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June 2023 | Visit us online at www.icgov.org/climateaction. 

Heat Vulnerabilities

Each year, the U.S. sees an average of 1,500 tornado related injuries, and an average of 67,512 emergency room visits related to heat, making heat more dangerous than tornadoes to health.

As a result of climate change, 70 more days a year are projected to be above 90 degrees in Iowa City by 2100.

More than 118,800 temperature readings will be collected by Iowa City volunteers as part of the Spot the Hot campaign to map heat islands this summer.

Spot the Hot Volunteers Needed to Collect Temperature Data

This summer, volunteer citizen scientists will join a team of local partners in Iowa City and Cedar Rapids to travel through neighborhoods in the morning, afternoon, and evening on one of the hottest days of the year.

Heat sensors (on loan) mounted on participants' vehicles will record temperature, humidity, time, and location once every second. The data from heat-mapping campaigns are open access and available on the federal website Heat.gov. 

Cities from past Urban Heat Island campaigns have used their heat data to implement tree planting strategies, inform communities of the location of new public transit shelters for cooling relief, develop heat action plans, educate residents and policymakers, and inform new research. To learn more about this project, visit icgov.org/spotthehot.

Bike, Bus, Car Race Celebrates Transportation Choices

On May 8, local officials used different modes of transportation to race from Coralville Public Library to the Iowa City Public Library. All participants arrived within minutes of each other!

Race times: Meghann Foster (car) 11:11, Laura Bergus (e-bike) 11:14, Matthew Burkey (bus/bike hybrid) 11:15, V Fixmer-Oraiz (bike) 11:17, Sarah Walz (bus) and Liz Hubing, Guillermo Morales, Hai Huynh (bikes) 11:18.

While Coralville Mayor Meghann Foster and her car arrived first, this race highlights the real winners: all of us residents, with great choices for climate-friendly transportation!  

Climate Action Grant Award Winners

Congratulations to the 2023 recipients of Climate Action Grants: Iowa City Bike Library, Catholic Worker House, CommUnity, Deerfield Commons, Dubuque St. Apts., Fin & Feather, The Green House, IC Compassion, Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County, JC Railroad Historical Center, Summit Apartments, and the Youth Mini-Grant awarded to support a peer-to-peer education program!

Grants this year will be used to improve insulation, fund high efficiency appliances, install solar panels, establish community gardens, increase composting capacity, and more. Stay tuned for updates in future newsletters!

Accessible Garden Beds Installed at Chadek Green Park

The 2023 gardening season is underway, and recent improvements in Chadek Green Park have made it a more inclusive and usable space! The Parks and Rec Department recently added six garden beds designed to allow a wheelchair to fit underneath. In addition, new water spigots, new restroom facilities, and new accessible parking spaces all help make Chadek Green more user-friendly. May the sun brightly shine, rain softly fall, and earth generously give in these community garden plots this season!

Iowa City’s Climate Action Commission meets monthly

Access upcoming and past meeting packets  at the Climate Action Commission web page.

All are Invited to the Spot the Hot Kickoff!

The Spot the Hot Kickoff in Mercer Park aims to recruit additional volunteers to help with the urban heat mapping project, recognize volunteers who have already signed up, and share information about resilience and adaptation for hotter summer temperatures. Families can enjoy hands-on STEAM learning activities, free Sno-Cones and the Rec-n-Roll trailer. All participants can meet with experts in science and public health to learn about heat adaptation. Those interested in environmental justice can help local decision-makers be mindful of the most vulnerable members of our community, by gathering data about urban hotspots.  All are invited to come check out this fun community event!

• Saturday, June 10, 2-4 p.m.
• Mercer Park Shelter 2

Transit Service Improvements Rolling Out this Summer

Several bus routes have faster and more frequent service, as well as earlier start times, as part of the summer schedule changes that started on May 15. The 9 - Towncrest and 2 - Court Street routes transitioned from service every 30 minutes to every 20 minutes during the day. Bus service improved from every hour to every 40 minutes on evenings and Saturdays. Eight Iowa City Transit routes now start earlier each morning, with first pick-ups around 6 a.m. on weekdays. The  7 – North Dodge route changed so that it now offers service to Highlander Hotel. For full details on all changes, visit icgov.org/transit. Keep an eye out for information about fare reductions down the road!

AmeriCorps Jobs Alert

Green Iowa AmeriCorps is hiring for the upcoming eleven-month service term starting in September 2023. Benefits include federal loan deferment, healthcare coverage, childcare coverage, training and certification, individualized professional development opportunities, Segal Education Award upon successful completion, monthly living stipend distributed by UNI, leadership experience, Public Service Loan Forgiveness Qualification, and interest accrual repayment. Find more information and apply on the website greeniowaamericorps.org.

Gail Ardery

Johnson Clean Energy District Board Member

What are your favorite ways to take climate action?

Making small changes over time has been my main strategy. I walked, biked or bused to work for many years. We installed a smart thermostat and insulated the sill plate of our leaky home, and this fall, we will add sidewall insulation. Being vegan dramatically decreases our contribution to methane emissions; eating organic food and having a chemical-free lawn both promote insect biodiversity, animal health, and cleaner water.

What can others do to take climate action?

Climate change impacts all living beings, land structures, the air we breathe, and the water we drink. I believe that my climate action, when combined with the climate actions that others take, will make a positive and meaningful contribution to the health of the global population and the planet. I can’t imagine any action I might take that will have a greater impact.

Why is it important to take climate action?

Although government bodies can speed and direct climate action, individual change is critical. Each household can consider their best options for climate action. Having a professional conduct a home energy assessment is a great way to determine which changes make the most sense for your home and your budget. Households with limited resources can start small, replacing one incandescent light bulb at a time with an LED, turning out lights when they leave a room, or making a one-degree change on their thermostat.  An individual can volunteer with a non-profit organization or help with a climate action event. An easy and inexpensive climate action is simply to share ideas with their neighbors and friends, encouraging others to join the effort. Each person’s changes, no matter how small, will improve the environmental health of their community.

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This newsletter is published by the City of Iowa City Climate Action and Outreach Division. For more information, contact Sarah Gardner at 319-887-6162 or Sarah-Gardner@Iowa-City.org