Iowa Global Warming

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

My time here at the Iowa Global Warming Campaign is winding down as I get ready to travel back to Illinois for the summer. I’ve been given so many opportunities while working here, from engaging with the community to meeting representatives from other environmental organizations to actually getting to write about issues, which is what I’ve always wanted to do. Still, I think just being involved in our work to get passenger rail in Iowa and to get clean energy and energy efficiency legislation passed has been invaluably beneficial for me. It’s allowed me to really understand how everything fits together. Though Drake does an excellent job in showing students how their education applies to the real world, it’s easy as a student to become absorbed in what we are learning in the classroom and forget about the connectedness of things. I feel like I’ll leave here for the summer understanding this better than ever.

Whether their issue is global warming or anything else, those who work to help the environment have so much to take into account. Though it would be nice to focus solely on the environment, this simply isn’t possible. Environmental issues cannot be separated from issues concerning such things as the economy and human health, just to name a couple. What I’ve learned, though, is that this doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Making changes to benefit the environment can have a rippling effect and benefit so many other areas.

Where I learned this best was through our work to get a passenger rail line from Chicago to Des Moines. When I heard about this project, the first though that came to my mind were the environmental benefits that would accompany it. Trains are much more energy efficient than other modes of transportation and allow large groups of people to travel together, rather than each person burning gas in his or her own car. What I learned when I began to work with the Iowa Global Warming Campaign to get funding to make this project a reality was that passenger rail is not just good for the environment but benefits everyone.

Rail is vital in our fight against global warming, but it is also vital in stimulating our economy. It creates jobs and brings young professionals to Iowa. It is also more convenient than traveling by car or airplane and by creating a link between Illinois and Iowa, we are working to create an entire Midwest economic network.

What I realized after seeing how rail could benefit much more than just the environment was that environmental issues do not have to, and should not, be separated from other issues. Those who claim that too much attention paid to the environment is harmful to economic growth are simply not thinking broadly enough. The issue of global warming can be overwhelming, but we already know what steps we can take to fix it. Increased energy efficiency and the development of renewable energy will cut down on heat trapping gases. These technologies are also a step into a new global economy for the twenty-first century, one that is grounded in efficiency.

Understanding this relationship between the environment and other areas will be vital for me as I continue my work here next fall and in whatever work I do after graduation. This understanding, though, is important for everyone. We automatically separate our world into categories (environment, economy, human rights, etc.) but being able to see how they are all unavoidably tied is vital.

One of the best parts about working on the rail project was that we were able to attain the needed state funding for it before I left. This just shows me that more and more people are beginning to understand how that which benefits the environment benefits us all. I’m happy that by informing people about rail, I had a small part to play in bringing about this realization. I hope to work in the future to inform more people about the broad reaching benefits of environmental legislation. 

Right now, great things are happening for the effort to bring rail service to Iowa. After a year of hard work, the legislature appropriated $3 million towards making rail a reality for our state – the first funding of its kind in Iowa. Earlier this week, Governor Culver signed the legislation into law. And this Saturday, the Governor is holding an event in downtown Des Moines to promote the benefits of bringing rail service across the state. The details are below, if you can make it please join us!

Saturday, May 9, 2009
 
WHAT:   Governor Culver will celebrate National Train Day by leading the Governor’s Train Day Special for a special ceremony in Downtown Des Moines
 
WHERE:  Outside Des Moines Historic Depot
              4th Street South of Court Avenue
              Des Moines, IA
 
WHEN:   10:00am

Come show your support for passenger rail and be part of a historic moment!

GOVERNOR’S TRAIN DAY SPECIAL WILL ROLL INTO DES MOINES SATURDAY
 
DES MOINES – Governor Chet Culver will mark National Train Day this Saturday by bringing the Governor’s Train Day Special from Valley Junction in West Des Moines into downtown Des Moines, where he will hold a public event with local leaders and transportation officials promoting the benefits of passenger rail to the state, and read a proclamation declaring National Train Day in Iowa.
 
“Restoring passenger rail service to some of Iowa’s largest cities has been one of my key priorities as governor,” said Governor Culver.  “I look forward to leading this special train into Des Moines on Saturday, and highlighting the economic benefits of passenger rail to our state.  I invite Iowans to come to downtown Des Moines Saturday and celebrate National Train Day in Iowa.”
 
