This is a poem she wrote in 2018 for the Climate Reality Project called Earthrise.
Go ahead. Be inspired. Be grateful for the New Era we are all entering.
Action Alert:
Tell Columbus to match the climate plan to the climate science
Last month, the city of Columbus released a draft Climate Action Plan. While we applaud the city for counting its carbon emissions and devising strategies in five areas to lower emissions, the goals do not go far enough. Climate science says we must cut carbon emissions in half by 2030 if we want hope for a livable planet. The Columbus draft Climate Action Plan seeks to cut emissions by only 25%.
Now is your chance to tell the city to match the climate plan to the climate science. Simply Living is echoing the calls of Sunrise Columbus, Ohio Youth for Climate Justice, and other groups asking the city to provide more opportunities for public comment about the climate plan on the record at City Council, and to raise the ambition of the plan to cut our carbon emissions in half by 2030 — what the science says we need to do.
Take a Class and
Support Simply Living
More Info and Register. $10 and limited to 8 participants.
We will gather remotely, and recipes will be sent in advance to give you time to shop for ingredients. Del will lead you at a slow and easy pace while he shares his secrets for making plant based food delicious. You will prepare an entrée, a side dish, and a dessert.
Limited to 8 individuals. Register and more information here.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM SIMPLY LIVING’S BE THE CHANGE COMMUNITY CALENDAR
Sunday 7 – 8 PM. Fundraiser to help with Miriam’s legal expenses. Get all the details and pics of Miriam and the musicians including Bill Cohen here.
Mon thru Thurs Feb 1-4 . The Mid Ohio Regional Planning Commission brings together communities in Central Ohio . Details here.
“Amazing Grace” Aretha Franklin documentary Details here.
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
flock owners thinking about adding a rooster. Details here.
This online course starts Feb 4. More here.
NEWS + RESOURCES
FOR LIVING LOCAL
on view January 30–May 9
We’re thrilled to announce that our new exhibition Climate Changing: On Artists, Institutions, and the Social Environment will open to the public on Saturday, January 30.This major group exhibition showcases work by a diverse, multigenerational lineup of contemporary artists who take on a broad range of timely social issues and injustices.
In the interest of visitor safety, only a limited number of tickets will be available each hour. Guests are encouraged to reserve tickets prior to arriving at the Wex and must wear a mask while on-site. Click here for more details on planning your visit. New this year: thanks to a generous grant from the AEP Foundation, gallery admission is now free every Sunday.
Last year the United States had 16 weather and climate disasters whose damages topped $1 billion each. As The Revelator‘s Tara Lohan wrote in a recent article, “2020 was so bad even the disasters outdid themselves.”
But expensive disasters are on the rise. Read Tara’s interview with emergency-management expert Samantha Montano on why the climate crisis should be a part of emergency planning. And if you haven’t yet, subscribe to The Revelator‘s e-newsletter.
Mark your calendar: We’re kicking off Black History Month with a special Movie Monday screening of Amazing Grace. Join us for this exciting event February 1st at 8pm est.
This must-watch documentary, which has a 99% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, is about the emotionally-charged making of Aretha Franklin’s gospel album “Amazing Grace.”
Featuring a never-before-seen Aretha Franklin concert that Rolling Stone Magazine calls “the closest thing to witnessing a miracle,” this week’s Movie Monday film is sure to move you emotionally and physically. Get your ticket(s) here. $6.
Wild Ones is proud to introduce seven beautiful, professional, ecoregion specific, free, native garden designs!
We’ve now posted three weeks of DAILY MUSINGS from Sacred Ground (Monday thru Thursday). They are available as audio podcasts and as videos. You can hear about New Year’s Eve and Epiphany rituals, learn about MLK’s mystical side, reflect on the power of the stories we tell ourselves, or listen to how Non-Linear Theology relates to Ants & Toe Nail Clippings! They’re all (twelve so far) available on Audio or Video.
Last week’s Sacred Ground Sunday Service is also now up online – for those with interest, you can experience the WHOLE SERVICE or listen to Michael’s Dharma Talk related to America’s challenges (Dharma Talk Audio or Video). Our next Sunday Morning Service is at 10:00 am on January 29.
