Be the Change Weekly Community Update September 10, 2021

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Join us for Gift To Be Simple
Wednesday, October 20, 5:30 p.m.

Simply Living’s annual Gift To Be Simple fundraiser will be Wednesday, October 20, at 5:30 p.m. at the Grange Insurance Audubon Center, Scioto Audubon Metro Park, 505 W. Whittier St., Columbus, OH 43215.

You will get to meet and network with dozens of other Simply Living friends and acquaintances as you munch on delicious hors d’oeuvres and enjoy the beautiful setting of Scioto Audubon Metro Park near downtown Columbus. Walk around this lovely building to meet representatives from sponsoring sustainable businesses and organizations.

Then you can hear a presentation on “Our Story: How Simply Living has made Central Ohio more sustainable,” and meet several of the movers and shakers from core organizations that we have helped launch over the past 29 years. Simply Living has made a difference in the lives of so many Central Ohioans, and they will tell you about it.

Finally, you’ll hear the big plans Simply Living has for the future — our new database, the relaunch of Sustainable U, and more. You are not going to want to miss this!

Tickets start at $50 per person. Register at bit.ly/GTBS2021. 

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Simply Living Relaunches Sustainable U
See Our Fall 2021 Catalog

During Fall 2021 we will offer two discussion courses through EcoChallenge.org, formerly Northwest Earth Institute, a course through Local Futures, and three original online skills courses taught by our members.

You can find one-time speaker events, films, tours, and more on our Events Calendar. Events organized by Simply Living are at the top with the hashtag #Simply-Living. A long list of community events organized by other groups are below that.

Are you interested in facilitating a course for SLSU? Reach out to Chuck Lynd at chuck@simplyliving.org or Cathy Cowan Becker at cathy@simplyliving.org.  

Fall 2021 Course Catalog Titles

Voluntary Simplicity – Wednesdays 7-8:30 p.m.
Five sessions weekly starting September 29, 2021

Seeing Systems – Sundays 7-8:30 p.m.
Six sessions weekly starting September 26, 2021

Economics of Happiness – Tuesdays 7-8:30 p.m. 
Five weeks starting October 26, 2021

Spirit and Money – This is a pre-recorded webinar course. You can go through it at your own pace.

Introduction to Solar PV – This is an online course.
You can go through it at your own pace.

Residential Solar Installation and Design – This is an online course. You can go through it at your own pace.

Browse Fall 2021 Course Descriptions Now

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Author Talk with Paul Robinson:
Global Warming: Can It Be Stopped?
Wednesday, September 22, 5:30 – 7 pm

Join author Paul Robinson at the Whetstone Library Meeting room for our Fall Simply Living Book Club discussion. Global Warming: Can It Be Stopped?, explores the science, psychology, and the morality of climate change. The event is free to all. Donations are appreciated and support the work of Simply Living. REGISTER

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“If you want to go fast, go alone.
If you want to go far, go together.”
~ African Proverb

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HIGHLIGHTS FROM SIMPLY LIVING’S BE THE CHANGE COMMUNITY CALENDAR

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“A sustainable human community is designed such that its ways of life, technologies, and social institutions honor, support, and cooperate with nature’s inherent ability to sustain life.”
~ Fritjof Capra

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“Mystics understand the roots of the Tao but not its branches;
scientists understand its branches but not its roots.
Science does not need mysticism and mysticism does not need science; but man needs both.” ~ Fritjof Capra

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Find many more events posted on our Community Calendar.
Browse now. Select the Monthly View to find events quickly.
HINT: Search using keywords like FOOD, ENERGY, SUSTAINABLE, YOGA, MEDITATION, MUSIC, SUMMIT, ETC.

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NEWS + RESOURCES
FOR LIVING LOCAL

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A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity,
stability and beauty of the biotic community.
It is wrong when it tends otherwise. ~ Aldo Leopold

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Know your trees! Learn about the Tree of the Month from Mort Schmidt, special to Simply Living. Mort says the Tree of Heaven is “a bad seed (pardon the expression) but you’re someone who’s drawn to exotic beauties who are known troublemakers, Ailanthus altissima is the tree for you.”
Tree of heaven is native to China, and due to its hardiness, and in the eyes of many, it’s exotic beauty, it’s been naturalized worldwide. Like all invasive plants and animals, tree of heaven is perfectly well behaved in its native habitat. But while some species wither and die when they’re transplanted away from home, others go wild in the absence of competition and adversaries. Learn more about the origins and characteristics of our tree of the month, and see more pictures, here.

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“The basic pattern of life is a network. Whenever you see life,
you see networks. The whole planet, what we can term ‘Gaia’
is a network of processes involving feedback tubes.
Humans are part of the larger whole, Gaia.” ~ Fritjof Capra

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Green Hotels: How Do I Identify
Sustainable Travel Lodging?

