skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Wednesday, March 19, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Putin agrees to limits on energy targets but not full Ukraine cease-fire; Indiana students fight bill blocking college IDs at polls; Consumer protection agency cuts put Coloradans at risk for predatory big banks; Iowa farmers push back on agriculture checkoff cuts.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The Palestinian Ambassador calls on U.N. to stop Israeli attacks. Impacts continue from agency funding cuts, and state bills mirror federal pushback on DEI programs.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Farmers worry promised federal reimbursements aren't coming while fears mount that the Trump administration's efforts to raise cash means the sale of public lands, and rural America's shortage of doctors has many physicians skipping retirement.

Patchwork of Local Carbon Free Pledges Takes Shape in IA

play audio
Play

Wednesday, April 13, 2022   

Iowa is among the top states for wind energy, but it doesn't have a statewide goal to significantly reduce carbon emissions. So, local governments are stepping in to fill that void.

The City of Waterloo soon could consider a resolution to adopt a "24-7 carbon-free" energy plan. Supporters say that would essentially mean all the electricity used around the city would have zero connections to fossil fuels. Des Moines adopted a similar plan last last year.

Jordan Oster, Iowa Environmental Council energy outreach manager, said he hopes this movement picks up steam amid broader debates about how to address climate change.

"When climate action is ignored at the state level and stalled at the federal level," he said, "local governments can really be leaders in this space."

He sai a patchwork of local activity can put greater pressure on utilities to completely ditch fossil fuels. Nearly two dozen states have either adopted or are considering specific targets for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. Iowa developed a Climate Action plan more than a decade ago, but it doesn't make the list for having a defined emissions goal for the coming years.

MidAmerican Energy serves most of Iowa, including Waterloo. Wind energy makes up most of the company's electricity, but Oster noted that it still operates a fleet of coal plants. He said he feels local demand for clean energy can help propel conversations about taking advantage of the state's clean-energy supply.

"There's a real switch that's happening," he said. "But what we're seeing with these local resolutions is really trying to bridge the gap and make sure that we have not carbon-neutral energy, but we have carbon-free energy."

In a wave of climate pledges from government agencies, he said, that distinction is important. Carbon
neutral strikes a balance between carbon dioxide emissions and offsetting them with other entities playing a big role. But Oster said municipalities should strive for aggressive approaches that involve powering up homes and business around the clock with clean energy. That counts on them to take more local action, including the use of electric vehicles in public transportation.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
Nationally, veterans are 1.5 times more likely to die by suicide than are nonveteran adults, with an average of almost 18 veteran suicides per day in 2021. (flysnow/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan is home to more than 470,000 veterans, yet many have never accessed the military benefits to which they are entitled. The gap in support …


Health and Wellness

play sound

By Ramona Schindelheim for WorkingNation.Broadcast version by Isobel Charle for Oregon News Service reporting for the WorkingNation-Public News Servic…

Social Issues

play sound

An Illinois documentary takes a deep dive into the Illinois Prisoner Review Board and the politics that influence its decision-making through one man'…


As of November 2024, the U.S. Postal Service employed more than 7,000 people in Kentucky. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy is joining forces with the so-called Department of Government Efficiency to cut costs at the Postal Service, this week …

Environment

play sound

For decades to come, South Dakotans can make use of an expanded wilderness in the southeastern part of the state, as a new land deal will keep …

Research shows students' sense of belonging improves academic outcomes, increases continuing enrollment in school and is protective for mental health. (Monkey Business/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

As the immigration debate continues, many children of immigrants in Texas who are American citizens are caught in the middle. An elementary school …

Social Issues

play sound

Coloradans with low bank balances would be on the hook for an extra $225 a year if Congress votes to roll back a new rule capping overdraft fees at $5…

play sound

By Ramona Schindelheim for WorkingNation.Broadcast version by Mark Richardson for Virginia News Connection reporting for the WorkingNation-Public News…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021