LWV Lake Michigan Region program series on Great Lakes Issues September 8, 15, 22, & 29, 20228/28/2022
Last year, LWV Lake Michigan surveyed representatives from each of the four member states surrounding Lake Michigan, to determine which topics related to the preservation and protection of Lake Michigan were of most interest. With those results in mind, we have prepared a series of programs, with each program devoted to a different state: Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan.
The number one area of interest was Climate Change and, as a result, their 2022 Climate Change Forum was held in-person and online in April 2022. This fall LWV LMR continues their education efforts, with a focus on each state, specifically. Beginning on Thursday, September 8, 2022, and for the next three Thursday evenings, LWV LMR will offer a 1 ¼ hour program, via Zoom, to educate members and the public about the issues impacting Lake Michigan, in each of the four states. These programs are complimentary and open to the public. Please share this information with fellow league members, your colleagues, family and friends. See Registration Links below. Each evening requires separate registration at that state’s link, but each program is open to everyone, regardless of where you live. The schedule is as follows: Thursday, September 8, 2022, 7:30 p.m. CT – Indiana Topics: Climate Change, PFAS, Invasive Species, Coal Ash Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMvdemvpzIiHNy7QM0tb0OP_6Bp2leCC0eZ After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Thursday, September 15, 2022, 7:30 p.m. CT – Wisconsin Topics: Climate Change, PFAS, Invasive Species, Coal Ash Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMvfuGrqDssGNDA2AJ6eyYb3V96AvOr93gM After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Thursday, September 22, 2022, 7:30 p.m. CT – Illinois Topics: Climate Change, PFAS, Invasive Species, Coal Ash Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEscumhpz4iGdOkyXGg6WWB0U-fkATZSgU0 After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Thursday, September 29, 2022, 7:30 p.m. ET – Michigan Topics: Climate Change, PFAS, Invasive Species, Coal Ash, Line 5 Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUkde2sqDsqEtamYIh68KyOJ3Dbfr6V77ND After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. The programs will also be recorded. If you have any questions, please contact LWV UMRR at lwvlakemichigan@gmail.com
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Why are carbon pipelines being proposed? Why are investors and the federal government putting money into these projects? We know that carbon in our atmosphere is causing the earth to warm, which will disrupt our climate and all life on earth. Reducing or eliminating carbon emissions is critical, and there are many different ideas about the best ways to do it. One controversial approach we've been taking for the past two decades is to switch from fossil fuels to 'biofuels' - ethanol and biodiesel. In this post on the UMRR Blog, we reported on a February 2022 report that looks at the utility of ethanol as an option for reducing carbon emissions. The ethanol industry is seeking ways to improve its environmental performance, especially as relates to carbon emissions. One way to do this is to capture the carbon that is released into the atmosphere. The pipelines would move the captured and compressed CO2 to eventual storage and/or reuse. The first two short YouTube videos following provide some more background on why the ethanol industry sees carbon capture as a way forward. The third is a video that provides more information on the process of capturing carbon from industries.
Carbon capture is part of President Biden's climate plan. This link goes to an article in the MIT Review interview with Shuchi Talati, chief of staff at the Department of Energy's Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management. Here, Talati talks about the need to have a range of processes for reducing carbon. We have included a number of references at the end of this post that provide more information on pipeline technology and DOE work on carbon capture. Carbon pipelines are currently used in Texas to transport CO2 for use in extracting oil from spent oilfields, there are also links to information on this practice.  Jess Mazour Jess Mazour bio: Jess is a lifelong Iowan who found her passion in agriculture, local foods and the environment through her non-profit work. She currently works as the Conservation Program Coordinator for the Sierra Club Iowa Chapter where she is working with over one thousand farmers and landowners across the state who are opposing the carbon pipelines. Jess advocates for an intersectional vision of agriculture for the health of our communities, our environment, our citizens and our bodies. Jess has worked with Senator Bernie Sanders to develop his Rural Revitalization Plan and other federal and state leaders to advance good agricultural, rural, and food policies. Additional references:
DOE funding carbon capture infrastructure: https://www.energy.gov/fecm/notice-intent-issue-funding-opportunity-bipartisan-infrastructure-law-carbon-capture DOE program to accelerate carbon capture technology: https://www.energy.gov/fecm/carbon-negative-shot DOE info on pipeline safety: https://www.energy.gov/fecm/articles/statement-doe-welcomes-new-carbon-dioxide-pipeline-safety-measures-announced-us Why capturing carbon is part of Biden's plan: https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/08/25/1032832/why-capturing-carbon-is-an-essential-part-of-bidens-climate-plans/ Discussion of are eminent domain: https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/us-carbon-pipeline-proposals-trigger-backlash-over-potential-land-seizures-2022-02-07/ Agri-Pulse; concerns about yield: https://www.agri-pulse.com/articles/17077-carbon-dioxide-pipelines-unearth-anxiety-in-farm-country Excellent graphic CO2 Pipelines in Texas: https://www.kindermorgan.com/Operations/CO2/Index#:~:text=Kinder%20Morgan%20operates%20the%20approximately,feet%20of%20CO2%20per%20day. DOE; Texas demonstration project: https://www.energy.gov/fecm/articles/texas-co2-capture-demonstration-project-hits-three-million-metric-ton-milestone Wolf carbon dioxide pipeline meetings in August and September Wolf Carbon Solutions is partnering with Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (ADM) to run a carbon dioxide pipeline from Cedar Rapids, to Clinton, Iowa, and then into Decatur, Illinois. Along the way, the pipeline will cross 5 Iowa counties – Linn, Johnson, Cedar, Clinton, and Scott. The next step for this project is for the company and the Iowa Utilities Board to host public meetings in each county. The schedule is:  Additional Informational Meetings Set for Proposed Navigator CO2 Pipeline Meetings scheduled in 12 counties, plus one virtual The Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) today filed a letter approving the dates, times and locations for 13 additional public informational meetings requested by Navigator Heartland Greenway LLC (Navigator). The meetings are to discuss Navigator’s proposal to build and operate a large-scale pipeline system that will capture and transport liquefied carbon dioxide from local facilities and span approximately 1,300 miles across five Midwest states, including Iowa. Navigator requested the meetings in a letter filed on June 15, 2022, and also filed a new proposed pipeline route overview map in Docket No. HLP-2021-0003. The upcoming IUB public informational meetings are as follows:  Additional hearings that were held last week in Iowa regarding the proposed Navigator pipeline: 
In this video, we learn about this major piece of federal legislation that shapes farming livelihoods, how food is grown, what kinds of foods are grown, and its impacts on our environment. This is the first step in our process of providing information and advocacy opportunities to those in our UMRR community on the Farm Bill. We will roll our more in the weeks to come.
