Say no to pipelineWe in the Mount Vernon area are all confronted by this issue of the Navigator pipeline.
I wanted to share the letter I wrote to the Iowa Utilities Board, as follows:
You by now are no doubt familiar with the pros and cons of the pipeline. One of the most startling facts is that the liquified CO2 can be used in oil recovery in otherwise depleted fields, and if so, results ultimately in 1.2 units of new carbon introduced into the environment for each single unit of recovered CO2 used. Hence, there is 20% more CO2 in the environment.
My husband and I own two acres in Linn County. We have cultivated our beautiful acres over the years with tender care. We organically grow a large part of our food. If you were in our shoes would you readily give over your land so a pipeline could cut through and tear up your property? What would you think about a pipeline buried in your yard that could day or night rupture causing possible death?
Or maybe it would slowly leak this deadly gas. And if you wanted to sell out and get away- your land is going to be diminished in value. All of this would be for the profit of an out of state corporation.
But wait, someone may argue- you should hand over your land because this will remove CO2 from the air and prop up the ethanol industry. Isn’t that a good thing?
Probing this argument reveals that transportation is the highest single driver of climate change. Navigator and the ethanol industry tout this pipeline as environmental win because it will remove some CO2. However, the net effect of this project will be to subsidize and strengthen the industry (i.e. transportation). Ethanol is in alliance with big ag and gasoline; both are major drivers of climate change.
If your home was on these two acres would you smile approvingly upon this pipeline? or would you feel a sense of outrage?
My husband and I humbly request the Utilities Board to reject this pipeline.
Pamela Jaeger
Mount Vernon