This week in Iowa organizing…
Let's state the obvious - it's hot. Keep yourselves and loved ones cool over the coming days. And if you don't have AC or it goes out, please find a cooling center near you.
Before the heat descended upon us, it was great being in a room with over 125 of you for our Summer Member Meeting this past Saturday! I left inspired and recommitted to the fight ahead, in large part because of fearless truth-tellers like yourselves who don't back down from what's right.
So let's get back to it then! Read on for upcoming events and ways to take action (including a simple but powerful phone call you can make tomorrow!).
For the people and places we love,
Matthew Covington (he/him)
Strategic Operations Director
Take action
Tomorrow - tell the Iowa Utilities Board 'No to Summit!'
Tomorrow is the first day of the evidentiary hearings for Summit's CO2 pipeline permits. These pipelines are a greenwashing scam that puts our community’s health and environment at risk for corporate profit.
The Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) has the power to deny permits for the proposed Summit, Navigator and Wolf carbon pipelines.
Erik Helland is the chair of the IUB and he needs to hear from you!
Let's make over 100 calls to Erik Helland as the IUB kicks off their hearing. Give him a call tomorrow, Tues Aug. 22, at 515-725-7888 and:
Share your story! Tell him why you care about stopping CO2 pipelines
Tell him pipelines are dangerous and potentially deadly, putting the people and places we love at risk.
Urge him to deny Summit's permit application and not let Bruce Rastetter abuse eminent domain for private gain!
This Wednesday: August 23 in Dubuque - let's create renter-driven housing policy
It's been over 10 months since CCI started organizing around housing in Dubuque. We've stopped evictions, gotten landlords to commit to repairing their buildings, pushed the city to work with tenants on inspections and disputes, and more. Now we're in the final stretch of establishing our renter-driven policy platform.
Join us this Wednesday, August 23rd from 6-7:30pm in Monks' (373 Bluff St. in Dubuque) basement to establish this platform. We're going to establish renter-driven policy at a city and county level to address:
Unresponsive landlords
Stolen security deposits
Application/background/credit check fees
Pest control costs
Development of affordable housing and more
The people closest to the problems are closest to the solutions. Join us to craft these solutions on August 23 by registering here!
POSTPONED? August 24 in Scott County - films for a livable future
Ooof, it's gonna be a scorcher this week. We were excited to go back to the movies in Scott County, but with heat indexes over 100 degrees this week it's not safe (or fun!) to gather outside together.
We're working on figuring out a way to safely and enjoyably watch this movie together (reschedule, possible virtual option?), so if you're interested please still RSVP at this link so we can keep you in the loop.
What if we could do farming differently?
The Biggest Little Farm captures how a couple left their city life behind and set out on a mission to grow food for their community while creating a farm that doubles as a functional ecosystem for both people and planet.
Together, we'll learn more about what Iowa agriculture is and could be, meet neighbors, build community, and plug into ways to take action here in Iowa.
It's time for Pres. Biden to declare a CO2 pipeline moratorium!
Iowans across political party have been fighting to protect our communities and land from the proposed CO2 pipelines. Now, we need elected officials to do the same.
Rep Omar (D-MN) and Rep Garcia (D-IL) created a sign on letter urging President Biden to enact a moratorium on CO2 pipelines.
Will you contact your representative to ask them to add their name to the letter?
Here are three reasons we need a moratorium on CO2 pipelines:
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) is on the record saying it will take at least a year to create safety regulations and that current standards aren't adequate;
Summit Carbon Solutions, Navigator, and Wolf/ADM cannot prematurely promise safety before standards are created. We should not consider any permits for CO2 pipelines until they are in place; and
A moratorium on CO2 pipelines could delay these projects for years, which is an important part of our strategy to stall and stop CO2 pipelines for good.
We won't be guinea pigs so Summit, Navigator and Wolf executives, like Bruce Rastetter, can make billions of dollars on these dangerous projects. Contact your Representative here!
Updates
August Clean Water Book Club - ways to plug in
For those of you interested in having a book club discussion but aren't connected to a group yet - there's still ways to participate!
This month we're reading WATER, a novel from award-winning author Jennifer Wilson.
Here's how you can still plug-in:
Book club on Zoom! - Thursday, August 24, 6:00-7:00 pm
RSVP here
Don't hesitate to reach out if you have questions. Thanks again for being a part of our first #CCIBookClub!