WHAT YOU CAN DO

Schedule a free home energy assessment with Green Iowa Americorps to ensure that your home is fit for energy efficient AC and heating and possibly lower your utility bill.

Schedule a free solar analysis with a local solar company in Dubuque. They will assess your homes needs and design the best array to help you lower energy costs.

Enroll in Second Nature with Alliant Energy and allocate a percentage of your billing payment to ensure that your energy is coming from renewable sources.

Check the Jule Tripplanner for your commutes to see if you can utilize their services, if so, buy a pass. This will save you gas and other maintenance costs on your vehicle while reducing your footprint.

If you still rely on a vehicle, consider an electric vehicle. There are federal tax credits of up to $7,500, up to $500 in rebates, and potential green vehicle discounts on auto insurance.

Purchase a used bike for your shorter trips. There are plenty of store fronts to choose from in Dubuque, or secondhand sites online!

Download the Rethink Waste app for collection reminders and recycling information. Quickly look up an item to determine if it can be recycled, composted, or placed in the trash bin.

Start composting! You can subscribe to Dubuque’s food/yard scrap collection for as little as $1 a month or start your own. Composting produces nutrient rich soil that can be used for your yards, garden beds, or houseplants!

Get your money’s worth out of your groceries and limit your food waste! Challenge yourself to use ingredients already in your fridge or pantry before buying more food.

Make more efficient grocery trips by collaborating with your household on a grocery list. Find an app that allows multiple users to edit a list or create a shared note in your phone.

Use My Rainready Assessment Tool to determine your flood risk and possible solutions to protect your home from water damage. Our proximity to the Mississippi and heavy precipitation poses a risk to homeowners, be vigilant!

Sign up for WaterSmart to not only pay your bill but see your usage and get alerts for possible leaks! Undetected leaks like a running toilet can silently run up your bill, alerts will help you catch it early and save you money!

Install rain barrels to collect rainwater. This is free water you can use for gardening to keep your water bill lower in the summer months.

Sign up for Alert Iowa to receive notifications in emergency situations. Make sure your friends and family have all the resources they need to be aware of potential hazards.

Create an emergency plan and kit with your family and household.

Get food or grow your own from our community gardens! The food is not only free but sustainably grown. Enjoy a meal and support your community’s food systems.

Support your local food sources. Shop for the week at the farmers market and supplement with other supplies at the store. Support restaurants that use local ingredients.

Plant edible landscapes! Native edible trees will provide nuts or fruit as well as well as shade, cooling, and flood mitigation.

Plant a rain garden to reduce flooding and erosion in your yard.

Get seedlings and plant trees that are native to Iowa. Talk to a nursery about the best option for your space and how to care for it.

Certify your yard as a wildlife habitat! Make your yard a self-sustaining ecosystem that requires little to no work.

FEEDBACK

Let us know what obstacles you face to climate action so that we can better serve the community and provide resources to help you get there!