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?

    Held on 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.

    Held on 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.

    Held on 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.

    Held on 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.

    Held on 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?

    Held on 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.

    Held on October 11, 2024 at 11:50AM


Energy & Environment Articles

  • Three decades ago Iowa State University published a cheeky description of an invasive plant that was of no concern to Iowans because it can't flourish this far north. "Imagine a horror movie depicting a plant species that grows everywhere, consuming cars, buildings, and everything in its path," the article by ISU Extension and Outreach said.
  • 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...
  • 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
  • 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?
  • 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 ...
  • 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.
  • 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...
  • 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,...
  • 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?
  • 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.

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