Finally, our Annual Seed Sale begins February 1. To look at the catalog, here is a link. We will place our order on February 15, with seed delivery by early March. Email Michael Malley <Michaelthestoryteller@gmail.com> to participate.
Blessings to our world in these turbulent times. There is pain, suffering, dying, and mourning. May we also recognize the potential for beneficial change, awakening, growth, and healing. May beauty, connection, kindness, and renewal arise in all our lives. ~ Michael and Ali Malley
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.
Details here.
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.
Listen on your radio or online anytime!
Buyer’s Guide:
The Greenest Refrigerators
Excerpt from Earthrise, by Amanda Gorman
Where despite disparities
We all care to protect this world,
This riddled blue marble, this little true marvel
To muster the verve and the nerve
To see how we can serve
Our planet. You don’t need to be a politician
To make it your mission to conserve, to protect,
To preserve that one and only home
That is ours,
To use your unique power
To give next generations the planet they deserve.
We are demonstrating, creating, advocating
We heed this inconvenient truth, because we need to be anything but lenient
With the future of our youth.
And while this is a training,
in sustaining the future of our planet,
There is no rehearsal. The time is
Now
Now
Now,
Because the reversal of harm,
And protection of a future so universal
Should be anything but controversial.
So, earth, pale blue dot
We will fail you not.
CALENDARS!
LIVE LOCAL, BUILD COMMUNITY #SIMPLYLIVING
In This Issue…
- Over 75 free or cheap events this weekend in Columbus
- Valentine’s Day in Columbus
- Play & Party Nights, plus a big discount at LEGOLAND Discovery Center
- Free Admission at Columbus Zoo on President’s Day
- Fun and Tasty Adventure Trails in Ohio
- Brighten your day with the Orchids exhibit at Franklin Park Conservatory
- Enjoy Valentine’s Day at White Castle with a Car Hop for 2021
- Upcoming free and cheap activities for kids
- Virtual Wild Ohio Week at Ohio History Center
- 614 Restaurant Week Columbus
- Safe Outdoor Dining: Igloos, heated patios, and more. NEW Options added!
- Ice World is coming to Delaware County!
edited by Connie Hammond (pictured above).
Email cmhammond11@att.net to subscribe to her Community Calendar or share meeting info.
Friday, January 29, 2021, 9:30 – 11:00 AM. Environmental and Economic Injustice: How Duke Energy Pollutes and Punishes Low-Income Customers and Communities of Color. The Duke Energy Accountability Coalition of public interest, social justice, watchdog, and environmental groups works to hold Duke Energy accountable for its policies, which affect almost eight million Americans and impede the nation’s progress toward a clean energy future. Join us for a free public webinar to hear from leading advocates for environmental and social justice who will testify to how Duke Energy’s policies and practices have polluted and financially punished its low-income ratepayers and communities of color throughout its vast six-state service area. Register here.
Friday, January 29, 2021, 3:00 PM. CEHV/Pharmacy Webinar: Drug Pricing and the Law. The Center for Ethics and Human Values is partnering with the College of Pharmacy for a virtual workshop on the moral and ethical dimensions of drug pricing in the United States. Prescription drug prices have been steadily increasing in the United States for more than a decade. As drug prices rise, it becomes more challenging for insurance companies to cover their costs and more difficult for insurance companies to afford them. These developments have raised significant questions about whether drug companies are legally permitted to raise their prices in the way they are, and even if they are doing nothing illegal, many wonder whether their practices are nonetheless unethical. If these concerns interest you, then please join us for this informative panel that will explore both the legal and ethical dimensions of drug pricing in the United States. Our featured speaker is Ann Marie Marciarille (Professor of Law, University of Missouri-Kansas City). Dr. Marciarille is a specialist in health care law, regulation, and finance, and had a long career as health law attorney before joining the faculty at UMKC. Register here.
Friday, January 29, 2021, 4:00 – 5:00 PM. Honk and Wave for Our Revolution. Join us every Friday at the pedestrian bridge overlooking route 315. we’ll hang banners and wave to the folks as they head home for the weekend. Location: 4261 Olentangy River Rd, Columbus, OH.
