Update from October 12, 2007
Friday, October 12, 2007
Dear Friends,
The headline of
a short blurb buried in The Des Moines
Register this week read “Greenhouse gas
emissions already at critical level,
scientist warns.” The article should
have been broadcast in bold across the front
page. It referenced
comments by a leading
Australian climate change expert, Tim Flannery,
who discussed the upcoming
release of a new report by the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Is the sky
falling?
Not yet, but it’s certainly not the same
sky I knew as a kid.
Today’s sky contains a lot more carbon,
a lot
more methane. And
it’s churning out
weather that’s a lot warmer than it used to be,
with a range of potential
consequences that stretch from unpredictable to
catastrophic.
We are truly on
the verge of a veritable climate crisis, a
challenge unlike any humanity has faced during
6,000 years of
civilization. We
need immediate global,
national, local and personal action on what I
believe will prove to be the pivotal
issue of our time.
As Gandhi
observed regarding the importance of taking
small
steps toward big social changes, “Almost
everything you do will seem
insignificant, but it is most important that
you do it.” Now,
more than ever, we need a veritable
stampede of small steps.
In
Iowa,
several upcoming events present opportunities
where your participation could
make a difference.
HELP
DEVELOP
IOWA’S
NEW ENERGY PLAN
The State of
Iowa’s
Office of Energy Independence will host four
public meetings this month to solicit
input on developing a new energy plan for
Iowa. Attend one of these
meetings and let state
officials know that the plan should, (1) set a
goal of reducing greenhouse gas
emissions 80% by 2050, (2) include interim
benchmarks en route to the 80%
target, (3) target a goal of meeting at least
2% of our annual energy sales
through greater energy efficiency, (4) meet at
least 25% of Iowa’s energy needs
with renewables by 2025, and (5) ban new
coal-fired power plants.
The meetings
are in October from 7:00 – 9:30 p.m. and
scheduled for the 18th in
Des
Moines
(State
Historical
Building),
the 22nd in Coralville (North Ridge
Pavilion), the 25th
in Council
Bluffs
(Iowa
Western
Community
College)
and the 29th in
Fort
Dodge
(Iowa
Central
Community
College). Contact Tommi.Makila@dnr.iowa.gov
for
details.
CLIMATE
CHANGE ADVISORY COUNCIL
Recently, I was
appointed to the Climate Change Advisory
Council, which will make recommendations to the
Legislature by January.
It’s important for the Council to send
the strongest
possible message that
Iowa
needs
immediate and decisive action on climate
change. Come to the
meeting, monitor the discussion
and encourage members of the council to do the
right thing. No
doubt, there will be efforts by industry
lobbyists
to offer the weakest possible
recommendations.
With your help, we can make sure that
doesn’t happen. The
first meeting is October 18 from
9:00
a.m. until 3:00 p.m. at the DNR Air
Quality Bureau office,
7900
Hickman Road, Suite
1 in Clive.
NATIONAL
DAY OF CLIMATE ACTION
Last April, the
national Step It Up campaign spear-headed a
grassroots movement that spawned over 1,000
local actions in all fifty states,
with ten events in
Iowa. Step It Up II is
scheduled for November 3,
and organizing is underway in
Des
Moines
(contact Kelly Mitchell at kelly.mitchell@wdc.greenpeace.org),
North Liberty (contact
Alisa Meggitt at (319) 688-1210) and
Iowa
City (contact Mike
Carberry at
mcarberry@iowaglobalwarming.org).
If you’d like
to organize an event in your community, visit
the national Step It Up website at http://www.stepitup2007.org/
for ideas and guidance, or send Lynn and I a
message here.
LOCAL FOODS
MEALS
What do local
foods have to do with climate change? Lots! From
an industrial farm to your plate, the average
food item travels 1,500
miles. Buying
locally-grown food not
only helps family farmers but reduces carbon
emissions as well.
This fall, Iowa Farmers Union and the
Buy
Fresh-Buy Local Campaign are hosting meals
featuring Iowa-grown food.
Here’s the schedule so far:
October 17,
8:30
a.m.,
St. Patrick’s Restaurant, Adel
November 7, 8:30 a.m.,
Vinton Country Club, Vinton
November 14, 9:00 a.m.,
The Oaks Steak House, Decorah
A meal in
Clear
Lake
is in the planning phase.
To RSVP your
attendance, call (800) 775-5227 at least two
days in advance.
LOCAL
HARVEST BANQUET IN CARROLL
Again, the more
we can do to support local food production
the more we decrease transportation-based
carbon emissions.
Carroll-area residents involved with
the
Community Market Coop are hosting a Local
Harvest Banquet at the
Carrollton
on November 17, with a reception at 5:00 p.m.
and dinner at 6:00. Contact communitymarketcoop@gmail.com
for more information.
COAL PLANT ANNEXATION
DEFEATED!
The hard work of
the people of
Black
Hawk
County
paid off this week.
A proposed
annexation to expedite the construction of a
new coal-fired plant was defeated
on a 3 – 2 vote. A
hearty “thank you” to
the three board members of the State City
Development Board who voted “no,” and
a huge pat on the back to the hundreds of local
residents who have worked hard
on this issue for over a year.
Thanks for
taking the time to read this e-mail, and
please
feel free to write back.
It’s always
good to have your feedback.
Ed Fallon
