Back

Director's Picks

Celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Summary

The theme of our 10th Annual Prayer Breakfast is The Quest for Environmental and Climate Justice. This event will gather various community residents, leaders, and agencies to join in fellowship through a dialogue on environmental justice in Iowa. We are honored to have our keynote delivered by Dr. Robert D. Bullard, a distinguished professor and award-winning author known as “The Father of Environmental Justice”. Following Dr. Bullard's keynote address, we will present the Make A Difference awards to the following 2023 honorees:

  • Dr. Mary Chapman, Vice President Emeritus, Des Moines Area Community College
  • Sgt. Bernell Edwards, a 31-year veteran of the Des Moines Police Department
  • Ania Ewing, a 5th grader at Samuelson Elementary School and member of Girl Scout Troop #30078

Immediately following the breakfast, the Iowa Environmental Council and community partners will sponsor a Dialogue on Environmental Justice in Iowa, providing an opportunity for participants to discuss how race, equity and justice intersect with environmental issues in the state.

Join us as we promote Dr. King's message for peace, justice, and righteousness.

Dr. Bullard, who earned his Ph.D. at Iowa State University, is the former Dean of
   the Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs at Texas Southern
   University. He currently serves as Distinguished Professor of Urban Planning and
   Environmental Policy and Director of the Bullard Center for Environmental and
   Climate Justice.  He is an award-winning author of eighteen books that address
   sustainable development, environmental racism, urban land use, industrial facility
   siting, community reinvestment, housing, transportation, climate justice,
   disasters, emergency response, community resilience, smart growth,
   and regional equity.

discover more

October 10, 2024
Climate Change
Climate Change

In 2024, Houston has experienced 116 unauthorized air pollution events, with nearly half related to flaring from industrial facilities. These events, occurring every 2.5 days

October 10, 2024
Climate Change
Climate Change

Hurricane Milton struck Florida just two weeks after Hurricane Helene, exacerbating the state's recovery efforts. Milton made landfall as a Category 3 storm, causing widespread

October 9, 2024
Climate Change
Climate Change

A new study from Princeton University advocates for coal plant retirement strategies that prioritize climate and environmental equity, rather than just minimizing costs.

October 9, 2024
Environmental Justice
Environmental Justice

In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, a mobile solar microgrid was deployed to assist recovery efforts in Georgia. Managed by the North Georgia Conference of The United Methodist

October 9, 2024
Environmental Justice
Environmental Justice

FEMA is grappling with financial and staffing shortages as Hurricane Milton approaches Florida, just weeks after Hurricane Helene's devastation. Despite receiving $20 billion

October 6, 2024
Climate Change
Climate Change

An analysis reveals how Texas’ once-thorough air pollution monitoring team has been significantly weakened since the fracking boom. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s

October 4, 2024
Environmental Justice
Environmental Justice

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has reached an agreement with Alabama's transportation department over claims that a highway expansion caused flooding in the historicall

October 4, 2024
Climate Change
Climate Change

Hurricane Helene's estimated damage cost has skyrocketed to $225-250 billion, making it one of the deadliest storms in U.S. history. The destruction spans from Florida to Tennesse

October 3, 2024
Climate Change
Climate Change

The Passamaquoddy Tribe at Indian Township, Maine, received $7.5 million from the EPA’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) program to develop a distributed microgrid. This

October 3, 2024
Environmental Justice
Environmental Justice

A carbon capture monitoring well at Archer-Daniels-Midland’s (ADM) facility in Decatur, Illinois, leaked CO2, but most residents only learned of it through media reports. The EPA

October 2, 2024
Climate Change
Climate Change

This article explores the ethical dilemmas surrounding "managed retreat," where local governments offer buyouts to residents in climate-vulnerable areas. While some communities

September 30, 2024
Environmental Justice
Environmental Justice

A shelter-in-place order affecting over 90,000 residents near Atlanta, Georgia, was lifted after a weekend chemical fire at the BioLab plant in Conyers. The fire produced a toxic

September 29, 2024

This article challenges misconceptions about the clean energy transition, arguing that it can spur economic prosperity rather than sacrifice. Ben Jealous highlights the success of

September 28, 2024
Environmental Justice
Environmental Justice

Richmond, California, a predominantly minority, low-income community, fought a 20-year battle for environmental justice, culminating in the creation of a protected public park at

September 27, 2024
Climate Change
Climate Change

Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy has updated its MiEJScreen tool, which maps how environmental contamination intersects with health