The council created by the legislature to look at Iowa’s greenhouse gas emissions is getting its work underway. Jason Marcel of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources says the Iowa Climate Change Advisory Council has a couple of goals. Marcel says one is to establish a baseline year for reducing greenhouse gases and the second is to issue a report by January 1st with recommendations on how to reduce statewide greenhouse gases in Iowa.
Marcel says the council also will try to find the best way to accomplish the recommendations. He says they will look at short term, medium term, and long term reduction strategies, and the cost effectiveness of those strategies. The council has 23 members from across the state.
Marcel says they’ve acquired the services of the Center for Climate Strategies to assist them in forming their recommendations. He says they plan a more drawn out year-long process to look at more long term strategies. Their first report is due in just over two months, and Marcel thinks they can do that.
Marcel says it’s doable for the initial report, and the cost effectiveness and more detailed report will take longer to do. He says the council has formed five sub-committees that will meet twice before the next big meeting. Marcel says the next big meeting will be December 12th in Davenport.