Agriculture and Factory Farms

• The Summer of Soil

Climate Change

•  Solar for Iowa Schools

• Carbon Sequestration and Carbon Capture and Storage

Water

• Iowa’s Beaches – Fun or Health Risk?

Plus

• Join us for interesting and informative webinars

• Save the date for Our Annual Meeting, Sept. 26, 1:30 - 4:30, Waterloo Center for the Arts

• Iowa Sierra Club Awards

• Contribute to the Iowa Chapter

• Volunteer for the Iowa Chapter
• Calendar of events

• To see the archive of previous Iowa Chapter newsletters

• To see the White Pine Needle newsletter

Solar for Iowa Schools

As our climate crisis looms, Iowans are looking for opportunities to cut our fossil fuel dependence and invest in green energy infrastructure like solar energy.  Iowa schools can play a leading role in our clean energy transition, community by community. By installing solar on our public schools, districts save money and kids learn by example with cutting edge technology.  Solar for Schools provides many opportunities to take action to combat climate change and benefit our local communities.  Installing solar on schools allows for educational opportunities about green technology and climate change.  And, solar for schools helps reduce monthly expenses for schools in the long term and allows us to think creatively about how the solar panels are incorporated into our landscape.  Schools can lead the way in transitioning to green energy, and you can encourage your school district toward the path to solar!

What should I know about installing solar in my school district?

• Solar power is carbon-free, reduces air pollution, uses less water, and helps fight climate change.
• One of the fastest growing jobs in the nation is solar installer.
• Using local energy is more efficient than sending electricity long distances through transmission lines.
• Federal tax credits are currently available for those looking to install solar, but currently schools are not eligible for these tax credits.  Several proposals within the federal infrastructure bill currently under discussion, the American Jobs Plan, may change these incentives later this year. Stay tuned.
• State tax credits are no longer an option, as of 2021.

How do school districts finance solar installations to maximize savings?

• Iowa school districts have a cap on their general fund budget, which pays directly for teachers and student services, including electricity.
• If schools use capital project funds to purchase and own their own solar installation, 100% of the savings go to the general fund. Every dollar saved frees a dollar to pay for a teacher or student services.
• Other options include working with a local business through a power purchase agreement (PPA). In this set-up the business pays for the installation, may redeem tax credits, and thereby owns the installation that serves the school.

What other types of sustainability and clean energy projects can my school district support?

There are a lot of ways that solar provides benefits outside of energy production. For example, solar can provide shade for parking lots; incorporating prairie and pollinator plants improves wildlife habitat and improves water quality; the solar array and management software provides educational opportunities for students; structures holding the solar array can create spaces for outdoor classrooms; and more.

Next steps

Get to know your local school board members and ask them to install solar.  Attend a school board meeting with other Sierra Club members in your community and ask for their support in installing solar in the school system.  You can do this any time -- during the school year or during the summer.

Learn more

Learn more by viewing our webinar "Solar for Iowa Schools: Investing in our Future".  Panelists Terry Dvorak and Matt Randklev discuss the opportunities solar provides for schools and discuss how school districts can finance the projects.

Terry Dvorak is the founder and CEO of Red Lion Renewables. With over 13 years of solar experience, Terry has established a team of engineers, contractors, vendors, lenders, and investors required to ensure successful completion of solar projects for a variety of customers. Red Lion Renewables continues to pioneer solar integration efforts with unique installations, cost-effective designs, and unique finance options focused on helping schools, cities, and churches integrate solar and do so in a financially responsible manner.  So far, Red Lion Renewables’ award-winning projects are estimated to save customers of $10 million over the next 30 years, avoid over 14 million pounds of carbon dioxide pollution, the equivalent of planning over 100,000 trees.

Matt Randklev is the Solar Development Coordinator at One Source Solar, an Iowa based solar design and installation business in Ankeny, Iowa. Matt has worked in the solar industry in Iowa since 2015 working with residential, commercial, and municipal clients to teach how to own their own energy. Matt was raised in the Cedar Rapids area and has a background in education.

Resources:

• Sierra Club Climate Parents campaign resources for schools: www.sierraclub.org/climate-parents/resources-for-schools

• The State Auditor’s office created a report on the estimated savings from solar for schools: "A Review Of The Financial Impacts Of Public Entity Solar Energy Installations", February 25, 2021, See www.auditor.iowa.gov/media/cms/IowaSolarReport_55192DA30BB49.pdf

The Summer of Soil

 By Jessica Mazour

Throughout his life, Dr. Fred Kirschenmann has been a champion on building a regenerative agriculture system that protects our soil, our water and our farmers.  We spoke with Fred about his connection to agriculture throughout his life as a child, a farmer, as the director of the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture and more.  Fred also discusses how our food systems have changed throughout history and that we're due for another change now.  Please enjoy this interview with Iowa's very own Fred Kirschenmann, "Agriculture, Neo-caloric Eras, and where we go from here"

Iowa’s Beaches – Fun or Health Risk?

