Climate Crisis Parade Could be Huge

The Climate Crisis Parade planned for February 1st in Des Moines is shaping up to be a major event. As of today, a coalition of 55 organizations has signed on as co-sponsors. The primary focus of the multi-faceted event is to challenge the media to do a better job covering the worsening climate crisis.

Every four years, Des Moines is “media central” during the days leading up to the Iowa Caucuses. To act on this unprecedented opportunity for national and international coverage, the coalition is inviting participants to meet at Cowles Commons to hear influential climate voices make the climate connections the media is ignoring. Continue Reading →

Court fails to understand urgency of climate crisis

Last week, a Polk County District judge ruled against the Climate Defenders Five, finding us guilty of misdemeanor trespass in our protest against President Trump’s abject denial of climate science during the president’s visit to West Des Moines in June.

With all due respect, the Court completely failed to understand the growing urgency of the climate emergency, and thus the necessity justification of our defense. My fellow defendants, Channing Dutton (our attorney), and I feel pretty strongly that the Court erred. Will we be filing an appeal? Hell yes! Stay tuned. Continue Reading →

Understanding the Syrian conflict

No foreign policy morass is more complicated, nor more tragic, than Syria. Michel Younadam, a good friend from Homs, Syria, joins us on this week’s Forum to discuss the state of affairs in his homeland.

According to a United Nations report, “5,000 people flee Syria every day, and 28% of its population has now been driven from their homes. There are now 9 million Syrians who have fled, and 6.5 million who have been displaced but stay in the country.” Continue Reading →

Bakken oil flows through Iowa to China

Dear Friends, First, to folks living close to Davenport, Iowa City, or Cedar Rapids, I’ll discuss my just-released book, Marcher, Walker, Pilgrim at three separate events in eastern Iowa this Continue Reading →

Native Nations Rise!

Dear Friends, The sad news is that oil may soon flow through the Dakota Access pipeline. But there are several silver linings in that dark, oil-soaked cloud. First, the lawsuit Continue Reading →