Category Archives: Environment

Climate Change Plans Before the Iowa Caucuses

Posted on November 14, 2019 by

The climate crisis calls for us to dream big and fight hard because our future depends upon solving its underlying problems. If I sound like Elizabeth Warren, it’s because last night I heard a presentation about her plans for climate … Continue reading →

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What’s Next in Mitigating Climate Change?

Posted on November 5, 2019 by

Republican U.S. presidents don’t like international climate agreements. George W. Bush withdrew the United States from the Kyoto Protocol, a treaty we ratified, and yesterday Donald J. Trump notified the United Nations of our intent to withdraw from the global … Continue reading →

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October Snow

Posted on October 31, 2019 by

What should we make of Tuesday’s October snowfall? Not much, I guess. It was another day in the neighborhood, where melting snow delayed yard and garden work, and a final mowing with grass clipping collection. It’s unclear whether further mowing … Continue reading →

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Church for Liberals

Posted on October 5, 2019 by

Was yesterday’s gathering of a couple thousand people to support school strikers for climate action the equivalent of Evangelical Christian mega-churches? Maybe. Drawn to Iowa City by the arrival of 16 year-old Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg, people attended the … Continue reading →

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Glorious Summer of 2019

Posted on September 2, 2019 by

If August was a tough month, this summer has been one of the best in recent years. Moderate local temperatures with reasonable relative humidity, rain enough to help the garden grow, and friends meeting the challenge of growing flowers and … Continue reading →

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Taking Seeds from the Prairie

Posted on August 5, 2019 by

Is it wrong to collect seeds from a prairie restoration project for use in a home garden or another prairie restoration project? I posed the question on social media. While the responses weren’t that many, they were a unanimous yes. … Continue reading →

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Summer Hump, August Heat

Posted on August 3, 2019 by

Six weeks into summer 2019 we are over a hump, if not the halfway point. I visited Paris in August 1974. It was hard to find a business open. Eschewing air conditioning we Americans find ubiquitous, Parisians fled the heat … Continue reading →

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