Dear Friends,

Here’s our line up this week (LISTEN HERE):

— State Senator Brad Zaun on eminent domain, water quality, social issues and more (01:47);
— My St. Pat’s Day reflection on fairies and fracking (34:52);
— Beyond green beer, with Kathy Byrnes of Birds & Bees Urban Farm (51:11).

Brad Zaun and Ed Fallon

We’ve got a whole lot of conversation for you this week about carbon dioxide pipelines, eminent domain, and fracking.

First, on a lighter note, to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, I talk about the headaches Irish fairies have caused me over the years. The photo below shows me at age eight (in the middle) with my two brothers and our Irish uncles. The uncle on the left, Tom, plays into one of my memorable, and slightly unnerving, encounters with fairies.

Ed at age eight (in the middle) with his two brothers and Irish uncles in front of their home in Roscommon County, Ireland.

Stopping the abuse of eminent domain has become the defining issue in Iowa this year. A recent Des Moines Register poll found 78% of Iowans across the political spectrum oppose using eminent domain to build CO2 pipelines. That’s an astounding preponderance of opinion on one side of a very important issue.

Seventy-eight percent oughta be way more than enough to compel politicians to take action. To quote Senator Zaun from our conversation, “If Republicans don’t protect property rights, they’ll be on the road to being in the minority.”

Zaun believes the House and Senate will pass eminent domain legislation this year. That’s encouraging. Still, it’s remarkable that Senate Republicans were unable to push an eminent domain bill through committee before last week’s “funnel.” At least a promising bill is alive in the House, though it may take every ounce of public pressure and political courage to pass it.

I believe Zaun is correct when he says that if Republicans don’t rein in the abuse of eminent domain, they’ll probably lose seats in 2024.

Conversely, since the leadership of the Iowa Democratic Party has failed to capitalize on Republicans’ inability to move quickly and decisively on the issue, they’ll probably get little or no boost. That’s unfortunate. This should have been a no-brainer for Democrats. The best that House minority leader Jennifer Konfrst could offer during an appearance on Iowa Press last year was that she could see both sides.

Of course, Iowans aren’t the only ones dealing with CO2 pipelines. The entire upper Midwest is fighting big corporations wanting to build these monstrosities. Across the country, pipelines, fracking, and other fossil-fuel extraction proposals threaten property rights, land, water, Indigenous communities, and our climate.

The mad rush to pull more oil, gas, and coal from the Earth is, in fact, a global problem. On this week’s program, I share the story of Leitrim County, Ireland, where residents waged a multi-year campaign to stop an Australian company from drilling gas wells. That campaign led to the successful passage of a fracking ban across Ireland.

This week, as you’re enjoying a pint of beer (let it not be green) in St. Patrick’s honor, ponder the people of Leitrim’s victory and learn from their experience. And if you enjoy traditional Irish music, the Des Moines Irish Session (whose music you’ll hear in the podcast and on the radio broadcast) performs this Friday in Newton and on Saturday in Harlan. See our Facebook page for details.

Thanks for reading, listening, and taking action. If you appreciate what we do at the Fallon Forum, please consider a donation.

Ed Fallon

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CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THIS WEEK’S PODCAST

You can also hear the Fallon Forum on these affiliates:

– KHOI 89.1 FM (Ames, Iowa)
– KICI.LP 105.3 FM (Iowa City, Iowa)
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Please support the local businesses and non-profits who make this program possible. Click on their logos on the Fallon Forum website and in our weekly email, and visit Dr. Drake Family Psychiatry, Story County Veterinary Clinic, Bold Iowa, and Birds & Bees Urban Farm. Thanks to Des Moines Irish Session for providing our bumper music, and thank you for supporting the civil alternative to the shock jocks!

Ed Fallon