Climate change is any significant change in precipitation, wind patterns, temperature, and/or other
patterns that continues over several decades. Overwhelmingly, human-driven activities have led
to increased greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere. This in turn has raised Earth’s average
surface temperature. Climate change has already led to severe weather events globally and in
Iowa, impacting food systems, infrastructure, ecosystems, homes, and more.
Higher temperatures pose many risks to Iowans, including health complications like heat stroke in
the summer, red flag days & wildland fires, crop shortages caused by false springs, and financial
stress from higher energy, grocery, and other bills.
There are many things that can be done to address climate change and mitigate its negative effects. This includes individual actions like home energy efficiency improvement, choosing low emission transportation options, rainscaping, and more. It also includes larger-scale, community level actions such as building retrofitting, infill development, and producing clean energy for the grid. Check out the solutions library for details on many actions that can help with sustainable future readiness.
For the purpose of the CPRG, the Central Iowa MSA consists of: Story, Guthrie, Dallas, Polk, Jasper, Madison, and Warren County.
No. We do not have the power nor the desire to set new regulations on any sector. Our goal with the staffing proposal is to increase capacity for central Iowa and the state as a whole, and our goal with the tree planting proposal is to support existing efforts to restore and strengthen Iowa’s canopy cover. We want to work with communities for a more energy efficient future, not tell them what they have to do.
Several gases are accounted for in a GHGI, and the overall measure of emissions is converted to carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) and portrayed in metric tons. The main GHGs that are tracked and measured in a GHGI are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases. You can find an overview of these GHGs from the EPA here.
Efficient use of water is beneficial on both a personal and environmental level. It takes energy to pump, heat, treat, and deliver the water that we use on a daily basis. Using less water means using less energy to do those things. Additionally, the overuse of water supplies puts the availability of water, human health, and the environment at risk because lower water levels mean a higher concentration of natural and human pollutants.
There are many steps you can take to start saving water, and conversely, money! Turning off the tap when you’re shaving, brushing your teeth, washing dishes, scrubbing your hands, etc., are simple and free ways that you can start saving gallons of water each day. You can also consider retrofitting some of your home water fixtures and appliances with ones that have a WaterSense or Energy Star label from the EPA. These save water and energy on their own while in use, and will reduce your consumption over time without even thinking about it! Outside of your house, you can also take steps to reduce water use, like landscaping with drought resistant plants and trees to reduce the amount of watering you have to do, and installing a rain barrel to capture water for things like washing sheds and cars, filling bird baths, watering plants, and more. You can learn more about rainscaping from the Rain Campaign.