Earth Day at Iowa Lakes

Isaiah Banwart, Writer

What on Earth! is a  Canadian-made 1966 animated short dedicated to mocking car culture in America. The film follows a cast of Martians who, upon examination, mistake automobiles for the dominant species on Earth. In its light satirization, the film actually stumbles on a profound realization that cars have, in fact, overtaken humans.

Earth Day, April 22^nd, is a good time to remember that.

In the 50 years since the premier of What on Earth! Iowa has experienced higher temperatures and increased precipitation. As a result flooding has become more common while wildlife populations continue to sink. The consequences of climate change and how humans exacerbate them can be a difficult matter to communicate. Iowa Lakes students in Drew Howing’s environmental science program, on the other hand, have been studying for precisely that. Environmental science students are trained to measure and report these changes as well as test their own solutions.

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Increasingly specialized are the students involved in Michael Gengler’s Wind Energy and Turbine Technology program. Iowa leads the nation in production of biodiesel and ethanol, as well as placing second only to Texas in wind energy. This makes Iowa Lakes’ program all the more special, since it prepares students to enter Iowa’s most valued industry.

The program launched in 2004 under former program director Al Zeitz, In 2011, it became just the third program in the nation to receive a seal of approval from the American Wind and Energy Association. Because of its ubiquity in regard to renewable energies, it is vital that students in every program at Iowa Lakes Community College continue to follow a simple set of guidelines: reduce, reuse, and recycle.

To that end, ILCC’s 30+ clubs are called upon year round to participate in the Adopt A Highway program. Among the most active in this capacity are members who of student government. Student senators from Iowa Lakes’ Estherville and Emmetsburg campuses are expected to join forces to clean 4 miles of highway on Thursday, April 29^th.