those in Iowa living in Senator Wahls district

Posted on March 18, 2020 by Charlene Lange

If there are Iowa legislative topics about which you are concerned, please consider filling out my 2020 Legislative Priorities Survey:

>> Complete the 2020 Legislative Priorities Survey for Senator Zach Wahls by clicking here

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Diverse lawns

Posted on March 18, 2020 by Katharine

Be a good neighbor with a diverse lawn!

I am so glad to live in an Iowa City neighborhood that has many lawns filled with dandelions, clover, violets and a diversity of plants growing with the grass.

It used to be that manicured grass was considered the ideal American lawn. Fortunately, that picture is changing for the better. More and more people are realizing that a sprayed lawn is not a good idea for people or the planet.

Monoculture grass lawns require the use of pesticides (herbicides, insecticides and fungicides) which are toxic lawn chemicals designed to kill weeds and insects. Unfortunately, these poisonous substances also harm other living things like children (adults, too!), pets, wildlife, bees, pollinators and water and soil life.

The good news is that support is growing for natural, un-sprayed lawns. Neighbors all around our community sport yard signs promoting Good Neighbor Iowa, a statewide public education program of the University of Northern Iowa’s Center for Energy and Environmental Education. Good Neighbor Iowa aims to reduce unnecessary urban pesticide use and to transform lawn-culture to encourage appreciation of diverse lawns. Local partner organizations include 100 Grannies for a Livable Future, Backyard Abundance and New Pioneer Coop.

Violets, clover and dandelions will not harm anyone but pesticides do. Join the movement for safe, diverse lawns!

-Mary Kirkpatrick, Iowa City

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Climate Strikers Little Village Magazine article

Posted on March 14, 2020 by Charlene Lange

As they mark their first anniversary, Iowa City Student Climate Strikers turn down award, join ‘digital strike’

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Climate Strikers video

Posted on March 14, 2020 by Charlene Lange

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Program on Electric Cars

Posted on March 10, 2020 by Katharine

Beadology will be sponsoring a program on electric cars on Tuesday, 10 Mar 2020, at 5:30 at their shop. The presentation is by a dealer in used electric cars.

Electric Vehicles in Iowa City

Location: Beadology Iowa 220 East Washington St

Contact: Beadology

Co-sponsored by Mayor Bruce Teague, join Beadology for information about the City of Iowa City climate action plan and how elective vehicles fit in. Women from VERV the local electric vehicle dealership, will talk about the various EV options and how it is possible to use excess electric from your solar panels to fuel your EV.

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Granny’s Gems No. 1

Posted on March 10, 2020 by Charlene Lange

Granny’s Gems offers simple solutions for everyday life to save our planet, ourselves, and for future generations. These solutions will save money, save the environment, find alternatives, and reduce the chemicals that are all around us. Each one of us can reduce, reuse, and recycle. You never stop learning. We offer and accept input from all. Have an idea? We’d love to hear from you.

Reduce chemicals: Replace chemical cleaners by using distilled white vinegar for cleaning surfaces such as floors and windows. Vinegar is one of the most versatile household products available. Read this and more online at: https://urbansurvivalsite.com/20-uses-for-vinegar/

Reduce plastics: Look for eco-friendly products and take a few seconds to look for packaging made from recycled materials or packaging that is recyclable.

Reduce landfill: Have pesky packing materials? Mailboxes of Iowa City at 308 E. Burlington will accept clean Styrofoam packing peanuts, 24×12 inch bubble wrap, and inflated air pockets. Find them online at: www.mailboxesic.com

Reuse: There are fun and crafty ways to reuse plastic bottles. You can begin with some creative uses for plastic at: www.onegoodthingbyjillee/31creativewaystoreuseplasticbottles

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Lakota People’s Law Project

Posted on March 6, 2020 by Charlene Lange

 

Dear Miriam,

I recently wrote to you about my Tribe’s emergency declaration over Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Children (MMIW/C) and its relation to the Keystone XL pipeline’s (KXL) incoming man camps. Today, I want to highlight another effort in my home state to bring about awareness and healing around these ongoing acts of genocide against the heart of our people.

Last month, my sister Mabel Ann and I attended an MMIW action in Rapid City. There, we met Lily Mendoza, co-founder of the Red Ribbon Skirt Society (RRSS), a grassroots collective dedicated to confronting the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, children, two-spirit, and transgender people. In 2019, they opened the MMIW Center for Healing, Prayer, and Remembrance — a small, permanent space to honor and grieve the people our community has lost. We invite you to watch and share our video, in which we interview Lily.

Lakota Law
Medicine Wheel riders and RRSS members honor their lost sisters.

The notion for the center came from an art installation curated just over a year ago. Around Valentine’s Day last year, RRSS hung 70 red dresses on cottonwood trees to symbolize our stolen sisters and relatives. What they discovered was the need for a space our community didn’t have, a space for people to go and reconnect.

Lily, who like me is an enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, told us: “People were going there, amongst the dresses, and they were going there to pray and to remember those that they lost or those that are still missing. We’ve felt we need to do this then, to have a space for community to come.”

As you may know, Indigenous women, children, two-spirit, and transgender folks are more likely to be targeted by human traffickers and/or be the victim of a violent crime. And, all too often, when our relatives go missing, they also go missing in the news. But centers like the one in Rapid City can help us keep their memories alive.

Members of the collective also participated in the MMIW Medicine Wheel Ride last year — a massive motorcycle journey bringing together people from the four corners to mourn our lost relatives.

As I work with my fellow grandmothers in the Was’agiya Najin and others to organize our anti-KXL ground strategy at Cheyenne River, I ask you to continue to stand in solidarity with all my sisters. Stay with us for more information about our crisis, and help spread the word about this incredible group of women and their transformative space by watching and sharing the video.

