Dear Friends,
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Former Des Moines Mayor, Frank Cownie
(01:33) A deep dive into the UN climate summits, with Frank Cownie – LISTEN
(23:48) The absurd cost of Trump’s ballroom, with Mark Clipsham – LISTEN
(41:01) Irish-American woman nabbed by ICE still in detention – LISTEN
(52:28) America’s Thanksgiving side dishes, with Kathy Byrnes – LISTEN
ACTION ON CLIMATE … OR NOT
COP veteran and former Des Moines mayor Frank Cownie joins me for a hard look at UN climate summits, past and present. Overall, this year’s COP was disappointing. That’s probably no surprise, given that there were more than 1,600 fossil-fuel reps in attendance, and petro-states continue to wield inordinate influence.
With more and more local governments refusing to wait on national and international action, Frank’s idea of decentralizing the COP process is promising. Some cities and counties are already launching initiatives.
Two recent actions in Des Moines exemplify this strategy. Last month, working with Kathy, me, and local non-profits, the City coordinated planting 36 fruit trees in a public orchard at Drake Park. This isn’t a one-and-out. City staff are researching other good locations for urban orchards.
Also, this month the City Council voted to establish the Food Sustainability Advisory Committee. This permanent body is an encouraging outgrowth of the Food Security Task Force that Kathy and I led the way to bring to fruition several years ago.
THE OBSCENE COST OF TRUMP’S BALLROOM
Architect Mark Clipsham points out that the construction price tag for the White House ballroom has risen to $300 million. The ballroom is 90,000 square feet, which puts construction cost at $3,333 a square foot.
“If I were to build a 1,000 square foot home like this, it would go on the market for $3.3 million,” says Mark. “You could literally build the Taj Mahal for less than this.”
To add further perspective, most homes cost between $150 and $300 per square foot to build. Even custom and luxury homes, at about $350 per square foot, don’t come close to Trump’s ballroom price tag.
The word that comes to mind is boondoggle. I’ll leave it at that, because Mark and I also discuss …
MAKING JET FUEL FROM ANIMAL FAT
I’ll let a Reuters’ story sum up this boondoggle:
“A Texas refinery that supplies green fuel to U.S. airlines has been purchasing animal fat from cattle raised on illegally cleared lands in the Amazon rainforest, according to a Reuters review of government tracking data, interviews, and eyewitness accounts.”
Rep. Josh Turek in the studio with Ed earlier this year.
IOWA COULD HELP DEMOCRATS WIN THE US SENATE
There’s lots of discussion about how Democrats could win the US House next year. But let’s not
rule out the possibility that Democrats could also capture the US Senate.
One reason? Iowa State Representative Josh Turek — a prairie populist cut from the same cloth as former US Senator Tom Harkin.
If Turek can win the Democratic nomination, he’s got a great chance of being Iowa’s next US senator.
DEPORTING THE IRISH
Longtime rural Republican Jim Brown is pissed. His Irish wife was arrested by ICE back in July, and she’s languished in a detention facility ever since. Brown can’t believe it. When he voted for Trump on the promise of deporting “the worst of the worst,” he never imagined his wife would be a victim.
Like Brown, more and more Trump voters are experiencing buyer’s remorse. Here’s an indicator from a CBS News story:
“The number of immigration detainees without criminal records who are held in federal detention centers after getting arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement has increased by over 2,000% since the start of the second Trump administration …
“On Nov. 16, the government figures show, ICE was holding 65,135 people in detention facilities throughout the U.S., the highest level ever publicly reported by the agency … 30,986 – or 48% — of the ICE detainees in custody as of Nov. 16 lacked any criminal charges or convictions in the U.S.”
People are waking up. On a lighter note, for our Farm and Food conversation, Kathy and I discuss:
REGIONAL FAVORITE THANKSGIVING SIDE DISHES
Kathy did some research, and I was relieved to learn that, in Iowa, mashed potatoes (big fan) has surpassed green-bean casserole (yuck). I was surprised to learn that cranberry sauce is not the favorite side dish in Massachusetts.
Big picture: I’m dismayed to realize that regional holiday culinary identity is fading. In the case of Thanksgiving, it’s being replaced by one dish that now dominates most states’ favorite Thanksgiving side dishes: SIDE DISH REVEAL AT THE 4-MINUTE MARK.
Thanks for reading, listening, and taking action.
Ed Fallon
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