This week in Iowa organizing…
Everyday Iowans know what's best for our communities. And we don't take too kindly to bullies and corporate power coming to town and telling us what to do.
And yet Bruce Rastetter and his money-hungry Summit Carbon Solutions just can't seem to help themselves, as they've now sued a third county over their CO2 pipeline ordinance protecting their community.
But here's the thing - we're not going to get bullied for doing what's best for the people and places we love. And that's exactly what CCI members and residents in St. Ansgar did last week when they applauded their city council for filing an objection to the pipeline with the Iowa Utilities Commission.
Together we'll keep at it until it's impossible for Bruce Rastetter to ignore us. If you're interested in getting your city council to file an objection, drop us a line and we'll be in touch.
Kudos to the folks in St. Ansgar! Read on for more ways to speak up and speak out. Our communities before corporate greed,
Matthew Covington
Strategic Operations Director
Take action
November 19: Anaerobic digesters: heroes or villains?
Anaerobic digesters, or containers that use bacteria to break down organic materials in the absence of oxygen, have significant down-to-earth consequences.
Laura Orlando, civil engineer, adjunct professor at Boston University, and senior scientist at Just Zero, will discuss the role of anaerobic digesters in the management of sewage sludge at wastewater treatment plants, as well as the greenwashing about their energy efficiency and production of “biosolids” as a fertilizer.
This presentation will be over Zoom on November 19 at 1pm, RSVP here.
Tell the EPA to force Iowa DNR to do its job, report the truth
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has told the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) that seven impaired water segments should be added to the 2024 Iowa Impaired Waters list due to high nitrate levels that are toxic to human health. But the DNR is dragging its feet and failing to comply.
If impaired water segments are being left off the list, it creates misleading data that can be harmful to people and the environment. We need the Iowa DNR to be held to high standards and strong regulations.
Add your name to our sign on letter asking the EPA to enforce transparency and water quality accountability from the DNR!
December 3: Public School Strong
Governor Reynolds and Republican lawmakers expanded their majorities in the state this election, so they may feel emboldened to do more on education in the upcoming legislative session. But we also saw voters – many in red states – reject private voucher scams and politicizing school boards. This tells us that despite the political makeup at our statehouse if we stay organized we can, and will, win.
It’s as important as ever to build power at the local level to protect and strengthen our public schools. To make an impact, we want to ramp up our Public School Strong presence across the state.
Join us on Dec 3 at 6pm to learn how you can get involved with a statewide effort to build our power to win honest, equitable, and fully funded public education!
CCI Action 2024 year-end campaign - check your mailbox!
Huge thanks to our 18 amazing volunteers who assembled 2000 pieces of mail over the course of three days last week! Thank you so much to the awesome members who helped us get it done!
Join us to phone bank!
Our week-long power building party is coming up - Dec 2 - 6! Members and staff will be working together to raise much needed funds for 2025, renew current CCI Action members, and ask new people to join our movement.
We'll be calling fellow members all five days. In Des Moines, we have two shifts daily Mon-Thurs from 12-3pm and 5-8pm, and a 12-3pm shift that Friday. We also have phone banks in Dubuque, Iowa City, and Grafton. We are SOUPer excited to have folks on the phones across the state!
We hope you will join us in person at one of these locations to enjoy hospitality and community. Calls are a great way to connect with our great members, renew their membership, and raise funds to do the work. To join any of these phone banks, please click here to sign up! Any questions, contact kim@iowacci.org.
BONUS! ALL fundraising volunteers will receive this year's limited-edition CCI Action swag: socks! People Power is how we win!
What We're Reading
These are a few links that are informing our work - we've shared them so that you can read, too!
Judge says Iowa DNR should consider environment, public health when weighing water permits [Des Moines Register]
The woman whose crusade gave today's book-banning moms a blueprint [Time]
Project 2025 is coming for our wetlands [Bleeding Heartland]
Trump may start his second term with a stunning power grab [Vox]
Why we're challenging Bayer and the chemical industry (by CCI board chair Barb Kalbach) [Marshalltown Times Republican]