Iowa is home to some wonderful beaches.  Across the state, state parks have beaches where we can swim, wade, float, and sunbathe.  For a list of Iowa’s beaches, www.traveliowa.com/getinspireddetails/iowa-s-beaches/23/

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) tests the water near 39 beaches to make sure that swimmers are protected from water-borne illnesses.  The tests are conducted during swim season which runs from Memorial Day through Labor Day.  The DNR issues swim advisories – swimming is not recommended – if testing shows high levels of indicator bacteria or microcystin toxins.  The advisory stays in effect until tests show levels below the advisory threshold.  Samples taken at 3 depths – ankle, knee, and chest height.

Ensuring your safety

To see the beaches with swim advisories – where swimming is not recommended, see the DNR website at www.iowadnr.gov/things-to-do/beach-monitoring  The information is updated every Friday.  You can also call the Beach Monitoring Hotline – 515- 725-3434

The Army Corps of Engineers monitors reservoirs.  You can check on their status by calling

• Saylorville Lake - 515-276-4656 
• Lake Red Rock - 641-828-7522 
• Coralville Lake - 319-338-3543

How does the water get contaminated?

The cycle starts when the water is contaminated with nitrogen and phosphorus; 92 % of the nitrogen and 80% of the phosphorus comes from non-point agricultural sources.

The DNR tests for Indicator bacteria – E. coli.  High levels indicate that fecal matter is in the water and other pathogens may be present.  Fecal matter can come from sewage treatment plants; septic tanks; wildlife, pet, or livestock manure; and baby diapers.  But let’s be realistic, Iowa has over 26 million hogs, which is likely the source of a lot of the pollution.  Surface water after a rainfall may carry fecal material and sediment to the lake.  Sunlight destroys the E. coli bacteria.

Cyanobacteria – also called blue-green algae – can produce toxins called microcystins.  High levels of nitrogen and phosphorus, from commercial fertilizer or fecal matter, encourage the growth of blue-green algae.  The algae create blooms that can then create the toxin.  Microcystin can be carried in water droplets.

Water testing is the key to detection.  Unfortunately you cannot look at the water and tell if it has high levels of indicator bacteria or microcystin toxins.  Often the water is smelly, but not always.  Green mats on the water indicate the presence of algae, but that alone does not indicate the presence of microcystin.

Illnesses from exposure to contaminated water include:

• Gastrointestinal symptoms and diarrhea. You can get diarrhea by accidentally swallowing small amounts of contaminated water
• Skin infections and rashes
• Ear, nose, and throat symptoms, such as runny eyes and a sore throat
• Respiratory infections.  Microcystin toxins can cause asthma-like symptoms
• Microcystin exposure can result in liver damage

The people most susceptible are children, elderly, and individuals with weakened immune systems.

What about fish?

The Department of Natural Resources says “High levels of indicator bacteria or pathogens have no influence on the quality of fish for human consumption. While alive, the fish is protected from water-borne contaminants by the skin, scales and mucus covering its body. Proper fish cleaning, rinsing, refrigeration and cooking should always be used.”   From www.iowadnr.gov/things-to-do/beach-monitoring

Why is this happening?

In spite of voluntary efforts in reducing nutrients, a significant quantity of nitrogen and phosphorus runs off farm fields and into Iowa’s lakes, rivers, and streams.  The nitrogen and phosphorus comes from factory farm manure and over-application of commercial fertilizer.

High levels of nutrients encourage the growth of bacteria and pathogens, which render our beaches unusable.  Swim advisories will continue until nutrient levels are significantly reduced in Iowa’s water bodies.

