A Breath of Fresh Air

After visiting Bayer, the Iowa Environmental Council (IEC) was like a breath of fresh air. Jennifer was passionate about the environment and the changes that need to be made in the immediate future. IEC advocates for more regulations. I too think more regulations are needed especially since farmers have had plenty of time to prove that they do not need government rules and regulations to do the right thing. Since leaving it up to the individual to make changes has not work it only makes sense to try a new approach. IEC hopes that big businesses will see the changes needed for water quality as an investment for the future. An improvement of water quality would help tourism, realty, and overall state success. If big businesses get behind regulations to help the environment and improve water quality, the regulations are much more likely to be put into action.  Something I really appreciated about IEC is that their opinions and stand on issues were very clear and out in the open. This felt like a breath of fresh air after trying to decode the agendas of Corteva, Bayer, and the Agribusiness Association. I also appreciated that while they were talking about pretty serious and devastating thing going on in Iowa, they had humor and positivity. They had a plan to make things better and the enthusiasm and will to do it. The obvious passion and eagerness they exuded was infectious and made me want to be a part of what they were doing. Unfortunately, I do think it is a bit unlikely that big agricultural businesses will get behind restrictive regulations because in the end it all comes down to money. They want to make the most money with the least amount of work. Changes like the ones IEC wants to make will mean a lot of money will be spent and the businesses will have less room to do whatever they want.