National Train Day is designed to highlight the need for expanded passenger rail service across the country.  Iowa currently is served by two passenger trains – the California Zephyr and Southwest Chief – both of which serve southern Iowa.  Efforts have been taken in recent years to bring passenger rail service back to other portions of the state, with current proposals to bring service to Dubuque, the Quad Cities and Iowa City and longer term plans to bring service to other communities such as Des Moines and West Des Moines.
 
To help spur efforts, Governor Culver’s signature legislative accomplishment – the I-JOBS Initiative — includes $10 million for multi-modal transportation projects in Iowa, including $3 million for expanded passenger rail service in the state.  In addition, the Iowa Department of Transportation will be competing for federal passenger rail funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.  All of these steps position Iowa to work with Illinois and Amtrak to bring new passenger rail lines to the state that connect more Iowa communities with Chicago.
 
The Governor’s Train Day Special is being provided thanks to the generous efforts of the Iowa Interstate Railroad, Ltd., and logistical support has been provided by the Greater Des Moines Partnership.  The Governor’s event will coincide with the Downtown Farmers Market.

What a day! This morning, as I was getting ready to leave for President Obama’s Earth Day speech in Newton (I managed to get a White House Press pass!), I got a message from Kevin Brubaker, ELPC’s Deputy Director, that my friend Juliana was in the Register with a guest opinion on rail service. You can find it here: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20090422/OPINION04/904220339/1038/OPINION. If you like it, please log into the Register site and leave a comment!

After giving a celebratory ‘five’ to my co-worker Kerri, I took my Mapquest (yes, Mapquest) off the printer and headed out for the event. At Trinity Structural Towers, the component manufacturer that’s helping to revive the economy in Newton, I got stuck in the press line and wasn’t sure I’d make it in… and so was Brad Ehrlich of WHO, who I know from earlier interviews. So I felt a little better. He’s a good guy, and we had a few laughs while waiting for our credentials. After the Secret Service cleared us, I was in. Wow.

A little less nervous than waiting in the press line, there was still a touch of incredulity while I set up our small digital camcorder and tripod on the press riser just a few yards to the left of the stage. The stage whose podium had the Presidential seal. Pretty heady stuff.

Our camcorder is much, much smaller than all the TV station cameras on the platform, and I think the press people looked at me with both a touch of skepticism and envy. ‘New Media’, was the look they had… I just smiled and set up the shot. Hey, we’re the Iowa Global Warming Campaign, we get access!

Once I was ready there was time to kill, and everyone in the ‘room’ (room being the size of a small warehouse) was checking each other out. As you could tell from my ‘tweets’, about half of the audience were employees, right up front and center. The rest were a mix of VIPs, including Agriculture Secretary Vilsack, Congressman Boswell, Gov. Culver, state legislators and other officials, and of course the press. A lot of faces I recognized, and a few that recognized me – and we’re all looking at each other and waiting for something big. An Earth Day speech from a new President who knows Iowa and who understands the importance of clean energy. An Earth Day speech that matters.

And it didn’t disappoint. One line from the speech could sum up where we are and where we have to go: “the choice we face is not between saving our environment and saving our economy. The choice we face is between prosperity and decline”. And that’s where we are. So, what else was said, where are we going, where is this President trying to lead us? The rest of the speech is instructive, and it’s also inspiring.

Highlights? A ‘green light’ for an entirely new initiative to harvest energy from our oceans. Not just from offshore wind projects, but also tidal energy. There’s a huge opportunity to power our coastal areas, and I’m optimistic about the leadership stake that was announced here today. Another, and very crucial, announcement today: a ‘full court press’ on energy efficiency. We simply have to move on EE, and move quickly. It’s the first place we reduce greenhouse gases, and it’s the beginning of a trajectory that takes us into the future. And it was good to hear our new President say so.

One more key in the speech is modern transportation. That means more efficient vehicles; and it means passenger rail. We’ve been working on it here in Iowa for months, and President Obama stated very clearly that we have to make it a priority. I wasn’t the only one who noticed, either: the Register’s Twitter feed exploded with comments in favor of connecting to the Midwest Regional Rail Network – and I got a call from KCCI-TV asking for comment. It’s their top story of the night, and will be on in just a few minutes. If you get a chance, watch – I’m there representing your excitement and passion for transportation that works for us as well as the planet.

