January Newsletter

January 20, 2025

The January, 2025 newsletter from the Iowa Chapter of the Sierra Club is now available.  In this issue, you will find:

Climate Change

  • Department of Education Proposes Controversial Changes to Science Standards - Evolution and Climate Change under fire - The Iowa Department of Education is proposing to remove "climate change" and "biological evolution" from the Science Standards for Iowa grade school and high school students.  Instead of being taught about climate change, the Department wants students to be taught about "climate trends", "change over time", and "natural warming and cooling" that has occurred throughout history.  Further, students would not be taught about evolution.  Students need to be taught the current science as to the earth's age.  See how you can weigh in by writing to the Department of Education and the Governor.

  • Iowa Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory - The Iowa Department of Natural Resources recently released "2023 Iowa Statewide Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Report" shows those emissions decreased .75% since 2022, with the largest decreases coming from residential, commercial, and industrial fossil fuel combustion; power plants due to a decreased generation of electricity from coal; and industrial process.  Those reductions were offset by an increase in emissions from mobile combustion due to an increase in vehicle miles traveled.   Iowa largest emissions come from the agriculture sector - 29% of Iowa's greenhouse gases emissions are from agriculture.

Protecting the Environment

  • 2025 Legislature - The Iowa legislature session began on January 13.  The session is scheduled to end on May 2 – the day when the legislators’ per diem expense money ends.   Sierra Club is opposing a bill - SF17 - that would restrict who is eligible to claim a forest and fruit tree property tax exemption to those with homestead tax exemption.

  • EPA Puts Major Rivers on Impaired Waters List - The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officially put seven segments of the Cedar River, Des Moines River, Iowa River, Raccoon River, and South Skunk River on the impaired waters list (the list is also called the 303(d) list) because they are polluted with nitrate and nitrite.  

CO2 Pipeline Update

  • Update on Summit CO2 Pipeline - Sierra Club is expecting a scheduling order from the Polk County Judge who is handling the appeal of the Phase 1 pipeline permit now that the administrative record has been filed.  We expect to get further scheduling information from the Utilities Commission in February on Phase 2 of the Summit pipeline.  We are reviewing the draft rules that Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) just issued regulating the safety of carbon dioxide pipelines and we will be submitting comments to PHMSA.

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