Category: Environmental Forum

Learn about carbon dioxide pipe lines - What You Can Do Now

11/26/2022

Learn about carbon dioxide pipe lines
Thursday, December 1st from 6:00 to 7:30 pm

Bettendorf Public Library
Gilbert Room
2950 Learning Campus Drive
Bettendorf, Iowa (map)

Environmental Forum and Iowa CCI

The PACG Environmental Forum and Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (CCI) invite you to this informational meeting about carbon dioxide pipe lines.

Please register for this event here: https://iowacci.ourpowerbase.net/civicrm/event/info?id=2981&reset=1

Susan Leuthauser

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December Green Drinks - PFAS in Iowa

11/18/2022

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December Green Drinks - PFAS in Iowa: The prevalence of “Forever Chemicals” in Iowa's Aquifers, Surface Waters, and Drinking Water
Tuesday, December 6th at 5:00 pm via Zoom

Environmental Forum

Speaker: Matthew Graesch, Environmental Specialist, Iowa Department of Natural Resources

The “forever chemicals”, or PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), are a class of potentially toxic and highly persistent chemicals widely used in commercial products and industrial processes. For the past 3 years, Matthew has been working to better understand the extend of PFAS contamination in Iowa. He designed and implemented a surveillance program to test our drinking water supplies. More than 600 water samples from the aquifers and surface waters were analyzed for 25 different PFAS compounds. By the time this study concludes next spring, drinking water of over 75% of Iowans will have been tested for PFAS compounds.

Matthew will discuss with us where PFAS originate, why they are problematic, and how they are regulated. He will also review the results from the surveillance program, how PFAS chemicals affect our water sources and how to identify effective treatment to remove them from our drinking water.

R.S.V.P. at: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcoduGpqTIsH9fD6ssFCjEteY09ZHZ41w6m

Susan Leuthauser

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November Environmental Celebration - America Recycles Day - November 15, 2022

10/30/2022

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November Environmental Celebration - America Recycles Day
November 15th

Environmental Forum

Why Recycle?

To reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills and incinerators.
To reduce the consumption of resources like timber, water, and minerals.
To reduce the need to generate raw materials, which results in saving energy, reducing pollution, and our carbon footprints.

Recycling Facts

Recycling rate went from 7% in 1960 to 32% in 2022.
Almost 95% of the aluminum can be recycled, only 65% of it is. Two out of three aluminum cans are recycled.
Recycling and reuse activities in the US amount to the creation of 680,000 jobs with $38 billions in wages and generate $5.5 billion in tax revenue.
According to EPA nearly 70% of our waste is recyclable.

Take Action - Think “Green” before you shop

Do I need it? Do I already own it? Can it be repaired and reuse? Can I borrow it?
Is the manufacturer’s business practice sustainable?
How “Green” is it?
- Look for Energy Star, WaterSense, or Safer Choice labeled products.
- Is it built to last?
- Is it made with recycled materials or is it recyclable?
- Buy sustainable and locally produced products, it may reduce environmental impacts and greenhouse gas emissions.
- Buy in bulk; avoid buying products packaged in small and individual amounts.
Buy reusable products instead of disposable.
Can I buy it used?

Susan Leuthauser

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Green Lawn Care Practice - November Green Drinks

10/23/2022

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Green Lawn Care Practice - November Green Drinks via Zoom
Tuesday, November 1st at 5:00 pm

Environmental Forum

Over 32 states are part of the Mississippi watershed which supplies our drinking water. What you put on or spray in your yard can make a huge impact on your health, the environment, and wildlife.

Runoff from lawn chemicals contributes to the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico. Additionally, the EPA estimates that 5% of air pollution comes from lawn care equipment. The way we treat our lawn has significant impact on the environment.

Christian LaCarte of Sustainable Stewards will share his approach to green lawn care, zero-emission lawn care equipment, natural fertilizer and what you can do to ensure that you have a healthy lawn next spring.

RSVP at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcoduGpqTIsH9fD6ssFCjEteY09ZHZ41w6m

Susan Leuthauser

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50th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act - October Environmental Celebration

10/2/2022

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October Environmental Celebration
The 50th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act – October 17, 1972

Environmental Forum

This month we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Clean Water Act.

In the 1960’s, the Cuyahoga River in Ohio caught fire at least a dozen times due to industrial pollution, leading to passage of the Clean Water Act. The objective of the act is to restore and maintain the integrity of the nation's waters, and provide monetary assistance to states to improve wastewater treatment and maintain wetlands.

Water pollution comes from many sources, including manufacturing processes, land use practices, storm water run-off, and wastewater releases. Some examples of health implications of water contamination are gastrointestinal illness, reproductive problems, and neurological disorders. Indigenous communities have fought industry and the government from contaminating their waters for many years.

The Iowa Environmental Council advocates for state and local policies to reduce water pollution, including consistent monitoring, benchmarks to measure progress and sustainable funding (www.iaenvironment.org). If you want to help gather data about local water quality, contact Partners of Scott County Watersheds and participate in their seasonal Snapshot Water Quality Monitoring events. The next one is scheduled for Tuesday, October 4th from 8:00 am to 12 noon.

