Check the City of Iowa City Coronavirus web page for information and resources, both local and state, that you can use during the current public health emergency. There you'll find:
-
Basic virus information
-
News updates
-
Information about facility closures and how you can access City services
-
Ways to give and receive help
-
Video messages from local leaders
And, remember: Stay at home. We all have a role to play.
|
Iowa City Mayor Bruce Teague has launched a livestream series as another way to keep in touch with community members in regard to the coronavirus. Visit www.icgov.org/coronavirus for information and schedules.
By now you have received your 2020 Census form in the mail. Be sure to complete it and return it as soon as possible. Census information impacts our daily lives—from our schools to our infrastructure to our Congressional representation.
Jacob Atherton, Climate Action Assistant, City of Iowa City
What do you do for Climate Action?
Through my work as a climate action assistant, I process municipal and community-wide data to determine how much energy we consume and the carbon emissions associated with such consumption. This data assists branches of City operations in locating where improvements can be made as we implement the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan.
Personally, I take action through my commitment to the bike life. I commute to work via bicycle year-round and volunteer at the Iowa City Bike Library. Cycling was intimidating at first, but I am thoroughly hooked on pedaling and wrenching on all sorts of two-wheeled adventure machines. I try to use my car strictly for extended trips as an alternative to flying, for carpooling, or if I really need to get around when the weather is extremely poor and buses aren’t running.
I also weatherized my home for the first time this winter, which involved adding trim to exterior doors and sealing windows with a sheet of clear plastic, effectively adding a film of air insulation. A good engineer can talk for hours about how thin films of air can significantly lower heat flux through a surface. By lowering heat loss, my house remained toasty without turning the thermostat above 65°F, and less natural gas was consumed!
What can others do to take Climate Action?
Question authority and vote. If those in power don’t currently take the climate crisis seriously, they must be convinced otherwise, or they must step aside. The privilege of time and inaction on this issue has run dry. Take a deep look into your own life and consumption habits. Think. Research. Analyze. There are numerous choices we can make every day to lower our impact on the world around us. Reuse and upcycle things you’d throw out; our waste doesn’t disappear. Hang your clothes out to dry. Try vegetarian and vegan options. Buy local and organic; the soil will appreciate you. Ultimately, it’s on you to use your resources, educate yourself and make informed decisions about where your money is spent and how you choose to live your life.
Why does Climate Action matter to you?
Taking climate action matters to me because equity and climate justice matter to me. As our developed society continues to emit greenhouse gases that contribute to the climate crisis, unpredictable weather patterns and general warming trends will be felt more intensely by communities with fewer resources to adapt. The most unfair aspect of the climate crisis is that there are many communities around the world that don’t overconsume resources on an individual basis like we do, but will have to adapt due in part to our lavish habits and pollution. Because of this, it is our equitable duty to lead by lowering our emissions quickly, as we have long since benefited from their release.
|