Iowa Global Warming

Hello all! As the newest addition to the Environmental Law and Policy Center’s Iowa office, let me introduce myself. My name is Benjamin Julian and I have come on staff as a student intern for the spring semester. I am a senior at Drake University here in Des Moines studying International Relations and Environmental Policy. I have many interests and goals for my stay with ELPC, but my real hope is that the experience here will give me both an understanding of policy and advocacy, as well as the skills needed in pushing forward with energy and environment-based legislation.

I am especially excited about taking part in pushing for state policies that will limit greenhouse gases and create “green jobs” for Iowa. Iowa is now the second-largest wind energy-producing state in the Union, behind Texas. Companies from around the world are now operating within the state to manufacture and build cutting-edge wind turbine technology. Iowa leads in ethanol and other biofuels production in the U.S. and was an early leader in pursuing a Renewable energy Portfolio Standard as a part of state energy policy. There is so much potential stirring in the heartland for clean energy and infrastructure development, and Iowa must continue be a leader in this rapidly growing industry.

There are a few major issues ELPC will be pursuing this year that I’m excited to be a part of. One is the advancement of a high-speed rail link from Iowa to Chicago. Though I was disappointed that Iowa was not included in the first round of funding from President Obama’s 8 billion dollar rail investment plan, the investment in the Chicago hub network is an important step towards sustainable transportation in the Midwest. No doubt this means ELPC will be leading the campaign for increased investment in high-speed rail for Iowa.

Another area of focus for the ELPC this year is advancement of renewable energy.  There is a need to raise standards for small-scale renewable interconnection, as Iowa has many operations that have yet to be linked with Iowa’s major utilities. Distributed, smaller-scale generation decreases inefficiency and energy waste of large, centralized power plant operations. Bringing renewable power on-line in conjunction with Iowa’s utilities is an important step forward in “greening” Iowa’s energy production. Similarly, ELPC will continue advocating for a Federal Renewable Energy Standard, which would mandate all energy companies to purchase or produce a certain amount of renewable energy for consumers. This adoption of a Federal RES is critical to normalizing requirements already set by many states, and is estimated to create hundreds of thousands of jobs nationwide while revamping and modernizing our energy infrastructure.

I am thrilled to be working on these issues at ELPC and look forward to being a part of creating a cleaner, more sustainable Iowa!

A lot has happened in the world of clean energy and climate policy since I left the Iowa Global Warming Campaign in August. The most promising comprehensive clean energy and climate legislation is currently stalled in the US Senate. While politicians in DC waver, representatives of every country in the world are meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark to develop a new international treaty to stop climate change. The meeting in Copenhagen is the 15the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, commonly referred to as COP15.

The Copenhagen talks are an important, yet frustrating event for all involved. Rich and poor nations, developed and undeveloped, big and small emitters, oil importers and oil exporters, all must come to an agreement for greenhouse gas emissions reduction on a global scale. Industrialized nations like those in Europe, the United States, Japan, Australia, Russia and others emit the most pollution and control most of the wealth. Rapidly industrializing countries like China, Brazil, India, and Indonesia want the industrialized world to cut emissions while they continue to develop without a firm commitment to reduce emissions. And then there are the poor countries like Bangladesh, Tuvalu, Maldives, Ethiopia and others that are negotiating for their survival. The costs of climate change and the transition to low-pollution economies are not equally shared, and each country’s wants something different out of the bargain.

The youth of the world are united in calling for a strong, binding agreement that protects all nations from the ravages of climate change. Youth stand in solidarity with the countries calling for aggressive emissions reductions and a quick transition to a clean energy economy. The countries calling for the most scientifically appropriate provisions are those that could be wiped off the map – the so-called Alliance of Small Island States. Yesterday, the African delegations staged a walkout from the conference after developed nations were not offering pollution reduction targets sufficient to halt desertification in Africa.

Right now, the Heads of State for every country in the world, including our President Barack Obama, will arrive in Copenhagen to seal a deal. Any treaty inked in Denmark will have to be ratified by the US Senate, an action that takes 67 out of 100 votes! I recently spoke with one of our Iowa Senators, Charles Grassley, about his likelihood of voting to ratify an international climate treaty. He is unsure, but he claims it will be dependent upon how the US is treated versus China and India. In the next few months it is imperative to pass domestic climate legislation so that a treaty can then be ratified. Only then can the United States reassume its role as the moral and economic leader of the world.