Other organizations of interest include:
www.waterkeeper.org
www.surfrider.org
www.amerianrivers.org
www.oceanconservancy.org

Lori McCollum

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October Green Drinks - Is CC & S a Climate Solution?

9/25/2022

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October Green Drinks - Is CC&S a Climate Solution?
Tuesday, October 4th at 5:00 pm via Zoom

Three companies seek to build thousands of miles of CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) pipelines across the Midwest to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) and transport it to underground storage sites. One of these pipelines will go through Scott County, IA and Black Hawk County, IL.

What is CCS?
What are the risks and benefits of this process?
Is CCS a viable solution to the reduction of CO2 emission from industrial sources?

Dr. McCue will help you answer these questions. She will share with us what CCS is, why the fossil fuel industry is excited about it and whether this is a true solution to our climate crisis.

Dr. McCue is a retired physician and professor of Global Health Studies Program at the UI Colleges of Public Health and Liberal Arts and Sciences. She has been the coordinator of the Iowa Chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility for the past 20 years and served for many years as a provider and medical director at a local women’s clinic. Her efforts today remain focused on achieving a healthy and livable future confronting the interconnected threats of climate chaos, militarism, and environmental racism.

RSVP at:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcoduGpqTIsH9fD6ssFCjEteY09ZHZ41w6m

Registrants will receive a link to the recording of the meeting the day after the meeting.

Download a flyer

Susan Leuthauser

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September Environmental Celebration - World Clean Up Day

9/3/2022

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World Clean Up Day
Saturday, September 17th

Environmental Forum

World Clean Up Day is an annual world-wide program to combat solid waste and marine debris. Since the origin of this event in 2008, 180 countries and over 50 million volunteers have participated in clean-up events. There are a number of local clean up events happening throughout the year in the Quad Cities, many of them organized by Xtreme CleanUp, or through your city or county park. You can participate in an informal clean up yourself, or with family or friends.

Take Action Steps:

You can participate by joining this mission through their website: www.worldcleanupday.us
Upcoming Xtreme clean-up events can be found here: http://www.xstreamcleanup.org/upcoming-events
The Waste Commission of Scott County’s environmental outreach program, iLivehereqc.org, offers clean up supplies for FREE to anyone that would like to do a clean-up in their community. Get more information at https://www.ilivehereqc.org

Lori McCollum

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September Green Drinks - Conservation at Niabi Zoo

8/27/2022

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September Green Drinks - Conservation at Niabi Zoo
Tuesday, September 6th at 5:00 pm via Zoom

Environmental Forum

Joel Vanderbush, Curator of Conservation and Education, Niabi Zoo, will discuss how the conservation of species and habitats steers decision-making at Niabi Zoo regarding:

New exhibits - White Rhinos, African Painted Dogs, Prairie Dogs
Field projects - whale sharks in Mexico, freshwater fish and the Tuco tuco mole rat in Paraguay, African Painted Dogs in Zimbabwe, Snow Leopards in East Asia
Conservation breeding efforts - Amur leopards, Fennec foxes, red wolves

RSVP at: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcoduGpqTIsH9fD6ssFCjEteY09ZHZ41w6m

A recording of the event will be sent to all registrants afterwards.

Susan Leuthauser

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Proposed Pipeline informational meeting - Action Alert

8/21/2022

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Proposed Wolf Carbon Solutions Pipeline Informational Meeting - Action Alert
Wednesday, August 31st at 12:00 noon

River Center
Adler Theater
136 E 3rd Street, Davenport (map)

Environmental Forum

From the Iowa Utilities Board: The Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) today issued an order approving the dates, times and locations for six public informational meetings requested by Wolf Carbon Solutions US, LLC (Wolf), which includes a virtual meeting option. The meetings are to discuss Wolf’s proposal to build and operate a carbon capture pipeline system that will transport liquefied carbon dioxide from local facilities in eastern Iowa to an underground storage facility in Illinois.

Read this link for more information, including other meeting locations (including a virtual one on September 19th), pertinent documents regarding the pipeline.

We also have a detailed PACG blog post regarding Carbon Capture and Storage that gives more details.

Susan Leuthauser

carboncapture2.pdf
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Don't Be Railroaded - Action Alert

8/21/2022

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Don’t Be Railroaded! - Update
What does the merger of Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern railroads mean to the Quad Cities?

PACG Environmental Forum

FACTS:

Up to 22 trains, with an average length of 8,000 ft (about a mile-and-a half), will be traveling through the QC daily. A previous 10-minute wait at a crossing can easily become a 40-minute wait.
These trains will transport tank cars from Canada to Mexico. Each car will carry 30,000 gallons of flammable crude oil.
Trains runs throughout the day. Estimates are an increase of a minimum of over 2 hours of train traffic a day.

IMPACT OF THE INCREASED TRAIN TRAFFIC:

The risk of accidents and derailment will increase accordingly. There have been several accidents and derailments of Canadian Pacific trains since 2019.
Due to the longer trains, emergency vehicles might not be able to reach residents and businesses impacted by the location of the tracks.
Noise pollution, vibration, traffic, and the increase in air pollution can all impact property values and the economic development of the river front.

