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 →

Just give Iowa to China

(Come meet long-time advocate for the homeless, Carla Dawson, at the annual Bishop Dingman Peace Award, March 4 at 6:00 p.m. at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, 2926 Beaver Ave in Des Moines.)

The growth-at-all-costs crowd never ceases to astound me. Take Debi Durham, director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority. Durham has proposed HSB 147, a bill that would allow foreign corporations to own up to 1,000 acres of contiguous farmland.

Iowa used to have strong provisions against foreign ownership of farmland. But the proverbial camel’s nose found its way under the tent in 2017, when foreign entities were allowed to purchase up to 320 acres of contiguous farmland for commercial purposes.

As often happens, the camel now wants to shove its entire head under the tent. Given the money and power behind this trend, is there any doubt that corporate interests will try to continue to erode limitations on who controls our farmland? Continue Reading →

Climate Justice Unity March

Dear Friends, To build momentum for the People’s Climate Movement, Bold Iowa and its partners are organizing an eight-day, 80-mile Climate Justice Unity March. Marchers will set out from Indigenous Continue Reading →