Renewable energy and commonsense laws

It’s no secret that Iowa knows what we’re doing when it comes to renewable energy. We’ve been doing it since 1983, when Iowa became the first state in the nation to adopt a renewable portfolio standard. Today, 59.5% of all electricity produced in Iowa comes from renewable sources, totaling 12,591 MW.

The positive impacts of this development can be seen in every corner of the state, specifically here in southwest Iowa.

Major companies and organizations see what Iowa is capable of in terms of renewable energy generation and choose to bring their operations here to help meet their clean energy goals. The business and investment that have been attracted to this region is outstanding: food production, manufacturing, distribution, transportation, logistics organizations, technology, data centers and more.

These industries are critically important to what we’re able to attain here in our community, and it’s thanks to our renewable portfolio.

But it doesn’t stop there. Council Bluffs’ own Iowa Western Community College offers programs in renewable energy technology and solar installation – programs that are designed to provide the skills and knowledge required for careers in the installation and maintenance of renewable energy systems.

The renewables industry offers students in Iowa a whole new world of opportunities for their future, and we’re able to educate them right here in our own community and often keep them here with the jobs that clean energy projects create.

The success that we have seen here in southwest Iowa can be achieved in every community in Iowa with the acceptance and implementation of clean energy. It is my hope that fellow community leaders can use our region as an example to follow and help Iowa continue its national success.

Misleading people to believe pit bulls are like any other breed, as Colin Dayan’s opinion piece does, is dangerous and irresponsible.

In my 35 years of animal protection work, including as an animal control officer and shelter manager, I’ve seen firsthand that pit bulls are the most abused dogs. Their strength, “tough” appearance and tenacity make them frequent targets for dogfighters and other criminals. On a daily basis, PETA fieldworkers find pit bulls chained, starved and neglected.

Dogs who were designed and bred to kill other animals and are disproportionately abused sometimes lash out, with fatal results. One man told me that his pit bull was “never right” after being fed gunpowder. A police officer shot the dog to death in an attempt to stop his relentless, ultimately fatal attack on another dog.

Pit bulls are also the number one breed admitted to shelters, and the hardest to place responsibly. With millions of animals suffering for lack of homes, breeding more of any kind —especially a breed so vulnerable to exploitation — should be illegal.

People who have pit bulls’ best interests at heart support humane, commonsense laws regulating these dogs’ acquisition and care, including requiring them to be spayed or neutered.

Animal Care and Control Issues Manager, PETA