2008 Woodie Awards
Iowa - it's a gas
Kayla Kelley - The Daily Iowan
Issue date: 12/4/07 Section: Metro
- Page 1 of 1
Iowa produces the second-highest amount of greenhouse-gas emissions from agricultural uses in the nation, according to a recent report by the World Resources Institute.
The report detailed greenhouse-gas emissions in the Midwest and other regions. The gases contribute to global warming by trapping heat from the sun.
John Larsen, one of the report's authors, said Texas was the only state that had more agricultural emissions that Iowa.
He said agricultural greenhouse gases in this study include nitrogen oxide, which is used as fertilizer, and methane from livestock.
Iowa is the largest producer of corn and a leading producer of hogs, Larsen said.
David Osterberg, a UI clinical associate professor of occupational and environmental health, said he isn't surprised by the report's findings.
"Corn loves nitrogen," he said. "You can't apply it in a way that doesn't have huge emissions. Hog manure also releases emissions into the air."
Larsen said the Midwest is the largest producer of greenhouse gases due to a couple of factors, including the large population and the reliance on coal for energy and electric powers.
But coal is not the cheapest form of energy on the market today, Osterberg said.
Now, he said, energy-efficient buildings and wind-powered plants will have a lesser cost then coal-powered plants.
He said carbon dioxide is the main greenhouse gas that users have control over because it is produced by electric power plants and automobiles.
"We should not build any more coal-fired power plants in the U.S.," Osterberg said.
In 1990, he said, Iowa was one of the leading states in environmental initiatives.
Now, the state's emissions per capita are nearly 60 percent higher than the national average, the report stated.
The top three emitters of greenhouse gases in Iowa are electric generation, agriculture, and transportation.
Osterberg said that if people wanted to reduce their greenhouse-gas emissions, they should first work to reduce electric power plants, then go after transportation.
Larsen said the report's goal was to give data and insight on where emissions are and where they come from, so people are better prepared to deal with the effects.
The report was also a response to the Midwest Greenhouse-Gas Accord, which was signed by nine Midwest governors, including Iowa Gov. Chet Culver, and the premier of Manitoba on Nov. 15.
The accord calls for the states to work together to set goals and initiatives in an effort to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.
Meanwhile, the effects of global warming can already be seen, Osterberg said.
"Gardeners are noticing they can plant earlier and harvest later," he said.
While longer crop seasons are one positive outcome of greenhouse gases penetrating the ozone layer, Osterberg said, increased temperature, [abnormal] weather, and stronger storms are also effects of the phenomenon.
E-mail DI reporter Kayla Kelley at:
kayla-kelley@uiowa.edu
The report detailed greenhouse-gas emissions in the Midwest and other regions. The gases contribute to global warming by trapping heat from the sun.
John Larsen, one of the report's authors, said Texas was the only state that had more agricultural emissions that Iowa.
He said agricultural greenhouse gases in this study include nitrogen oxide, which is used as fertilizer, and methane from livestock.
Iowa is the largest producer of corn and a leading producer of hogs, Larsen said.
David Osterberg, a UI clinical associate professor of occupational and environmental health, said he isn't surprised by the report's findings.
"Corn loves nitrogen," he said. "You can't apply it in a way that doesn't have huge emissions. Hog manure also releases emissions into the air."
Larsen said the Midwest is the largest producer of greenhouse gases due to a couple of factors, including the large population and the reliance on coal for energy and electric powers.
But coal is not the cheapest form of energy on the market today, Osterberg said.
Now, he said, energy-efficient buildings and wind-powered plants will have a lesser cost then coal-powered plants.
He said carbon dioxide is the main greenhouse gas that users have control over because it is produced by electric power plants and automobiles.
"We should not build any more coal-fired power plants in the U.S.," Osterberg said.
In 1990, he said, Iowa was one of the leading states in environmental initiatives.
Now, the state's emissions per capita are nearly 60 percent higher than the national average, the report stated.
The top three emitters of greenhouse gases in Iowa are electric generation, agriculture, and transportation.
Osterberg said that if people wanted to reduce their greenhouse-gas emissions, they should first work to reduce electric power plants, then go after transportation.
Larsen said the report's goal was to give data and insight on where emissions are and where they come from, so people are better prepared to deal with the effects.
The report was also a response to the Midwest Greenhouse-Gas Accord, which was signed by nine Midwest governors, including Iowa Gov. Chet Culver, and the premier of Manitoba on Nov. 15.
The accord calls for the states to work together to set goals and initiatives in an effort to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.
Meanwhile, the effects of global warming can already be seen, Osterberg said.
"Gardeners are noticing they can plant earlier and harvest later," he said.
While longer crop seasons are one positive outcome of greenhouse gases penetrating the ozone layer, Osterberg said, increased temperature, [abnormal] weather, and stronger storms are also effects of the phenomenon.
E-mail DI reporter Kayla Kelley at:
kayla-kelley@uiowa.edu
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