The Des Moines Sunday Register for May 1, 2005
In his column, David Yepsen suggests that a "centrist agenda would serve
Legislature well. He discusses his ideas for economic growth, education
reform, budget repairs, the environment, energy, infrastructure and health
care. You can read the introduction to his ideas at the link below but,
unfortunately, the article does not include his ideas.
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050501/OPINION01/505010325
On the Environment, Yepsen says, "We have a little problem with the
envirionment in Iowa. It just doesn't seem to be a priority. Oh, we all
say we're for a clean envirionment. But compared to other priorities,
environmental issues are therunt of the litter. Water quality, air
pollution, renewable fuels and energy conservation are given short shrift.
"For example, last week came the news that for years Iowa has ranked near
the bottom of all states in spending to stop water pollution. At the same
time, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources failed to dole out more than
$125 million it had in federal water-quality money.
"Yet the DNR estimates Iowa needs to spend $800 million to update waste
water plants during the next 20 years. A third of Iowa's 300 rivers are
considered severely polluted. Between 400 and 600 communities have failing
sewer or septic systems.
"The next governor must raise the visibility of environmental issues, just
as Gov. Tom Vilsack did for teacher pay and early-childhood education. And
the state and communities must work together. For example, the state could
borrow money to provide cash grants to communities to build
easterwater-treatment facilities.
"One issue related to both economic growth and the environment is regulation
of large livestock confinements. In parts of the countryside, tensions
flare between producers and those who oppose that style of farming, often in
the name of protecting the environment. Both sides are getting more
organized, strident and litigious.
"Iowa has to find a balance. Raising livestock remains one of the best ways
for Iowa to add value to its grain crops and provide income and growth for
small towns. Yet it must be done without polluting rivers or fouling the
air, so rural Iowa can still be an attractive place to live.
"Our leaders must find middle ground on this issue. Money could be made
available to large producers to help them defray more of the costs of
complying with rules. Yes, it's a subsidy, just like government subsidizes
other things for the greater good. In return, the farm community could be
more reasonable about things like local control for siti9ng confinements,
connecting bike trails or fairly taxing pickup trucks.
"And state officials must encourage individual environmental efforts. Few
issues facing Iowa lend themselves so well to volunteer work as
environmental ones -- like tree planting, recycling or river cleanups. We
need a new bottle bill, and we could have one by ending grocery-store
drop-offs, expanding the list of items covered and increasing deposits to a
dime. Everyone in this debate would win something and everyone would give up
something, but we'd foster a recyclig industry and have a cleaner
environment as a result."
On Energy, "Public policy must encourage more energy conservation. Iowa
could mandate all gasoline in the state be ethanol and foster small
wind-energy projects.
"Iowa also can't let other states lead the way in development of hydrogen,
the fuel of the future. One way to make use of our wind energy is to turn
it into hydrogen. It might not come in time to help us, but our grandkids
will thank us."
Also in The Des Moines Sunday Register, Diane Carroll of Knight Ridder
Newspapers, writes about the need for way stations for the Monarch
butterfles migration. University of Kansas professor Orley Taylor discusses
how the insects are in danger of disappearing because they're losing their
food supply of milkweed and nectar plants due to development,
herbicide-resistant crops, winter storms and illegal logging operations in
Mexico. Taylor promotes "Monarch Watch," a U of K program launched in
1992.
Although the article is not posted on The Des Moines Register website, you
can learn more about Monarch Watch by clicking the link below.
http://www.monarchwatch.org/index.html
Neila Seaman, MPA
Director
Sierra Club, Iowa Chapter
3839 Merle Hay Road, Suite 280
Des Moines, IA 50310
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515-277-8868
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