friday takeout

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) Working Group II, which assesses the impacts, adaptation and vulnerabilities related to climate change, recently released their sixth and latest report. Clocking in at a whopping 3,675 pages, the 270 researchers from 67 countries had a lot to say. Since we probably won't have time to read the entire report, the main takeaway is this: nations aren't doing enough to protect their citizens in cities, rural areas, along coastlines – anywhere, from the effects of climate change (think of the tornadoes in December!) and we need to act immediately to drastically reduce carbon, methane and other greenhouse gas emissions. In the U.S., transportation is the largest contributor and accounts for nearly 1/3 of of total greenhouse gas emissions. With soaring gas prices and warmer weather looming on the horizon, consider an electric motorcycle for your commute! Like electric cars, electric motorcycles can be charged on a regular outlet. Unlike electric cars, electric motorcycles like the LiveWire One, with a powertrain supplied by Harley-Davidson, can fully charge overnight on a regular outlet. And if you're holding back because of lack of experience, NICC offers a Motorcycle Basic Rider Course in Calmar or Peosta with 10 hours of on-cycle, hands-on instruction. Happy trails to you!

Angel Snyder

Bookkeeper/Administrative Assistant, Business and Community Solutions | Calmar

If extraterrestrials (aliens) landed on Earth, and you were the first one to communicate with them, what would you say or ask?

If an alien landed on my property, the first thing I would probably say is “get off my lawn, I just mowed it!!” I am not Earth’s best hope for communicating with an extraterrestrial! ET’s first English words learned might be inappropriate to repeat!

How do you feel about people and/or yourself cursing?

My belief with people cursing is the old saying of “do as I say, not as I do.” I always tell my kids to not curse, but more often than I care to admit, I tend to curse. There have been days at work or at home when I tend to use curse words as adjectives. But then the next day I try to do better.

What is the weirdest food you’ve ever eaten?

Taco pizza. To back up you have to understand where I came from in life. Twenty-five years ago I would order a pepperoni pizza and pick off the pepperonis. I have come a long way with what foods I currently eat when compared to what I used to only eat.

What is a person or subject that should be made into a documentary, but hasn’t yet?

General life skills. I have a 23-year-old son and a 21-year-old daughter who surprise me every day with how few life skills they each have. I think public education needs to quit focusing on ways to reconfigure math and spend more time teaching basic life skills which would benefit everyone. When was the last time K-12 spent any time teaching how to do laundry, balance a checkbook, teach a basic understanding of taxes, how to fill out a W-4, what a 401K is, HSA vs traditional healthcare coverage, etc.?

What fashion trend do you regret?

Anything my husband wears. Honestly, it’s like having a third child because I have to help him coordinate what colors go with what every day.