Wopila tanka — my deep gratitude for your care and attention,

Madonna Thunder Hawk
Tribal Liaison
The Lakota People’s Law Project

 

Lakota People's Law Project

Lakota People’s Law Project
547 South 7th Street #149
Bismarck, ND 58504-5859

The Lakota People’s Law Project is part of the Romero Institute, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) law and policy center. All donations are tax-deductible.

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Coralville Earth Day Celebration, April 25, 2020

Posted on February 17, 2020 by Charlene Lange

4/25/20 Earth Day EVENT

A Preliminary status report – Coralville Earth Day Celebration,

April 25, 2020 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM 

-On this 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, with interconnected crises of climate change, species extinctions, and violence looming, we are eager to reach out to our neighbors (youngest to oldest, of all backgrounds, interests and skills) and enlist them in efforts to restore and revitalize our shared environment and future.

– Thanks to the support of the City of Coralville and management of the Marriott, the event will be set up to start in front of the Intermodal facility then meander along the restored wetland path along and behind the Marriott in Coralville on the theme of “Pathways to Making Everyday Earth Day.”  This will be a family friendly event endeavoring to create a more just, healthy, and habitable future.

– As with all prior Earth Day events, we plan to simultaneously entertain, educate, engage and inspire the general public by hosting and highlighting the people and organizations that appeal to our youngest children and inform our neighbors about all the wonderful shared resources and expertise available here in Johnson County.  This year however, we are going several steps further to make caring for our only home a conscious every day event for the whole community.

– We’re asking participating exhibitors to prepare educational materials and provide interactive activities highlighting their programs, but also, wherever and whenever possible, to actively work to recruit and integrate volunteers in their activities during the year–anything from tree planting, river clean up, and public garden management, to agreeing to lobby or write and ask stakeholders to support earth friendly, environmentally just programs, policies, and legislation.  The ideas for how people can commit to making Earth Day Every Day are only limited by our collective imaginations.

– We’re working within a frame wherein we’ll be one of several local Earth Day events.  Sharing plans and information, coordinating and highlighting our mutually reinforcing efforts throughout this important weekend will create an atmosphere of win-win for all involved.

– There’s much more to share, much more to do between now and the 25th, but too much to write in one update.  We need to enlarge the group working to bring this plan to life.  Please let me know if you have questions, ideas, or resources to contribute.  Thank you all for your great work for our shared and only home.  Most sincerely,  Maureen

Maureen McCue MD PhD    Global Health Studies   Center for Human Rights
UI International Programs
Coordinator Iowa Physicians for Social Responsibility
319-828-4789 (H)
319-828-9911 (F)     mickiq@earthlink.net       http://www.psriowa.org

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Moriatorium on CAFOs, what you can do

Posted on February 17, 2020 by Charlene Lange

This in from Diane Rosenberg of IARA

Rep. Ross Paustian, chair of the Agriculture Committee, is refusing to move forward HF 2127, a bill enacting a factory farm moratorium on new and expanding livestock confinements.

Paustin’s refusal to assign the bill to a subcommittee is a slap in the face to the majority of Iowans who want a factory farm moratorium. In fact, 63% of Iowans are more than ready to halt the runaway expansion of Iowa’s factory farm industry, reports a recent Johns Hopkins survey.

Momentum continues to grow for a factory farm moratorium – 23 representatives have solidly committed to support for HF 2127 introduced by Rep. Sharon Steckman, and even more are leaning in support.

We need YOUR help to move this bill forward. Here are three things we all can do:

1. Contact Rep. Paustian and let him know you want HF 2127 introduced into a subcommittee. You can call him at 1-866-581-3558 (via Food and Water Action) or send him an email here. Tell him Iowans deserve to have the bill assigned to a subcommittee and a public hearing scheduled.

2.  Contact Your State Representative and urge him/her to (1) support the moratorium bill and (2) urge Rep. Paustian to introduce HF 2127 to a subcommittee. Find your legislator here.

Did your representative cosponsor the bill? Please thank them and tell them how much you appreciate their support! (See below for bill cosponsors and supporters)

3. Attend a Legislative Forum in your district. Ask your state legislators to support the moratorium and ask them to urge Rep. Paustian to assign HF 2127 to a subcommittee.

We need to keep the pressure on our state legislators!

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March, 2020, Lecture Series

Posted on February 15, 2020 by Katharine

Barbara Schlachter Memorial Lecture Series at Iowa City Senior Center on Linn Street

Fee: none. No registration.  Membership Not Required

Mondays, 3/9 – 3/30  6:30 – 7:30 PM in room 202  Event Organizers: 100Grannies

3/9: The Green New Deal Explained 
Presented by Zach Gerwe, a leader in the Sunshine Movement and lives in Iowa City. He is collaborating with the Iowa Policy Project on the GND for what is best for Iowans.

3/16: Reversing Global Warming: Introduction to Drawdown 
Presenters Sally Hartman, Virginia Melroy, and Deb Schoelerman, members of the 100Grannies and the Unitarian Universalist Society of Coralville, will present this workshop. See both the possibility of reversing global warming and the important role that you play, based on the findings of Project Drawdown, a comprehensive scientific study of 100 solutions that together could begin to reverse global warming by 2050.

3/23: Let Us Now Praise Hellraisers, in a Time of Climate  Emergencies        Presented by Jeff Biggers, an American Book Award-winning author, journalist, historian,
and father of two wonderful IC climate strikers. He will discuss the role of resistance in environmental and climate justice movements, including today.

3/30  .  “Re-Thinking Sustainability for the 21st Century Public Research University”. 
Presented by Stratis Giannakouros, the Director of University of Iowa Office of Sustainability with an MA degree in Environmental Politics and Policy

 

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