To watch the whole speech, visit our Mogulus channel at: http://www.mogulus.com/igwc. And if you haven’t yet, take action to make rail a reality for Iowa. Click here: http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/fund_iowa_rail

Happy Earth Day!

Andrew

The time has really come for the final push on passenger rail. Ever since I first heard about the proposal to connect Chicago, the Quad Cities, Iowa City and Des Moines by rail, I’ve been thinking about how it would all culminate and now that’s what we’re seeing.

There is a bill on the table for discussion this week that could provide state funding for the rail project. The bill is Governor Culver’s I-JOBS program, which is in essence an infrastructure stimulus program. It would supply 750 million dollars for infrastructure improvements, which would in turn create an estimated 2,800 jobs. All of this means potential financing for rail.

The thing is, the bill will be decided on next week so our immediate action is vital. We’re making a big push for individuals to call and write their legislators because they need to hear from Iowans that rail is important to us. We are reaching out especially to students for their help. Young people will be so positively affected by passenger rail that it is essential that their voices are heard.

The issue, now, is not only getting support for passenger rail but getting support for the governor’s bill as well. Those opposed to the bill argue against how it is to be funded. It is a bonding bill so the 750 million dollars will come from a 20 year tax exempt bond that will be paid back annually through gaming revenue and existing tax revenue. Opponents argue that projects should be funded over time with taxes and that we should not be borrowing money. What they seem to be forgetting, however, is the purpose behind I-JOBS. Because of the state of the economy, job creation is needed now, not over time. The program is also perfect for projects like rail because funding provided through I-JOBS has to be used up within three years, and the money will be re-allocated if not used after a year. Those in favor of the bill recognize that it allows the state government to fund a large list of projects at once, and rail should be on that list.

Because I-JOBS is focussed on creating jobs, stimulating the economy and rebuilding infrastructure, the passenger rail project should receive funding because it is completely in line with the goals of I-JOBS. Passenger rail will help to bring Iowa’s infrastructure into the twenty-first century while at the same time creating both temporary construction and permanent jobs. It will stimulate the economy in the long term by attracting young professionals to the state and allowing for easy transport between Iowa’s cities. The added bonus is that it benefits the environment. Once we get I-JOBS passed, rail would be the perfect candidate for funding.

Passenger rail is so close to being a reality. We just need to make it known that we want it. Please help us, and Iowa, by taking a few moments to let your legislators know that rail is important to you. 

Well, I think I’m finally coming back down from the events of the weekend. Last Saturday, the 28, Drake held the first ever Iowa Earth Summit, where students from the environmental organizations of Iowa colleges and universities came together to talk about issues, learn how to become stronger organizations and most importantly build a statewide coalition of students concerned about the environment. After months of work and planning, the members of the Drake Environmental Action League (DEAL) and I can breathe a sigh of relief.

DEAL as a group first came up with the idea last semester. Sitting around at one of our Wednesday night meetings, we talked about how student environmental organizations in other states had come together to build a coalition. Why couldn’t we? So we contacted the environmental groups of other Iowa schools, who were just as enthusiastic as we were. We went about planning informational sessions and contacting speakers and, finally, last Saturday we saw our work pay off.

For its first year, Iowa Earth Summit was highly successful. With much help from Juliana Williams, the Great Plains Organizer for the Sierra Student Coalition, we were able to bring together 12 Iowa colleges and universities including Drake. About 75 students joined with about 15 to 20 of us from Drake.

Once everyone was together in the Olmsted Center of Drake, it was time for lunch. Our dining service, Sodexo, worked hard to ensure that both lunch and dinner were comprised entirely of food that was organic, local, or both. During lunch, we were privileged to hear talks from Ed Fallon, who served on the Iowa General Assembly from 1993 to 2006 and was a candidate for governor and US Congress, as well as Rich Leopold, director of the Iowa DNR.

Fallon emphasized taking small steps toward change and Leopold discussed how as the director of the DNR he has had to work within the “system” to accomplish goals. Hearing from two people who had devoted much of their lives to environmental concerns was inspiring to a room of people who are just setting out on this mission.

