Update from June 29, 2007

Dear Friends,

Yesterday, a group of leading Iowa environmentalists met with Chet Culver’s staff to ask the Governor to help stop a proposed coal-fired plant in Waterloo.  This request should be an easy one for the Governor, especially given a statement he made two months ago when he signed legislation establishing the Climate Change Advisory Council:

"Global warming is a real danger that threatens our very way of life, and it is our responsibility to take any and all steps that we can to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and hope to curb global warming." (Governor Culver, April 27, 2007)

Well, “any and all steps” should certainly include opposition to new coal-fired power plants.  In Waterloo, a New Jersey company has proposed a 750-megawatt plant.  Couple that with the 600-megawatt plant proposed for Marshalltown and carbon emissions in Iowa will increase by the equivalent of two million cars per year, not to mention the mercury that will end up in eastern Iowa’s streams and rivers.

For many years, scientists, environmentalists and forward-thinking policymakers have known that burning coal pollutes our air and water and is a serious threat to human health.  The evidence is now conclusive that coal is also a major contributor to global warming.  And despite what some industrial apologists want us to believe, there is no such thing as “clean” coal (Union of Concerned Scientists website:  www.ucsusa.org).

The political mainstream is starting to wake up.  Most Democratic presidential candidates are speaking out.  Some agree with the scientific community on the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2050.  Some speak about energy conservation and efficiency, and at least one has spoken out specifically against burning coal.

Culver has yet to weigh-in on new coal-fired power plants.  The renewable-fuels focus of his Iowa Power Fund would suggest opposition to burning more coal.  Furthermore, he should consider the obvious economic advantages of investing in small- and medium-sized Iowa-owned businesses, as opposed to a couple of huge power plants that ship both power and profit out of state.

Rank-and-file Iowans are contacting the Governor.  More of us need to do that.  Write, call, e-mail or bring it up at one of the Governor’s public appearances (I’ll make a commitment to doing all four).  Ask him to speak out against new coal-fired power plants and to tell the Iowa Utilities Board that coal does not fit in with his administration’s stated commitment to renewable energy.

Write:          Governor Chet Culver
Iowa State Capitol
Des Moines, Iowa 50319

Call:                 (515) 281-5211

E-mail:                 http://www.governor.iowa.gov/administration/contact/

Track him down:    We don’t have a lot of detail on the Governor’s schedule.  You might look for him at parades and county fairs.  According to his website, here’s where he’ll be hosting “Wellness Town Hall Meetings” over the next two months.  (It would certainly be appropriate to ask how new coal plants will affect public health!)
•    Fort Dodge – Tuesday, July 10th
•    Burlington – Wednesday, July 11th
•    Quad Cities – Thursday, July 12th
•    Sioux City – Tuesday, July 17th
•    Newton – Wednesday, July 18th
•    Mason City – Thursday, July 19th
•    Oskaloosa – Tuesday, July 24th
•    Cass County – Wednesday, July 25th
•    Cedar Rapids – Monday, August 6th
•    Waterloo – Tuesday, August 7th
Thanks for doing your part for our environment, our economy and our democracy!

Sincerely,

Ed Fallon



UPCOMING EVENTS (most of which we’ll be at)


Friday, June 29 (Des Moines)

Iowa Equality Ball 2007
5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
504 East Locust Avenue, Des Moines
($5.00 suggested donation, though no one is turned away)
Contact www.one-iowa.org/equalityball.html


Saturday, June 30 (Des Moines)

Old Fire Station #4 Century Birthday Party
7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
1041 8th Street, Des Moines
Free to the first 250 who RSVP
Contact Chet Guinn at (515) 282-8054 or clguinn@mchsi.com


Sunday, July 1 (Fairfield)

Community Action Meeting with Ed Fallon and supporters of John Edwards
6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
108 N Main Street, Fairfield
Contact (515) 288-0766


Sunday, July 1 (Des Moines)

Stop Global Warming: Greenpeace’s Project Hot Seat Campaign Kickoff
1:00 p.m.
Gray’s Lake Park, Des Moines
Contact Kelly at (818) 282-0168


Monday, July 2 (Des Moines)

“COOL DOWN!” – Sierra Club Ice Cream Social & Office Opening
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
3839 Merle Hay Road, Suite 282, Des Moines
Contact janie.hauser@scc.org
 

Friday, July 6 (Statewide)

Ed Fallon will be the guest host on Jan Mickelson’s show
WHO Radio, 1040 AM, 9:00 – 11:30 a.m.


Friday, July 6 (Fairfield)

First Friday Art Walk
6:00 – 10:00 p.m.
Fairfield town square
Contact www.fairfieldartwalk.com


Saturday, July 7 (Decorah)

Greg Brown benefit concert for Seed Savers Heritage Farm
7:00 p.m.
3094 North Winn Road, Decorah
(tickets are $20 in advance, $25 the day of the concert)
Contact www.seedsavers.org


Tuesday, July 10 – Wednesday, July 11 (Ames)

Leopold Center Twentieth Anniversary Celebration
Scheman Building, ISU Campus, Ames
Register on-line at www.ucs.iastate.edu/mnet/leopold/home.html
Contact Laura Miller at lwmiller@iastate.edu


Friday, July 13 – Saturday, July 14 (Des Moines)

Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement Statewide Convention
Hotel Fort Des Moines, 10th and Walnut, Des Moines
Contact (515) 284-0484 or www.iowacci.org


Monday, July 16 (Marshalltown)

Ed Fallon to address Marshalltown Community College students on poverty
Marshalltown Community College
Further details pending


Thursday, August 2 – Sunday, August 5 (Ames to Des Moines)

March to Re-Energize Iowa
Building a clean energy economy for real global warming solutions
A project of the Sierra Student Coalition
Contact www.climatesummer.org