TAKE ACTION:

Sign a petition to STOP THE TRAIN. Go to: https://www.change.org/p/stop-the-train-560c2c4a-b6ab-4425-a3e4-e3055a8e6c34
Attend the Surface Transportation Board public meeting on September 13th from 6-8 pm at the River Center, 136 E 3rd St, Davenport.
Attend one of the online meetings or submit written comments online. Go to https://www.cp-kcsmergereis.com/involvement.htm for details.
You can also send your comments to Mr. Martin Oberman, Chairman, Surface Transportation Board, 395 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20423.

September 3, 2022:
A coalition of environmentalists have been working on the issue of more trains going through the QCA due to this merger. A number of us, including Shirley Johnson, Glenda Guster, PJ Slobojan, and myself were at a recent meeting at the Freight House in Davenport. We filmed this long train passing us.

Watch the resulting one-minute video and think about the risks, and increased traffic and noise from having three times as many trains going through our area. This video is also posted on the PACG Environmental Forum Facebook page.

Stop the Train: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2QCTOoyZyE

And then sign the Stop the Train petition here.

Susan Leuthauser

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<<Previous

Learn about carbon dioxide pipe lines - What You Can Do Now

Learn about carbon dioxide pipe lines
Thursday, December 1st from 6:00 to 7:30 pm

December Green Drinks - PFAS in Iowa

December Green Drinks - PFAS in Iowa: The prevalence of “Forever Chemicals” in Iowa's Aquifers, Surface Waters, and Drinking Water
Tuesday, December 6th at 5:00 pm via Zoom

November Environmental Celebration - America Recycles Day - November 15, 2022

November Environmental Celebration - America Recycles Day
November 15th

Green Lawn Care Practice - November Green Drinks

Green Lawn Care Practice - November Green Drinks via Zoom
Tuesday, November 1st at 5:00 pm

50th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act - October Environmental Celebration

October Environmental Celebration
The 50th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act – October 17, 1972

October Green Drinks - Is CC & S a Climate Solution?

October Green Drinks - Is CC&S a Climate Solution?
Tuesday, October 4th at 5:00 pm via Zoom

September Environmental Celebration - World Clean Up Day

World Clean Up Day
Saturday, September 17th

September Green Drinks - Conservation at Niabi Zoo

September Green Drinks - Conservation at Niabi Zoo
Tuesday, September 6th at 5:00 pm via Zoom

Proposed Pipeline informational meeting - Action Alert

Proposed Wolf Carbon Solutions Pipeline Informational Meeting - Action Alert
Wednesday, August 31st at 12:00 noon

Don't Be Railroaded - Action Alert

Don’t Be Railroaded! - Update
What does the merger of Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern railroads mean to the Quad Cities?

Archives

Categories

Learn about carbon dioxide pipe lines Thursday, December 1st from 6:00 to 7:30 pm

December Green Drinks - PFAS in Iowa: The prevalence of “Forever Chemicals” in Iowa's Aquifers, Surface Waters, and Drinking Water Tuesday, December 6th at 5:00 pm via Zoom

November Environmental Celebration - America Recycles DayNovember 15th

Green Lawn Care Practice - November Green Drinks via ZoomTuesday, November 1st at 5:00 pm

October Environmental CelebrationThe 50th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act – October 17, 1972

October Green Drinks - Is CC&S a Climate Solution?Tuesday, October 4th at 5:00 pm via Zoom

World Clean Up Day Saturday, September 17th

September Green Drinks - Conservation at Niabi Zoo​Tuesday, September 6th at 5:00 pm via Zoom

Proposed Wolf Carbon Solutions Pipeline Informational Meeting - Action AlertWednesday, August 31st at 12:00 noon

Don’t Be Railroaded! - UpdateWhat does the merger of Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern railroads mean to the Quad Cities?

Archives

Categories

Learn about carbon dioxide pipe lines
Thursday, December 1st from 6:00 to 7:30 pm

December Green Drinks - PFAS in Iowa: The prevalence of “Forever Chemicals” in Iowa's Aquifers, Surface Waters, and Drinking Water
Tuesday, December 6th at 5:00 pm via Zoom

November Environmental Celebration - America Recycles Day
November 15th

Green Lawn Care Practice - November Green Drinks via Zoom
Tuesday, November 1st at 5:00 pm

October Environmental Celebration
The 50th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act – October 17, 1972

October Green Drinks - Is CC&S a Climate Solution?
Tuesday, October 4th at 5:00 pm via Zoom

World Clean Up Day
Saturday, September 17th

September Green Drinks - Conservation at Niabi Zoo
Tuesday, September 6th at 5:00 pm via Zoom

Proposed Wolf Carbon Solutions Pipeline Informational Meeting - Action Alert
Wednesday, August 31st at 12:00 noon

Don’t Be Railroaded! - Update
What does the merger of Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern railroads mean to the Quad Cities?