On September 3rd, a contingent of Iowans who are marching 95 miles through Central Iowa will camp in Ames. The First Nation - Farmer Climate Unity March will begin in front the Iowa Utilities Board offices in Des Moines and will end in Fort Dodge on Sept 8, which is the day of nationwide "Rise for Climate" day of action.
According to the organizers of “Rise for Climate” on September 8th, they’re planning thousands of rallies in cities and towns around the world to demand from local leaders their commitment to building a fossil free world that puts people and justice before profits.
The Iowan marchers are also specifically seeking to raise awareness of an upcoming occurrence that is local and historic for Iowa. On September 12th, the Iowa Supreme Court will begin to hear arguments claiming that the pipeline laid across Iowa by Dakota Access, otherwise known as the Bakken Pipeline, is illegal because it violated Iowa's eminent domain laws. This has been several years in the making and the plaintiffs are the Sierra Club, along with numerous Iowa landowners who claim their property rights have been violated. To help gain a better understanding of exactly what is happening, we spoke with Keith Puntenney. He is one of the land owners who are suing.
Puntenney owns 600 acres of farmland, which was passed down to him through family, in Boone and Webster Counties. He lives in Boone and is an attorney as well as managing his farm land.
Originally broadcast 08/27/2018
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