News Flash

NEWS RELEASE
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
P.O. Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707-7921
Phone: 608/267-7404 TDD: 608/267-6897

FOR RELEASE: June 18, 2001
CONTACT: Jennifer Pelej 608/266-0920 or 608/575-6709
SUBJECT: Easy Breathers tapes in Milwaukee

Milwaukee, Wis. -- Amongst alerts of ozone action days, Milwaukee high school students are doing their part to reduce air pollution. Students will come together this week for final taping of the educational video, Easy Breathers.

July 19 through July 29 is the last chance to catch the John Marshall, Rufus King and North Division High School students in action as they produce an educational video on air quality and transportation issues.

Portions of the video were taped in San Jose, California, and Houston, Texas. The remainder of taping will take place in Milwaukee over the next two weeks. All three cities have poor air quality and high traffic volume in common. The video is aimed at teenagers entering their driving years and will teach them that transportation choices affect air quality. The cities are being used as examples of what has and hasn't been done to improve air quality.

Thanks to a donation from Midwest Express, ten of the students were flown to San Jose and Houston for taping. They got hands-on experience with electric cars, light rail vehicles and other alternative transportation choices that improve air quality.

"California was a great place for the Milwaukee students to get a taste of new transportation technologies that haven't quite made it to the Midwest," Mittsy Voiles, Easy Breathers project coordinator, said. " By exposing the students to some solutions that other cities are using for air quality problems, we hope to give them and others a starting point to find creative solutions for their own communities."

The video project is a partnership between the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the Milwaukee Public School District and the school districts of San Jose and Houston. The students, mentored by multimedia professionals from Media Makers, Inc., serve as talent and filming crew for the video.

The video is scheduled for completion this November. It's release, accompanied by a website and curriculum materials, will be preceded by a formal premiere at Discovery World Museum.

For more information, visit www.easybreathers.org, or call Jennifer Pelej at (608) 575-6709.