Protect our natural infrastructure

To the editor:

The water we drink, the air we breathe, and the land we inhabit is the natural infrastructure that sustains us all. Yet, they receive the least effort and funding from elected officials who seem to be more interested in supporting our man-made infrastructure. Take water for example. Fifty percent of the bodies of water in Iowa have been classified as impaired because of bacteria levels. Nitrate runoff from the farm fields enters our drinking water causing taxpayers to fund expensive additional measures to make the water safe to drink. Water in Iowa rivers and streams is flowing into larger rivers, which pushes our water problems downstream.

We are in trouble. Our elected politicians and legislators need to work together and appropriate funding to educate farmers in conservation practices and help farmers cover conservation costs. If they are unable or unwilling to use our tax money to clean up Iowa's water, then they need to be replaced.

What kind of environment do you want to leave our children? One where Iowa's water quality is high or one where the plastic water bottle is the best source of clean drinking water in Iowa? It's up to every citizen to get involved now.

Thomas Armitage

Cedar Rapids