That is why Sierra Club is advocating for numerical standards for nitrogen and phosphorus for Iowa’s lakes, rivers, and streams, including a reasonable date for each water body to meet the standards

What you can do

Write to the Department of Natural Resources and ask them to initiate rules to set numerical standards for N & P for Iowa’s lakes, rivers, and streams, including a reasonable date for each water body to meet the standards

Kayla Lyon, Director, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, 502 East 9th Street, 4th Floor, Des Moines, IA 50319-0034

Write to your state senator and state representative and ask that they support a moratorium on building new or expanding existing animal feeding operations (factory farms)

Email, addresses, and phone numbers for Senators

Email, address, and phone number for House Members

Find your legislator

Save the date for Our Annual Meeting, Sept. 26, 2:00 - 3:30, via webinar with Keynote Speaker Alan Guebert

You are invited to join us for our annual meeting which will be on September 26 from 2:00 to 3:30.   Alan Guebert is an award-winning agricultural journalist. He writes a weekly syndicated agriculture column “The Farm and Food File” that appears in more than 60 newspapers in the United States and Canada. After graduating from the University of Illinois, he worked as a writer and senior editor at Professional Farmers of America and Successful Farming magazine. He served as a contributing editor to Farm Journal magazine. From 1995 through 2007, Guebert wrote “Letter from America,” a monthly perspective on U.S. farm and food policy for European and Asian publications.

Note: our annual meeting has been changed from an in-person event to a webinar, due to the increase in COVID infections.

Iowa Sierra Club Awards

The Iowa Chapter of Sierra Club honors activists and volunteers for their efforts to protect the environment.  Please consider nominating someone for an award.  Winners will be presented with their award at the annual meeting on September 26, 2021.  Submit nominations by E-mail to iowa.chapter@sierraclub.org by July 30.  The nomination must include:

• Award Category (see below for categories)
• Name of nominee
• Address and phone number of nominee
• Statement of why you think the nominee should receive the award
• Your name, address and phone number.  If it is a group nomination, give the name of a contact person.

Award Categories

• Distinguished Service - For a Club member who has shown service to the Club over a number of years. This is the Iowa Chapter’s highest award.
• Activist Award - For a member who has served the Club in any capacity during the past year in a way that greatly promoted the goals and purposes of the Iowa Chapter of Sierra Club.
• Business Service Award - For a business or individual in business who has contributed significantly to environmental issues directly affecting Iowa.
• Environmental Journalism - For a person working in the news media who has contributed significantly to environmental understanding at a community, county, or state level.
• Steward of the Land Award - For a farmer or other individual whose agricultural practices promote soil conservation and/or other environmentally positive results.
• Public Service Award - For a legislative or governmental employee or appointee who has contributed significantly to environmental issues directly affecting Iowa.
• Environmental Educator Award - For an educator at any level of education who has contributed significantly to an increased understanding of the environment.
• Grassroots Award - For any individual whose contributions have resulted in significant change regarding the environment in a local community

See honor roll of award winners.

Carbon Sequestration and Carbon Capture and Storage

In June Governor Kim Reynolds appointed a Carbon Sequestration Task Force.  The members include executives of businesses and industry involved in biofuels, electricity generation, farm equipment manufacturing, and insurance.  There were no members representing the environmental community.  Also sitting on the task force are the Governor, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, head of Iowa Economic Development, the Chair of the Iowa Utilities Board, the director of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, and the director of the Iowa Department of Transportation.

The Iowa Chapter will monitor the work of this Task Force.  Three of the Sierra Club staff have applied to be on the working groups affiliated with the Task Force.

Carbon dioxide is one of the primary greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change.  So it would seem that capturing or sequestering that carbon would be a positive action in addressing climate change.  To some extent that is true.  Preserving and expanding forests and grasslands can help to sequester carbon. So can regenerative agriculture which stores carbon in the soil.  Practicing no-till planting and planting cover crops will provide plants that sequester carbon.  Sierra Club supports these efforts.

But there is now being revealed a darker side to carbon capture.  Instead of reducing emissions of carbon dioxide, there are proposals, including in Iowa, to capture carbon dioxide from industries, pressurize it, force it through pipelines, and then bury it deep underground in North Dakota.  The pressurized carbon dioxide could also be used for fracking in the oil fields of North Dakota.  These are terrible ideas for climate, for public health, and for property rights.

Pipelines can crack and explode and the high amounts of carbon dioxide will kill people and animals in the area if this happens.  There is no guarantee that the carbon dioxide will stay in the ground.  The developers are asking for public money for this scheme which would extend a lifeline to fossil fuels that instead must be phased out quickly.

A pipeline project, pushed by Bruce Rastetter, would capture the carbon dioxide from several Iowa ethanol plants and would bury it in North Dakota.  The scheme would allow the ethanol companies to claim credits being issued in California for zero-carbon-fuels.

To learn more about carbon dioxide pipelines, watch Carolyn Raffensperger's discussion "Carbon Capture and Storage: Bad News for Iowa".  Carolyn is the past-chair of the Iowa Chapter of the Sierra Club.

