Addressing CAFO Pollution

Posted on July 24, 2025 by Trish Nelson

And now a word from IEC:

Addressing CAFO Pollution Through Enhanced Waste Management and Research Initiatives

iaenvironment.org/blog/iowa-environmental-voice/addressing-cafo-pollution-through-enhanced-waste-management-and-research-initiatives

This blog comes from Cindy Bassil, a Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering student at UCLA.   She is currently a researcher  where she studies environmental contamination, particularly air and water pollution, caused by industrial agriculture, coastal water clarity, and lead in urban soils.

After World War II, American meat production shifted towards industrial farms due to high demand, antibiotics, and the mechanization of agriculture. This increase in Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), an industrialization of livestock production keeps large groups of animals in a small area and generates massive quantities of manure.

Waste is typically stored without treatment or aeration, leading to polluted water bodies with high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus. The pollution worsens when waste is transported and sprayed on the ground, leading to polluted drinking water and public health problems such as cancer and respiratory disease. While eliminating these pollutants may cost around $333 million, it is a crucial change to protect long-term living conditions. Large-scale animal farms also pollute the air and give off a very strong odor, significantly reducing residents’ quality of life.

Aside from medical issues, CAFO pollution heavily damages the environment by polluting rivers and lakes, killing wildlife, and destabilizing ecological balance. Environmental degradation also kills native economies because it discourages tourism, activities, and recreation such as swimming and fishing. Iowa has been highly impacted as one of the states with the highest concentration of CAFOs.

Click here to read the entire article at IEC

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Our Broken and Damaged News And Information System

Posted on July 23, 2025 by Trish Nelson

 

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Simon and Ken Discuss What Democrats Are Doing

Posted on July 22, 2025 by Trish Nelson

You may be surprised.

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Measles In Iowa

Posted on July 21, 2025 by Trish Nelson

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Budget Bills Pass

Posted on July 20, 2025 by Paul Deaton
U.S. Capitol. Photo by Ramaz Bluashvili on Pexels.com

While I was sleeping early Friday morning, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the rescission bill which claws back funds approved by Congress in a bipartisan process. Republicans rescinded parts of previous spending agreements they didn’t like, which were needed at the time to pass the bill. They have a thin majority, so can do many things they want. Notably, funds for USAID and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting have been cut in the rescission bill. It now heads to the president’s desk for signature.

The rescission bill followed the widely unpopular reconciliation bill which also cuts federal programs while increasing the national debt. The president signed the reconciliation bill on July 4.

I need to stop and take a deep breath.

Like many, I contacted my federal representatives multiple times during the weeks the bills were being considered. They all (Chuck Grassley, Joni Ernst, and Mariannette Miller-Meeks) voted for both the reconciliation and the rescission. This week I received replies from Miller-Meeks and Ernst, explaining their vote on the reconciliation. Grassley posted a press release on his website. There are some nuances, but all of them gave the main reason for voting for it as extending the 2017 tax cuts.

Let’s start with Miller-Meeks. This was the crux of her email to me: “I was proud to support H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which permanently extended the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Without this bill, the average Iowan would have seen an increase of $2,063 in the annual tax bill. I was proud to work with my colleagues to prevent this from happening.” I don’t know this “average Iowan,” of whom she speaks. I didn’t see our household taxes change because of the 2017 tax cut. I paid zero taxes for 2024, so there are no taxes to cut going forward. Wealthy Iowans will do better. In each of my emails to the congresswoman I pointed out that we cannot afford to borrow more money for tax cuts. According to the Congressional Budget Office, that’s one of the main features of the bill, the U.S. will incur trillions of dollars in additional debt.

Someone in Senator Ernst’s office apparently read my emails opposing the bill. The response addressed Medicaid, as did I. The core message was similar to Miller-Meeks: “On July 1, 2025, I joined the entire Iowa delegation in voting to pass the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB), which the President signed into law on July 4, 2025. In addition to preventing the largest tax increase in history for our families, farmers, and small businesses, the bill strengthens the integrity of Medicaid and prioritizes those who truly need help by eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse.” Ernst did not address the borrowing needed to cover the loss of tax revenue for the U.S. Treasury.

