Climate Change Initiatives Encouraged

In recent years, Iowa has experienced major floods, prolonged droughts, and severe storms. The 2020 derecho cost Iowans $11 billion in damage, making it the costliest thunderstorm disaster in U.S. history. Many climatologists believe these events are the result of climate change. The city of Urbandale has been fighting back by taking advantage of local initiatives and by working with a group of concerned citizens.

In late 2019, Urbandale science teacher Betty Salmon, Pat Boddy, a recently elected city council person, and former Urbandale resident Linda Lemon began exploring ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Urbandale. Their goal was to work alongside city government. “We felt we could accomplish more working with the city than against it," said Salmon.

Kari Carney, Executive Director of 1000 Friends of Iowa, an organization dedicated to promoting responsible land use and sustainability in Iowa, offered to help. The result … the Urbandale Climate & Social Justice organization. According to Kari, “Cities and local organizations know they have to change how they do things if they want to survive the impact of climate change.”

During the Covid-19 lockdowns of 2020, UC&SJ developed a series of online webinars to explore climate change issues. The group soon found a partner in the city of Urbandale. John Konior, Director of Risk Management/Support Services for Urbandale, says Urbandale has initiated programs that reduce energy costs and lower greenhouse gas emissions. This includes purchasing electric vehicles plus adding solar panels and geothermal units to government buildings “UC&SJ has been a useful sounding board for the city as I believe we have been for them on climate change issues”, said Konior.

Another highly successful program, the Polk County Grow Solar project, was developed when UC&SJ joined with the city and other organizations to offer residents substantial discounts on the purchase of solar panels at no cost to taxpayers. Between 2022 and 2023, thirteen Urbandale homes participated in the project creating over 124 kilowatts of new solar power…. more than any other community involved in the project.

UC&SJ also advocated for Urbandale to contract with the University of Northern Iowa for a Greenhouse Gas Emissions study. Following significant input from the city, the research discovered the greatest share of greenhouse gas emissions in

Urbandale (nearly 36%) came from transportation.

Other cities have approached the problem by building walkable cities, improving public transportation, and incentivizing the purchase of electric and hybrid vehicles. According to Boddy, “We now know what efforts the city can make that will give us the most "bang for our buck".

To learn more about climate change initiatives, contact UC&SJ@ucsj2020@gmail.com or follow them at https://www.facebook.com/share/o2C6HzAFaRwz5wV8/?mibextid=qi2Omg

Wayne Bruns is an Urbandale resident and a volunteer with Sustainable Urbandale. This article was previously published in Urbandale Living: https://www.iowalivingmagazines.com/urbandale-archives