By Dr. Brian Campbell
Just before Christmas, I drove the icy roads from Pella to visit Matt Russell and Justin Jordan at their neighboring farms in the southern part of Marion County. I was excited to finally walk the fields and meet the families that hosted so many visits from journalists and presidential candidates, including President-Elect Biden, as part of Iowa IPL’s Faith, Farms, and Climate Program. This program has dramatically raised the visibility and voice of farmers as key to solving climate change, helping position them as leaders to shape smart state and federal policies.
This visit was also an opportunity to make even more connections between Iowa IPL’s work with farmers and our Called to Climate Action Program with Iowa colleges and universities. I invited along one of my Central College colleagues, Biology Professor Russ Benedict, to envision how we could engage students to support regenerative agricultural practices through hands on work and research. Like so much of Iowa IPL’s work the past few years, this partnership is still just the seed of an idea, a leap of faith, trusting in the power of new relationships like this to grow and flourish in powerful ways we can’t always predict. As we visited these farms together, I was thrilled to imagine all the possibilities of young people planting trees and seeding prairie, transforming Iowa farms and tracking the impacts over time.
The other reason I wanted to visit with Matt in person, in the midst of the pandemic, was to share with him some personal news. This Friday, I will be stepping down from my role as Board President of Iowa Interfaith Power and Light as I transition into a new job as Executive Director of the Iowa Environmental Council. This is an exciting opportunity for me and it is also a big affirmation of the work we’ve been doing at Iowa IPL. The Council recognizes how effective we’ve been over the past several years, grounding our climate justice work in the best science and in our deepest values, and building broad coalitions that expand the diversity of the climate justice movement in Iowa.
Our organization is in a strong place, and people of faith and conscience across the state are making a powerful impact. Just this week, the Des Moines City Council unanimously adopted a resolution committing the city to 24/7, 100% carbon free electricity by 2035. This is the most ambitious goal set by any city in the country, and it would not have been possible without years of advocacy from so many people committed to bold and just climate action. I am grateful to be part of this inspiring work and this inspiring community.
As we work together on ambitious climate goals in our own lives and our communities, and as we walk the snowy winter landscape sowing the seeds of a more sustainable future, I feel a sense of hope even in a dark and anxious time. Thanks to all of you for your ongoing support of Iowa Interfaith Power & Light, and I look forward to continuing the journey together in our call to climate action.
Dr. Brian Campbell is the new Executive Director at the Iowa Environmental Council. He is also Iowa IPL’s outgoing board president and the former Director of Sustainability Education at Central College in Pella. (He will be missed by all of us at Iowa IPL and we look forward to working with Brian in his new role at the IEC.)