“I am currently working to raise awareness and garner opposition and comments to the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) and the Army Corps of Engineers (the only body with the authorization to require an environmental impact statement). The IUB is comprised of three people appointed by Governor Branstad, and they will decide whether to issue a permit for the Bakken Oil Pipeline to be allowed to be built through Iowa. Like the KXL Pipeline, it will speed up a “Game Over” for the planet (to quote James Hansen).
“For now, my focus is to inform people about the Pipeline, which I’m doing at my UU church and at various opportunities I have to speak. I’m finding people are eager to hear what I have to say, and they respond enthusiastically. Forty people showed up earlier in December at the home of an Iowa City Councilman for a party honoring me for having made the March. That gave me an opportunity to talk about the Pipeline. I have created a slideshow: “The 10 Minute March,” which is a great visual overview of the March. I follow that up with the mission of the March, stories, and lessons learned. I’ve told people I will talk to anyone anywhere anytime. My hope and expectation is that this is a global trend: people are more willing to hear the climate action message and are starting to respond. It doesn’t take everyone (despite the People’s March banner) to change everyone – just enough to turn the tide. That’s our job.”