Greenpeace and a handful of other groups are launching a campaign to pressure Iowa lawmakers to take steps to reduce global warming. The environmental activists have taken a cornfield ten miles north of Ames and carved a shape in the field that resembles a wind turbine.
Kelly Mitchell is a local spokeswoman for Greenpeace. "This symbol…stands to represent Iowa’s dedicated commitment to advancing global warming solutions," she says. "…We really can be a world leader…it’s just going to take the initiative from our congressional representatives." Mitchell, though, admits their "symbol" is only temporary.
"Unfortunately, as you may know, the harvest is happening right now, so it won’t be up for very much longer. The combines are coming through in the next couple of days," she says. "But we do hope our representatives see this as a symbol of our commitment to this issue."
Greenpeace along with the Iowa Farmers’ Union, the United Steelworkers and the Iowa Environmental Council are asking the state’s five congressmen to support the Safe Climate Act, which Mitchell describes as the gold standard for global warming policy.