Be the Change Community Update Calendar 1-22-2021

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ARE YOU LISTENING? Tell us your favorite programs on our local community radio stations! Select up to three programs and email to chuck@simplyliving.org. Simply Living will summarize the results and post them here and on social media. Tell your friends about programs they won’t find anywhere else in Columbus. More on the Free Press Network here.

Take a Class and
Support Simply Living

Join Earthwalker Cindy Lanese for a very special series of walks in the woods. We’ll walk with a question of our own we carry inwardly, while we slow down in the resting of nature’s arms to listen for her voice. At the end of each walk you will create an artful offering to the land as reciprocal thanks. #natureisrelational

Cindy is experienced in The Work that Reconnects and  is an Ecopsychology facilitator. You are invited to participate in one or all 4 walks on the 4th Sunday of January, February, March, and April.  Each Guided Walk will open your mind and senses to different seasonal experiences.  Dress appropriately. Limited to 8 participants.

The first Nature Walk will be held at Highbanks Metro Park, 9466 Columbus Pike, Lewis Center, OH 43035.  Meet behind the Nature Center at 2 pm. Future walks may be held in different locations.

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Del teaches cooking and health classes and is a keynote speaker at local venues and events around the country.

Del is the author ofForks over Knives: The Cookbook, on the New York Bestseller list for more than 30 weeks; Better than Vegan, the story of his struggle with weight loss and gain, and how he managed to lose over 200 pounds on a low fat, plant based diet and; The China Study Quick and Easy Cookbook, and The China Study Family Cookbook; bringing the whole family to the plant based table.

Del Is currently working with the T Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies In their Community Leads division as the Associate Director. The mission statement for Community Leads  is to empower sustainable food-based initiatives around the world. We’ll do this by providing grants to enable innovative start-ups and to propel the growth of existing initiatives.

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HIGHLIGHTS FROM SIMPLY LIVING’S BE THE CHANGE COMMUNITY CALENDAR

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This first summit of 2021 will have 4 main threads:

• HUMAN development – implementing and stewarding the different life stages of Mutual Aid Networks (MANs)
• Community Peace and Justice – creative destruction of the prison industrial complex, reparations, racial justice, social justice, economic justice
• Healthy Humans – staying healthy in all the ways
• Tools for a HUMAN economy – software, economic practices, organizing tools

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We have the best excuse in the world to not act. So we can have the best excuse in the world, or we can have a world. ~Derrick Jensen

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You can read and comment on the Columbus Draft Climate Plan here:. Sections include:
·        Climate Solutions
·        Buildings
·        Transportation
·        Waste
·        Sustainable Neighborhoods.

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NEWS + RESOURCES
FOR LIVING LOCAL

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The trouble is that once you see it, you can’t unsee it. And once you’ve seen it, keeping quiet, saying nothing, becomes as political an act as speaking out. There’s no innocence. Either way, you’re accountable. ~ Arundhati Roy

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An 88-acre publicly-owned Ohio old growth forest needs our help. 

This specific forest, owned by Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD), is adjacent to the historic Doris Duke Woods of Malabar Farm State Park and close to Mohican State Park and Forest. The MWCD logged a portion of it last year. Local advocates mobilized and now MWCD is considering permanent protection for the forest.

Will you add your voice to the chorus calling for permanent protection?

Please take this survey offered by the MWCD. The final question, number 24, is where you can ask for permanent protection of the 88-acre forest. Here are the two key points we ask you to make:

• Permanently protect this 88 acre forest by prohibiting commercial logging. 
• Invest in removal of invasive species from the parcel.  

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We’re headed for the greatest, noblest, messiest, most meaningful AHA! of all time. What will a full-fledged nurture capital sector look like a generation or two from now? What role do local food systems and small organic farms in reshaping society? In his latest book, “AHA! Fake Trillions, Real Billions, Beetcoin and the Great American Do-Over,” Woody Tasch outlines a roadmap of systemic change through reimagining the role of capital and philanthropy in our society. Excerpted with permission from “AHA! Fake Trillions, Real Bilions, Beetcoin and the Great American Do-Over” by Woody Tasch, published by the Slow Money Institute, 2020. Visit BeetCoin to read more.