After lunch, students were able to split up among four rooms for informational sessions. The sessions went on for about an hour and after a small break, students could attend one more session. The topics discussed ranged from how to be an effective leader to engaging the community to environmental justice and were led by students, professors and guests, like ELPC’s own Andrew Snow. Discussion within every session was encouraged and students from each school were able to learn from session leaders as well as from one another.

And this was perhaps the most important part of the day, that students from different schools learned from one another. There were schools of every size represented and both environmental organizations that had high membership and those just starting out were present. After the sessions, each school was asked to take part in an informational fair, where most school presented a poster highlighting what their group had been working on. We were able to exchange ideas about effective activities and just talk about what matters to us.

After another sustainable meal for dinner, we were able to finish the day by using the connections we had all made during the day and put them to work. The goal of Earth Summit was not simply to get everyone into one room and then leave and go about our lives. We wanted the connections we made to be lasting and useful. This is where the coalition building took place. We discussed how we were going to keep in touch, first through Facebook and later by having our own website. Students volunteered to be in charge of communicating with those from the other schools and to be part of a temporary “steering committee” to lead us in accomplishing our goals. We talked about communicating with the media, the public and lawmakers. We committed to a retreat fall of next year as well as holding another summit in the spring. Since Earth Summit, we have already been in communication with one another.

What was so exciting about Earth Summit was seeing so many students in the same room, motivated toward a single goal. We all want to help each other with planning our individual campus events as well as join together to work on issues that unite us. I have always been proud of what DEAL has accomplished on Drake’s campus, but when I looked at everyone at the summit, I was overcome with how powerful we could be as a united force. The fact that so many students committed to Earth Summit and that each individual made a significant contribution to the day makes it almost impossible for me to become doubtful about the future in our hands. I can’t help but be proud of my generation.

-Laura

This week, I thought I’d share with everyone one of my columns that will appear in Drake’s The Times-Delphic next week. I write an environmental column every few issues and this time, I decided to focus on rail since we are really trying to get the word out to students. Here’s the column, before it goes to press:

As I near the end of my third year at Drake, I’ve started to think about how my time here will be different from any other part of my life. College in general is a unique time for everyone who experiences it. The “real world” of careers and families and mortgages seems far away and we are submerged in a world of knowledge and ideas. Though most of us have extremely busy schedules, we are basically allowed to think for a living and to voice our opinions. Despite all this, there are times when I can’t help feeling that as a young person, my voice doesn’t always travel that far. I am encouraged and compelled to make change, but I feel, at times, that I have little influence.

Still, whenever I’m feeling this way, it’s only a matter of time before an opportunity comes along and I’m empowered again. This time the opportunity is a proposal for a new project that would allow passenger rail to connect Chicago to the Quad Cities and Iowa City, and eventually Des Moines. When I first heard about this, I almost didn’t believe it. I’m from Illinois and I know many other Drake students are as well. The thought of being able to hop on a train to go back and forth between school and home, to be able to do homework and sleep during my ride instead of wasting five hours driving, was exciting.

Rail service is convenient in that it is faster than driving and less of a hassle than flying. Still, my main reason for being drawn to it was, of course, its environmental benefits. I think rail, for a lot of people, seems old fashioned, but in reality, it is much more advanced than other forms of transportation. In fact, trains are three times more efficient than cars and six times more than airplanes. They allow a large group of people to travel in the same vehicle, rather than each person burning gas in his or her own car. For the same reason that public transportation has become an environmentally friendly alternative within cities, rail is beginning to fill that same role in connecting cities.

The thing is, rail is really transportation for the future that we’re able to have now, and for our generation, it is especially attractive. Most of us will be entering the workforce in just a few years. We’ll be choosing where we want to live and work. Rail expands our opportunities. It will make it easier for us to travel and to commute to our jobs. Illinois has already committed to a rail network, linking cities to each other and to Chicago. Des Moines has the opportunity to really be the center of Iowa, and those of us who stay here after graduation will reap the benefits.

As I’ve said before, environmentalism can be daunting, but small steps can make a big difference. Well, this is a large step, and one that is easy to take. We only need three million dollars from the Iowa Legislature to get the project going because the federal government with provide the rest, due to a federal matching program. And this is where our opportunity comes in. It may seem that our voices don’t always travel far, but with regard to the rail project, they surely will.