Saturday, January 30, 2020, 12:00 – 1:00 PM. Occupy for Our Revolution. Join us at the intersection of North Broadway and high as we demonstrate weekly for peace and justice. bring a mask and a sign or two. Facebook.
Saturday, January 30, 2021, 04:30 PM. No War on Iran. Youth Against Empire will sponsor this webinar called, “No War on Iran.” US has been trying in instigate a War with Iran. Within the past year, the US has been seen to be behind the assassinations of leading scientific and military officials of Iran. The US has Iran surrounded with military bases and Navy ships and has imposed harsh sanction on Iran including sanctioning that deny Iran medical resources during the COVID-19 pandemic. Register here.
Monday, February 1, 2021, 1:00 PM. Book launch for Women Surviving Apartheid’s Prisons. Join Shanthini Naidoo, author of “Women Surviving Apartheid’s Prisons” along with journalist Donna Bryson, who wrote a powerful Foreword for the Book, and South Africa’s Ambassador to the USA, Hon. Nomaindiya Cathleen Mfeketo (herself a significant anti-apartheid activist) as they celebrate and discuss this timely book. Register here.
Tuesday, February 2, 2021, 8:00 PM. Powell’s Books Presents Thom Hartmann in Conversation With David Korten. Thom Hartmann, the most popular progressive radio host in America, looks at the history of the battle against oligarchy in America — and how we can win the latest round. The United States was born in a struggle against the oligarchs of the British aristocracy, and ever since then the history of America has been one of dynamic tension between democracy and oligarchy. And much like the shock of the 1929 crash that woke America up to glaring inequality and the ongoing theft of democracy by that generation’s oligarchs, the coronavirus pandemic of 2020 has laid bare how extensively oligarchs have looted our nation’s economic system, gutted governmental institutions, and stolen the wealth of the former middle class. In The Hidden History of American Oligarchy: Reclaiming Our Democracy From the Ruling Class (Berrett-Koehler), Hartmann traces the history of this struggle against oligarchy from America’s founding to the United States’ war with the feudal Confederacy to President Franklin Roosevelt’s struggle against “economic royalists,” who wanted to block the New Deal. In each of those cases, the oligarchs lost the battle. But with increasing right-wing control of the media, unlimited campaign contributions, and a conservative takeover of the judicial system, we’re at a crisis point. Hartmann lays out practical measures we can take to break up media monopolies, limit the influence of money in politics, reclaim the wealth stolen over decades by the oligarchy, and build a movement that will return control of America to We the People. Hartmann will be joined in conversation by David Korten, cofounder of YES! Magazine and author of Change the Story, Change the Future. Register here.
Tuesday, February 2, 2021, 5:30 PM. Columbus City Council Townhall Series on Reimaging Public Safety. Investing in Accountability and a Better Division of Police, hosted by Councilmember Emmanuel V. Remy. 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: 180 405 0178. CLICK HERE to provide testimony via WebEx during the town hall. Requests must be entered by noon on the day of the event.
February 3, 2021, 3:30 PM. IKS Lecture: Robert Kelly, “The Trump Administration’s Nuclear Negotiations with North Korea.” The years 2017–2020 have been remarkable in the long stand-off with North Korea, as much for the drama of war-threats and then summits, as for the durability of the inter-Korean status quo. Indeed, given all the excitement of both hawkish and then dovish approaches to North Korea since 2017, the greatest surprise is how little both alternatives have accomplished ‘on the ground.’ Much of the failure to change anything is laid at the feet of US President Trump – his poor grasp of the issues, his curious personalism with dictator Kim Jong Un, his focus on media attention – but there are likely other reasons: weak domestic coalitions in both the US and South Korea for major policy change regarding the North, and the enormous structural utility of nuclear weapons to a small, loathed state like North Korea. This talk will cover North Korea’s acquisition of nuclear weapons, the course of the negotiations conducted by both Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-In, what the two sides seek from the negotiations, why these concessions were almost certainly too great for either side to make, and what a future course of smaller, more workable deals might look like. OSU East Asian Studies Center. Register here.