5 Traditions That Are Terrible for the Environment
(and What You Can Do Instead)

Tips for Saving Energy with Your Mobile Phone

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CALENDARS!
LIVE LOCAL, BUILD COMMUNITY #SIMPLYLIVING

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• Franklin Park Conservatory Discounts, Pumpkins Aglow, Chihuly Nights, and other events
• Almost 200 free or cheap events this weekend in Columbus!
• Patriot Day events in observance of 9/11 in Columbus
• CRPD Senior Wellness Jamboree at Franklin Park
• The Best of Worthington, Ohio: Festivals, fun, and more…
• Watch OSU Marching Band rehearse for free, plus TBDBITL Skull Sessions before OSU football games
• Prost! 2021 Columbus Oktoberfest events
• Free Ice Cream for a cause: Graeter’s Cones for the Cure Campaign
• Zoombezi Bay turns into Haunted Attraction ZOMBIEzi Bay
• Fall Festival at The Farm at Walnut Creek, plus Drive-thru or Wagon Rides
• Tour of Homes & Gardens, Ghost Tour, and more with Worthington Historical Society
• Free admission for National Museum Day in September
• The Dispatch Fall Home and Garden Show
• Haunted Woods, Haunted Houses, and more around Columbus
• Fall Fun! Columbus Pumpkin Patches, Farm Activities, Corn Mazes
• Columbus Moonlight Market on Gay Street
• PBJ & Jazz free kids concerts at Topiary Park
• Creekside Blues and Jazz Festival returns Fall 2021
• Three Bags Full and Upcoming Consignment Sales in Columbus

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COLUMBUS UNDERGROUND
Mega Weekend
Festivals, Festivals, & Festivals!

Here’s a rundown of fun things to do this weekend. CU film critics Hope Madden & George Wolf are making a movie! Here’s how you can help. Pick up your Columbus Makes Art Passport and get on your way to getting prizes! Enjoy your weekend!

Music and Food Festivals

Fun Things To Do

ENJOY EXPLORING ART

WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO
THIS WEEDKEND?

The Clippers play Gwinnett Stripers this weekend.
Explore the Dispatch Fall Home & Garden Show.
You can still shop Farmers Markets.
Gianni Keys plays a show at Forum.
Watch a professional wrestlers competition.
It’s a Dog Lovers Paradise in Old Worthington.

Thanks for reading and enjoy your weekend! A great community is an informed community. Want to help keep our news free for all and support our small, local company? 
Your support helps Columbus Underground further our mission.

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“In the end, the aggressors always destroy themselves, making way for others who know how to cooperate and get along.
Life is much less a competitive struggle for survival than
a triumph of cooperation and creativity.” ~ Fritjof Capra

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Friday, September 10, 2021, 11:00 AM.  9/11 at 20: Reflecting on the Attack and 20 Years of the Post-9/11 Era.  This year marks the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. This also marks two decades of the tumultuous “Post-9/11 Era,” and the end of 20 years of U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan. The Mershon Center invites the Ohio State community and public to join us online for an all-day event reflecting on the 9/11 attacks and the many profound ways they continue to shape our world. The first panel of speakers will include personal recollections of Sept. 11. Contributors include people who were serving in Congress, the military, the CIA, presiding as a federal judge, living in New York and Washington, D.C., and attending grade school here in Ohio. Other sessions will address cultural, strategic, and political implications; prevention of and recovery from violence by those affected by 9/11 and its consequences; and 9/11’s enduring legal legacy.  Register here. 

Friday, September 10, 2021, 3:00 – 7:00 PM.  Hilltop Youth Empowerment Center Grand Opening.  Please join My Project USA at the joyous occasion of the Grand Opening of our new Hilltop Youth Empowerment Center and the Mid-Ohio Collective Market.  Location: 3275 Sullivant Ave., Columbus 43204.   More information about the center and registration here. 

Friday, September 10, 2021, 5:00 PM.  Twenty Years After 9/11: Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire.  Join Deepa Kumar, Noura Erakat, Naomi Klein, Jasbir Puar, and Keenaga-Yamahtta Taylor to discuss the ways racist ideas have been stoked since 9/11, and what we can do to oppose them. More information and registration here. 

Friday, September 10, 2021, 4:00 – 5:00 PM.  Honk and Wave for Our Revolution. Join us at the pedestrian bridge overlooking route 315 (near Whetstone Park) as we wave to the folks on their way home for the weekend. bring signs and a smile and a wave!  Location:  4261 Olentangy River Rd, Columbus, OH 43214. 

