 Remember that you can place your natural Christmas tree at the curb for pickup—at no additional cost—to be composted. Be sure to remove all decorations including ornaments, lights and garland. Do not put the tree in a plastic bag.
There is no deadline for Christmas tree pickup this year.
 Your burned out holiday lights can be recycled at a number of locations in Iowa City and Coralville.
Unsure what other materials can be recycled? Just check out this guide.
 You're invited to enjoy a hearty, farm-fresh meal from 10 a.m. to noon on Sunday, Jan. 12, at The Hotel at Kirkwood Center, Cedar Rapids.It's the 12th annual Homegrown Brunch, sponsored by Iowa Valley RC&D. Proceeds benefit Iowa Valley RC&D projects including food hubs, food safety, farmer training and much more. Tickets must be purchased in advance.
 Would you like to build a resilient home with a small carbon footprint? Kirkwood Community College offers a new class in its Continuing Education Division that can help guide the way. Net Zero Home Building and Small Home Design will be offered as a one-session class on two dates: Feb. 27 and March 19.
Local climate striker and City High student Massimo Paciotto-Biggers, 14, has been named "Person of the Year" by the Iowa City Press-Citizen.
To read about his climate-related efforts, visit Person of the Year.
Would you like to reduce drafts and save money this winter?
Green Iowa AmeriCorps is helping Iowa City homeowners by providing free blower door tests and free weatherizations. During an assessment, staff members perform combustion safety testing, blower door testing and weatherization such as caulking, spray foaming, pipe insulating, duct taping and more. So far, they have helped more than 70 Iowa City households save money and energy.
Limited scheduling is available, so sign up today!
 Dylan Cook, Environmental Health Specialist, Johnson County Public Health
What do you do for climate action?
I ride my bicycle to work year-round; there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad gear.
Food I cook or purchase for myself is vegetarian, and I purchase locally grown vegetables whenever possible. For the past few years my roommate and I have purchased a vegetable CSA share from Wild Woods Farm. This past year I participated in a farming coop, where we sustainably grew vegetables at a farm just outside of Iowa City for local customers.
Too many veggies from the garden, farm or CSA? I preserve them! With some help from friends, I made well over a hundred jars of preserves, sauces, jams and pickles during the past growing season. Canning and freezing keeps the flavors of the growing season available year-round, and they make for great gifts too! Any leftover food waste gets composted, either through the City of Iowa City compost pickup, or in my basement worm composting setup.
My roommates and I keep the thermostat turned down in winter and turned up in summer to reduce energy use.
Finally, I vote for candidates I believe will make climate action a priority.
What can others do to take climate action?
Eat local! There are amazing local farmers growing incredible, sustainable and environmentally friendly food right here in Johnson County.
Reduce your meat consumption, especially red meat consumption. Beyond the greenhouse gas emissions, livestock production is one of the leading causes of ecosystem destruction and deforestation.
Try alternative methods of transportation! Walk, bike, carpool or take the bus when you can.
Program your thermostat to use less energy while you’re at work or school. No need to heat or cool an empty house nearly as much.
Vote! And don’t skip voting in local elections; lots of change can be made at the local level.
Why does climate action matter to you?
Without climate action, we doom large swaths of humanity to immense suffering. Without climate action, we doom untold numbers of species to extinction. It is a threat of our own making, and we owe it to ourselves, and to our planet, to fight for climate action.
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