Did you miss the City's Climate Expo? You can still enjoy the full lineup of speakers online. Watch the Climate Expo video here
 Pictured above, Climate Action Commission members, back row, left to right: Stratis Giannakouros, John Fraser, Matt Krieger, Eric Tate, GT Karr. Front row, left to right: Jesse Leckband, Becky Soglin, Kasey Hutchinson, Madeleine Bradley. (Not pictured: Katie Sarsfield and Grace Holbrook)
Iowa City’s Climate Action Commission welcomed three new members at its December 2 meeting:
- Becky Soglin, Sustainability Specialist, Johnson County
- Kasey Hutchinson, Soil and Water Conservation Coordinator, Johnson County
- Madeleine Bradley, UI student, Environmental Science and Global Health
Continuing members of the commission are: GT Karr; Katie Sarsfield; John Fraser; Grace Holbrook; Eric Tate; Jesse Leckband, representing MidAmerican Energy; Stratis Giannakouros, representing the University of Iowa; and Matt Krieger, Commission Chair.
The Commission advises the City Council on climate issues, analyzes climate actions with attention to equity and engages the public on climate and sustainability goals.
 When the City Council declared a “climate crisis” in August 2019, it directed City staff to provide a report within 100 days on possible new climate actions.
This report, titled “Accelerating Iowa City’s Climate Actions,” was provided to the City Council on Thursday, Nov. 14, and can now be viewed online. It lists 64 actions that can speed the path to meeting the City’s new emission reduction goals. These actions include education, incentives, regulation, city policies and public projects in these areas:
- Buildings
- Transportation
- Waste
- Adaptation
- Sustainable lifestyle
“This report is a starting point for accelerated action, but community engagement is critical to its success,” said City Manager Geoff Fruin. “Members of the community must feel ownership of these actions if we’re going to reach our long-term goals.”
 Did you know that Americans create 25 percent more trash from Thanksgiving to New Year's than any other time of year? That's about 25 million tons of garbage. But you can have a “green” celebration and keep waste to a minimum with these tips:
Recycle your old holiday lights through January 13, 2020, at several locations around Iowa City and Coralville.
Give gifts of meaning and experience. Tickets to a show, a weekend trip, a massage or a dinner out are great examples of experiences instead of “stuff.”
Sustainable gift wrap can be found in the form of an old newspaper, expired map or a piece of fabric. If you prefer store-bought wrapping paper, remember that metallic- and glitter-coated wrapping paper is not recyclable.
Recycle only what is accepted. Check this online guide to be sure.
Compost your Christmas tree. There’s no additional cost for natural Christmas trees to be picked up at the curb. Be sure to remove all decorations and don’t put the tree in a plastic bag.
 Iowa City's Parks and Recreation Department has received a $200,000 grant from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to remove invasive plants and restore native species at the 152-acre Terry Trueblood Recreation Area.
"The stronger we can make our native plants and woodlands, the better they'll be able to withstand the changes from flooding and climate change," said Juli Seydell Johnson, Director of the City's Parks and Recreation Department.
The removal of invasive plants will begin next spring and finish late in the year. Work will then focus on restoring native species.
The grant comes from an Iowa DNR program, Resource Enhancement and Protection, known as REAP. It offers funding for projects statewide to preserve natural and cultural resources. In its 30 years, REAP has benefited every county in Iowa with a combined total of almost $300 million in state investments, leveraging two to three times that amount in private, local and federal dollars. These projects have improved the quality of life for all Iowans with better soil and water quality, more outdoor recreation opportunities, sustained economic development, greater understanding of ecological and environmental assets and preservation of cultural and historic treasures.
This is the third year in a row in which Iowa City has received a REAP grant from the state.
 Not only does Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity (IVHFH) work to provide safe and affordable housing for community members, it strives to incorporate sustainability into all projects.
With a 2019 Climate Action Grant from the City, IVHFH is installing energy efficient heat pump furnaces in three homes in 2019-2020. In addition, one of the homes will be outfitted with solar panels to increase the affordability of heating in extremely cold weather.
“One component of affordable housing that is often overlooked is the cost of heating and cooling,” said Heath Brewer, Executive Director of IVHFH. “We project that a heat pump can save the homeowner up to 50 percent in a unit without solar panels. With the addition of solar panels, we hope to create a net-zero home that will actually contribute electric generation back to the grid.”
There's another positive too. For two years, IVHFH will collect data to measure the environmental and financial benefits of the program. This will help determine whether the program should be continued and scaled to all IVHFH programs.
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