bohn

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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