Food. Water. Air.
Food. Water. Air. Without them, we’re dead in about three weeks, three days, and three minutes, respectively. This week’s program features a lot of food talk, with criticism of both state (Iowa) and local (Des Moines) government.
Re: the latter … Kathy and I have spoken glowingly of the Des Moines City Council after council members unanimously embraced our proposal to establish a Food Security Task Force in 2020. The impetus behind the task force was to better prepare our community for the inevitable food shortages that will result from a wide range of climate impacts.
The task force was intended to be ongoing, tackling one aspect of food security during each six-month iteration. The initial phase focused on individuals growing food in their own spaces. It wrapped up in August, 2021, resulting in the creation of the FEED DSM website and a handful of code change recommendations.
Nearly two years later, the task force sits idle and the recommendations collect dust. City officials claim to understand the urgency of climate change and the inevitability of widespread food insecurity, yet the lack of action suggests otherwise. Continue Reading →