Senator Grassley was singing the same tune in his July 1 press release, “Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) today voted to pass the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to protect Iowans from being hit with the largest tax increase in history and provide historic investments in border security and law enforcement.”

If we think logic and reason apply to these votes, they don’t. They are simply Republicans doing Republican things with their audacity increasing with each day the Congress is in session. The direction hasn’t changed much since the Reagan administration, except for Republicans doing all this with more transparency. This one was really in our face. They rely on the American electorate being asleep at the wheel and paying their law-making only a minimum of attention. “Tax cut? Good,” the unwitting might say.

I haven’t come to understand the meaning of these bills, other than they go against the grain of good governance and Republicans don’ t care. What I do understand is Miller-Meeks and Ernst are up for re-election and if we care about our country, we should be contributing in some way to replacing them with Democrats.

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Nuclear Energy Revisited

Posted on July 19, 2025 by Paul Deaton
Photo by Ilya Perelude on Pexels.com

On July 1, Interstate Power and Light Company, the parent company of Alliant Energy, filed an application to add 1,000 megawatts of wind energy “to help boost Iowa’s electric grid and further diversify its energy portfolio,” Olivia Cohen wrote in the Cedar Rapids Gazette. The timing of the filing takes advantage of tax credits included in the Inflation Reduction Act before they change as a result of the budget reconciliation bill enacted this month. This project seems like a good deal for everyone.

What we don’t see is applications to construct new nuclear reactors to generate electricity. There has been a stream of media articles about pulling the Duane Arnold Energy Center in Palo out of mothballs and bringing it on line again. There is an exploratory committee for that purpose. In addition, the Linn County Supervisors have undertaken to establish a nuclear zoning code for parts of the compliance not preempted by federal authorities. These are not real solutions to meet energy demand.

I wrote before, “The technology at Duane Arnold is old. The physical plant is old. Its permit has been renewed twice. There is a limit to the life of these facilities built in the 1970s. Why throw new money after old technology? We shouldn’t.” If we do anything regarding nuclear power generation, we should wait until known problems have been resolved. That is one of Bill Gates’ current projects. Gates appears to rely heavily on government subsidies for his small modular reactor in Wyoming.

Why even consider nuclear energy? I knew why when I was a kid back in the 1950s and ’60s after President Dwight Eisenhower’s Atoms for Peace speech at the United Nations General Assembly on Dec. 8, 1953. Eisenhower sought to solve the terrible problem of splitting atoms in nuclear weapons by suggesting a means to transform the atom from a scourge into a benefit for mankind. Follow this link for the text of the Atoms for Peace speech. That idea had its heyday. That time is over.

Even Iowa is getting in the act with Governor Reynolds’ Nuclear Energy Task Force created via Executive Order to make recommendations for how we can move forward with nuclear energy in Iowa. The task force was just formed, so we don’t know the direction they will take. Well, we do. There is only one game in town. Generate nuclear powered electricity using government subsidies to offset the high costs which render the idea a non-starter as a stand alone business proposition.

Today our government wants nuclear weapons and nuclear power for the express purpose of making money for contractors and their wealthy owners. Profits are to be propped up by government subsidies. The message, clear in the Alliant Energy application, is government subsidies for green energy are coming to an end under the current administration. Why not phase out and end the subsidies for nuclear power and fossil fuel companies as well? We know why. The government has been captured by these energy industries.

Society has not begun to tap the potential of wind and solar energy. When the issue of storage is solved, the two methods of electricity generation should just take off. It is up to us to resist a resurgence of nuclear power and allow wind and solar to take market share. Based on what is happening now in Europe, they will. The United States has chosen to service oligarchs and large corporations in its energy policy. We should lead rather than do this and fall behind.

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Indivisible Weekly Plan Discussion With Erica Chenowith

Posted on July 18, 2025 by Trish Nelson


Today’s weekly update call with Leah and Ezra with special guest Erica Chenowith. This week’s discussion also covers One Million Rising training Session #1 held 7/16/25.   If you missed the training you can watch the recording of session 1 here.  There were so many attendees not everyone could join the call. Ezra reported that there were 150,00 sign-ups. I signed up but was five minutes late and the meeting was already full.