Read Money and Myth: Supporting Local Food Systems to Reinvent the Economy Woody Tasch is the founder of the Slow Money Movement and a delight to read!

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Mushroom Buying Club? Check out this very short video with Paul Stamets, of Fantastic Fungi fame, talk about the neurological benefits of lions mane mushrooms. We have a small group interested in buying mushrooms for their health benefits. Mushroom Harvest Provisions buys in bulk and delivers to various locations in Columbus – e.g., Portia’s Cafe. Want in? Send an email to <chuck.lynd@gmail.com> or call l 614-354-6172.

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This issue of the Bioneers newsletter features a diverse selection of talks:
Cutcha Risling Baldy: Indigenous Voices for Decolonized Futures
Racial Justice Beyond Trump: Confronting an American Legacy
Trathen Heckman: The Power of Small for Big Transformations
One Earth: Integrating Climate Action and Biodiversity Conservation into a Blueprint for a Livable Planet
Ayana Johnson: The Feminist Climate Renaissance: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis

Good News On Global Warming

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Green Tip o’ the Day!
Unplug those appliance not in use and you could save up to $100. Vampire appliances are appliances that use energy even when they are turned off. Collectively, Americans spend almost $10 billion a year on vampire appliances. These appliances are TVs, cell phone chargers, power strips, computers, microwaves, coffee maker, blenders, and more. So, put a stake in those vampires and unplug them when not in use. ~ Columbus Greenspot

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Tell your governor to ignore the lobbyists from big banks, who detest the idea, and set up a public bank immediately. ~ Michael Shuman, economist & advocate for local economies.
Learn more about the Ohio Public Banking Coalition here.

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Healthy Wines:
What the Labels Really Mean

Fellow wine lovers, I have good news and bad news. Here’s the bad: Two-thirds of all wine production originates in Europe where grapes receive higher doses of synthetic pesticides than virtually any other type of crop. Since the U.S. is currently first in the world for the total amount of global wine consumption (gulp), this should give you (and me) something to whine about.

Many winemakers feel they can’t rely on nature to establish continuity in their crops, colors, or flavors, so they utilize synthetic pesticides, chemical additives, and sugars. These additives and sweeteners mask flaws such as bacteria and other impurities. This results in processed wine that has been chemically-altered and tastes, well, unnatural. With pesticide exposure linked to cancer, liver damage, and nervous system damage, how can you assure what you’re sipping is safe — let alone sustainable?

Next time you head to the store to grab your favorite bottle of red or white, you may notice a cornucopia of terms. Confusing, overwhelming, and even contradicting labels can make you want to grab a theoretical physicist or microbiologist to decode the bottle. But no worries, you can now understand wine labels. I’ve channeled my inner-cryptologist and decoded the terms for you here.

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CALENDARS!
LIVE LOCAL, BUILD COMMUNITY #SIMPLYLIVING

So let us leave behind a country better than the one we were left.
Every breath from my bronze-pounded chest, we will raise this wounded world into a wondrous one.
We will rise from the golden hills of the West.
We will rise from the windswept Northeast where our forefathers first realized revolution.
We will rise from the lake-rimmed cities of the Midwestern states.
We will rise from the sun-baked South.
We will rebuild, reconcile, and recover.
~ excerpt from The Hill We Climb, by Amanda Gorman

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Friday, January 22, 2021, 4:30 PM.  1619 Legacy: Judy Richardson on “Eyes on the Prize.”  Judy Richardson is a Civil Rights Movement veteran and award-winning documentary filmmaker. She was on the staff of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in the South, from 1963 to 1966, working in SNCC’s national office in Atlanta; in Mississippi during “Freedom Summer”; in Southwest Georgia; and in Lowndes County, Alabama. She describes her experiences on the front lines of the movement in Hands on the Freedom Plow: Personal Accounts by Women in SNCC, which she co-edited with five other female SNCC activists. In 1978, Ms. Richardson began her first stint with the film production company Blackside, Inc. She worked on all 14 hours of Blackside’s seminal PBS series, Eyes on the Prize, which received an Academy Award nomination and won six Emmys. She was Series Associate Producer for the second series, content advisor and researcher for the first series, and Education Director for the full series. In this talk, Ms. Richardson will draw on her movement experiences and involvement in producing Eyes on The Prize to provide an insider’s take on the making and meaning of this groundbreaking series.  OSU College of Arts and Sciences.  Register here. 