Drew

As an environmental science student, I think about environmental issues on a daily basis. I think about it during class and in my daily activities at home. After almost five semesters in the discipline, thinking about the environment has become almost a habit. Climate change, in particular, is often on my mind because of the gravity of the issue. It threatens not only the environment but also the health and livelihood of us all.

 Though I think about climate change often, it’s still difficult for me to digest sometimes, as I’m sure it is for most people. Climate change can be so overwhelming that it is difficult for me to wrap my mind around any sort of solution. I sometimes get caught up in different projects and suggestions for change, without being able to latch onto any one, specifically.

What I forget is that the issue does not have to be so daunting. Of course, the issue is complicated, and there isn’t one simple fix. Still, it is important to remember that we can solve this problem given that we use the right tools and take the right steps. One thing that is always clear to me is that it is something that affects each of us, and we all must take action.

The Climate Carnival coming up this Saturday, October 24 is a great opportunity to do just that. The event is part of the International Day of Climate Action, centered on the idea that we must bring our carbon dioxide emissions down to 350 parts per million. Scientists agree that this level is safe for the environment, but we currently have a carbon dioxide concentration of 390 ppm in the atmosphere. By focusing on one important number, the Climate Carnival will allow all of us to process the issue of climate change and take the next step in solving it.

The Climate Carnival is aimed at individuals of all ages. Activities will include the following: 350 Limbo, 350 Beanbag Toss, Coal Plant Knock Down, Polar Bear Mask Coloring, Call Your Senator Phone Booth, Wheel of Warming (of course!), “The Lorax” cartoon, excerpts from the National Geographic documentary “Six Degrees Could Change the World,” and presentations from local climate activists. It will take place from 10-2 at the John and Mary Pappajohn Education Center located at 1200 Grand Avenue in Des Moines.

Attending events like the Climate Carnival are so important because they knock down barriers that climate change as an issue sets up. They allow us to get past the fact that climate change can be daunting. Instead of sitting around waiting for others to fix the problem, we are able to take the initiative to do something. The Climate Carnival will allow individuals to become educated about climate change and really make the issue their own.

Participants can also take action by contacting their senators and urging them to pass a climate bill. The ultimate goal of the day is also to push all world leaders to make serious commitments at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. While it is extremely important for us to make changes in our daily lives, like using less energy, in order to fight climate change, it is vital for our leaders to pass climate legislation. Without their dedication, goals like reducing carbon dioxide concentrations to 350 ppm will be impossible. Let us use the Climate Carnival as a springboard for both personal and political action.

Hope to see you there!

While I spent my summer at home in Illinois, the House was busy passing the American Clean Energy and Security Act, the first bill that has actually called for a cap on greenhouse gas emissions. Now that I’m back in Des Moines and working with the Iowa Global Warming Campaign again, I’m more than ready to roll up my sleeves and help push for similar legislation to be passed in the Senate. 

The events of this fall could prove to be more significant than we can even imagine right now. We have been in need of comprehensive climate change policies for decades, and the time is here to get legislation passed. This is probably one of the most important bills that will affect my generation because it marks the beginning of a major shift. From now on, environmental issues will not only be on the map, they will be in the forefront. Changes in legislation will not only help to curb the effects of climate change, but will hopefully also spark a feeling of responsibility in the average citizen. I don’t think I’m being idealistic in saying that more and more people are beginning to have an awareness of their impact on the world around them.

I say this is the beginning for my generation because this legislation will be behind us as we enter the workforce and start leading adult lives. It will positively color the way we do business and live our lives. Still, this legislation is important for everyone. Not only will we all benefit from how climate legislation will undoubtedly help the environment, but also from the jobs it will create.

Climate legislation is something we really can’t afford to walk away from, and it’s something we have to get right. That’s why it is so vital to pay attention to the Senate right now. It will be more difficult to pass a climate bill through the Senate than it was through the House, and the bill runs the risk of being much less comprehensive than ACES.

This is why writing to and calling your senators is so important right now. Let them know that you demand serious climate and energy legislation.  We are on the verge of taking a giant step with regard to climate change. Let’s make sure it’s in the right direction.

In the month since the House of Representatives passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act, the conversation about renewable energy and climate change has gotten more intense in Iowa. Letters to the editor and editorials fill the opinion pages on what should be done in the US Senate. Sometimes the Iowa Global Warming Campaign’s work can be frustrating, especially when huge companies like Warren Buffett’s MidAmerican Energy runs a full scale media campaign designed to mislead Iowans about the costs of action, but the experience is rewarding nonetheless. In an unprecedented move, the Iowa Utility Board is accepting public comments on what the American Clean Energy and Security Act will mean for Iowa. I’m not sure that the Iowa Utilities Board should be making a statement on federal climate legislation, but we will be working to get the right answers incorporated in any recommendation the IUB makes.