Here is the weekly update:

 

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Guest Column: Grassley, Ernst, Hinson Mislead Iowans

Posted on July 17, 2025 by Trish Nelson

Photo: OurQuadCities.co

Guest column published in the Cedar Rapids Gazette by
Father Guillermo Trevino, Jr.

Grassley, Ernst and Hinson Mislead Iowans

As Pascual Pedro’s parish priest and godfather, I am deeply troubled by the recent statements of Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, and Rep. Ashley Hinson regarding his unjust deportation to Guatemala. Each elected official has publicly commented, yet none have truly grappled with the injustice at the heart of Pascual’s deportation.

Pascual came to Iowa from Guatemala at age 13. He grew up in our community, attended West Liberty High School and was confirmed into our Catholic faith at St. Joseph Catholic Church, where I proudly serve as pastor. He played soccer, graduated and contributed as a construction worker. Pascual was dutifully attending annual ICE check-ins and living responsibly, complying fully with every requirement.

Yet, without warning, ICE arrested Pascual at his routine check-in on July 1, revoked his supervised release and swiftly deported him under an “expedited removal” process. This practice sidesteps immigration judges and enables ICE officers — without judicial oversight — to issue deportation orders. It is a fundamentally unconstitutional procedure, undermining core American principles of due process and fairness.

Grassley told Radio Iowa on July 10 his hands are tied, claiming “I make law. I don’t enforce law.” Yet Grassley — the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee — knows full well that senators have oversight powers and influence — he could directly pressure the administration to restore justice.

On July 9, Ernst issued a deeply misleading and generic statement that shamefully equated Pascual — a young man with no criminal record — with fentanyl dealers, falsely claiming he entered the U.S. under President Biden. In fact, Pascual entered the country during the first Trump administration and has no criminal record, not even a speeding ticket. Such careless rhetoric is both irresponsible and damaging.

Rep. Ashley Hinson asserted that Pascual “had due process,” according to her statement on July 10.

Due process should involve notice, a hearing before a judge, legal representation and a right to appeal. Because he had been targeted for expedited removal, Pascual did not receive these basic legal protections. Expedited removal inherently strips due process of all substance and meaning.

Their claims of powerlessness ring hollow: House Majority Leader Steve Scalise recently intervened directly to secure the release of an immigrant from detention, proving members of Congress can — and do — have the influence to correct injustices.
Iowa’s elected officials must stop hiding behind hollow rhetoric. In the last two weeks, over 3,000 everyday Iowans have joined our call to “Bring Pascual Back Now.”

Sen. Grassley, Sen. Ernst, and Rep. Hinson: You have a moral and constitutional responsibility to right this wrong. I call on you to meet directly with Pascual’s family and with me, either here in Iowa or in Washington, D.C., and commit to decisive action.
We demand leadership. We demand justice. We demand you bring Pascual home now.

Rev. Guillermo Treviño, Jr. is the pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Churches in West Liberty and Columbus Junction, and the board president of Escucha Mi Voz Iowa.

Link:  thegazette.com/guest-columnists/grassley-ernst-and-hinson-mislead-iowans/

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Weekly Action Alert From Indivisible

Posted on July 16, 2025 by Trish Nelson

“Indivisible with liberty and justice for all.”

