Author Archives: Ed Fallon

Ninety-mile march to raise profile of DAPL lawsuit

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Wednesday, August 8, 2018, 9:00 a.m. CT Contact: Ed Fallon at (515) 238-6404 or [email protected] Contact: Christine Nobiss at (319) 499-8039 or [email protected] Groups announce First Nation – Farmer Climate Unity March Natives, farmers, environmentalists to walk 90 miles following DAPL route Indigenous Iowa and Bold Iowa today announced that thirty opponents of the Dakota Access Pipeline will march ninety miles from Des Moines to Fort Dodge to raise awareness about the landowner/Sierra Club lawsuit, which will heard by the Iowa Supreme Court on Continue reading →

United, We Are Strong

Dear Friends, I’ve been an activist for 33 years and continue to learn something new every day. Often, I learn from my mistakes, so I’m hardly above criticism. In fact, I value it. With that in mind, I need to clarify some things I wrote last week. I first encountered M.K. Gandhi’s writings when I was 21. I knew immediately that I’d found a mentor who would inspire me the rest of my life — despite aspects of Gandhi’s character that are troubling and deeply Continue reading →

Tasida Barfoot

Donate to Tasida here. Why I’m marching: I’m marching because climate change is the existential problem of our day. Iowa can play a key role in mitigating climate change through sequestering carbon in our soil. Connected to that, we really need to reduce nitrogen run off from our farms into the water. About me: I grew up near the Iowa Great Lakes. In high school, I got an internship at Iowa Lakeside Lab, helping monitor water quality in the Lakes.  I received my undergraduate degree in biochemistry Continue reading →

Charles Goldman

Donate to Charles here. Why I’m marching: I’m marching to help make visible the hidden human and environmental costs of tar sands and shale oil. The burden of fossil-fuels is borne by those who rarely use the product, especially since a huge amount of the oil coming through Iowa is being exported. More and more, the Midwest, akin to the coal-industry-destroyed Appalachians, is being expected to bear the negative impacts of oil and gas production and transportation. About me: I’m a surgical oncologist and palliative care Continue reading →

Judge’s ruling against pipeline company bodes well for Bold Iowa

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 2:00 p.m. CT, July 26, 2018 Contact: Ed Fallon at (515) 238-6404 or [email protected] BOLD IOWA RESPONDS TO JUDGE’S RULING ON “SLAPP” SUIT Judge’s decision on one plaintiff likely to vindicate Bold Iowa, others as well Des Moines, IA —  US District Judge Billy Roy Wilson today dismissed criminal racketeering claims levied against BankTrack in a lawsuit filed last August by Energy Transfer Partners (ETP). BankTrack is a nonprofit that encourages people to divest from financial institutions that provided funds for ETP and the Continue reading →

Raising awareness for effective action

Dear Friends, I’m a big believer in pacing oneself. We’ve got to take time to smell the roses even in the midst of intense struggle. Yet sometimes — often, in all honesty — the demands of fighting for justice require some pretty exhausting days. The First Nation – Farmer Climate Unity March will be a string of such days. But the importance of this march — raising awareness about the historic lawsuit that could stop the flow of oil through the Dakota Access Pipeline — Continue reading →

Raising awareness for effective action

Dear Friends, I’m a big believer in pacing oneself. We’ve got to take time to smell the roses even in the midst of intense struggle. Yet sometimes — often, in all honesty — the demands of fighting for justice require some pretty exhausting days. The First Nation – Farmer Climate Unity March will be a string of such days. But the importance of this march — raising awareness about the historic lawsuit that could stop the flow of oil through the Dakota Access Pipeline — Continue reading →

Mike Wilcox

Donate to Mike here. Why I’m marching:  Climate change is the salient issue of our time. Empirically, it is self-evident as records are being shattered all around the globe for record high temperatures and record-high low temperatures. There are acute water shortages in numerous locations, including India, Cape Town South Africa, Mexico, Brazil, and in parts of the United States. We now have raging forest fires almost year-round in the western United States, and extreme weather events have increased in frequency and intensity as well. Continue reading →

Investigating the Doon tar sands oil spill

Dear Friends, Christine Nobiss, David Thoreson, and I traveled to northwest Iowa this week to investigate the June 22 tar sands oil spill near Doon (check out our livestream). We spoke with Iowa DNR and Lyon County officials, a landowner, an engineer working at the site, a reporter with the N’West Iowa REVIEW, and KSFY TV (check out KSFY’s story here). We learned a lot! — Lyon County officials did an excellent job as first responders during the hours and days immediately following the spill. Continue reading →

Debbie Griffin

Donate to Debbie here. Why I’m marching:  There’s a common bond that develops when we come together to do something like a march. I care about people and the Earth. My faith compels me to march, demanding that I do justice. Oppressive systems, government, many of our laws, and unchecked capitalism prioritizes wealth and particular groups of people over care for the Earth and equity for all people. A march like this can make a positive difference and encourage us to carry on, but it also Continue reading →