Politicians often seem to be an entire world away from us, but in reality, their decisions are greatly dependent upon the opinions of their constituents. We are their constituents, and as our generation is one step away from entering the workforce, we are an extremely important group. All that needs to happen is they need to hear from us. It isn’t enough to quietly support the rail project, or anything else that may be on the table. We need to say something about it.

It is important that Iowa schools like Drake sign on to rail. If each does, it will send a strong message to the legislature. If we could all make the push for Drake to sign on, we would be making a huge impact. We can also send letters to our senators and congressmen, urging them to support rail. One letter may seem insignificant, but letters from a large group of students can make a difference. We can also write letters to the editor for the Des Moines Register, letting the rest of the community know about the this opportunity. And since the legislature will not be in session for too much longer, it is important to take all of these steps soon. Drake has always provided us the means for taking things into our own hands. It has always been a campus for action and change. If we speak out on rail, we can keep it that way.

Stay posted next week for updates on a press event we will be attending Friday in Moline, Illinois at which Quad Cities Representatives Bruce Braley and Phil Hare will discuss passenger rail. I will also have updates on our first ever Earth Summit event this Saturday at Drake.

-Laura

As the new intern for the Iowa Global Warming Campaign, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect when I started. After the events of my first week, though, the only word I can really come up with is wow. I’m a student at Drake and though the University has offered me countless opportunities, those that I’ve had just this week with ELPC’s Iowa Global Warming Campaign have been both unique and exciting to say the least. Iowa Global Warming is really leading the way in so many different areas that I’m just excited to be involved.

The highlight of the week was, of course, our office opening on Wednesday night. The office was packed with a variety of people including ELPC staff, elected officials and their representatives, members of other environmental organizations, students, and people who just wanted to know more about what we’re doing. News and ideas were exchanged over food and drink and then we all had the honor to hear from Mayor Frank Cownie, Governor Culver’s chief legal counsel and deputy chief of staff for policy and legal Jim Larew, and ELPC executive director Howard Learner.

Just being in the same room with these individuals and able to hear their ideas in such an intimate setting was an experience in itself. Mayor Cownie began with an emphasis on Iowa’s opportunity to lead the rest of the country in energy efficiency. Branching off from this, Jim Larew entertained listeners with a story about his first experience with promoting rail service and went on to discuss the importance of the ELPC’s new push for passenger rail. Howard Learner finished off with an overview of what ELPC is hoping to accomplish in Iowa, including pushing for clean energy legislation and securing funding for the proposed rail service between Chicago and Iowa City.

The night really served as a medium for the fostering of current ideas and the creation of new ones. As a young person, it was inspiring to be surrounded by so many motivated and optimistic people with whom I would usually not have the opportunity to engage in discussion. That is really what the Iowa Global Warming Campaign is about: creating public discussion and moving policy solutions forward. In fact, we were the first to work on building broad public support for passenger rail service across Iowa.

In a couple of weeks, we’ll have our first meeting of individuals from our activist evening who want to work on getting the project underway. The group is made up entirely of average citizens who are interested in making change where they live. Many of these are Drake students and we’re working on getting in touch with students from all over Iowa to help us in motivating their schools to sign on to rail. Still, despite its importance, rail is not our only focus. We’re still working on getting renewable energy standards as well as other energy efficiency legislation passed.

I couldn’t have asked for more in my first week at Iowa Global Warming. Stay posted next week for more updates on what we’re working on and what is going on in Iowa and across the country.

-Laura

It’s been a long week, but now that I’m back from Powershift ‘09, I’m feeling renewed and ready to step up and keep working towards the goals we outlined in D.C. The student climate movement is alive and well, and I think we’re going to see some important changes finally reach the country this coming year.

Before I go too far into detail; For those of you out there who don’t know what “Powershift” is, there’s plenty of information available on the website, with all the details including schedule of events and speakers. As they describe the event themselves, “Power Shift 09 will bring 10,000 young people to Washington to hold our elected officials accountable for rebuilding our economy and reclaiming our future through bold climate and clean energy policy.” Speakers this year included Lisa Jackson (Head of the EPA), Van Jones (Green Jobs Now), Ken Salazar (Secretary of the Interior), Congressman Ed Markey and Congresswoman Donna Edwards, as well as musical performances by The Roots and Santigold.

