‘Environment’ Archives
Author: admin Published: January 28th, 2009
Great post over at Daily Kos from the excellent Meteor Blades. They regularly have great material discussing the way we “talk” about the environment and energy security. Iowa is at the forefront of this effort with our committment to renewable fuels and wind energy development leading the way. They talk about an article in the Columbia Journalism Review – “The Price is Right: Energy Edition”:
Monday morning, President Barack Obama signed two executive orders to spur an economic recovery plan founded upon clean energy and environmental protection. It is a move that is sure to please the many journalists who long ago realized that the success of sustainability goals would ultimately depend on strong financial incentives.
A poll released last week by the Pew Research Center found that addressing the nation’s energy problems ranks sixth among a list of twenty voter concerns, with sixty percent of those polled agreeing that it should be a “top priority” for government. On the other hand, concern for protecting the environment and dealing with global warming has declined precipitously in the last few years, with those issues ranking seventeenth and dead last, respectively. The takeaway message for journalists is that those “stewardship” frames will not be sufficient in terms of galvanizing support for clean energy. In the pursuit of public engagement, the press would be better advised to link sustainability issues to economic growth and “green” jobs.
Tags: Daily Kos, Democrats, Energy, Environment, Iowa House, Jobs
Category Environment, Jobs & Economy |
Author: admin Published: December 5th, 2008
I was doing some light reading the other day and stumbled across an interesting article about the “Enertia Electric Motorcycle in WIRED Magazine. We regularly talk about the success of the Iowa Power Fund and Iowa’s historic investments in wind energy production, but it’s also important to talk about how to make the power we produce go further. Electric bikes and cars are examples of ways to do that.
Commute-Friendly Electric Cycle Does 0 to 30 in 3.8 Seconds
The electric vehicle is a cool idea too often poorly executed. Today’s batteries don’t have the oomph or range to be practical — unless you drop 100 grand for a Tesla. That’s why Brammo’s gearheads started with motorcycles. They’re so light that even readily available batteries can make one commute-worthy. The 285-pound Enertia is proof of that. At its heart is a lithium-iron-phosphate power cell designed to be as safe as it is efficient. “A plasma fire is not something we want to see,” company founder Craig Bramscher says. The Enertia charges in just over three hours and is good for 45 miles. The 13-kW motor silently propels the electro-cycle to 30 mph in 3.8 seconds — quick enough to beat that cab away from the light — and to a top speed of 53 mph. Brammo hasn’t created a highway-ready monster (yet), but Bramscher takes heart in what his creation can do: The electric motor’s instantaneous torque is perfect for wheelies.
Tags: Brammo, Electric car, Iowa, Motorcycle
Category Environment, Jobs & Economy |
Author: deanfiihr Published: September 11th, 2008
In the 2007, the Legislature created the Iowa Power Fund and the Office of Energy Independence to keep Iowa a world leader in renewable energy production and technology. The Power Fund Board made its largest award yesterday with a $14.5 million grant to Poet LLC to build a new ethanol plant in Emmetsburg using the next generation of technology, cellulosic ethanol.
State Representative Nathan Reichert of Muscatine serves on the Iowa Power Fund Board of Directors and said the Poet award is exactly what the Legislature had in mind when they created the Power Fund.
Tags: Ethanol, Nathan Reichert, renewable energy
Category Environment, Jobs & Economy |
Author: deanfiihr Published: April 10th, 2008
Led by State Representative Paul Bell, D-Newton, the Iowa House today approved a resolution to add an amendment to Iowa’s constitution that creates a new natural resources and outdoor recreation trust fund. Senate Joint Resolution 2002, which is the top priority of conservation groups, hunters and fishers, is designed to protect and enhance water quality and natural areas, like parks, trails and wildlife habitat.
In order to be approved, SJR 2002 must pass the House and Senate again in the next General Assembly and then it would be on the ballot in November 2010 for a vote by the general public. If approved by the public, the amendment would dedicate 3/8th of 1 cent if the state’s sales tax is ever raised by a future Legislature.
The proposal was crafted by the Sustainable Natural Resource Funding Advisory Committee, which was established in 2006, with members from Ducks Unlimited, the Sierra Club, Farm Bureau, Iowa Environmental Council, Izaak Walton League, and others.
Tags: Conservation, Fish, Hunt, Iowa Natural Resources, Sustainble Funding for Natural Resources, Wildlife
Category Environment |