Friday, January 22, 2021, 5:00 PM.  The Threat of Nuclear Weapons with Noam Chomsky. The Threat of Nuclear Weapons: Why Canada Should Sign the UN Nuclear Ban Treaty featuring Noam Chomsky. Please join us by marking this momentous day in the struggle to abolish nuclear weapons with Noam Chomsky. As the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons enters into force on January 22, join the world-renowned intellectual for “The Threat of Nuclear Weapons: Why Canada Should Sign the UN Nuclear Ban Treaty”.  Presented by the Canadian Foreign Policy Institute.  Co-sponsored by World Beyond War, Hiroshima Nagasaki Day Coalition, PeaceQuest, Science for Peace & Canadian Voice of Women for Peace (VOW).  This event is free and open to the public.  Registration and more information here. 

Friday, January 22, 2021, 7:00 – 9:00 PM.  Ban Nuclear Weapons Watch Party.  Join WILPF Pittsburgh and co-sponsors for a Zoom video watch party/discussion of “The Beginning of the End of Nuclear Weapons,” at 7 p.m. on Jan. 22, 2021 to commemorate the day that the International Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) enters into force (EIF).  The documentary film (made in 2017) explains the process of getting the treaty ratified by 122 UN states and the role of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, ICAN, which won the Nobel Peace Prize for its efforts. The story is told through the voices of leading activists from several different organizations and countries and the president of the negotiating conference. It is 54 min. long.  More information and registration here. 

Friday, January 22, 2021, 7:00 – 8:00 PM.  IATSE Local 12 Young Workers Committee along with the Midland Theater Presents…..An Evening with the Band.  Purchase access for $1.99 – 100% to support local performing artists in need.  More information.  On Facebook. 

Saturday, January 23, 2021, 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM.  Reducing the Threat of Nuclear War: Invest in Minds not Missiles.  Though the Coronavirus may be slowing the economy, it’s not clear it has any braking effect on the Presidential and Congressional push for spending more of our tax dollars on military and nuclear weapons development programs. Thus, we will have to find ways to continue to collaborate and cooperate in the development of a social movement strong enough to reverse the new nuclear arms race. The public health response to a new human virus such as the Coronavirus depends on the robustness and efficiency of the healthcare system. Though our healthcare professionals are now working 24/7 the ability to respond would be greatly enhanced if instead of a patch work of privately owned or run hospital systems and insurance plans, the US had a unitary national health care system, as called for by Bernie Sanders. The ability to respond to a new virus depends on the existence of a sophisticated scientific infrastructure, including structural biology laboratories  such as X-ray diffraction and cryo-electron microscopy, high speed nucleic acid sequencing machines, and substantial computing and supercomputing facilities. The ones we haven place represent prior federal investments through the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation and Dept. of Energy.  All of President Trump’s proposed federal budgets have included substantial cuts in these agencies, in order to fund Pentagon accounts and weapons contractors. That issue was one of our April 4th themes in calling for “Invest in Minds not Missiles”.  Register here. 

January 23 and 24, 2021.  Medicare for All Strategy Conference.  Healthcare-NOW and the Labor Campaign for Single Payer Healthcare invite you to join hundreds of activists for a 100% online week of inspiration and strategy to win Medicare for All! With a new President and uncertainty over the Senate, this year’s conference will highlight effective strategies and tactics from across the country, and make sure we continue to grow our movement through 2021 and beyond. During the preceding week, each evening we’ll release pre-recorded panel discussions and presentations addressing key issues facing our movement, which you can watch any time.  Cost $35.  Low income scholarships available.  Register here. 

