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May 2020 | Visit us online at www.icgov.org/sustainability. 

For Iowa City COVID-19 news and updates, visit icgov.org/Coronavirus.   Related stories can be found below left.

City welcomes new staff member to climate program

Iowa City recently welcomed Sarah Gardner to the newly created position of Climate Action Engagement Specialist. Prior to joining the City, Sarah worked on alternative energy efforts, active transportation initiatives, recycling coordination and hazard mitigation planning in Iowa and Illinois as a senior planner with the Bi-State Regional Planning Commission.   She is a graduate of the University of Iowa with a master's degree in Urban and Regional Planning. Previously a journalist covering sustainability, Sarah has authored many articles on climate resilience and is a dedicated advocate for creating communities that are healthy, equitable and engaging places to live.   The position of Climate Action Engagement Specialist is part of the City's new Climate Action and Engagement Office, created as part of the City's accelerated climate action plan.   Along with other projects, Sarah will work to educate the public about the City's sustainability and climate action efforts and will develop a new Climate Ambassador Program for the City.

Council adopts accelerated climate actions

At its April 21 meeting, the City Council passed a resolution adopting the 100 Day Report on Accelerating Iowa City's Climate Actions as amended by the Climate Action Commission. Commission members had made several recommendations in regard to the report:

• They approved all the actions in the report and agreed the actions should be pursued.
• They recommended one new action about educating the community on energy usage for water treatment and delivery. 
• They recommended that several actions be initiated this year (phase one) instead of the following two years.
• They suggested that equity is the forefront of all implementation.

City staff will work on implementing phase one actions in 2020 and will provide regular updates to City Council and the community.

More information: Climate actions

Iowa City water quality receives a thumbs-up

In April 2020, the Iowa City Water Division released its Annual Consumer Confidence Report for 2019. As the report indicates, Iowa City drinking water far surpasses all state and federal drinking water quality standards. The report also provides information about the treatment process, quality parameters and contact information for residents who have more questions.    More information: Water quality

The gas carbon dioxide traps heat in the earth's atmosphere and is a major contributor to climate change. Test your own knowledge of carbon dioxide with these ten questions from NASA:

Carbon dioxide quiz

Have you taken Iowa City's Climate Action Pledge? It will help you look at five areas of your life where you can take climate action. And when you visit Iowa City's climate action web pages, you'll find resources like the Climate Action Toolkit to help you carry out those actions.

Farmers Market goes online

The Iowa City Farmers Market is postponed for in-person shopping until Saturday, July 4. But for now you can buy goods from a new online shop with "virtual stalls" offering fresh, locally grown produce and other goods from many local vendors. Shoppers will be able to select their choices starting on Mondays at 12 noon and make a no-contact pick-up on Saturday mornings at Chauncey Swan parking ramp. The first pick-up day will be Saturday, May 9. Please note that if pick-up time slots fill up, carts may close prior to Wednesday at noon.

This option is made possible by a partnership between the City and Field to Family, with funding from an Iowa City Climate Action Grant and the City's Parks and Recreation Department.

More information: Farmers Market

New video added to Community Connection

Iowa City Mayor Bruce Teague has been hosting Community Connection, a video series that highlights response efforts to the COVID-19 pandemic. From health experts to nonprofit organizations, watch to learn how our community partners are working to keep people safe and overcome the obstacles of the coronavirus. 

Community Connection is shared on Tuesdays and Thursdays on the City's Facebook, Twitter and Nextdoor accounts and it airs on City Channel 4.

Sustainability Spotlight

Jason Nicholson, Accurate Automotive

What do you do for Climate Action?

We've installed solar panels in my auto repair and maintenance shop, which offsets our electric usage by 110%. We do a lot of recycling—metal, cardboard and paper. And it's important to keep our groundwater clean, so we send our used oil offsite to be recycled, and we use a sand/oil separator so those materials can be recycled. At home, we compost, we garden and we use a CSA [community-supported agriculture]. I also feel strongly about supporting local businesses and we shop local as much as possible.

What can others do to take Climate Action?

For one thing, I'm encouraging the use of electric vehicles. Many families have two cars, and having an electric car as one of them has become a good affordable option. It's a great way to get around town and for short trips.

Why does Climate Action Matter to you?

I've always been interested in efficiency and making do with things. But more important than that—there's only one earth. We don't have another option so we need to take care of this one. I think we all need to pay it forward and I like to encourage my customers to think about that perspective too.

Do you know someone who should be featured in Sustainability Spotlight? If so, email your suggestion to brenda-nations@iowa-city.org.

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