Wednesday, February 3, 2021, 3:00 – 4:30 PM. A Conversation with Jeff Halper. What if our understanding of Israel/Palestine has been wrong all along? For decades we have spoken of the ‘Israel-Palestine conflict’, but what if our understanding of the issue has been wrong all along? His latest book, Decolonizing Israel, Liberating Palestine: Zionism, Settler Colonialism, and the Case for One Democratic State, explores how the concept of settler colonialism provides a clearer understanding of the Zionist movement’s project to establish a Jewish state in Palestine, displacing the Palestinian Arab population and marginalizing its cultural presence. Halper’s unflinching reframing will empower activists fighting for the rights of the Palestinians and democracy for all. Sponsored by Jewish Voice for Peace Central Ohio and others! Register here to receive meeting links: https://tinyurl.com/halper4justice. More information on Facebook.
COLUMBUS UNDERGROUND
Mega Weekend
Weird Foods, Wonderball, and Sundance!
If you’re looking for something new and different to eat, try Jeni’s Everything Bagel, or Sugar Rush Columbus’ Peanut Butter and Pickles Cupcake. Enjoy your weekend.
Movies and Plays
Here’s how to watch the Sundance Film Festival in Columbus with the Gateway Film Center. Platform Brewing shows The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Dreamscape is back open at Easton. The first CATCO New Works Festival play is George and the Hidden Dragon.
Virtual Fun and Some Food Events
North Market Bridge Park starts Thursday Happy Hours (until 7pm). Try something new for Restaurant Week. Learn about Italian Wines. VASO has a dj set on Saturday. Wonderball goes virtual – get creative! Final weekend to try the Schmidt’s x Stauf’s Latte Cream Puff! TownHall has finally opened.
Enjoy Exploring Art
On Friday, tune in for Art of Activism with CSCC. Build It: Artists Creating Community in Ohio opens virtually at the Riffe Gallery and there’s a talk with the curator on Friday at noon. Shop an art benefit for helping infant & maternal mortality.Gramercy Book Club discusses At the Edge of the Haight. The Wex opens Climate Changing: On Artists, Institutions, and the Social Environment. It’s the last free weekend in January for visiting Columbus Museum of Art.
What else can you do
this weekend?
The Columbus Blue Jackets have another home game. Learn about Winter Skin Care. Hear a discussion on Actions Against Racism. Learn salsa dancing at Palmas. Recycle electronics. Hear your favorite songs. Tune in to a concert to raise funds for Miriam Vargas. It’s Wild Ohio Week!
MORE LOCAL CALENDARS
Columbus Free Press Activists Calendar Editor Bob Roehm
WCBE Arts & Life Calendar
READ OUR BE THE CHANGE COMMUNITY CALENDAR
STATEMENT ON CORONAVIRUS
By Zach Bush, MD
This community has been asking for a response to the Coronavirus. While I strongly believe that there is too much bandwidth of the collective human consciousness being spent on this topic, I will try to help us move on to apply our great capacity and ingenuity to fulfill the deep purpose that we each have at this tipping point of humankind.
Respiratory infection is one of the most common causes of death worldwide for children and adults and thus has claimed the lives of many thousands of people in the recent months. Each year, the vast variety of microbial sources for these infections varies. This year, a proportion of our global deaths from pneumonia will include the presence of COVID-19 (not likely to be the cause of death – just as with influenza, it is the secondary bacterial infections that typically are the cause of the death). The loss of these loved ones has a profound impact on their families, friends and colleagues regardless of the vector.
COVID-19 seems merciful in the sparing of children and young adults, but we should be saddened by the loss of our elders in a Western culture that has long forgotten to see, respect, and give close ear to our elders. May this respiratory virus that now shares space and time with us teach us of the grave mistakes we have made in disconnecting from our nature and warring against the foundation of the microbiome. If we choose to learn from, rather than fear, this virus, it can reveal the source of our chronic disease epidemics that are the real threat to our species.
As we move forward during this tumultuous time, let us remember to nurture ourselves and those we love. I’ve included below a series of Lifestyle Cornerstones to integrate into your everyday practices, particularly during respiratory risk seasons, as well as the regimen that I recommend for those feeling the need for more health resources during this time.
Best of Health to You and Yours,
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