Do you realize Tama County’s current outdated wind energy conversion system ordinance in place requires very little for proof that there will be funds available to remove these monstrosities at some point? In fact the currently approved conditional use permit (CUP) for the first phase of Salt ...
Last year at this time we were preparing our farm north of Toledo for our daughter’s wedding. We spent days cleaning, growing, mowing and watering everything in an unusually dry year. September 4 arrived a perfect day. It was beautiful on the farm and we will always treasure those ...
Jay N. “Ding” Darling, the noted conservationist and Pulitzer-winning editorial cartoonist for the Des Moines Register, was correct. He understood that if we abuse the land and its harbored wildlife, we will have less to pass on to our children and grandchildren. Wildlife habitat that is ...
For the Republican trifecta-controlled Iowa government, most bills supported by one part of the trifecta easily sail through the other parts. What is happening in the Iowa government right now is fascinating. This is a curious case of interparty, government squabbling over private school ...
In Rhode Island, home to the first offshore wind farm in the U.S., most people support expanding offshore wind power – with one important caveat. Our research shows they’re less likely to support a wind power project if its energy flows to another state, and especially if it goes to a ...
David Voigts’ March 25 article was spot on; however, we also must preserve and restore forest, riparian vegetation, wetlands and grassland if the CO2 problem is to be solved. If we banned every petrol-powered vehicle and machine tomorrow, the problem will be mitigated very little if we ...
One of my favorite pastimes is exploring old buildings. The good news is Iowa is full of old buildings from farmsteads to small towns to the big city. Old is all around and old is not bad. Some of the best old buildings to look at, especially in small towns, are opera houses and theaters. These ...
Tune in to a conservative podcast or scroll through conservative Facebook feeds and there is a decent chance you’ll encounter the terms “mainstream media,” “liberal media” or just “the media,” used in a tone suggesting that the audience all should know exactly who that refers to ...
One of the hindrances to the development of alternative energy is the shortage of rare earth elements such as neodymium and dysprosium that are essential in the powerful magnets used in wind turbines and electric vehicle motors. Currently, domestic production of these critically needed elements ...
Last week the Iowa Senate passed Senate File 2369. A part of this bill would allow some public school students to use some of their per-pupil state funding allocation toward tuition or other educational expenses at a private school. This could hurt public schools and even more so, rural public ...