For those of us traveling from Des Moines, the weekend involved some long-haul driving. I was joined by three freshman students from Drake University and another from Iowa State, and the 17-hour drive flew by in a haze of political and environmental discussion. By the time we reached D.C., I think we had finally figured everything out, but promptly fell asleep on the floor of the convention center and tragically forgot our solutions to the world’s problems before being able to enlighten everyone.

Saturday and Sunday were set aside for workshops and panel discussions during the day, and musical performances and speeches at night. There were over twenty different meetings to choose from for each two-hour block, and though they focused on fascinating things like “Ecopedagogy” and “Bird-Dogging for Change” and “The Road to Copenhagen,” a quick walk around the Washington Convention Center Saturday morning revealed that a good number of the 12,000 students there had also chosen to spend the first few sessions catching up on lost sleep. (Powernap ‘09, you might say) After a restful hour curled up in one of the thousands of corners at the DC Convention Center, I attended a great panel discussion on creative media activism, featuring the likes of Leilani Munter (Celebrity NASCAR driver, the fourth woman to ever race on the circuit and an outspoken environmental activist) and Daryl Hannah, who surprised me by being not only extremely eloquent, but also one of the most well-versed activists at the conference.

Saturday night’s Roots performance was inspirational as well, though in a slightly different vein, and by Sunday afternoon I was feeling far more informed and equipped for the challenges ahead. The students from Iowa had a “Break Out” meeting to discuss Iowa specific issues Sunday night, where we went over the QC Rail project, the Marshalltown coal plant, and the possibility of securing a National Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard (and how Iowa would benefit from that.) I met a lot of other committed, interested students from around the state and did some important networking before taking in a short documentary and getting some well-needed sleep. In the morning; it was time to lobby congress.

Monday started off with an extended discussion with a member of Boswell’s staff, who engaged our group of 25 interested students in a lively discussion about things like a carbon cap and renewable energy. He played Devil’s Advocate for much of it, reminding us that Boswell agreed with almost all of our demands, but threw out figures about how weaning our state off of coal would increase electricity bills by 3 fold, a point that we heatedly refused. Later, at a meeting with Harkin’s representative, we were told Harkin would likely continue to spearhead projects in line with our demands. Though I wasn’t able to attend the meetings with Loebsack, Braley, or Latham in full, I heard they had similar outcomes, and in the meeting with King, who has traditionally been opposed to environmental measures in the past, some common ground was found when discussion turned to the potential for the wind industry to help create new jobs.

The most noteworthy meeting of the weekend was with Senator Grassley himself, the ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, which was held on Monday afternoon. More than forty students crammed into his meeting room and used our alloted fifteen minutes to the best of our ability. We made our pitch and asked if we could count on him to support a cap-and-trade system in the upcoming year, and received an unclear answer that suggested he wouldn’t. When I asked him if we could count on him to support a renewable energy portfolio standard in the future, he turned to one of his aides and said, “Doesn’t he know I’ve supported the last four RES bills?” A humorous skirting of the question; we never got clear answers from either him or his staff, though they treated us very respectfully.

Overall, it was one of the best weekends I’ve had since coming here. The chance to interact again with other interested and committed students my age was revitalizing, and I’m excited to try and put some of the things I learned to work. If you’re interested in visiting the conference next year or learning more about it, visit their website here

Just a short note, but we’ve been hearing that today there will be an announcement about the proposed Marshalltown coal plant. Long story short – looks like those smokestacks have collapsed under public scrutiny and their own weight. As we and our partner groups have noted, once the public had time to fully express themselves, and the US EPA started the process toward regulating greenhouse gases in these sorts of proposals, Alliant was going to have to re-evaluate whether it made sense to build coal plants like Marshalltown. And (I hope!) the answer is no. No, it doesn’t make sense to build dirty coal when Iowa is a leader in clean technology. Clearly.

Thank you to everyone who wrote DNR asking for full public comment, wanted to do more, and most importantly GOT INVOLVED! Not to sound redundant, but ‘the action is where the action is’, and if you’re not involved yet then now is the time.

And of course, if the announcement tomorrow is that they’re going to use the ‘power of the word clean’, well… oops, it’s not over yet. We want to keep you ‘plugged in to the new energy’, so I guess we’ve got more to do!