Iowa uses more pesticides per capita than any other state—nearly 54 million pounds annually. But according to research engineer Chris Jones, we might be focusing on the wrong chemicals when it comes to cancer risk.
On this episode of Cornhole Champions, Zachary Oren Smith sits down with Jones, author of “The Swine Republic” and president of Driftless Water Defenders, to unpack Iowa’s chemical cocktail crisis. We explore why 60% of Iowa’s corn goes to ethanol production that exists only because of policy—not environmental benefits. Jones argues it’s time to “slaughter the sacred cow” and redirect farm conservation dollars toward systems that don’t pollute in the first place.
Toss some bags at Iowa’s pesticide problem… why ethanol might be our biggest policy mistake… and what a progressive water quality platform actually looks like.
Cornhole Champions is a weekly podcast powered by Iowa Starting Line. This podcast is produced by me and edited by Rebecca Steinberg. Our music is by Avery Mossman and our show art is from Desirée Tapia.
SHOW RUNDOWN:
01:00 – Iowa uses more pesticides per capita than any other state
02:00 – The dangerous “chemical cocktail” effect explained
03:30 – Neonicotinoids: The overlooked pesticide in our drinking water
07:00 – How weeds fighting back is making everything worse
08:00 – Dicamba drift: Why everyone in Iowa is breathing toxic chemicals
12:00 – The “D-Day invasion” of crop dusters poisoning our air
22:00 – Why ethanol is Iowa’s biggest policy mistake
24:30 – Slaughtering the sacred cow: What needs to change now
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