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 build a healthy, sustainable future. Every week, Amy talks with scientists, advocates, farmers, experts, and just everyday people who are working right here in Wisconsin to make a difference to protect this place we call home.
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Contact path
Verified email
Booking probability
34%
Guest openness
Selective
Sign up to generate a grounded pitch for The Defender.
Signup to Generate a PitchWelcome 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.
Recent episodes include "Wisconsin's AI Data Centers Make History..." (26 October 2026, 22 minutes), "We knew this would happen: Enbridge violations pile up at Line 5" (19 October 2026, 43 minutes), and "Why You Should Be Hyped About Hazelnuts!" (5 October 2026, 25 minutes).
The Defender publishes roughly weekly, with episodes averaging 29 minutes across 91 episodes.
Booking probability for The Defender is 34%, and the host is rated Selective on guests. The Defender requires a Pod Score of 80 or higher. The Defender's contact route on record: verified email.
The strongest fits for The Defender are Advocacy & Social Causes. The Defender has a society audience.
The Defender is a society podcast with 91 episodes published.
Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.
Episode #91
...but not in a good way. On this episode, a look at the fossil fuel boom caused by AI and the cry for help from state regulators who say they're powerless to stop it. Host: Amy Barrilleaux Guest: Ciaran Gallagher...
The DNR just revealed a long list of violations at Enbridge's Line 5 pipeline construction site. In this episode, a deep dive into what Enbridge is doing to Wisconsin's Northwoods, and whether the DNR can or will do...
Episode #89
Host: Amy Barrilleaux Guest: Aaron Kolste, Wisconsin Hazelnut Farmer Resources for You: Upper Midwest Hazelnut Development Initiative Halelnuts Could Help Reshape Wisconsin's Agriculture (video) Climate Smart Crops
Episode #88
Our neighbor to the south—Iowa—has a cancer problem. In this episode, we look at a new study that paints an alarming picture of rural America... and cancer rates. Host: Amy Barrilleaux Guest: Kerri Johannsen, Senior...
We all know Wisconsin's weather is full of extremes and wild swings, like snow one day, sandals the next, and then back to snow. But 2026 has been wild even for us. In this episode, Amy talks with Wisconsin's state...
Episode #86
What's unfolding in northern Wisconsin right now is pretty hard to ignore. A couple of weeks ago, Canadian oil giant Enbridge spilled more than a million gallons of liquid natural gas after it accidentally broke its own...
Episode #85
Wisconsin must be doing something right, because the first bee ever listed as a federally endangered species is starting to reappear--right here. In the episode, a walk deep into the Wisconsin woods to find out what it...
In this episode, Amy heads to Columbia County to separate fact from fiction about wind energy… and learn a thing or two about cows. Host: Amy Barrilleaux Guest: Jerry Cigelske, 2nd generation Wisconsin farmer
Episode #83
Overwhelmed by the environmental problems we face? In this episode, how to use your knowledge and power - to find your happy place. Host: Amy Barrilleaux Guest: Sasha Stone, Green Life Trading Company, Zero Waste...
The Defender
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...
The Defender
The Wisconsin Public Health Association recently adopted a resolution saying u nregulated hyperscale data centers are a threat to public health in our state. In this episode, hear from one of the co-authors of that...
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...
Episode #79
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...
It's happening in every corner of Wisconsin—Cassville, Menomonie, Superior, Madison, La Crosse County, Dane County, Westport, Manitowoc County, Door County. Communities all over the state are passing moratoriums and...
<p >It's happening in every corner of Wisconsin—Cassville, Menomonie, Superior, Madison, La Crosse County, Dane County, Westport, Manitowoc County, Door County. Communities all over the state are passing moratoriums and...
Episode #77
<p>Have we been sold a bill of goods about ethanol? In this episode, the toll ethanol is taking on our health right here in Wisconsin.</p> <p>Host: Amy Barrilleaux</p> <p>Guest: Sara Walling, Water & Agriculture Program...
Episode #76
<p >In this episode, what the rain and snow are telling about PFAS pollution in the Upper Midwest—plus some information about new PFAS laws in Minnesota that could be a blueprint for Wisconsin.</p> <p >Host: Amy...
Episode #75
<p >A circuit court judge is deciding whether permits issued by the state allowing Enbridge to build its Line 5 pipeline reroute in Wisconsin's Northwoods are legal. But in the meantime, he is allowing work on the new...
<p>Amy talks with a researcher who took a deep dive into the water impacts of AI data centers. What she found is something you're not hearing many tech companies talking about.</p> <p>Host: Amy Barrilleaux</p> <p>Guest...
Episode #73
<p >Wisconsin was one of the first places where the farm-to-table movement really took root. But now that movement is changing, becoming more urgent in the face of the flooding, droughts, and changing weather patterns...
Recent guests on The Defender. Study who booked and why before you pitch.
Free Thinking Through the Fourth Turning
Sustainability Advocate
Wisconsin Hazelnut Farmer
Iowa Environmental Council
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