climate change

A plan to build a carbon dioxide pipeline through 30 Iowa counties is raising concerns among farmers and environmentalists. The project would capture carbon from ethanol plants and bury it deep underground in North Dakota through a process called carbon capture and sequestration.

Iowa needs targeted investments to strengthen and expand its electrical grid, in order to prepare for extreme weather events brought on by climate change. That’s the recommendation from the latest Iowa Climate Statement, which was released Wednesday by a coalition of more than 200 researchers.

City officials say the funds will help speed up construction on the west side of the river, providing more protection sooner.

Iowa communities that are home to coal power plants should be proactive about planning for the facilities to close. That’s one of the recommendations from a new study commissioned by the Iowa Environmental Council. The study argues that while the economic impact of the facilities can be significant, local communities can manage the loss.

Lisa Schulte Moore is a professor at Iowa State University and, as of last month, a MacArthur genius. She talked about her work and the honor on River to River.

Whether we see it or not, many of our daily activities — driving to work, powering our homes and grabbing a bite to eat — produce carbon or require emitting carbon. What would a low-carbon or zero-carbon lifestyle look like in Iowa.

Health and meteorology experts say the growing presence of wildfire smoke in the Midwest, including in Iowa, could pose health risks to those who breathe it in. That concern is compounded, given the likelihood that vast and intense fires from California and surrounding areas will persist.

Ben Kieffer speaks with two Iowa natives who have been fighting wildland fires out west. They share their day-to-day experiences and the logistical challenges of fighting fires that stretch for thousands of acres.

The City of Cedar Rapids has released a far-reaching climate action plan aimed at significantly reducing the community’s greenhouse gas emissions in order to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The draft plan was shared at a public event Tuesday will go before the city council for a vote as soon as next week.

Last year’s powerful derecho damaged or destroyed an estimated seven million trees across Iowa, according to a new analysis released by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. The storm decimated Iowa’s forests, mangling some of the state’s oldest and most majestic trees.