Deciding Iowa

01/04/2026

Recently, Dr. Shawn Ellerbroek was interviewed about his professional work and perspective on the rising cancer rates in Iowa, an issue that affects families, communities, and the future of our state and has been central in the Deciding Iowa conversations.

https://youtu.be/Uc5SLbhG31Q?si=D-5VKWATbXPenpri

As a cancer scientist and biochemistry professor, Shawn spends his career studying data, patterns, and prevention. As a co-host of Deciding Iowa, he brings that same evidence-based lens to conversations about public policy, health, and accountability.

As a candidate for Iowa House, District 57, he is bringing it all together in potentially serving Iowa in new ways. Shawn Ellerbroek for Iowa House

This is where his worlds intersect:
🔬 Science that asks hard questions
🏛️ Civic engagement that demands better answers
🌽 A deep commitment to Iowa’s people and future

Deciding Iowa exists because informed conversations matter, especially when the stakes are this high. We believe public dialogue is strongest when it’s grounded in expertise, curiosity, and care for the people who call this place home.

Watch, listen, and join the conversation. Because understanding the problem is the first step toward changing the outcome.

I had a great conversation about cancer with Charlie Morris, who is working on a documentary exploring Iowa, prairies, and health. If you would like to hear the interview please visit the link below. I am episode 9, and there are many other great conversations to explore.

https://iowaprairieproject.blog/interviews/

12/28/2025

❄️ Blizzard outside. Big issues inside. 💧

If you’re snowed in today (as much of Iowa is), this is actually a great time to settle in and watch something that truly matters to our future.

We invite you to catch up on our 5-part Deciding Iowa water series plus a bonus conclusion episode.

This series takes a clear, thoughtful look at:
• Where Iowa’s water stands today
• The real costs—financial, environmental, and human
• What prevention vs. cleanup really means
• Why water policy is about health, economics, and responsibility

It’s not flashy. It is important. And it’s exactly the kind of conversation worth having when we finally have time to think.

📺 Watch the full series here:
Part 1 https://youtu.be/1wHLXNJJ_wE
Part 2 https://youtu.be/ltwNMC659Lw
Part 3 https://youtu.be/oPEBPWzJdKs
Part 4 https://youtu.be/wmmbKOD5k_s
Part 5 https://youtu.be/VyfQCYG1uRw
🎯 Bonus Conclusion: https://youtu.be/WgVOgwMeEQQ

Grab some coffee, listen while the snow falls, and share with someone who cares about Iowa’s future.

Because clean water isn’t seasonal and neither is our responsibility to protect it.

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

12/18/2025

As we wrap up this year of Deciding Iowa, we want to say thank you. 🎄✨

We’ve covered a lot of ground, important conversations, tough questions, and the issues shaping our state. It’s been a real joy doing this work together and a privilege to be in a position to speak up for what we believe is best for Iowa.

To everyone who has watched, shared, commented, and stayed engaged, thank you. Your support matters more than you know.

We’re excited to kick off weekly coverage of the 2026 Iowa legislative season next month. It’s shaping up to be a pivotal year, and we hope you’ll continue the journey with us.

Until then, we wish you and your loved ones a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. 🎄✨

11/25/2025

Iowa’s deficit didn’t “just happen.” It was created.

This clip explains how and why it’s time to invest in Iowans again. Listen for less than 90 seconds to learn the rest of this sentence...

You drink the water _______ _______ ______.

11/20/2025

Ever hand someone a blank check and just… hope for the best? 😬

That’s basically Iowa’s ESA voucher system. No audits. No public meetings. No elected boards. No income limits. Just higher tuition and zero accountability.

Shawn and Emily talk us through the wild west of “oversight" in this short clip.

11/04/2025

Hey Shawn and Emily– what can we do about cancer risks?

We have the second highest cancer rate in the country.

When Shawn recently overlaid cancer data with our major waterways, the pattern was striking. Counties with the highest cancer rates lined up with Iowa’s rivers and streams. While correlation doesn’t prove causation, the connection is too serious to ignore.

