Iowa Ideas 2024

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Energy & Environment

Healthy and efficient means to protecting Iowa's energy and environmental resources.

SESSION 1
The biggest bang for the environmental buck

Anaerobic digesters. Agrivoltaics. CO2 pipelines. Climate-smart agriculture. These are just a few of the buzzwords floating around in discussions about climate change mitigation. This session will ask about the bottom line, which climate tech is worth the hype, and which ones are greenwashing?

October 10, 2024 at 9:35AM
SESSION 2
The debate over public land in Iowa

Iowa is among states with the lowest share of public land. As more Iowa land is planted with corn and soybeans or developed for houses or commercial space, native plants, animals and insects have been crowded out. This panel will dig into how land-use planning affects wildlife and creative solutions.

October 10, 2024 at 10:40AM
SESSION 3
Environmental justice in Iowa

Climate change disproportionately impacts some groups- including low-income communities and people of color — and exposes them to climate-related hazards. They also have higher rates of existing medical conditions, and have limited financial and social resources, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This session will explore which communities are most vulnerable to climate change in Iowa and what solutions exist.

October 10, 2024 at 11:45AM
SESSION 4
Green your home and yard

What can you do to help the environment in your own backyard? This session will explore ways to make your home and garden more eco-friendly by looking at ways to reduce use of energy and water and lessen the load on the environment and wildlife.

October 10, 2024 at 1:55PM
SESSION 5
Utility Costs Explained

How are electricity rates set? Why are some customers paying more than others for similar energy use? This session will dig into those questions, and look at how wind and solar energy are changing the equation.

October 10, 2024 at 3:00PM
SESSION 6
Climate Change: Are we future ready?

How can we better protect our communities from the effects of climate change? The Midwest is often billed as a haven from climate change, but the inland region faces its own hazards. What do we know about projections for Iowa, and existing vulnerabilities?

October 11, 2024 at 9:40AM
SESSION 7
Protecting Iowans from the danger of lead pipes

We know lead in drinking water can harm human health, but few Iowans know for sure whether their home, office or school is connected to lead pipes. This session will delve into how many and what types of Iowa homes are served by lead pipes and what steps homeowners and school leaders could take to reduce exposure to lead.

October 11, 2024 at 11:50AM

Energy & Environment Articles

Iowa Ideas: New policies and funds propel clean energy, sustainable ag

Energy and environmental issues gradually have risen to mainstream prominence over the last few decades, catapulted by climate change and its wide-ranging impacts. The Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law in August 2022, was hailed as the most significant climate legislation in American history. It created about $375 billion in climate incen...
Highlights of Iowa Ideas water quality week

The Gazette’s Iowa Ideas In-depth Week focused on water quality wrapped up Friday, with more than 150 people participating in virtual discussions. Below are some of our favorite quotes from the week. Monday: Water quality policy
Where does your drinking water come from?

Drinking water is harvested from the earth, the sky, the seas. We worry about having enough of it and how to keep it clean, spending millions on infrastructure. But how do Iowans get their drinking water?
Can we wait for a ‘new vision’ for water quality?

When it comes to cleaning up Iowa’s dirty water, do we need to stop the insanity or persuade farmers and landowners to embrace a “new vision” for agriculture? That was the gist of the debate on an Iowa Ideas panel I recently moderated. Chris Jones, IIHR research engineer at the University of Iowa and one of the leading voices and researchers on ...
Future utilities will use 100 percent renewable energy. But how soon?

We all want the lights to turn on when we flip the switch and to have heat when there’s a blizzard and air conditioning during a heat wave. But American utility companies, including those in Iowa, are facing increasing pressure to slash greenhouse gas emissions in hopes of preventing the worst effects of global climate change.
University of Iowa increases biofuel acres with miscanthus

The tall grasses that billow and bend in the wind between Melrose Avenue and the Finkbine Commuter parking lot on Iowa City’s west side not only are beautiful, but they help the University of Iowa toward its goal of going coal free by 2025. Since 2015, the University of Iowa steadily has increased the acres of giant miscanthus, a perennial grass...
Call ethanol ‘transitional.’ Just don’t call it dead

Doug Berven doesn’t mind if the word “transitional” is used to describe ethanol as a fuel — as long as people recognize the transition between gasoline-powered vehicles and an all-electric fleet likely will take some time and ethanol may have a part in the future. “If ethanol is a bridge, it’s a very wide bridge and you can’t see the other side,...
Tourists willing to drive farther and spend more for cleaner lakes

It’s officially summer and many Iowans are hitting the road for their favorite lakeside vacation spots to do some swimming, boating or fishing. But how much does the quality of the water factor into which lake we visit?
Iowa Ideas In-Depth Week - Water Quality

Water is perhaps the most important thing in the world. Life centers on it. Our bodies are three-fourths water. We can't exist without it.
Iowa Ideas 2020 replay: Energy and At-Risk Populations

As derecho and COVID 19 impacts all, certain demographics felt the challenges deeper than most. Looking for resources from food, water, ice, and more how do we better our system for at-risk populations. What does the future look like as impact of increased energy bills from loss of tree canopy to socio-economic challenges? What do we need to do ...