Governor signs bills fostering renewable energy The state will spend $100 million over four years to aid development. By JASON CLAYWORTH REGISTER STAFF WRITER Ames, Ia. - It's official: Iowa will pump $100 million into boosting its renewable fuel research and production. Gov. Chet Culver signed legislation Wednesday that will allocate the money to promote such things as wind power and ethanol-like improvements over the next four years. http://dmregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070524/NEWS10/705240389/-1/archive ----------------- Wednesday, May 23 Army National Guard airlifts out river junk Chinook helicopter hauls away huge chemical tank By PERRY BEEMAN REGISTER STAFF WRITER Upper Iowa University staged an apparent first Tuesday, finishing a river cleanup by calling in a military helicopter to airlift a wayward fuel tank along the Volga River near Fayette. Upper Iowa geosciences professor Katherine McCarville had discovered the 20-foot-long, empty chemical tank - originally part of a truck - while she was exploring an area called Big Rock. She had heard lore of students years ago using the place for freshmen initiations and senior goodbyes, and she was curious no one could tell her where it was. http://dmregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070523/NEWS/705230363/-1/archive ------------- Stop building coal-burning power plants By CAROLYN D. HEISING IOWA VIEW Old habits die hard, especially when it comes to building new power plants that burn coal. Although coal emits more carbon dioxide than any other fuel, U.S. power companies are rushing to build nearly 160 coal plants, in hopes of meeting record demand for electricity and getting the plants in commercial service before the government clamps down on emissions of the heat-trapping gas. Coal plants account for about 25 percent of U.S. carbon-dioxide emissions. But if the additional plants are built, they would boost coal emissions substantially, posing a further threat to climate change. http://dmregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070523/OPINION01/705230336/1035/archive ------------- Tuesday, May 22 Proposal: Encourage biomass ethanol in farm bill Paying for new programs could prove difficult as congressional committees begin work on the legislation. By PHILIP BRASHER REGISTER WASHINGTON BUREAU Washington, D.C. — The next farm bill could provide subsidies and loan guarantees to start production of fuel ethanol from corn-field residue and other sources of biomass. Congressional pay-as-they-go rules are limiting the size of the programs, and lawmakers still must find a way to pay for them. http://dmregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070522/BUSINESS01/70522021/1029/archive ---------------- Monday, May 21 Ethanol facility's intention: Go fishin' A Wisconsin plant's recycling plans include establishing a big tilapia farm. By PAULA LAVIGNE REGISTER STAFF WRITER A plan to recycle energy at a Wisconsin ethanol plant is turning into a fishing expedition with hopes for a big catch. Owners of Renew Energy plan to harvest about 4.5 million pounds of tilapia at an ethanol plant under construction in Jefferson. The plant would be among the world's largest indoor tilapia farms, and U.S. seafood experts say it could eventually play a big role in reducing imports of the popular fish. http://dmregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070521/NEWS10/705210333/-1/archive ------------------ Wind energy project discussed Dallas Center residents voice community concerns about the proposed underground effort at meeting. By MICHELE BROWN Register staff writer Dallas Center residents filed into a small, upstairs room of the town's Memorial Hall on Thursday night to hear how a proposed $200 million wind energy plant less than two miles west of the city would affect their community. About 35 residents came out to have their questions answered. Following the nearly two-hour meeting, some said more research would need to be done before they could fully be on board with the project. http://dmregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070521/NEWS05/705220325/-1/archive ----------------- Expand wetlands program to benefit air, water, wildlife By LESLEE SPRAGGINS SPECIAL TO THE REGISTER At The Nature Conservancy, the largest conservation organization in the world, we consider the 2007 farm bill as the most important source for conservation funding in Iowa as well as the country. The past three federal farm bills have shaped more conservation programs for a longer period of time and put more funding behind those programs than any other federal legislation. The farm bill is the largest single source of federal funding for conservation on private land in the United States: $5 billion annually for the past five years. Decisions by private landowners are key to retaining habitat in forests, wetlands and grasslands for clean air and water. Therefore, we have been working with Congress to steer funding toward landscapes with high conservation value here in Iowa and throughout the country. http://dmregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070521/OPINION01/705210302/1035/archive --------- LTE Think 'green' when it comes to transportation The annual discussion of placing a highway through the Des Moines Recreational River and Greenbelt nature area - to assist Ankeny residents' drive to Des Moines - is absurd. Why can't the state discuss a "green" program for Iowa? A program including Magnetic Levitation Transportation (MAGLEV) would be a fresh start. During 19981999, this effort was presented to the Iowa Department of Transportation as an alternative plan to widening Interstate 235; the DOT was not interested. The Des Moines area Metropolitan Planning Organization was interested, and it still has the map proposal for servicing downtown, encircling the metro with spurs to Minneapolis, Omaha, Chicago and Kansas City at speeds of 300 mph. Eight of 10 mayors in the metro supported the concept. MAGLEV is administered by the federal railroad administration and is a system of moving people that does not utilize a motor, transmission, wheels or axles. This system creates nearly zero decibels of noise, zero pollution and, if the electricity is created by solar power and/or wind, the carbon footprint is zero. - Dennis Lockridge, Johnston. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask] Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp