I just recently finished reading "Here Comes the Sun" by Bill McKibben and highly recommend it. He lays out a fast, practical pathway to an energy system based on solar, wind, and battery storage, that is already well underway and needs our support.

Tell the Cedar Rapids City Council and the Linn County Board of Supervisors to save Morgan Valley. Protect our water, our health, and our climate. Stop the Alliant Energy fossil gas plant west of Cedar Rapids. It would be massive. Too much pollution! Too much water lost and polluted!

Good morning, Linn County! Mark your calendars now for this program on cancer in Iowa at the downtown Cedar Rapids public library on Thursday, September 3, from 5:30 to 7:00 pm. www.iaenvironment.org/get-involved...

More frequent and severe wildfires are one of the consequences of the over-heating of the climate. We have solutions that work. Let’s stop burning fossil fuels, protect nature, increase hazard mitigation, and build more clean renewable energy systems.

Tim O’Brien@timobrien.bsky.social · 2d ago

Almost 65,000 people have been evacuated from their homes in Spokane County, Washington, as crews battle three major wildfires. www.cnn.com/2026/08/03/u...

Well, gas had been down a little - I saw $3.57 per gallon earlier this week - but has gone back up to $3.89 per gallon in northeast Cedar Rapids. I filled up with 3.5 gallons at $3.85 per gallon in Marion. Too much but wanted to fill up for the end of the month. That’s 13.8 gallons for July.

Look what is blooming in this local garden? It’s a Lindsay James for Congress yard sign. I hope you can support Lindsay, the Democratic candidate for Congress in Iowa’s 2nd District (NE Iowa). If you are able, contribute online or by mail to “Lindsay for Iowa,” P.O. Box 144, Dubuque, IA 52001.

Go, Lindsay James, Go! She can win with your help!

Laura Belin@laurarbelin.bsky.social · last wk.

Today the DCCC @electdemocrats.bsky.social added five new candidates to the "Red to Blue" program that identifies top-targeted races. One of them is Lindsay James in #IA02. Even the GOP nominee Joe Mitchell acknowledges that's a very competitive race. laurabelin.substack.com/p/gop-candid...

As of 4 pm (July 28), the high temp in Cedar Rapids has been 86 (3 degrees above average), the low was 74 (12 degrees above), the dew point was 73, and the heat index reached 92. Not as hot or humid as yesterday, but still well above average. Take care and please support more climate solutions.

Please support Lindsay James, Democrat for Congress in Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District. National Democrats just added her to their “red to blue” list. That’s a sign her campaign is doing well and it will help her raise money: dccc.org/dccc-announc...

DCCC Announces Five New Candidates to Coveted 2026 ‘Red to Blue’ Program - DCCC

DCCC Announces Five New Candidates to Coveted 2026 ‘Red to Blue’ Program

dccc.org

As of 2 pm today (Monday, July 27), Cedar Rapids had a high of 92 (nine degrees above average), a low of 77 (fourteen degrees above average), a dew point of 80, and a heat index of 111. Yuck! This is two days in a row! Please take care, and please support action to cut climate pollution.

As of 2 pm today (Sunday, July 26), Cedar Rapids had a high of 91 (eight degrees above average), a low of 74 (eleven degrees above average), a dew point of 80, and a heat index of 109. Yuck. Take care, and please support action to cut climate pollution to stop its accumulation in the atmosphere.

Every day in the seven-day forecast for Cedar Rapids is currently expected to be above the average high of 83 and average low of 63/62.

Rob Hogg@senatorrobhogg.bsky.social · 2w ago

A climate change thread: With one week to go, July in Cedar Rapids is 2.9 degrees above average (through July 23). If it finishes above average - and it is forecast to be well above average over the next week - it will be the 24th month since Jan. 1, 2024, with above average temperatures. (1/6)

A climate change thread: With one week to go, July in Cedar Rapids is 2.9 degrees above average (through July 23). If it finishes above average - and it is forecast to be well above average over the next week - it will be the 24th month since Jan. 1, 2024, with above average temperatures. (1/6)

Today I saw gas down to $3.75 per gallon. Should we celebrate?

Today is the 23rd day in a row in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, with above average temperatures. Extraordinary. The need to cut climate pollution has never been more urgent.

“Changes in heat, precipitation, plants, and pests are a formula for more frequent and severe wildfires.” - America’s Climate Century 49 (2013)

Take care, folks - the wildfire smoke has blown into Cedar Rapids this morning. Not good. cbs2iowa.com/news/local/w...

Wildfire smoke, relief from the heat on the way to Eastern Iowa

The hot, humid conditions will persist through the weekend in Eastern Iowa. Relief is in sight but it will come with wildfire smoke entering our skies.A cold fr

cbs2iowa.com

Gas is still $3.88 in northeast Cedar Rapids. We could reduce gas prices if we promoted conservation, demand reduction, renewable fuels, fuel efficiency, and electric vehicles.

Our first harvest of fresh onions picked this morning for Loaves and Fishes food pantry at Westminster Presbyterian, 1285 3rd Ave. SE, in Cedar Rapids. Loaves and Fishes is open every Tuesday from 2:30 to 5:00 pm. It‘a a joint project of Westminster and my church, Christ Episcopal-Cedar Rapids.

Here is an opportunity to learn more about solar power: “Grow Solar East Central Iowa” Wednesday, July 15, 5:30 pm Christ Episcopal Church 220 40th Street NE Cedar Rapids Sponsored by the Midwest Renewable Energy Association and the Iowa Faith and Climate Network. (1/2)

ICE has shot and killed a man in Maine who was living and working here legally. Congress must stop this before anyone else is killed or injured. www.pressherald.com/2026/07/13/s...

Live updates: ICE agents involved in shooting of Biddeford man were not wearing body cameras, King says

Protests are growing after a man identified as a 26-year-old from Colombia was fatally shot. Immigration advocates say he was authorized to work in the U.S.

pressherald.com

Here are our candidates in Iowa. What are you doing to help them? Are you ready to vote when voting starts October 14? US Senate: Josh Turek US House Dist. 1: Christina Bohannan US House Dist. 2: Lindsay James US House Dist. 3: Sarah Trone Garriott US House Dist. 4: Dave Dawson (1/2)

Since June 27, Cedar Rapids has not had a high temperature below 83. Every day in the 15-day forecast is 83 or higher. Average high for July is 83. Take it easy and stay cool. And please support more action to cut climate pollution. It’s urgent.

Gas jumped today in southwest Cedar Rapids from $3.46 per gallon (around 8 am) to $3.89 per gallon (around 3 pm). I was surprised. Even $3.46 is higher than it was in 2023 and 2024 under Biden.

We actually need more clean energy, not less. But: “The Trump administration’s rollback of clean energy policies has now cost the US nearly 470,000 jobs and $68 billion in private investment, according to a new report released today.” electrek.co/2026/07/09/t...

Trump clean energy rollbacks erase $68B in US investment

A new analysis from E2 says canceled US clean energy projects have wiped out nearly 470,000 jobs and $68 billion in investment.

electrek.co

If you live in or near Cedar Rapids, and would like to buy solar panels, or are just curious, the “Grow Solar East Central Iowa” program has upcoming opportunities to learn more. Here is a website with more details: www.growsolar.org/eci/

Trump bragged about granting over $846M in disaster relief funds to Republican states on Truth Social while simultaneously denying New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island a total of $227M in aid following the brutal blizzard in February. trib.al/SSRcjeG

Just a reminder that if you want lower gas prices, you should encourage more people to buy electric vehicles. More EVs = lower demand for gasoline = lower gas prices. e360.yale.edu/digest/evs-g...

A Shift to EVs Would Lower the Price of Gasoline, Study Finds

e360.yale.edu

Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands have been hammered by a super typhoon only months after a prior super typhoon. Please support more disaster relief, more hazard mitigation, and more action to stop the buildup of climate pollution in the atmosphere. www.bbc.com/news/article...

Super Typhoon Bavi makes landfall on US Pacific islands with huge wind gusts

The storm, with winds of nearly 290km/h (180mph) and gusts of 350km/h, is lashing the island of Rota.

bbc.com

Over 10 inches of rain in Polk County and Story County! They just had deadly flash flooding there in 2018. Our elected officials need to wake up to the increasing damage from climate change, cut climate pollution, and prepare for even more extreme weather in the future.

Alerts from NWS Des Moines IA (UNOFFICIAL)@dmx.nws-bot.us · last mo.

🚨 Flood Warning issued July 3 at 5:13AM CDT until July 3 at 5:15PM CDT by NWS Des Moines IA 🚨 Additional Details Here.