Letter to the Editor: "we can choose to make a change that will keep that world safe for our children's future

(The following Letter to the Editor has been submitted by Emily Young Johnson of Decorah):

"As a nurse-midwife in Decorah for the past 11 years, I have had the privilege of being present when hundreds of our little ones have emerged into this world.   And while watching the birth of a baby and hearing that first cry is always an amazing experience, I have learned to look up and into the faces of the men and women who are receiving that child.  The transformation that takes place in their eyes and souls as they become parents is breathtaking and unforgettable.   I then witness how their world changes over the next few hours, days and weeks.  Their choices and decisions about their own lives, the world we live in, and the life of that child, start to take a new shape as they view the world differently than before.  They are forever changed.

I also have a master's in public health.  During my research at Emory University, I learned firsthand how knowledge does not always change behavior.  (Think about smoking, obesity, drug use).  I interviewed women who were committed to breastfeeding and knew well the benefits of breastfeeding for themselves and their babies, but somehow found themselves formula feeding within weeks of the birth.  I studied how environmental, biological, social, economic, international and personal historical forces came to play a role in their baby's nutrition.  It was frustrating to them to give up their dreams of breastfeeding, but it would happen time and time again.

As our small community of Decorah struggles and debates the issue of who our energy provider will be in our near and distant future, I have heard so many facts and arguments being made on both sides.  Many of them are very conflicting, which begs the question--What are the real facts anyway?  We tend to believe news that fits our own world view and tend to disregard news that doesn't fit our beliefs.  The term "fake news" is all about perspective, right?  But public health research has proven time and time again that knowledge doesn't change behavior, so I'm not sure that facts will sway voters one way or another.   There are so many other forces at play:  fear, politics, money, history, the threat of global warming and one's own employment.  In the end, perhaps the biggest force at the polls May 1st will be how we think this decision will affect the lives of our children and grandchildren.
     
So how will your vote on May 1st affect the future of your children? 
I urge you to look at the actions of the players involved and how those actions, past and present, will affect our future.  Actions speak much louder than words.  Consider some of the recent actions of Alliant, our current energy provider.  Alliant is currently lobbying hard for a bill in our Iowa legislature that would gut energy efficiency programs and penalize solar owners (SF2311).   In 2017, at the federal level, Alliant testified against PURPA, the Public Utility Regulatory Policy Act.  This Act from the 1970s gives the private sector access to the electrical grids, allowing anyone to build renewable energy sources (wind and solar) and contribute to the grid with that renewable energy. Alliant is trying to make that option go away.   Finally, Alliant has not been a leader in renewable energy sources.  They continue to use mostly coal and natural gas, fossil fuels that cause respiratory problems in our kids and threaten their future climate. Though they talk a good line about renewables in Decorah, their own official documents contradict their local claims of 40 percent by 2021, and as a utility they lag FAR behind their Midwest peers, MidAmerican Energy and Xcel Energy.

On the other hand, the actions of many people in Decorah who are leading this effort to find out if we could have our own municipal electric utility, show us how their commitment to community and renewable energy is tireless.  So many citizens and businesses have added solar panels, better insulation, more efficient light bulbs, etc.  The Green Iowa Americorps team has helped citizens reduce their home energy needs and farm owners are now able to find resources to help them reduce energy use as well.  A group of local institutions (Decorah City, Winneshiek County, WMC, NICC, and Luther) even proposed a large locally-owned community solar field, which Alliant rejected.  A local municipal electric utility could do this!  These citizens of Decorah have led by example and with their actions.  And their actions speak loudly that they care deeply for our community and the future of our place here on earth.
 
As parents and grandparents of these children, we have a choice to make.  On May 1st, we have the opportunity to make a change and be the maker of our own local energy destiny.  Through their actions, Alliant has not earned our trust to build a future of renewable energy for our children.  Decorah is already a leading community in energy efficiency and locally-owned solar, yet what we've done is really just the tip of the iceberg.  We could do so much more, so much faster, with locally owned power.   Decorah has the brains, the passion, the courage, and the motivation to make this happen.  We are a community that makes a difference.  Just think, our children changed our world the moment they were born, now we can choose to make a change that will keep that world safe for their future."