It is generally understood that carbon pollution is changing our climate and negatively impacting some native species. One example is the decrease in Monarch butterflies caused, in part, by continuing drought that limits food during migration. However, the opposite is also happening. Nature can ...
A recent Iowa Starting Line article noted University of Northern Iowa students do not plan to stick around after graduation. For a state with a workforce problem, this is not good. Whether it is on the microlevel, people leaving rural Iowa for a larger Iowa city or on the macrolevel, people ...
This past weekend my wife and I went to the grand reopening of the Val Air Ballroom in West Des Moines. Only a few years ago, we went to a concert at this venue, and I was thankful they kept the lights dimmed as much as possible. Soon after this concert, the venue was closed for remodel. ...
Right is wrong, wrong is right, males are females, females are males, the world is flat, the world is round, who can make sense of all this nonsense. Those of us who live by the Bible understand and know first-hand that Satan is the author of confusion. The play book has always been the same, ...
In a world where everything goes as fast as possible, time should be taken to appreciate parts of life which are not meant to be commodified. This means art, specifically, is done as a passion whether it is painting, drawings, writing, or performing. Some are lucky enough to create art which ...
It's Saturday night, the snow is falling, and inquiring minds want to know: “Are you going to cancel church?” My pastoral policy is this: “If I can be there, we’ll have church. I trust people to decide if it’s safe for them.” After the most recent Big Snow at the beginning of ...
To be a beginning farmer today if one does not have access to land and machinery from family or an older farmer is not wise. This is not good for rural Iowa. Rural Iowa succeeded when more farmers were on the land. As Iowa heads down this current path, there is not an effective way out. Schools ...
In Governor Kim Reynolds 2022 campaign ad, it ends with the words “Here in Iowa…America Still Works.” Does it? What version of American is Kim Reynolds envisioning? Her vision appears increasingly to be one where people at the bottom of the economic totem pole are stiffed while the top ...
At the start of the year, it is good to reflect on the past year. While there were many environmental challenges during 2023, there were also some successes. Most notable were the outcomes from the COP23 climate summit. For the first time, the countries called for a transition away from fossil ...
One of the things that happens when one retires should be sorting things out and getting rid of most of the boxes & drawers of accumulated "treasures". The dent I have made in my “savings” so far has been slower than I would like, but I’m not giving up! This reflection includes ...