Monday, January 25, 2021, 6:30 PM.  Get Ready for the State Budget!  Join Ohio Voice and our friends at One Ohio Now for this great walkthrough of what to expect over the next few months as Ohio’s budget gets passed! Register here. 

Monday, January 25, 2021, 7:00 PM. Mapmaking in 2021. Community Mapping and Mapmaking with DistrictR. Join Fair Districts for an opportunity to talk about community mapping and also a tutorial on DistrictR, public software developed by MGGG Redistricting Lab, a research group at Tufts University. Suzanne Almeida of Common Cause will lead a discussion about the benefits of community mapping and then provide a demonstration of the software. Registration link HERE. 

Tuesday, January 26, 2021, 7:00 PM.  Worthington Interfaith Neighbors:  Ubuntu.  Presenter: Primrose Igonor.  Ubuntu is an African philosophy which promotes a universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity. Given all the differences in our society today, ranging from age, race and ability/disability to sexuality, mental health etc., Ubuntu is one way of promoting acceptance and inclusion for all. This session will provide information on the various principles of Ubuntu and great proponents of its practice such as President Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Primrose will also discuss practical ways in which to apply Ubuntu principles in various community spaces.  Primrose Igonor was raised and educated in South Africa, though she has also lived and worked in the United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Singapore and Canada. Ms. Igonor is a Psychology Faculty Member and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Coordinator at Marion Technical College. In addition to working in education and academia, she has experience in business, non-profit and private practice. A WIN Leadership Team member, Ms. Igonor brings a world of interests, insights and inquisitiveness to our community. All are welcome.  There is no charge for this program. To request your Zoom invitation and meeting ID number, please email windiversity@gmail.com. 

Wednesday, January 27, 2021, 3:00 – 4:30 PM.  Ending the global security threats of nuclear power: Lessons from the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.  Hosts: Coalition for Responsible Energy Development in New Brunswick (CRED-NB) + Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA) + Beyond Nuclear + NB Media Co-op.  Synopsis: Through considerable organizing by civil society, the dream of a Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) comes into force on January 22. The effort involved challenging existing claims about the value of nuclear weapons, creating a new narrative centered on human security, building new alliances between civil society and governments, and using international law and institutions to drive change.  Can these approaches help tackle the strong but subtle link between nuclear power and nuclear weapons, halt emerging programs to build so-called small modular nuclear reactors, and finally end the reckless pursuit of nuclear energy programs worldwide.  Register here. 

Wednesday, January 27, 2021, 5:30 PM. Columbus City Council Townhall Series on Reimaging Public Safety. Establishing Alternative Public Safety Crisis Response, led by Councilmember Shayla Favor. In 2020, Council began the initial phase of reform with the passage of a comprehensive legislative safety package, which included independent investigations into lethal force, demilitarization of police, limiting no-knock raids and instituting background checks for hate-group affiliation. This series continues the ongoing deliberations of the City’s Operating Budget. Each session focuses on one of the three pillars, which are the backbone of Council’s efforts moving forward to reimagining safety. They are investing in accountability and a better Division of Police, establishing alternative crisis response models and investing in violence prevention.  Attend via WebEx  –  Password: 12345, By Phone: 1-650-479-3207, Access code: 180 419 5906, CLICK HERE to provide testimony via WebEx during the town hall. Requests must be entered by noon on the day of the event.

Thursday, January 28, 2021, 4 PM. Columbus City Council Townhall Series on Reimaging Public Safety.  Investing in Violence Prevention, led by President Pro Tem Elizabeth Brown.  In 2020, Council began the initial phase of reform with the passage of a comprehensive legislative safety package, which included independent investigations into lethal force, demilitarization of police, limiting no-knock raids and instituting background checks for hate-group affiliation. This series continues the ongoing deliberations of the City’s Operating Budget. Each session focuses on one of the three pillars, which are the backbone of Council’s efforts moving forward to reimagining safety. They are investing in accountability and a better Division of Police, establishing alternative crisis response models and investing in violence prevention.  Attend via WebEx  –  Password: 12345. By Phone: 1-650-479-3207, Access code: 180 151 7461. CLICK HERE to provide testimony via WebEx during the town hall. Requests must be entered by noon on the day of the event.

