This week in Iowa organizing…
Our hearts go out to the families and communities impacted by the hurricane and its aftermath over the weekend.
Folks on the ground are doing as much as they can to safely start a community assessment process, and we know it is going to be a very long recovery process once the initial crisis response is through. If you want to help, please consider doing so here through a pooled fund that will go directly to groups like CCI in North Carolina and Georgia doing on the ground work in impacted communities.
Here in Iowa, I'm personally getting pretty excited for our upcoming book tour with The Education Wars author Jennifer Berkshire. If you haven't checked out a location nearest you, do so here. And check out CCI Action member Cherie Mortice's editorial on this issue in either the Waterloo/Cedar Falls Courier or the Des Moines Register.
Alright, let's tackle the week, please read on for more!
Matthew Covington
Strategic Operations Director
Member spotlight
Rosie Partridge
Sac County
What got you involved with CCI? What keeps you engaged/motivated? Who are you fighting for?
"Proud and happy to say that I have been a long time CCI member. I joined in the early 90’s when the Factory Farm issue was first becoming apparent as a threat to independent livestock farmers, the environment and our communities.
CCI was the only grassroots organization calling for accountability from elected officials and industry barons . I am ever grateful that we are an active “force to be reckoned with” here in Iowa. All issues of environmental and social justice - from CO2 pipelines, polluted water and factory farms, healthcare and more - that are so important to me are on our agenda.
We find our strength in our numbers. Even though I may not be able to get out as much as I would like to - I continue to be a strong supporter of CCI."
Take action
October 1: Mitchell County pipeline vote
Mitchell County Supervisors will vote on a local Hazardous Pipeline Ordinance on Tuesday, October 1 at 8:30am. This ordinance would put common sense protections in place should the CO2 Pipeline be constructed.
Join us to show the supervisors they have our support to do the right thing - to use their power to protect the people and places we love. The only way we will win is together. Let us know if you can join by clicking here!
October 1: talking home improvements in Dubuque
Home rehabs and energy efficient retrofits can be pricey. If you find yourself in the situation of needing new gutters, roof repairs, or plumbing improvements you can be left with a pretty unmanageable bill. We also know that parts of Dubuque deal with higher energy bills.
If you've been thinking of doing a costly home rehab or energy efficient retrofit to your home now is the time to do so. On October 1st from 6-7:30pm we're going to be sharing resources with low to moderate income Dubuque homeowners, like:
0% interest home rehab loans,
upcoming instant energy efficient project rebates, and
home weatherization assistance programs.
More information and RSVP to join us here!
Starting October 2: How to Fight a Factory Farm podcast
Iowa CCI, three other Midwest organizations and key national allies make up the Campaign for Family Farms and the Environment coalition. Together, we have created a four-episode podcast, ‘How to Fight a Factory Farm’. Episode one comes on October 2nd and features CCI’s own Board President, Barb Kalbach, and Strategic Advisor, Hugh Espey.
Episodes will come out each week following Oct. 2. You can listen to the trailer here. Episode themes include:
CAFOs 101, environmental and water impacts
Impacts on rural communities and economies, history of how we got here/consolidation
Communities are organizing to stop factory farms
Policy change and alternative systems to factory farms
Don’t forget to rate, review and subscribe to ‘How to Fight a Factory Farm’ wherever you get your podcasts!
Beginning October 5: 'The Education Wars' book tour
We love our public schools! But in Iowa (and across the country), extremist groups want to ban books, limit what educators can teach, and push private school vouchers. What’s behind these efforts threatening the foundations of public education?
Join CCI Action and author Jennifer Berkshire for a conversation on what we can do together to win honest, equitable, and fully-funded public education here in Iowa. Books will be available for purchase and author signing. We'll be criss-crossing the state from Ankeny to Tama to Cedar Rapids and more - check out dates and locations here.
Update
Comments delivered to the IUC
As many of you know, Summit Carbon Solutions had their CO2 pipeline informational meetings in August and September. These meetings were required by the Iowa Utilities Commission (IUC) as part of the permitting process for the proposed CO2 pipeline.
Unfortunately, the commissioners were not at any of the informational meetings to hear our concerns and that's not right! That's why we created a petition for folks to add their names and share concerns about the project.
Today, nearly 130 of your signatures and comments were sent to the IUC calling out the Commissioners for being absent at such a crucial time! Thank you for your support as we continue to fight for the people and places we love.
Water Talk
Let's talk about water! Below we have a selection of some stories that caught our eye relating to water quality and ways to take action for our water.
Article of interest:
DNR investigates manure spill near Doon, updates investigation of 'blue liquid', other spills [Iowa Capital Dispatch]
Water protectors use novel legal tactic to challenge the Dakota Access Pipeline [Barn Raiser]
We heard from CCI member water testers last week!
Thank you to our incredible speaker panel last Thursday. They were great! And thanks to everyone who joined the call. It was a very engaging hour.
Don't miss our next monthly call Thursday, October 24!
If you didn't make the Zoom, here's what you missed:
A Polk County CCI member originally from the Cedar Rapids area who enjoyed the local lakes growing up and got interested in water testing due to a cancer scare. His doctor indicated the environment was a likely cause. It motivated him to learn more and get involved.
A Black Hawk County CCI member who is an avid kayaker and is testing water all over that area. Being on the water is her soul-feeding exercise! When she retired from teaching, she got into environmental education and collecting data as a community scientist.
A Woodbury County CCI member who lives near a CAFO and tested her well through the Grants to Counties program and the results were not good. Out of concern for her family, especially her grandkids, she installed a reverse osmosis system to deal with the high nitrate levels.
A Linn & Johnson County based Research Scientist who's been working with a CCI member's Women for Water testing group in Mt Vernon. He's a former environmental studies professor who has done work with watershed management. He shared insight and graphs about the data they have collected over two seasons of testing.
Here is a recording of the call.
Thank you for caring about this issue. We are building power across the state to get the clean water we deserve!
What We're Reading
These are a few links that are informing our work - we've shared them so that you can read, too!
Iowa produces the most factory farm waste in the country, new report shows [Iowa Capital Dispatch]
America's largest corn company, Corteva Agriscience, pledges no supply chain abuses. It's hired a repeat offender in Iowa for years [Investigate Midwest]
Climate scientists call on Labour to pause 1bn plans for carbon capture [The Guardian]
These two states are responsible for most of the nation's school book bans [The 19th]
Iowa is already living in Project 2025's environment [Cedar Rapids Gazette]