A University of Wisconsin–Madison center has signed an agreement with Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center in Mississippi that could save the Defense Department millions of dol

It was called the Polar Vortex, an ominous sounding winter event that challenged even the heartiest of Midwesterners with double-digit below zero temperatures and wind chills. And because once wasn’t enough, Polar Vortex II quickly followed.

UW-Madison got a boost this week in its efforts to lead the world in clean energy research. Mary Blanchard, a biofuels industry professional and former executive at Virent, Inc., joined the Wisconsin Energy Institute (WEI) as the new associate director.

In 2009, the International Energy Agency estimated that 20 percent of the world’s population, or approximately 1.3 billion people, were without access to electricity. By 2030, they estimate that with aggressive financial and policy support that number could drop to one billion worldwide.

Coiled and unmoving, the “Velvet Viper” is invisible among the native plants in Costa Rica’s rainforests. Aggressive and poisonous, the nation’s most dangerous snake is also nocturnal—a constant danger to villagers without access to electricity.

The University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of Recreational Sports is taking strides toward a greener fitness environment at the Southeast Recreational Facility (SERF). The SERF is now home to the SportsArt “Green System,” a group of six fitness machines that harvest human-generated power.

The next time you take a bite of a crisp fall apple, you might take a moment to reflect on the unique Wisconsin partnership that made it possible: farmers and bees.