Thursday, January 28, 2021, 8:00 PM. Nuclear Power and Weapons – The Connections.  On January 22, the International Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons will come into full force, having been ratified now by 51 parties of the 86 sovereign signatories to the treaty. This is the most important international agreement on nuclear weapons since the Non -Proliferation Treaty came into force in 1970, a treaty that the United States was instrumental in bringing to fruition.  What people and governments constantly overlook is that nuclear weapons programs often come from nuclear power programs around the world – linking the two inextricably. Our guest expert this month is Dr. Arjun Makhijani Director,  Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (IEER), Takoma Park, MD. Dr. Makhijani is a physicist and noted national energy expert.  He is author of the 2007 book, Carbon Free – Nuclear Free: A Roadmap for U.S. Energy Policy (available in PDF online here), which predates the Green New Deal in any form by nearly a decade.  He has advised the state of Maryland on the implementation of The Renewable Maryland Project. He has written extensively on the issues of disarmament and nonproliferation.  ZOOM link:  click here to join the session (use a computer with camera and microphone for best experience.  You do not need to have ZOOM installed on your device to participate.)

Columbus on the Cheap Good, Cheap, Fun

In This Issue…

• Upcoming free and cheap activities for kids
• Virtual Musical Storytimes with ProMusica
• Over 60 free or cheap events this weekend in Columbus
• Virtual Wild Ohio Week at Ohio History Center
• Columbus Zoo Half Price Winter Admission Discount
• Fun at the Columbus Metro Parks
• Safe Outdoor Dining: Igloos, heated patios, and more. NEW Options added!
• Get free Chocolate Fudge Brownie at Chick-fil-A
• Metro Parks Annual Winter Hike Series
• Family Style Meals to-go in Columbus
• Free Fitness around Columbus during the Winter
• McDonald’s deals: Throwback Thursdays and Free Fries Fridays
• Get a $5 Panera Bread discount in January
• Franklin Park Conservatory Chihuly Nights is back, plus other discounts and more
• Food freebies, delivery and cheap eats in Columbus

OLUMBUS UNDERGROUND
Mega Weekend
CBJ home opener, Orchids, Evil Dead with Bruce Campbell and more!

What was your favorite Bernie Mittens meme floating around on the internet? Don’t forget your Big Bacon Bash Box ticket! Enjoy your weekend.

Take in Nature

Fun Food Times

Enjoy Exploring Art

What else can you do
this weekend?

The Columbus Blue Jackets have their first home game tonight. Hear a discussion on STAMPED. There’s some virtual improv with The Nest. Start your Friday morning with ‘An Interview with Columbus‘. Or hear about how to strengthen legacy cities. Shop the once-a-month sale at Bliss Home Market. Take the Frosty Fest challenge at Nocterra Brewing. Sunday is the author talk with Jason Reynolds for the Let’s Talk About Race – One Book, One Community discussion.

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MORE LOCAL CALENDARS
Columbus Free Press Activists Calendar Editor Bob Roehm
WCBE Arts & Life Calendar 

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READ OUR BE THE CHANGE COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Each of us has a spark of life inside us, and our highest endeavor ought to be to set off that spark in one another. ~ Kenny Ausubel

Be the Change: Join Simply Living Individual membership rates have been reduced to $25 annually. Seniors, $20. Students only $10. Business memberships starting at $100 now include membership in the Ohio Sustainable Business Council.

Sign up online here or email HELLO@simplyliving.org

Love what we’re doing? Share our passion for nature and sustainable community living? How about volunteering? Love to research, write, communicate? Email Hello@Simplyliving.org or call Chuck Lynd @ 614- 354-6172.