Around Des Moines

Over the past few weeks I’ve realized that while the weather may not change every five minutes, the weather forecasts certainly do. Whether the weekend turns out to be sunny and dry or rainy and chilly there are a variety of activities around Des Moines to entertain you.

Most dependent on the weather is the Pella Tulip Time. Pella is just under 40 miles east of Des Moines on state highway 163. The town has a Dutch heritage and has built a tourism base on that theme. The festival runs all day every day from Thursday, May 1st, through Saturday, May 3rd. Besides delicious pastries for sale, there will be tours of historic houses, musical entertainment, parades, and, of course, tulips.

Weather will also matter for the running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, but that will be in Louisville, Kentucky. Des Moines’ local track is Prairie Meadows in Altoona (I-80 Exit 142, northeast of Des Moines). The racetrack/casino has three restaurants and lots of economic controversy. Prairie Meadows gets mentioned in national horse racing news due to its experience with slots and because Maggi Moss, a native Iowan and local trial lawyer, was nominated for the Eclipse Award as horse owner of the year.

If you want conversations on science, television, publishing, art, food, clothes, and an assortment of games, DemiCon will run from Friday afternoon through mid-afternoon on Sunday, May 4th. This is the 19th year of the science fiction and fantasy convention hosted by the Des Moines Science Fiction Society. Cost for all three days is $50 for adults; less for one-day attendance. It is to be held at the Hotel Fort Des Moines in downtown Des Moines.

The 2008 ICAN convention will be on Saturday, May 3, 2008, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Jim Hightower is scheduled as the keynote speaker. Join the Iowa Citizen Action Network for workshops on promoting progressive politics, including one about on-line organizing. The convention is being held at the Hilton Garden Inn in Johnston, a few miles to the northwest of Des Moines.

Theatrical choices this week include The Sunshine Boys at Grandview College’s Viking Theatre. Tickets cost $10 and the theatre is located at 2811 East 14th Street in Des Moines (on the #4 bus route). Show dates are May 1-4 and May 8-11. Times are 7:00 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and 4:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. For children, Holes, based on Louis Sachar’s award-winning book, opens at the Des Moines Playhouse. Show dates and times are: May 2-18; Fridays at 7:00 p.m.; Saturdays at 1:00 p.m., and Sundays at 1:00 and 4:00 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults.

On Friday, the 2nd, there will be a reception for “Walk in Closet,” a display of artwork by Angela Warren and Rebecca Gehm, at The Thoreau Center (3500 Kingman Boulevard from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. The Hentschel Art Gallery (835 42nd Street) is open from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday. The current exhibit is “The Blues,” paintings by Davenport native Nancy Purrington. She looks at the unique features of the Mississippi River at Davenport.

Scrub Days for Des Moines residents start on May 3rd. The MWA Transfer Station at 4198 Delaware Avenue and the Compost Center at 1601 Harlett will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Guidelines on what can be dropped off by whom can be found on the city’s website. Throughout the next few months there will be scrub days scattered across the city.

M.R. Field encourages organizations and performers to send news about their upcoming events to events@AroundDesMoines.com. 

(Des Moines, IA, March 18, 2008) People attending a public hearing for a proposed transit fare increase were very clear. Support for a fare increase cannot be separated from the service provided or from who is paying the fare.

Fewer than 20 people attended the noontime hearing held at the Central Library. About half of those people were staff of the Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority or DART commissioners. DART General Manager said that about 32 people had already submitted comments on the proposed fare increase. Half of those comments were in support, half were in opposition. However, most of the complaints were targeted to specific parts of the proposal.

Miller delivered a slide presentation that had previously been given to the DART commission. He clarified several components of the proposed fare increase included in the letter and attachment sent to riders via e-mail and distributed on buses. One proposed change is that the reduced fare for seniors be offered to be people 65 years or older. Currently, people age 60 can pay the reduced fare. Seniors between age 60 and 65 who currently pay the reduced fare would be grandfathered in and not be required to pay full fare. Federal law requires senior citizens be allowed to ride during off-peak hours at half price. The new fare proposal would allow seniors also to ride at half price during peak hours (i.e., morning and afternoon commute times).

The discount fare for youth age 6 to 10 years would stay at $0.75 while the fare for seniors and disabled riders would increase from $0.50 to $0.75. This would make all discount fares the same. Similarly, the monthly express plus pass would stay at $50.00 but those areas paying less would see an increase to the $50.00 level.

DART staff would like to see more riders use the weekly pass instead of tokens. According to Miller, tokens from pizza parlors are getting dropped into fare boxes. Approximately 4.1% of riders use tokens and 4.4% use weekly passes. Monthly passes are used by 22.5% of riders and 21.9% of rides are given under the Unlimited Access program.

How good a deal is the $50 pass? Consider some calculations for a rider working full-time. For ease of comparison, the monthly commute will be considered to be 2 rides per day, 5 days per week, 4 weeks per month. This equals 40 rides per month. Single fare cost would be $60. Weekly pass fare cost would be $56. Monthly pass fare cost would be $42. On call service would be $120. Combine the monthly pass with the on call transfer cost and it would be $110 per month to take the bus to work. With an all-encompassing express plus pass, that cost would be only $50.

Nobody questioned the reason given for the proposed fare increase, i.e., increasing fuel costs. I sent an e-mail to DART Chief Development Officer Brian Litchfield for usuage details. He said the proposed fare increase would bring in an expected $150,000 annually. In contrast, DART uses about 785,000 gallons of diesel each year. With a current price of between $3.16 and $3.40 per gallon, DART has seen its fuel costs rise by $800,000 per year.

Even though the proposed fare increase is related to rising fuel costs, comments from people attending the fare hearing made it clear there are other concerns. These include the perception that an empty bus equals a poorly-designed route, the time wasted when a route zigs zags in different directions, and the assumption of who rides the bus. One attendee who works for a large downtown company and has her ride paid for under the Unlimited Access program said, “I’m concerned about the poor schmucks” who have to pay $7 more for a monthly pass.

In response to a question I asked about future fare increases or excess revenues should fuel costs stabilize, Miller said that there would not be another fare increase before July 2009. He also acknowledged that future service expansion could be limited by the rising fuel costs.

M.R. Field covers local news for AroundDesMoines.com.

(Des Moines, IA, March 18, 2008) At the March school board meeting for the Des Moines Public Schools, the superintendent’s report included recognition of a team of high school students who won an award for devising a mathematical formula to address the real-world problem of determining the cost benefit of renting a car versus driving one’s own car when going on a trip. Too bad the problem was not more civic-oriented, such as creating a formula for determining which riders should pay which portion of a public transit’s operating expenses. I continue to believe that the Des Moines Area Transit Authority (DART) determines its fare system based on the source of funding rather than the consideration of the ridership. The current fare proposal is just one more example of this.

When the downtown/Capitol shuttle begins, there will be no charge to ride between Meredith’s offices at approximately 16th and Locust to the state Capitol at approximately 13th and East Grand. The north/south route of the shuttle will be limited to the area near the west side of the Des Moines River. In contrast, the downtown zone for route buses will have a fare increase from $0.25 5o $0.50. This bothers me in a couple ways. First, with health care we are told repeatedly that patients must pay a portion of the cost to appreciate the value of the service. I find this is true with public transit, as well. The second concern is that as a city and a state taxpayer, I am subsidizing those free rides while also paying increased fares for downtown zones on weekends and in the evenings. Does DART have agreements with the primary funding entities for the shuttle that DART cannot assign a fare cost to riders to help with other DART services?

Below is a comparison of fares for Ames’ CyRide, San Francisco’s MUNI, and the proposed increase for Des Moines’ DART. I also have included the size of the service area for comparison.

The chart below shows data for 2006, including how much each funding source contributes to operating and to capital revenues (source: National Transit Database). The funding sources will indicate the primary purpose of the transit authority. In Ames, the dominance of local funding suggests the priority is to provide transportation for university students. In Des Moines, the federal funding is to target air pollution and possibly to avoid building extra road lanes to handle rush-hour traffic; the local funding forces riders to go downtown to transfer. In San Francisco, the primary source for operating funds means that riders’ needs will be heard with great respect.

I disapprove of the disproportionate price of a single fare. With an economy that places many residents in part-time and sporadic jobs, it is not cost-effective to buy a monthly pass. How much more should these occasional workers be forced to pay compared to a person who is working full time?

Also, why, when fuel prices are the reason given for the fare increases, are express buses from the outlying suburbs not having their rates increased? Certainly the stop and go traffic of urban routes increases gasoline consumption. However, the sprawl encouraged in an era of inexpensive gasoline is why public transit resources are being spent on daily commuter buses today. It is only fair to increase the monthly pass fares for these riders, too.

I think that before we raise fares, we should require the DART commissioners to take the bus to their monthly commission meetings and to give up their cars for one week in favor of taking the bus.

M.R. Field writes on transit issues. 

Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie attended the March 11, 2008, Des Moines Public Schools School Board meeting to promote the Super Block. This is the stretch of land on the southern edge of the city that runs from SE 14th Street to SW 9th Street and from Army Post Road southward to County Line Road. There are two schools sitting in this giant block and the city wants to acquire some of the school district’s land.

The proposal before the school board was to approve the Super Block and to authorize district staff to negotiate further with the City of Des Moines. The city wants to acquire approximately 47 acres of the school property next to Studebaker Elementary and McCombs Middle Schools. No member of the public spoke on this portion of the meeting agenda. In addition to the mayor, Terry Rich, chief executive officer of the Blank Park Zoo, and a representative of the Polk County Conservation Board attended the meeting to lend support to the plan. The board’s vote was 6-0.

Members of the school board made sure to clarify that the city would be purchasing the property for fair market value. Board Member Patty Link said she heard over and over that there is growth on the south side. She and other board members wanted to make sure that if the land were sold there would still be room for the district to expand facilities. Link also inquired about horticultural opportunities for students at the A.H. Blank Golf Course. DMPS’ Chief Operating Officer Bill Good said the golf course is “enthusiastic” about working with students and that he believes there will still be “good growth potential” for school programs. Board Member Connie Boesen said she spoke from experience as a person who has sat on the zoo’s board. She believes the plan utilizes space well and that there are horticultural opportunities at the zoo, too. There was also a board member suggestion that students might be able to learn golf.

Board Member Jeanette Woods compared all the activities planned for the Super Block to the isolation of the Botanical Center. “I really like the idea it’s connected,” she said. She also thinks the entire plan is a good idea but she is concerned that Lincoln High School is overcrowded. In a response to Woods’ inquiry about the status of a demographic study, Good said a draft has been prepared and it should be ready in about a month. (The demographic study was authorized at an earlier board meeting and will look at projected growth in the district, with particular attention paid to the south side.)

The Super Block issue will appear before the school board again when terms of the land sale are finished. The Super Block vision is to stimulate economic and social growth on the south side, as well as to develop a signature a so-called green sustainable project.

Personal Note: As I have written on AroundDesMoines.com in regard to other development projects, residents throughout the city should be concerned about and involved in projects regardless of where in the city they are being proposed. This Super Block is just one of many plans the city has for the south side. In addition to the Super Block, the city is planning reconstruction of Indianola Avenue and development of the Highway 5/North River area that currently is outside of the city’s limits. All of these projects and the public meetings that have been held for some of them, merit far more comprehensive media coverage than they have received.

M.R. Field covers school board meetings for AroundDesMoines.com. 

If you have an opinion about fares charged for using any of the transit services offered by the Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority (DART) now is the time to share them. The DART Commission may vote on fare increases proposed by DART staff as soon as Tuesday, March 25, 2008. A public hearing will be held immediately prior to the March 25th meeting (5:00 p.m. at DART’s offices) and on Tuesday, March 18th (12:00 Noon at the Central Library). Services include regularly-scheduled daily bus routes, paratransit services, on-call and van pool services, weekday express routes, and numerous weekly or semi-weekly trips from outlying suburban communities.

In a letter to customers from General Manager Brad Miller, rising fuel costs are cited as the reason for requested fare increases. If the commission accepts the fare changes at its March meeting, the new fares could take effect on June 1, 2008. The letter was distributed on buses, sent via e-mail to customers requesting such communication, and posted on the DART website. Fares were last raised in January 2007, with rising fuel costs given as the reason then, as well.

In other news, this time from the Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (DMAMPO), DART wants to amend the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) to include a $32,000 Iowa Clean Air Attainment Program project in the current fiscal year to promote and to market the Unlimited Access Program. There will be a public hearing on this request on Tuesday, April 1st at 7:00 p.m. at the DMAMPO offices. I spoke with Brian Litchfield, DART’s chief development officer, via telephone about the Unlimited Access Program and other DART-related items.

The Unlimited Access Program offers unlimited rides to people affiliated with various organizations and businesses in exchange for a flat payment by the companies and groups. Drake University, which is easily accessible by the #3 and #5 bus lines, is the only university currently participating. A three-day survey in Fall 2007 indicated approximately six university-based riders a day. Litchfield said that in the first two months of Drake’s participation in the program, university-related ridership vastly exceeded expectations. All of the Unlimited Access contracts are for five years with clauses for annual cost adjustments.

Whether a particular transit service is funded by a grant or by riders factors into which fares are recommended to be raised. For instance, the downtown zone fare would rise to $0.50 but a free shuttle between Meredith and the Capitol would run approximately every 10 minutes from at least 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. There would also be a north/south route that would replace LINK park-and-ride service and would also be free. (The Indiana-based manufacturer of the trolley cars for the shuttle did not deliver the four diesel-powered vehicles on time. They are now expected to be delivered the first week of April. Start of the free shuttle service is thus expected to be between late April and June.) West Des Moines zone fares would rise to $0.75.

The $0.10 charge for transfers would be eliminated but so would the discount for buying single-trip tokens. For fares that will rise, the proposed increases range from 20% to 50%.

For people who commute to work via private automobile, the DMAMPO is reviewing the 2007 Travel Time Survey and the 2007 Vehicle Occupancy Survey. An interesting item in the In Touch newsletter from the DMAMPO is that rush-hour travel time on non-interstate roads is below the posted speed limit. However, on the interstate performance is sometimes higher than the posted speed limit. In other words, people are speeding to shorten their commute times.

M.R. Field writes about transit issues for AroundDesMoines.com. 

Asbestos abatement is the containment of asbestos fibers in a building. This is usually by removal, encapsulation, encasement, or repair, but abatement also includes proper techniques for building maintenance (such as the sweeping and cleaning of asbestos-containing floor tiles, ceiling tiles, etc.).

As we have seen in Part 4 this process is regulated, expensive, and time-consuming. So why do it?

Older buildings will have deteriorating, friable asbestos in sprayed-on fireproofing and in wall and ceiling insulation and in ceiling texturing. Asbestos will also be present in caulks and putties. Boilers and pipes will have been coated or covered with friable asbestos that may or may not be wrapped. Friable asbestos is also found on reinforcing beams and ceiling tiles installed before 1981. (Floor tiles have better encapsulated asbestos containing materials [ACM], but if they begin to crack or break, fibers will become airborne then too.) When asbestos-containing material is undisturbed, that’s great, but the problem with aging asbestos-containing materials is that they are disturbed - disturbed by water, by vibration, by careless or unknowing workers who may have drilled, cut, polished, sanded, smoothed, ripped, or otherwise abrasively contacted the ACM. I can even imagine someone vacuuming textured ceilings or walls because they were dusty. Then it’s time to abate.

Would you like to see what the materials disturbed and otherwise look like? site 1 (several pictures; see especially “exposed”); site 2 (18 pictures); site 3 (a deteriorating wrap).

I’ve seen two abatements in different institutions. I saw different activities each time, and I will share some pictures of each. But first I’d like you to see how seriously Iowa State University takes asbestos removal. Being a state institution they are more transparent so we can read their protocols on-line. In the ISU manual, jump or scroll to University Responsibilities. That section is pretty impressive. The President acknowledges: I am responsible; the EH&S says: we will keep an inventory; we will write the procedures and we will follow the rules (permits, records, training, protection of workers, disposal of wastes). And you can bet money they do. I’ve met some of the people in Environmental Health & Safety at ISU; they are very open and very knowledgeable (also true in the places I have worked).

Who does the asbestos abatement?

In part 4 we saw there are federal guidelines for personnel training for asbestos removal. In Iowa there are companies who do the removal and there are companies who do the training.
So here is the fun and interesting part that you are not likely to see other places. What does asbestos abatement look like?

I am one of those people who wants to know stuff. So I visit with workers and ask questions - just like a little kid. “Whatcha doin’? … why?” Nearly all the workers have been quite happy to share their knowledge. Remember Part 4 when my former student told me, “As of this minute you are in violation of federal law…” (when he saw that asbestos wrap had been hacked away?) It’s been over 20 years, but I think the abatement firm that fixed that problem was from Ankeny. They came in, brought in their tools and equipment, they sealed the room with thick polyethylene, and they set to work. These are some pictures:

See that bucket of liquid (arrow) in the first picture? The worker told me that before they ever cut the asbestos wrap, they wrap then wet the asbestos thoroughly so the fibers don’t float off. Only then do they slice and remove a piece of the asbestos wrap. In the third picture you can see the wet asbestos in the bottom of the bag. In two of the pictures you can see that even with these precautions, all of the workers are wearing tight fitting masks with canister filters. (I took the pictures through the window of a sealed door.)

As of May 2006 the U. S. Department of Labor said these workers are paid an average of $17.04/hr. According to the ISU document, working in this industry increases the risk of lung cancer 5 fold, smoking by 10 fold but the combination, that is, for a smoking asbestos worker, by 90 fold (a synergistic increase).

The second project was more recent. In the top left picture you can see that the working room is again sealed with thick polyethylene. Then there is a box (arrow, a negative pressure pump) and a large polyethylene tube running from the box. What you can’t see is that a tube also runs from the room into the box. The box is a pump that is sucking the air out of the room and pushing it through a HEPA filter. The other two pictures show the path of the already-purified air being discharged into a courtyard.

Well, that’s it. That’s my story, and I’m stickin’ to it. People from New Jersey to California got excited about Asbestos and the Equitable Building within 24 hours of the time that the story broke on February 2, 2008. Over 2500 years of geology, chemistry, history, health, law, business, and commerce - now 5 weeks in Des Moines. When you go back and read Perry Beeman’s story in The Des Moines Register and then next week when you see the result of the DNR meeting scheduled for Tuesday March 11, pictures will spring to mind, and you’ll have some ideas of your own!

If you think it’s the end, it’s not. Just watch.

Guest Writer: James G. Lindberg (Jim) is the Purple Wren’s sweetie and is a visiting chemistry professor at Grinnell College and retired from Drake University.

Technorati Tags: Iowa, Des Moines, Central Iowa News, Asbestos, Equitable Building, Abatement

The third annual Natural Living Expo was held in Des Moines on March 1, 2008. Booths offered information on nutritional eating, child rearing, body realignments, safe cleaning products, land management, environmental advocacy, lawn-waste compost, an electric hybrid car, and resources for shopping locally. Attendees did not quite constitute a crowd but there were plenty of people strolling through the Animal Learning Center at the fairgrounds.

The presenting sponsor for this year’s event was enrgPATH. Gold star sponsors were Campbell’s Nutrition, Silent Rivers Design+Build, Toyota of Des Moines, PolySteel Insulating Concrete Forms, and Capital 106.3. Angela Clark is the owner of enrgPATH, an online resource directory of green businesses. She said that the expo is “just the beginning” and she can “see lots more…natural living events in Iowa’s future.”

Given the pleasure dogs have found in my winter coat of late, with all the dirt and the smell of friends’ dogs and cats buried into it by this time of the season, I took delight in finding the locations of GreenEarth Cleaning companies. Beaver Ave. Cleaners (3704 Beaver Avenue) and Franklin Park Cleaners (5804 Franklin) do not use petroleum products in their dry-cleaning process. A brochure picked up at the expo claims that without the use of perc, the dry cleaning smell is gone, as are fading colors and shrinkage. I found out in a conversation that they have a contact for cleaning feather pillows.

Janet Coester had the best quote of the expo. When I asked her why she sold Shaklee products, she replied, “I had used the protein when I was 19 because I was too lazy to cook.” She also said she sells the products because she tried to decide what to do with her life other than fundraising for different projects that let her be passionate and help the planet. Janet is one of those ordinary Iowans that has an interesting story. In the early 1990’s, she walked alone the 6,200 miles across the Russian Federation. Now she donates up to 33% of her product sales to SEED, or Sustainable Ecological Economic Development. SEED is a Cedar Rapids group that organizes low income families to plant their own gardens.

Ruth Knelle sells Shaklee in the Des Moines area. She selected the Center on Sustainable Communities to receive donations from her product sales. When I asked her why she sold the products, she said that 40 years ago she decided she didn’t want to hurt the world.

Whether is was the natural living or just the joy of a warm day, people at the expo were enthusiastic. Sharon Hicks, owner of Green Goods, a business that sells products through host parties, was particularly energetic. She was kept busy with inquiries so I talked with Tonya Jansen of Taoton Homes out of Ankeny instead. Jansen said one of the architectural considerations with new housing is that the roof eaves need to have a greater overhang to allow enough solar panels to capture the winter sunlight.

M.R. Field is editor of Leading Voices: Iowa. 

March 1 marks the start of Spring in terms of meteorology. The weather in Des Moines will help make it seem like the season is coming. Get outside and clean off the sidewalks, take an inventory of work that needs done, and then go eat.

The Friends of the Forest Avenue Library (1326 Forest Avenue) will hold its annual soul food fundraiser at the library on Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (Bus: #5, #3 couple blocks walk)

If a relaxing coffee is more your speed, Mars Cafe (2318 University Avenue) will celebrate its two years of business on Saturday with free coffee throughout the day. There will be drink specials starting at 8:00 p.m. (Bus: #3)

Get ready for spring cleaning at the third annual Living Naturally Expo. It will be held on Saturday, March 1, 2008, at the Animal Learning Center at the Fairgrounds from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Over 60 vendors will offer information and products for such items as cars, food, pet care, child care, and general living. (Bus: #1)

With this being the first weekend of the month, there is a flea market in the 4H building of the fairgrounds. I’ve found hours for Saturday (9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) but not for Sunday.

Young professionals interested in keeping up their literacy habit can participate in a book discussion at the North Side Library (on East 5th Street) at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday. The book scheduled for discussion is A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah. (Bus: #3, #5 and a few blocks walk)

The state’s girls high school basketball championships are being played through Saturday at Wells Fargo Arena. (Bus: #3 closest, any downtown bus plus a walk)

For all the activities on my calendar for Saturday, there is scant happening on Sunday. Botanical Blues features Saylor Hillsliders. Adult tickets are $4.00 and the performance is from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. The Botanical Center also will have an exhibit of copper garden art sculpture by Ann Allison scattered throughout the conservatory.

A fundraiser for AMOS will be the Stage West performance of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Trial by Jury. The show will be performed in Des Moines this weekend, Friday, February 29th through Sunday, March 2nd. It will be presented in Ames next Thursday and Friday, March 7th and 8th. The Des Moines performance will be held at the First Unitarian Church at 1800 Bell Avenue. The Ames performances will be at the Actors Theater, 120 Abraham Drive. Shows are at 8:00 p.m. Tickets ($20) may be purchased by phone at (515) 279-3658 or at www.iowatix.com.An e-mail was received from a reader with another activity.

Check out the nascent Des Moines Rehabbers Club. It is a group of people who gather once a month for the purpose of preservation, restoration, and maintenance of Des Moines’ “unique built environment.” This month’s meeting will be on Saturday from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. at 1711 East 8th Street. The topic will be renovation for profit. M.R. Field encourages organizations and performers to send news about their upcoming events to events@AroundDesMoines.com. 

(Des Moines, IA, Feb. 20, 2008) Ed Fallon, a candidate for the Third District Congressional seat held a news conference on a DART bus to talk about climate change. A few reporters braved the cold weather and the terror of sitting along the Walnut Street transit mall to attend. Fallon, who lives in the Sherman Hills neighborhood, walked to the event.

Fallon commended Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie, noted people are replacing light bulbs and trying to buy local, and said the state legislature could do more, but did not provide specifics. He said climate change would be one of his top five priorities and he would “want to put a lot of time” into the issue as a congressman.

In material distributed by the campaign, Fallon was more specific about his policy solutions. The three points he lists are a cap and trade system for greenhouse gas emissions, a restructuring of energy priorities, and development of green jobs. Details include auctioning of air pollution credits and an increase in car fuel economy standards to 40 miles per gallon. He identifies the Safe Climate Act, introduced in 2007, as the “best piece of legislation that addresses these energy priorities….”

Fallon opposes coal-fueled power plants so I asked him an easy, but necessary, question about nuclear power plants. His answer acknowledged that nuclear energy does not produce greenhouse gases but it does have other problems. These include the expense; problems with radioactivity, which are rare, but significant when they do occur; the lack of a solution for nuclear waste; and, nuclear proliferation.

Another reporter asked how coal could be avoided as a fuel source. After some discussion between the candidate and the reporter, Fallon said corn ethanol got us to the point where we can discuss better options. He mentioned switchgrass and feedlot biomass as two possible fuel sources.

Since there were no other questions, I asked how Fallon would encourage public transit use in terms of global warming. Currently, the federal government allocates money for programs that reduce rush hour congestion and air pollution. Fallon did not have any response as might apply to legislation, other than to say road funds are always thought of first when transportation is mentioned. He noted that public transportation can reduce carbon footprints. He added that cities could be encouraged to do a better job of providing safe sidewalks and bicycle routes.

It was a surprisingly short news conference, scheduled to last for an hour but ending within thirty minutes. None of the reporters, including a cameraman who interviewed Fallon briefly at the beginning, seemed to know what to ask.

Fallon’s position paper on global climate change states he organized the cleanup of a wetland at age 16. In addition, he served on the Environmental Protection Committee during the 14 years he spent in the Iowa House of Representatives. If elected to Congress, he will ask to be named to the House Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.

M.R. Field is editor of Leading Voices: Iowa. 

We spent several hours late this afternoon and evening at the Des Moines Home & Garden Show. What a wonderful place to escape the howling winds and blowing snow on a February day in Iowa.

I spent a few minutes talking to Michelle Applegate. Her husband is Doug Applegate. You might know him as Mural Man. If you are thinking about adding a whimsical touch to your home or business, take a look at the creative illustrations on their website. The kitchen designs really appeal to me.

What a great project - ‘A Place to Plant Hope: Designer Potting Shed Auction‘ presented by Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity and ReStore. It’s a silent auction with proceeds benefiting the work of Habitat for Humanity. There are several unique designs and I couldn’t help but notice one of the sheds was ready for paint and includes a custom paint design from the Mural Man! You must place a bid before the show closes at 6 p.m. Sunday though.

So, have you been to the ReStore yet? I was vaguely aware that it’s there, but after talking to people at the booth I will definitely visit this retail outlet. All the new and used building materials they sell are donated. Proceeds from sale of the materials benefits Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity. It’s a perfect way to save money, reuse materials (Think improve the environment.) and help build more Habitat homes. And I was surprised to find there are seven stores in Iowa and more than 500 in the U.S. and Canada.

There’s only one day left to visit the Des Moines Home & Garden Show!

Writer: Sandy Renshaw is a self-employed communications consultant. You will also find her blogging at Purple Wren.

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