Our water carries nitrates, PFAS, and other harmful chemicals — likely major contributors to the health crisis in our state. The truth is, we need more resources to understand the full picture. But we already know enough to take action.

✅ Filter your water
✅ Test and mitigate for radon
✅ Reduce smoking and UV exposure
✅ Watch alcohol and diet
✅ Get vaccinated for HPV
✅ Advocate for cleaner waterways

Let’s fight for a healthier future — together. It’s time to turn this around, Iowa. 🌊💪

Health

11/01/2025

When we close our eyes to a problem, it doesn’t disappear.

The Iowa Legislature diverted funds away from the University of Iowa’s water monitoring program, a key effort that helps us see what’s really happening in our waterways.

Ignoring pollution won’t make it go away.

We need transparency, science, and accountability to protect Iowa’s water.

🎥 Watch the latest Deciding Iowa clip with Shawn and Emily.

10/30/2025

🚨 Iowa, what’s really in your water?

Did you know that the EPA’s “safe” limit for nitrate in drinking water—10 parts per million—was set decades ago?

🧪 Shawn and Emily explain that no amount of nitrate is truly safe. While the 10ppm limit helps prevent acute effects like Blue Baby Syndrome, research now shows that long-term exposure, especially when combined with other pollutants, is linked to serious health risks—including cancer.

💧 What can you do now?
➡️ Test your private wells through the Iowa Private Well Grant Program
➡️ Ask your city how they’re tracking and cleaning up nitrates
➡️ Consider a reverse osmosis filtration system if possible

Our water—and our health—depend on it.

10/26/2025

💧Emily and Shawn – who pays for clean water? 💧

Clean water isn’t free — but who should pay for it?

When it comes to water pollution, Iowans have two choices:
💰 Pay to keep pollutants out, or 💸 pay to take them out later.

In our latest short clip, Emily and Shawn remind us how Iowa’s current system shifts the cost of water cleanup from polluters to the public and what needs to change to protect our communities and our future.

🎥 Watch now and join the conversation. See five full length episodes with the experts on Facebook or visit our YouTube channel.

Please share and comment!

10/13/2025

💧 Catch up on the first five episodes of our special water series!

From farm fields to policy debates, Deciding Iowa dives into the complex story of water in our state — how it shapes our health, our communities, and our future.

🎙️ Episodes so far:
1️⃣ The Story of Water in Iowa – How our state’s water systems came to be.
2️⃣ CAFOs and Manure Management – Understanding non-point source contamination.
3️⃣ Nonpoint Source Contamination – What’s really in our runoff.
4️⃣ Row Crop Limitations and Diversification – Why monoculture matters.
5️⃣ Iowa Policy: Limitations and Opportunities – The politics of clean water.

🌊 Each episode features real Iowans — scientists, policymakers, and advocates — sharing what’s at stake and what’s possible.

Find Deciding Iowa on YouTube or your favorite podcast platform.
🎧 Search Deciding Iowa to listen now.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVw16sGi9cnMoeFiuKdok_w

10/12/2025

Voluntary isn’t working. Weak fines and underfunded monitoring continue to put Iowa’s water at risk. In this episode of Deciding Iowa, we ask: what will it take to make protection—not pollution—the priority? 💧Check out the first 5 parts to this series on our FB, IG, and YouTube, too!

10/12/2025

🚨 New Episode Alert!
💧 Deciding Iowa – Part 5: Iowa Policy: Limitations and Opportunities

Iowa’s clean water policies sound good on paper — but are they working? In this fifth episode of our six-part water series, Dr. Shawn Ellerbroek and Dr. Emily Boevers sit down with Representative Chuck Isenhart, attorney Wally Taylor, and Dr. Matt Helmers of Iowa State University to unpack the policies shaping our water future.

From weak penalties and underfunded monitoring to voluntary nutrient reduction programs that rarely deliver measurable results, we ask the hard question: what will it take to make protection—not pollution—the priority?

🎧 Watch or listen now on your favorite podcast platform or YouTube.