Earth Day: Take the mud from politics

And get the dirt under your fingernails

While Congress remains idle, suffering from the bystander effect, Donald Trump is celebrating the 55^th annual Earth Day by trying to “sunset” regulations for virtually every federal law related to energy and the environment, including (among many others):

1) Endangered Species Act of 1973;
2) Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act;
3) Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918;
4) Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act of 1934;
5) Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972;
6) Coastal Barrier Resources Act of 1982.
7) Atomic Energy Act of 1954;
8) National Appliance Energy Conservation Act of 1987;
9) Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007;
10) Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982;
11) Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976;
12) Outer Continental Shelf Act of 1953.

Trump has told the Environmental Protection Agency itself to tell him how other safeguards can be eliminated, such as those implementing the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act. Congress stares blankly as private groups like the Center for Biological Diversity are forced to seek the protection of federal courts to secure what past Congresses and presidents have put in place.

In the meantime, Iowa state government has been AWOL from protecting its own natural resources over the past 16 years, so can’t be counted on to care or even monitor how much the Trump Administration is hurting Iowa.

For example, the future of our remaining wetlands is imperiled. Iowa’s lawmakers, governor, attorney general and agriculture secretary are leaving it up to the Iowa Farmers Union, Iowa Environmental Council and Food & Water Watch to defend the federal “swampbuster” program that has protected wetlands for decades, in a lawsuit filed by an Iowa “farmer.”

Even Iowa’s vaunted “Nutrient Reduction Strategy.” blessed by major farm organizations, hails the role of wetlands and calls for their expansion: “Wetlands targeted for water quality benefits and subsurface drainage show the greatest potential for nitrate‐N reduction – 22 percent.” The strategy calls for the installation of wetlands to treat 45 percent of row crop acres.

Almost all of our grasslands are already gone. And Republicans in the Iowa Legislature, the Iowa Corn Growers Association, the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association, Iowa Farm Bureau and others are hell-bent on taking down what’s left of the state’s forests and woodlands.

You can take past Earth Days as examples of how the Iowa House of Representatives has been unable to pass even symbolic resolutions to show the elected officials care about the Earth. For examples:

· In 2022 (the year I stopped trying): A resolution commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the enactment of the Clean Water Act, recognizing the impact of the landmark legislation, and committing to necessary and appropriate legislative action to prevent water pollution, improve water quality, and protect public health.

Speaking of clean water, while in Red Oak recently I took a spin to the East Nishnabotna River, which was cleared of life all the way to the Missouri River last year by a massive fertilizer spill from the neighboring NEW Cooperative (pictured). Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird — now considering whether she wants to be Iowa’s governor — has yet to announce what if any action she will take to hold the cooperative accountable.

· Also in 2022: A resolution urging the Governor and executive agencies to use federal funding to support climate adaptation, resilience, and equity in Iowa.

· In 2020: A resolution urging the Governor of Iowa to take all necessary actions for the State of Iowa to become a member of the United States Climate Alliance.

· Also in 2020: A resolution encouraging state and local governments to increase the direct purchase of nutritious and healthy food from local and regional producers, including through Iowa’s regional food systems.

· In 2019: A resolution on the occasion of Earth Day, 2019, recognizing the threat of climate change and committing to necessary and appropriate legislative action to improve air quality, combat climate change, mitigate its effects, and position our economy for sustainable growth and job creation.

· In 2018: A resolution expressing support and extending appreciation to the Iowa Department of Justice and Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller for their efforts to advocate for and protect the interests of Iowans in state-federal relations.

· In 2015: A resolution commemorating the 25th anniversary of the enactment of landmark energy efficiency legislation.

The 50^th anniversary of the federal Safe Drinking Water Act came and passed in 2024 with no acknowledgement by the Iowa General Assembly. Between 2022 (50th anniversary of the Clean Water Act) and 2024, I introduced 14 water-related bills in the Iowa House of Representatives. Not one was assigned to a subcommittee much less received a public hearing. However, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship/Farm Bureau plan to neuter Iowa’s 29 local watershed management authorities almost made it to the finish line.

A map of Iowa’s watershed management authorities.

In recent weeks, though, I have participated in several grassroots convenings that give me hope. On behalf of the Dubuque Area Land and Water Legacy, I joined a western Iowa water quality tour to Sioux City, Council Bluffs and Red Oak (where the first meeting of the Nishnabotna Water Defenders was held).

Among other things, I learned from retired University of Iowa research engineer Chris Jones that Iowa contributes 55 percent of the nitrate pollution to the Missouri River while having only 3.3 percent of the land in the watershed. (Iowa is responsible for 45 percent of the pollution entering the Upper Mississippi River, with only 21 percent of the land.) All told, with only 4.5 percent of the land in the whole Mississippi/Missouri River watershed, Iowa donates 29 percent of the nitrate pollution and 15 percent of the phosphorus to the toxic zone in the “Gulf of America.” Officially, we now are shitting in our own nest.

Iowans want to know what’s happening to their water.

I was also part of the packed house for the spring meeting of the Iowa Groundwater Association at the Indian Creek Nature Center in Cedar Rapids. The speakers had the goods on many of the state’s water issues (such as ). Like a lot of science-based organizations, the group and at least some of its member could be more active on the public policy front. To start, that could be as simple as meeting when state legislators can attend.

On April 16, I showed at Drake University for the Harkin Institute Wellness Symposium on “The Future of Clean Water.” There, a statewide initiative to identify the environmental sources of Iowa’s high cancer rates was announced. Danielle Nierenberg of Food Tank listed a number of innovative Iowa and Midwest projects that show how our lands can be used for agricultural purposes that are less risky to our soil and water. Liz Garst of the Whiterock Conservancy showed how even row crops can be safely and sustainably grown using methods that build soils which can retain water rather than ship it to the nearest impaired, flooding stream.

I heard Jim Larew of the Driftless Water Defenders speak of an ambitious social movement to guarantee clean water as a Constitutional right in Iowa. (You mean, it’s not already?) A worthy effort that could take awhile. I proposed a similar amendment when I was in the State Legislature. Bills to fund Iowa’s Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust also have gone nowhere.

In the future, I may write more about each of these conclaves I attended.

Iowans at the local level want to invest in nature and are willing to say so at the ballot box. Tens of millions of dollars in conservation bond referenda have passed in Polk (twice), Johnson (twice), Linn, Story and Adams counties. Years ago, Missouri and Minnesota funded statewide conservation initiatives with dedicated monies.

Looking to the future, on May 16 the Dubuque Area Land and Water Legacy will host its second annual Music, Art and Story Fest for Land, Water and Wildlife. Check it out here. I have joined a number of like-minded individuals in this action-oriented band to showcase, preserve and enhance the natural treasures we have in our neck of the woods.

Look around your own backyards and think about what you and your neighbors can do to observe Earth Day 55: “Our Power, Our Planet.” Organize to make change happen. Take the mud from politics and get the dirt under your fingernails.

In memory of and with gratitude for Pope Francis, who passed away between Easter Sunday and Earth Day.