Action alert from Indivisible

Our weekly to-dos

  1. Prepare to march this Thursday at a Good Trouble Lives On Day of Action near you. Each day brings new attacks on our rights as the Trump regime chips away at our democracy. But in the tradition of the late John Lewis, Americans across the country will rise up this Thursday in a mass, nonviolent demonstration for freedom and justice.
  2. Learn the tools of strategic non-cooperation to fight authoritarianism at our One Million Rising training series beginning this Wednesday. There’s no escaping it; Trump and his enablers are becoming bolder and our slide toward authoritarianism is accelerating. With institutions failing to meet the challenge, it falls to us — the pro-democracy majority — to defeat fascism. Join this training to help lead the fight within your networks and pass on these skills to others.
  3. Contact state and local Dems to demand action against masked ICE abductions. If you live in a blue city or state with a Democratic trifecta, your Democratic governor, mayor, and lawmakers have the power to stop secret police tactics like abductions by masked ICE agents. Our Blue State Defiance toolkit helps identify who to contact and what to call for.
  4. Join our “Fight Back with Friends” training on Tuesday, July 22 for new tools to help get your friends and family off the sidelines! We all know someone who wants to join our fight but isn’t sure where to start; Fight Back with Friends is a new program designed to break down that barrier. Each call details ways to get your friends involved in specific, impactful tactics to defend our rights, our safety, and our democracy. Tuesday’s will focus on our upcoming One Million Rising campaign (more info below).
  5. Join our “What’s the Plan?” call on Thursday as Indivisible’s cofounders break down the latest news and take questions from the movement. Every Thursday at 3pm ET (12pm PT), Leah Greenberg and Ezra Levin go live to take questions from Indivisible activists. This week they’ll be joined by a special guest — Professor Erica Chenoweth (the scholar behind the 3.5% rule) — to dig into the strategic logic of our One Million Rising campaign (more info below).
  6. Check out Truth Brigade tools for pushing back on the regime’s efforts to silence dissent. Americans care deeply about free speech, so enemies of the First Amendment have to justify their attacks on constitutionally-protected speech with lies and fearmongering. This month, our disinformation-fighting Truth Brigade team has some expertly-crafted messaging you can share to help expose these authoritarian tactics.

We want YOU to be part of One Million Rising

Across the country, authoritarian forces are growing bolder and more dangerous. Trump and his allies are not hiding their agenda: mass deportations, rollbacks of civil rights, weaponized courts, and unprecedented interference in civil society.

Fighting back requires more than one-off days of protest or calls to Congress (both still vitally important). It requires us to expand our toolbox and construct millions of points of defiance that grind the gears of the regime.

This Wednesday, we’re launching a new training series that aims to equip one million Americans with the tools of strategic non-cooperation so that we can slow, delay, and reverse the spread of autocracy. 

Digital flier for One Million Rising virtual trainings on July 16, July 30, and August 13 -- Click to learn more and sign upWe’ll talk about how folks can work within their membership organizations, alumni networks, professional guilds and other small and large scale institutions to push back on the Trump regime.

This is a new kind of training for Indivisible, and more than ever before we are urging every single member of this movement to attend this series.

Sign up for the One Million Rising virtual sessions on July 16, July 30, and August 13 to join 1,000,000+ Americans training to lead the fight against fascism!

Make good trouble at this Thursday’s national mass mobilization

Map of the United States covered in dozens of yellow dots representing demontrations on July 17 -- Click to find events near youThis Thursday, people all across the country will take to the streets on the fifth anniversary of John Lewis’ passing for the Good Trouble Lives On National Day of Action.

We are facing the most brazen rollback of civil rights in generations. Whether you’re outraged by attacks on voting rights, the gutting of the social safety net, the disappearances of our neighbors, or the brutal efforts to crush dissent, this is a moment to show up, speak out, and — following in John Lewis’ footsteps, make “good trouble” to redeem the soul of our nation.

At over 1,000 events throughout the country people will reject the division being pushed on us by this administration by coming together for peaceful vigils, marches, and other nonviolent acts of protest. Find your closest event here.

Follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, and Threads to keep up on the latest information, and text “INDIVISIBLE” to 59798 to opt-in to our text messaging program, where we send rapid response actions a few times a month.

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List Of Iowa Good Trouble Events

Posted on July 15, 2025 by Trish Nelson

On July 17, the anniversary of Congressman John Lewis’s passing, everyday folks are taking action across the country to defend democracy and carry forward his legacy of Good Trouble.

Good Trouble Lives On is a national day of nonviolent action to respond to the attacks posed on our civil and human rights by the Trump administration and to remind them that in America, the power lies with the people.

So far there are 21 events in Iowa. Mount Vernon, Iowa City, Tipton, Manchester, Waterloo, Muscatine, Cedar Falls, Grinnell, Dubuque, Davenport, Waverly, Fairfield, West Burlington, Decorah, Ames, Ankeny, Des Moines, Indianola, Keokuk, Red Oak, Council Bluffs. 

Find an event near you at Mobilize.us

 

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