Maxwell Bernstein News Today

Via Flickr Maxwell Bernstein | August 14, 2020 The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is investigating a contamination of 800 gallons of spoiled milk that entered into the Fourmile Creek in Ankeny, IA at 7 a.m. on Wednesday, according to KCCI Des Moines.   The spill originated from a Hy-Vee employee who disposed of spoiled milk by…

The former officers lawyer cited examples of other officers disciplined less severely than he was, including two given counseling for negligently storing guns.

Police Chief Joseph McNeil said in an email Friday that, “We are a diverse and...

Maxwell Bernstein | April 21, 2021 Increases in coal usage across Asia and the US are contributing to the second largest annual rise in CO2 emissions, according to The Guardian. The last largest leap in CO2 emissions occurred 10 years ago after the financial crisis. Coal is the most carbon-intense fossil fuel and is more expensive than renewable energy. “Demand for all fossil fuels is set to grow significantly in 2021,” The International Energy Agency said in their 2021 Global Energy Revi...

Maxwell Bernstein | April 16, 2021 In a recording of Iowa PBS’s “Iowa Press” Mike Naig, the Iowa Agriculture Secretary, labeled the American Rivers choice for placing the Racoon River on the Endangered Rivers List as “propaganda,” according to Iowa Capital Dispatch. “That so-called report was a bit of propaganda, I think,” Naig said. “It was obviously a Washington D.C.-based advocacy organization. They can go out and say what they want to, but what they talked about related to ...

Maxwell Bernstein | April 14, 2021 American Rivers, a D.C. environmental advocacy nonprofit, ranked the Racoon River ninth on their Most Endangered Rivers list, according to the Des Moines Register. The Racoon River runs from northwest Iowa to Des Moines and provides drinking water for 500,000 Des Moines metro residents. The river was placed on this list due to about 750 animal feeding operations in the watershed that contribute to animal manure runoff. Second on the list is the Missouri River,...

Maxwell Bernstein | April 9, 2021 A poll from Gallup found that half of Americans prioritize the environment over economic growth, a number that has decreased from the two-thirds of Americans that took prioritized the environment two years ago. Around 42% of Americans believe that strengthening the U.S. economy should be the greatest priority.  The current attitudes match with the U.S. unemployment rate of 6%. Gallup found that when the unemployment rate is below 6%, the majority of American...

Maxwell Bernstein | April 7, 2021 Climate change will increase the damage from drought, flooding, air pollution, and toxic algae in the Midwest and also, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has found that the number of storms causing $1 billion or more are increasing Peter Thorne, the head of the University of Iowa’s Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, said in an interview with the Iowa Capital Dispatch.   As the climate changes, Iowans’ health will be...

Maxwell Bernstein | February 17, 2021 Dr. Witold F. “Witek” Krajewski, director of the Iowa Flood Center and the University of Iowa Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, has been elected as a member of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). “As a sports analogy goes, it’s like being in the hall of fame,” Larry Weber, a research engineer for the IIHR-Hydroscience and Engineering said. According to the National Academy of Engineering press-release, “Academy membership ...

Maxwell Bernstein | February 17, 2021 Dr. Witold F. “Witek” Krajewski, director of the Iowa Flood Center and the University of Iowa Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, has been elected as a member of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). “As a sports analogy goes, it’s like being in the hall of fame,” Larry Weber, a research engineer for the IIHR-Hydroscience and Engineering said. According to the National Academy of Engineering press-release, “Academy membership ...