We know that transitioning to a clean energy economy will create jobs and improve America’s economic security, but that’s not why I came to work here. What good are rock-bottom numbers on your utility bill if it’s not safe for your children to go outside because of scorching temperatures? What good is 7 cents per kilowatt hour coal electricity when our grandchildren will find half of the species on earth have gone extinct? What good is a small utility bill if millions of homeless climate refugees come to our shores? What good are low energy prices when food prices have tripled due to good farmland turning to desert? I realize that these things can be hard to imagine – climate change is a crisis in slow motion – but we have to realistically look at the costs of inaction. The business-as-usual scenario of burning ever increasing amounts of fossil fuels will assuredly doom future generations of Iowans with more climate-induced catastrophes.

I’m tempted to ask “will we let America lose the clean energy race?” but the stakes are higher than that. Delaying strong action on climate change dooms all of the world’s economies, constraining them with violent weather, useless farmland, disease outbreaks, lost natural resources, and rising oceans.

I decided to spend my summer in Iowa because I believe we can change the way we do things for the better. We are not helpless in stopping the effects of climate change. We can take action to reduce our emissions of dangerous greenhouse gases like CO2 and make a more durable energy and transportation infrastructure. The US Senate needs to pass robust energy and climate legislation this year, and I implore Senators Harkin and Grassley to be leaders in making laws that will effectively deal with the problem of climate change.

Drew

Well, it’s been a while since I’ve posted anything new – let’s just say things are busy, busy. I’ll get to today’s excitement later in the post (a teaser: it involves going 0-60 mph in less than four seconds in an all-electric Tesla Roadster, riding along I-80 from Ankeny to Stuart).

Spent a few days on the road at the start of the month in the Twin Cities for the Midwest REAMP network meetings, then joined other leaders from around the country at the USCAN conference in DC and led the Midwest breakout session. Great stuff in both meetings, there’s a lot of excitement and a lot of great work being done to get the facts about climate legislation and the need for energy efficiency and renewables out there. Which is so important right now, because there’s a lot of misinformation going around. Something I’m sure a lot of our supporters here in Iowa have seen, of course.

There’s more, of course. Last Thursday, the Iowa Utilities Board put out an inquiry asking for comment on a number of technical questions related to the American Clean Energy and Security Act we passed in the House last month. Senator Harkin has been making statements about the bill, indicating he will weigh into the process of passing it in the House – though maybe not in the ways we might prefer. Sen. Grassley is, as always, a very tough vote. And all of this is something we can use your help with. Get in touch with us to get involved.

Which brings me to today. Today, I got the chance I’ve salivated over ever since I first saw one online. I got to ride in a Tesla Roadster for forty-odd miles of Iowa highway. Fully electric. Faster than a Porsche 911. Able to jump… okay, it’s not superman. It’s just incredibly cool, the future, now. We did interviews and got great footage at the Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities (which has some cool features as well), and will have a great video for you shortly.

Sadly, after the ride I got word from our friends in Washington that Rep. Tom Latham has introduced an amendment to strip funding away from rail service. I’m hoping it gets killed in committee, but if it doesn’t, you’ll be hearing about it soon enough.

Andrew

Last Friday the House of Representatives passed the American Clean Energy & Security act on a close vote. This legislation promises to jump start our renewable economy, reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. Now the bill faces a tough battle in the Senate before it can be signed into law by the President.

We are going to keep building the Iowa grassroots pressure for real solutions to climate change. That is why the Iowa Global Warming Campaign will be collecting “declare your independence from fossil fuels” postcards from concert-goers at the 80/35 festival in Des Moines. The postcards will be mailed to our Senators letting them know what the people want. The 80/35 festival will be held July 3rd and 4th at 13th and Locust Avenue. This is a great opportunity to volunteer with the campaign and make a real difference in getting our country off of fossil fuels. At least 15,000 people are expected to attend the concert featuring Public Enemy, Ben Harper, and many others (http://80-35.com/). Send an email to dveysey@iowaglobalwarming.org if you are interested in volunteering!

Drew
dveysey@iowaglobalwarming.org

The House of Representatives will vote this Friday on the American Clean Energy and Security Act, and we need your help. The bill will jumpstart our economy, reduce carbon pollution, and break our dependence on foreign oil. And the bill will create thousands of jobs here in Iowa. Honestly, it’s a no-brainer. Congressman Boswell is a key vote; please, call 202-225-3806 and take one minute to tell him to vote YES on the American Clean Energy and Security Act.