What can be done to close the gaps between the Clean Water Act’s lofty goals and reality?
The Clean Water Act at 50 report offers several solutions as the law’s half-century birthday approaches (the Act passed the U.S. House on an initial vote on March 29, 1972, and became law on Oct. 18, following votes by the Senate and House to override President Nixon’s veto.)
This post from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition provides excellent information on conservation programs of the USDA aimed at reducing nutrient loss and improving soil health. If you are interested in these programs, take a few minutes to read the post.  Here's the opening paragraph:
On April 1, the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) opened enrollment for the Conservation Reserve Program’s (CRP) CLEAR30 subprogram. CLEAR30 is an important component of the larger Continuous Conservation Reserve Program. With both programs taking applications, in this post, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) offers a quick review of how these essential conservation tools function and shares key information for producers interested in applying.
72 miles of the Mississippi, the part that passes through the Twin Cities in Minnesota, constitutes the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, a National Park. You can paddle the river and not realize that you are passing through the heart of a metropolitan area with a population of more than 3 million. There are places where you can rent a canoe or kayak and be dropped off and picked up, doing an easy paddle with the current on the river.
Biking along this corridor is also a stellar experience. The Mississippi River Bike Trail has several routes through the Park. This is largely on separate trails, not roadsides, and takes you through city and regional parks and along beautiful river vistas. Elevation isn't much of an issue - the hills are few and small, and you can tool along in a very relaxed ride. There are many places you can rent bikes if you travel to the area, both bike shops where you can rent electric or manual bikes, or do a short-term rental through the local Nice Bike system.
There are many excellent restaurants and breweries along the way that will keep you fueled as you enjoy the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area. Owamni by the Sioux Chef is located along the river in downtown Minneapolis,. It features Native American fare, and received the James Beard Best New Restaurant Award in June, 2022.
The LWV US Climate Interest Group is an official group organized under LWV US. They regularly contribute blog posts for the LWV US Blog. Here is a summary of the four posts they have shared to date, with links: The Economic Cost of Climate Change by by Diz Swift, Dan Zalles, and Carolyn Caywood, June 2022 The need for action has gone beyond individuals making small changes. We need broad, strong public policies to decrease the costs of climate change. This post takes aim at identifying policy changes needed now. How Changing our Economy can Protect our Planet April 2022 This post examines our personal roles in combating Climate Change. Climate Change Threats to Food and Water: by members of the League of Women Voters Climate Interest Group, Water Team and Food, Soils, and Agriculture Team . March 2022 This post refutes the assumption that water is both available and safe to drink and that our food supply is adequate may not be true in the future. What I Learned at the UN Climate Change Conference: by Emily Polakoski, November 2021 Emily Polakoski was a delegate observer for League of Women Voters to the UN Climate Change conference in Glasgow. In this post, she writes about her experience and learnings, including Feminist Climate Justice. 
 Membership in the Climate Interest Group is open to all LWV members. The CIG has ten teams that are organized around ten topic areas - you can link to these teams from the CIG website. The teams meet monthly by Zoom, sharing information on research and events linked to their topic.  LWV UMRR would welcome members from these groups providing updates on these meetings to UMRR so that we can all benefit from the work of the CIG. If you are interested in being a link between UMRR and these groups, please email us at lwvumrr@lwvmn.org. Thanks!
but more funding is needed. You may have heard the news that EPA has earmarked $60million for nutrient reduction work in the 12 states of the Mississippi River basin. This is good news, but more is needed. In Iowa, a law was passed in 2010 that established the Iowa Water and Land Legacy fund, which will be funded when the sales tax is increased by 0.38%. This money will go to conservation programs. Those in Iowa need to lobby for inclusion of this amount in the state budget, McGovern urged. It is in the Governor's budget but the legislature must approve it to make it law. Now is the time for action.  Photo from American Rivers Jared was excited to share about past successes in Iowa that prove that change CAN happen. He pointed to Iowa's success in reintroducing river otters to the state, a project begin in 1985 after the animals had been extirpated in (entirely removed from) Iowa. Thanks to efforts to rebuild habitat, reintroduce otters and protect growing populations, river otters are now found in most counties in Iowa. The success of the "There Oughta be Otters in Iowa" project proves that concerted efforts by Iowans can bring about major change.
Many thanks to Nancy Porter for organizing this event! And thanks to Jared McGovern for a great tour, and thanks to the Mississippi River Network for their support and leadership in developing River Days of Action events throughout the watershed! You can read the full report from the Mississippi River Network at this link.
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