Chamomile tea, which is made from dried chamomile flowers, was first used as a calming drink by the ancient Egyptians, Romans, and Greeks. Since then, the plant has been used in native traditions around the world to induce calm. Chamomile has also been used to treat muscle spasms and fever. In the Middle Ages, Europeans used chamomile essential oil for this, while African folk remedies use the chamomile flower[1].
Research in modern times shows that chamomile’s calming properties have the potential to treat many conditions. Studies have found that chamomile reduces the physical and mental effects of Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS), a series of symptoms that commonly affect women during their periods. In particular, chamomile tea reduces stress and anxiety, as well as diminishing cramp-related pain[2]. In addition to PMS, studies suggest that chamomile could aid in treating mental health conditions. Chamomile extract capsules were found to decrease
symptoms of General Anxiety Disorder[3] and improve mood[4], suggesting that chamomile may have antidepressant properties.
Sources:
[1] Das M. Chamomile: Medicinal, Biochemical, and Agricultural Aspects. CRC Press, 2015.
[2] Khalesi ZB, Beiranvand SP, Bokaie M. Efficacy of Chamomile in the Treatment of Premenstrual Syndrome: A Systematic Review. Journal of Pharmacopuncture. 2019;22(4):204-209.
[3] Sarris J. Herbal medicines in the treatment of psychiatric disorders: 10-year updated review. Phytotherapy Research. 2018 Jul;32(7):1147-1162.
[4] Amsterdam JD, Li QS, Xie SX, Mao JJ. Putative Antidepressant Effect of Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) Oral Extract in Subjects with Comorbid Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Depression. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 2020 Sep;26(9):813-819.
We have all had the familiar feeling of hearing shocking statistics and seeing unsettling photos of environmental destruction and feeling so small in the face of such an enormous issue. On this blog we have shown you how to make small and easy everyday changes to your life to create a greener lifestyle, but have you ever wondered how to be a part of environmental change that’s bigger than yourself? In this post I hope to show you some ways you can take legislative action by pressuring your policy makers to make changes for the betterment of our planet!
The first piece of legislation I would like to bring to your attention is the Mississippi River Restoration and Resilience Act (MRRRI). The Mississippi river is a crucial piece of the Iowa ecosystem in more ways than many realize. The river not only serves a critical role for wildlife by serving as a habitat for over 780 species and as a migratory corridor for 60% of North American birds, but many are shocked to hear how ingrained it is in our society and economy. The Mississippi river provides drinking water to 20 million people in 50 cities. It is also the center of a $500-billion-per-year natural resource and recreation-based economy employing 1.5 million workers.
The MRRRI Act plans to provide funds to increase climate resiliency and improve water quality by working with state governments, local governments, native tribes, and nonprofit organizations to reduce flood risk by restoring floodplains, riverine wetlands, delta and coastal wetlands and backwaters. This act will also improve drinking water and protect wildlife habitats by reducing polluted runoff in the river. MRRRI also aims to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species in the river system. It’s for all these reasons that the MRRRI is a great piece of legislation that you can support by telling our Iowa representatives that this is important to you with just a few clicks at this site!
Another great way to have your voice heard is calling on the Des Moines city council to vote yes for an all-electric incentive for new buildings. We all know the harmful effects of fossil fuels, from their production of greenhouse gasses destroying the ozone layer to their oil spills and explosions polluting waterways. This is why Des Moines has already made a commitment to reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2050. If the Des Moines city council votes yet on this all-electric incentive, a new tax abatement structure would be put in place that reduces or eliminates the property taxes owners pay on new construction or major building rehabilitations for years. An all-electric requirement would mean that the building’s heating and cooking appliances would no longer be able to use natural gas to qualify for tax breaks in the future. This is another great way to get involved in pushing Iowa into a more sustainable future. Let the Des Moines city council know how you feel here!
This post would not be possible without the Iowa Environmental Council. Be sure to check out their website for more updates on legislation you should be aware of!
In case you missed it, last week the University of Iowa hosted a sustainability conference! Among the conference’s numerous guests, speakers included Stephaine Arne of Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom, and the founder of Intersectional Environmentalism, Leah Thomas. I highly recommend attending (free of charge for students!) in the future if you have the opportunity. Additionally, members of the Iowa City Council, local businesses practicing sustainability, and The University of Iowa’s Board of Sustainability came to speak. The highlight for me was hearing about local efforts to implement clean energy and better environmental protections in our Iowa legislature. Below, I will summarize some of what I learned from the conference’s environmental policy workshop.
