Don’t wait to act on climate

Living in Iowa and taking more than a passing interest in what's happening with climate change, you get used to hearing two lines of thought.

One that either says it's a red state-blue state issue or a big city-small town issue with the usual us-versus-them lines. And another that says solving climate change means choosing between a healthy environment and a healthy economy.

But show me the flood with devastation split on party lines, and I'll be very interested in your science. Or explain to me how supporting practical solutions such as solar energy - a fast-growing sector that already employs over 173,000 Americans and is projected to have eight times greater job growth in 2015 than oil, gas, and coal combined - hurts the economy, and I'll be curious to see your math (and know who is backing you).

Because when you live in a state like Iowa, you get used to the coastal city condescension that comes with the 'flyover state” perspective and you also get used to politicians doing a whole lot of talking without doing a whole lot of doing. So you get used to doing things yourself.

And in Iowa, we're doing a whole lot. Back in 1983, we became the first state to introduce a renewable portfolio standard requiring utilities to add clean energy sources such as wind and solar into the mix. The result is that wind energy in particular has grown, creating thousands of jobs and providing over 28 percent of the state's energy needs in 2014 - enough to power nearly 1.5 million homes. We've got the potential to do much more. Enough, even, to power the entire state 44 times over.

Meanwhile, Iowa farmers are looking down the road and developing new approaches to agriculture that not only use less water and energy than conventional farms, but get better results to boot. I could go on and on.

That's why it was so refreshing - and inspiring - to see hundreds of people from all over the U.S. and the world come to Cedar Rapids recently to take the same can-do approach to tackling climate change and become Climate Reality Leaders with the Climate Reality Project. They came to hear former Vice President Al Gore, but they also came to learn about the common-sense approaches working in Iowa that they can take back home. It's about time.

We believe, as Cedar Rapids Mayor Ron Corbett said at the training, 'If everyone does their part ... you can have an impact in your communities, in your state, and in the world.”

What we've shown in Iowa is that we don't have to wait around for politicians in Washington, D.C., to take on climate change. Because when you take politics out of climate change and just look at the facts, it's pretty simple.

Clean energy already is creating jobs - and can create a lot more - without polluting our air and changing our climate. Smart agriculture can feed our families without destroying our environment.

We're showing that these practical solutions can work for the planet and work for the economy. And we're happy to share what we know. Maybe it's time for the rest of the country to listen.

' John Clayton of Grinnell is the operator of Broad View Seed. Comments: John@Broadviewwildflowerseed.com