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 [log in to unmask] 515-277-8868 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To get off the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask]