Article: Aerial Ad Urges Iowa GOP Senator to Acknowledge, Act, on Climate Change

Joni Ernst official portrait.
(Image by (From Wikimedia) US Senate Photography, Author: US Senate Photography) Details Source DMCA

League of Conservation Voters, National Wildlife Federation & Ecomadres / Moms Clean Air Force Call on Iowa's Senators to Act on Climate Change

DES MOINES, IOWA, Sun. Aug 11.

Today, the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) went to great heights at the Iowa State Fair to call on Senator (Joni) Ernst to acknowledge that climate change is real and take legislative action to address the crisis contributing to record flooding across the state. In an aerial advertisement, towed by a red, white and blue single-seat plane, the organization called on Senator Ernst to acknowledge the pain caused by increasingly severe weather due to climate change, posing the question, "Sen. Ernst, What the flood?"

Since she took office in 2014, Senator Ernst has refused to acknowledge that climate change is real, and that human activity contributes to climate change -- she voted against the concept three separate times. The Senator is actively making things worse for Iowans and twice voted to allow unlimited carbon pollution by power plants. LCV and other environmental and health advocates are calling on Sen. Ernst to support a transition to 100% clean energy by pushing for bold clean energy policies to be included in this year's tax extenders legislation. Many of the Senator's constituents would stand to benefit from updating and extending key renewable energy tax credits.

"Iowans deserve to know 'what the flood' Senator Ernst is doing to reduce the devastating impacts of climate change on the Hawkeye State," said Jennessa Agnew, LCV Deputy Field Director, Member Mobilization. "Increasing incidences of severe weather are directly impacting the agricultural economy, public health and quality of life of Senators Ernst's constituents here in Iowa. Iowa's Senators need to admit that climate change is real and that they are ready to work. Sen. Ernst can start by making sure bold clean energy policies are included in this year's tax extenders legislation and help move the U.S. to a 100% clean energy economy."

To underscore the demand for climate action, the National Wildlife Federation and Ecomadres / Moms Clean Air Force came together from across the state for a rally and press conference at the wind turbine display at Iowa State Fair. At the rally, they called on supporters to tell their stories and demand that Iowa's Senators help move the U.S. to a 100% clean energy economy.

"Counties across the Midwest are still struggling to overcome the flooding," said Frank Szollosi, regional climate policy director for the National Wildlife Federation. "They've been hit hard by the bomb cyclone and 500-year floods that slammed states like Iowa and Nebraska this past Spring. The impact of the floods on wildlife is devastating. In March, runoff from the Missouri River Basin broke the 1952 record and cost approximately two billion dollars in damages across the state of Iowa. The Senators need to take a stand and support policies that will reduce carbon and get us to 100% clean energy in the future. Policymakers who refuse to act on climate bear a disproportionate responsibility for making Iowa's flooding and uncertainty that much worse."

"Iowa voters shouldn't be stuck hanging out to dry," said Karin Stein of Ecomadres and Moms Clean Air Force. "We're facing real health consequences as severe weather increases our children's' vulnerability to asthma. I'd like to see our Senators pay more than lip service on this issue and support policies now that will increase renewables and help transition us from reliance on fossil fuels to 100% renewables. This Spring Senator Ernst claimed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers wasn't prepared to respond to our floods, instead of admitting that climate change is real. How can the Corps prepare for climate change if Senators like Joni Ernst won't admit we're facing a climate crisis?"

The organizations participating in this weekend's events and Iowans who signed their petition are calling on Senators Ernst and Grassley to support a transition to a 100% clean energy economy in the U.S. by first enacting strong policies in this year's tax extenders legislation. Specifically, the groups are calling on the Senators to enact S. 1142: The Energy Storage Tax Incentive and Deployment Act of 2019, S. 1094: The Driving America Forward Act, S. 1957: The Offshore WIND Act, and S. 2289: The Renewable Energy Extension Act of 2019. All of these policies will help cut emissions and transition Iowa and the U.S. to clean energy, a win-win for the economy and communities suffering from floods caused by extreme, climate change powered storms.

LCV offset the energy impacts of their bold visibility campaign by purchasing Oneota Tag carbon offsets from the Winneshiek Energy District's Local Carbon Exchange program, located in Northeastern Iowa.