Dear Friends,
LISTEN TO THIS WEEK’S PROGRAM (and click here to share my blog post.)
Guess which US city had the worst air quality this week. Nope. Not Los Angeles. Not Phoenix. Des Moines!
It’s true. With the Air Quality Index (AQI) hitting over 200 Wednesday morning, Iowa’s capital city achieved the distinction of having the most contaminated air in the US. Before I tell you more about that …
Former Iowa State Rep. Bill Witt (D-Cedar Falls)
It was a delight to have my friend and former legislative colleague, Bill Witt, on the program this week. After our recording session, Bill, Kathy, and I enjoyed dinner and a glass of wine. During the show, we immersed ourselves in a different kind of whine:
— Bemoaning the problems facing long-term care in Iowa.
— Warning about the state’s looming budget crisis, which if Republicans have their way will be balanced on the backs of the poor, our kids, and the environment.
— Discussing the sad reality of Iowa’s status as America’s largest strip mine — and it’s not just our soil that colonial interests (both domestic and foreign) are making off with.
Then Kathy and I whine about the likely impacts on food security given the latest warning from scientists that the planet will likely breach the 2.7°F climate threshold by 2027. Scientists also warned that we should expect new record temperatures within the next five years.
But wait. There’s more whining to come. (Just so we’re clear, my definition of whining is “to gripe about political, social, and environmental problems as the first critical step to fixing them.”)
Air quality spiked well into the “Very Unhealthy” range on Wednesday, May 24, 2023. (Graph sent by Alexis Jimenez with the National Weather Service)
Unbeknownst to anyone I know, the US Army Corps of Engineers on Wednesday night burned driftwood at Saylorville Lake, just north of Des Moines. The smoke was so thick it infiltrated my dreams. Presumably, it also infiltrated the lungs of Des Moinesians with medical conditions, placing them at risk.
I’ve never seen Des Moines’ AQI hit anywhere near 200, let alone exceed it. Officials categorize 200+ as “very unhealthy” and issue an alert that reads, “The risk of health effects is increased for everyone (emphasis mine).” (Check out the graph.)
For the past week, smoke from fires in western Canada have eroded air quality across the upper Midwest. But it’s likely that something else triggered Wednesday’s alert. While the case isn’t closed, the best conclusion is that the spike was caused by the Corps’ burn piles coupled with an unusual hot-cold air inversion that kept the smoke in the Des Moines River valley.
What should be done? Well, that’s a big question. One thing is clear to me: the Corps shouldn’t be burning driftwood. I discuss that with Dayne Magneson, assistant operations project manager for Saylorville Lake:
CLICK HERE TO WATCH MY CONVERSATION WITH DAYNE (video shot by Kathy Byrnes)
I get what Dayne’s saying about burning being the easiest means of driftwood disposal. But convenience shouldn’t take precedence over creating dangerous conditions for hundreds of thousands of people. As I argue in the video, a better solution would be to let the driftwood decompose.
Better still, sell chunks to homeowners interested in off-beat lawn ornaments, or to innovative artists. Or what about this: A new art installation at the Pappajohn Sculpture Park featuring a massive pile of driftwood.
Thanks for reading, listening, and breathing deeply.
*******
(01:51) A hard look at long-term care;
(17:36) Iowa’s looming budget crisis;
(37:15) Iowa: North America’s largest strip mine;
(54:33) Record heat will impact food security, with Kathy Byrnes.
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Ed Fallon