Lunch and Learns

Every Friday at noon, we do a Lunch and Learn livestream.  See us on Facebook at "Sierra Club Iowa Chapter".  These will be recorded so you can watch them anytime.  Topics will be selected based on what is happening during the week and will be announced the day before the livestream.  During the legislative session, we cover issues coming before the Iowa legislature.

In case you missed our past webinars and lunch and learn sessions, you can still see them.

We hope you can join us.

Volunteer for the Iowa Chapter

Almost everything we do is done by volunteers like you.  If you would like to volunteer for the Iowa Chapter, please let us know by sending an E-mail to Iowa.chapter@sierraclub.org.  Or sign up by using the on-line form.  There are many opportunities for you to make a difference:

• making phone calls

• developing graphics for banners and flyers

• working on legislative issues

• working on elections

• fundraising

• organizing events

• joining an issue committee

If you would like to join a committee on the Peoples Budget, sign up here please fill out our People's Budget Volunteer Form so we can build our organizing team for this project.  A large number of Sierra Club issues require some involvement with Iowa's state budget. Budgets reflect theories of government. Iowa’s political conversation rarely moves beyond the notion that government’s primary responsibility is to grow the economy. Hence we give corporations tax breaks, but slash funding for health care, environmental protections and public interest research at our three state universities.  We hold a different view of government and that is government is the trustee of all the things we share - public roads and bridges, water, wildlife, air, public universities, state parks, education and public health.  Therefore, protecting, enhancing and restoring our shared public wealth is the central responsibility of government. We must tie the budget to our priorities. 

If you would like to join our legislative action team, sign up here.  Keep on top of what is happening at the Iowa legislature.  Be alerted when you should contact your legislators about pending legislation.

If you would like to join the team on a public interest research agenda, send an e-mail to iowa.chapter@sierraclub.org.  The Iowa Chapter of the Sierra Club is forming a team to design a public interest research agenda, determine needed policies, and develop a strategy to implement the public research agenda.  This project will be a year-long study and design group. We are especially looking for scientists who are working in climate, public health, sustainable agriculture, and related fields.

Sierra Club - the best bet for achieving bold solutions to Iowa’s environmental problems

Sierra Club is Iowa’s oldest and largest grassroots environmental organization.  Not only that, we are the best bet in the state for achieving bold solutions to Iowa’s environmental problems.

We work in the courts, before Iowa’s public agencies, and in the halls of the legislature.  The Iowa Chapter's effort to protect the environment takes financial support.  The Chapter receives very little financial support from the national Sierra Club.  Can we count on you for a donation to ensure even more victories?  Your contribution will be put to work here in Iowa on issues that affect every day Iowans – water quality, clean air, protection of Iowa's soil, parks and natural areas, and a strong democracy.  The Iowa Chapter is relentless in fighting back bad legislation that affects every one of us. 

Your non-deductible contributions make it possible for us to fight bad legislation and to promote good legislation.  We appreciate your past and on-going support of these efforts.  You can make a non-deductible donation with a credit card.   A non-deductible donation supports the Chapter's effective, citizen-based advocacy and lobbying programs.  If you prefer, a non-deductible check can be written to the Sierra Club Iowa Chapter and mailed to:

Treasurer
Sierra Club, Iowa Chapter
PO Box 1058
Marion, IA 52302

You can also make a tax-deductible donation with a credit card.  Tax-deductible activities are limited to public interest education, research and legal actions.  A deductible check can be written to the Sierra Club Foundation with “Iowa Chapter” written in the memo line.

Easier yet, become a monthly donor.

Thank you for your support.

Donate your used vehicle

As the Sierra Club Foundation's Iowa Chapter continues to raise charitable funds to support its work in Iowa, won’t you consider participating in our vehicle donation program?  Our partners over at CARS have made the process of donating your unused or unneeded car, truck, motorcycle, boat or RV easy, efficient and secure.  They’ll take care of everything from picking up your vehicle to sending you a tax receipt for your generous gift.  To learn more about The Sierra Club Foundation's Iowa Chapter vehicle donation program, please call 844-674-3772.  Or visit our webpage to get started today!

Sierra Club Foundation promotes climate solutions, conservation, and movement building through a powerful combination of strategic philanthropy and grassroots advocacy. The Foundation is the fiscal sponsor of Sierra Club’s charitable environmental programs.

For more information 

Planned giving . . . naming the Sierra Club Iowa Chapter in your will 

Thank you for supporting our work!