Calls are important because it’s a clear signal that there is a strong demand for action; but if you haven’t yet, you can also use this link to send an email message: http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/Iowa_ACES

This could be the most important single minute you spend this week!

Representative Bruce Braley held a special event in Cedar Falls last Thursday focused on the American Clean Energy & Security Act (ACES). When I got my chance I asked him this question: “How will you bring along Members of Congress from carbon-intensive districts while ensuring the bill jumpstarts the renewable energy economy and lowers emissions?”

Representative Braley responding by mentioning that the current allocations of revenue in the ACES bill are not what he would have decided, nor would they be what a Representative from West Virginia would choose. The current allocation scheme in the ACES bill is a compromise between diverse interests. That was good to hear. Then he said that he wished the renewable energy standards were stronger and the efficiency standards were better. He was adamant that this bill and this year were the best shot the nation would have for truly comprehensive energy and climate legislation.

He went on to say he doesn’t want to sell-out his children’s future by passing a bill that won’t effectively transition us off of fossil fuels and avert dangerous climate change. He finished his answer by telling the story of how committed young people in green hard hats were present in the committee room while ACES was being debated. Those young people were the tangible reminder that this bill was about their future and their quality of life. Most memorable line: “The clean energy revolution has begun and we need your help to make it a reality.”

I look forward to seeing more strong leadership from Representative Braley as the legislation moves through committees and goes to the House floor. We need each Representative from Iowa, those being Braley, Loebsack, Latham, Boswell, and King to be fighting for a stronger renewable energy standard in the final ACES bill. Voice your support for strong comprehensive energy and climate legislation by contacting your representative: http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/Iowa_ACES

Drew

The fight for a clean energy future and a planet safe from climate change has brought me home once more to work on the Iowa Global Warming Campaign. I grew up in Ames and I’ve been going to college in Washington DC at American University. Last summer I interned with the Iowa Global Warming Campaign because I wanted to get more experience with climate issues outside of the campus or the classroom. I realized dressing up in a snowman costume and playing “wheel of warming” was, in its own peculiar way, helping to build a grassroots movement for solutions here in my home state. At the time, I had no idea how important Iowa was for the future of the world. The winds of change swept from Iowa all the way to Washington in 2008, and the future the rest of the nation desires has already begun right here. More wind power, a new passenger rail line, an educated workforce hungry for green collar jobs and a citizenry energized by the caucuses all make this one of the most important frontlines to protect our common future.
I have spent the last school year heavily involved in organizing students on my campus around the issues of clean energy and climate change. The millennial generation is hungry for a brighter future where we can have good jobs and a good environment. At this point in human history we can choose between destroying our planet or protecting it for posterity. The world doesn’t need to be ravaged by climate change, but right now it is up to us whether it will or not. The world is looking to the United States for leadership in reducing emissions and building a sustainable economy, and Iowa should be leading the nation.
I encourage every one of you reading this blog to get involved by contacting our members of Congress (http://www.gov.iastate.edu/federal/delegation.html). Right now Congress is debating the American Clean Energy and Security act, or ACES. This is the first comprehensive energy plan our country has had in 30 years.
The ACES bill has a Renewable Energy Standard, which requires utilities to generate an increasing percentage of their power from clean, renewable sources over time. The higher the target for renewable energy, the more it will benefit all Iowans.
A new national market for renewable energy will benefit Iowa greatly. Iowa is already a leader in wind energy generation. Because each state would have to use more renewable electricity, we would be able to sell our clean energy to states that are lagging behind. The possibilities for new jobs in the clean energy sector are incredible.
The bill also includes a cap on the greenhouse gas emissions that are generated by burning fossil fuels. By capping and reducing emissions we will be able to stop dangerous climate change while driving innovation in American manufacturing and energy production.
One month ago this week I woke up very early and waited in line for 5 hours to get a spot in the Energy & Commerce Committee room audience for the ACES bill. Opportunities to influence the energy future of the world do not come along very often, even in DC. Young climate activists from around the area filled the committee room with green shirts to demand a sustainable future. The dirty energy lobbyists and their friends on the committee did not expect to be joined by the future leaders of America. We heard testimony from dirty industries afraid of a bright future free from climate change and fossil fuels. We also heard testimony from clean industry pioneers asking for strong legislation to help build the green economy and make the United States an innovation leader once again.
If you feel like I do, that we need national leadership in forging a new energy economy and protecting the planet from dangerous climate change, then this summer will be an exciting chance to get involved.

Drew