The conference’s itinerary was distributed in pamphlets. Image via @sustainui on Instagram
Two speakers, Ingrid Gronstal, a lawyer and the Water Program Director for the Iowa Environmental Council, and Matt Ohloff, the Clean Communities Manager for the same company, lead the environmental policy workshop session. They opened by talking about their nonprofit organization, the Iowa Environmental Council, which, “is the largest and most comprehensive environmental coalition in the state.” Essentially, this allows businesses to join together and bring demands to either businesses (like MidAmerican) or the government and pressure them into enacting positive change. Their website, IAEvironment.org is home to education resources, updates on sustainable and environmental policy, and even a blog of its own which covers topics like resiliency, advocacy, and more!
The Iowa Environmental Council (IEC) has 4 primary goals. The first goal is to enact climate change policies, the second is to expand diversity, equity, justice and inclusion in green spaces and green policy, the third is to support grassroots environmental action in local communities, and the final goal is to promote the involvement of the next generation! The IEC approaches changemaking with a three-pronged strategy: partnerships and outreach, policy, and rulemaking in the courts. While those may sound self-explanatory to some, I will explain them briefly because I did not understand the difference between policy and rulemaking! Partnerships and outreach entail contacting businesses and expanding IEC’s network to increase the weight behind their demands. Policy entails the actual creation of new laws, while rulemaking deals with the courts’ interpretation of how those laws must be followed in the day-to-day.
Question and Answer time was a part of almost every session. Image via @sustainui on Instagram
The IEC currently works to address several problems which fall under the umbrella term “climate change.” One aim is the reduction of agricultural pollution, since Iowa relies heavily on corn and soy production and the lack of variety in the crops grown contributes to a depletion of nutrients in the soil. To replenish the soil, harsh fertilizers are used, which can pollute the environment through runoff into water sources (read more about agricultural pollution in this guide). The IEC hopes to mitigate floods and enhance climate resilience by diversifying the state’s job market and income sources as well, through the creation of parks and promotion of tourism. Additionally, the IEC prioritizes protecting and expanding Iowa’s clean energy initiatives, the electrification of heating and cooling systems (moving away from natural gas), and an equitable transition while the state implements these changes. “Equitable transition” means leaving no community behind during upgrades to clean energy across the state.
Stephine Arne’s lecture on resilience and creativity to enact change. Image via @sustainui on Instagram
When implementing environmentally impactful changes, cites often use a combination of creating a climate action plan and a clean energy goal. In January of 2021, Des Moines passed a “24/7 Clean Energy” plan with the goal of running fully on clean energy by 2035. The “24/7” method focuses on an hour-by-hour energy goal, which means all electricity used in an hour must match generation of the same amount of power from a clean energy source. This forces the city to track its energy sources and produce clean energy locally and at the same time (equal temporal exchange) as electricity consumption occurs. Previously, companies could purchase an alternative termed, “Renewable Energy Credits” or RECs, which would offset carbon emissions with an equal amount of clean energy generated somewhere, but the government does not require companies to insure these RECs result in local clean energy production, nor must that production necessarily occur in the same window of time of the carbon emissions they offset. If I lost you there, this Faist Group blog and this World Economic Forum article provide more in-depth explanations and descriptions of the advantages and disadvantages to 24/7 Clean Energy. People in Iowa City and Waterloo hope to pass similar 24/7 Clean Energy bills in their respective cities, but currently no timeline for implementation exists.
Primarily, MidAmerican supplies energy to these areas, but while MidAmerican supplies some clean energy, it still relies on five coal plants in the state of Iowa. Further, MidAmerican lacks any schedule for closure of their coal plants. Around the start of April, a coalition came together to call for MidAmerican to develop a plan for shutting down their coal plants by 2030. You can join this movement, and learn about the damages caused by the excess carbon emissions on the website: https://www.cleanupmidam.com/. Another practical way to protect Iowa’s environment could be joining or donating to https://www.fundthetrust.org/, which improves water and soil quality, enhances spaces for outdoor recreation, and increases economic development through creation of new job opportunities.
Lake Macbride State Park is a beautiful outdoor space near Iowa City to visit on a day off.
If you made it this far, congratulations! All this new information about environmental policy takes considerable mental energy to digest. You may be wondering, how does protecting the environment relate to sustainability? Essentially, we need sustainable energy and business practices to keep water, land, and air healthy, clean and beautiful! Protecting green spaces contributes to peaceful parks for reflection, recreation and relaxation. Without these reserves, industrial “development” will continue to overrun nature, and pollute our climate. Hopefully, this blog post provides a few stepping stones toward action you can take in Iowa to protect our environment. As always, thank you for reading.
P.S. One last thing I learned at the sustainability conference: if you collect your cooking oil in a jar instead of throwing it away, the East Side Recycling Center in Iowa City accepts oil waste and recycles it!