Friday, September 10, 2021, 5:00 – 5:30 PM.  GrassRoot Ohio With Carolyn Harding.  Our mission is to profile every-day people working on important issues and to connect them with other folks who want to help. Conversations with every-day people, working on important issues here in Columbus and all around Ohio Justice: environmental, social, racial, economic, w/ folks on the front lines. LISTEN TO 94.1 FM and stream US online at WGRN.com.  You can find all GrassRoot Ohio podcasts/shows on Soundcloud:  https://soundcloud.com/user-42674753. Apple Podcasts:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/grassroot-ohio/id1522559085 and YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAX2t1Z7_qae803BzDF4PtQ. 

Saturday, September 11, 2021, 12:00 – 1:00 PM.  Occupy for Our Revolution.  Join Our Revolution each Saturday at the intersection of North Broadway and High Street to demonstrate for peace and justice. Bring a mask and a sign or two in solidarity. 

Saturday, September 11, 2021, 2:00 – 4:00 PM.  Listen. Lead. Share. Environmental Justice Dialogues in Conjunction with The Ohio Climate Justice Fund.  Columbus Stand Up! is hosting a series of environmental justice conversations in order to hear the community’s needs and challenges around living healthy and safe lives. We’ll highlight the range of benefits that environmental justice and clean energy will produce, including quality jobs, equity, and economic opportunity. Please join us for free food, drinks, and important conversation about environmental justice in your own neighborhood.  Location:  Southfield – Marion Franklin Recreation Center, 2801 Lockbourne Road.  September 25, 2:00 – 4:00 PM, Mt. Vernon, Venture Suite, 780 Mt. Vernon, and October 2, 1:00 -3:00 PM, Linden Branch of Columbus Metropolitan Library, 2223 Cleveland Ave.  Register here. 

Saturday, September 11, 2017, 7:00 PM.  Columbus Free Press Second Saturday Salon.  Since we aren’t getting together in person, we can gather for a couple hours on the second Saturday night of each month. Join Zoom Meeting. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83906590837. Meeting ID: 839 0659.

Saturday, September 11, 2021, 3:00 – 6:00 PM. Never Forget: 9/11 & the 20 year War on Terror.  The world changed on September 11^th, 2001. The tragic deaths of almost 3,000 people and the destruction of the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers in New York City had a deep effect on the American people. 9/11 fundamentally altered the culture of the United States and its relationship with the rest of the world. The violence of that day was not confined, it spread throughout the world as America lashed out both at home and abroad. The almost 3,000 deaths of September 11th became hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of deaths from wars the US launched in retaliation. Tens of millions lost their homes. Join us, on Saturday September 11th, as we reflect on the lessons of 9/11 and the lessons of the 20 year Global War on Terror.  We’ll hear testimonials from: Medea Benjamin, Danny Sjursen, Assal Rad, Kathy Kelly, David Swanson, Matthew Hoh, Kevin Danaher and more!  In the name of freedom, and of vengeance, the United States invaded and occupied Afghanistan. We stayed for 20 years. With lies of ‘weapons of mass destruction’ a majority of the country was convinced to invade and occupy Iraq, the worst foreign policy decision of the modern era. The Executive Branch was given sweeping authority to make war across borders and without limits. The conflict in the Middle East expanded under both Republican and Democratic Presidents, leading to US wars in Libya, Syria, Yemen, Pakistan, Somalia, and more. Trillions of dollars were spent. Millions of lives were lost. We created the greatest migration and refugee crisis since World War II.  After the events of September 11th 2001, “Never Forget” became a common expression in the United States. Unfortunately it was not only used to remember and honor the dead. It was also used as a rallying cry to war. 20 years after 9/11 we are still living in the age of the ‘War on Terror.’ We must never forget the lessons of 9/11 or the lessons of the Global War on Terror, lest we risk repeating the pain, death, and tragedy of the past 20 years.  Register for this Massachusetts Peace Action Webinar here. 

Sunday, September 12, 2021, 7:00 PM.  North American Solidarity Activists Speak Out on US SANCTIONS ON AFRICA AND LATIN AMERICA.  Sanctions Kill Coalition Webinar. Instead of reversing Trump’s unilateral coercive measures, Biden has extended them.  Hear: Sara Flounder, Asantewaa Nkrumah-Ture, Omowale Clay, and Margaret Flowers.  Also a major report on US unilateral sanctions will be launched. You can see a preview of the sanctions report here: https://nepajac.org/skrptpreview.pdf.  Register here. 

Sunday, September 12, 2021, 2:00 PM.  GrassRoot Ohio With Carolyn Harding.  Our mission is to profile every-day people working on important issues and to connect them with other folks who want to help. Conversations with every-day people, working on important issues here in Columbus and all around Ohio. Justice: environmental, social, racial, economic, w/ folks on the front lines. LISTEN TO 94.1 FM and stream US online at WGRN.com.  You can find all GrassRoot Ohio podcasts/shows on Soundcloud:  https://soundcloud.com/user-42674753. Apple Podcasts:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/grassroot-ohio/id1522559085 and YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAX2t1Z7_qae803BzDF4PtQ. 

Sunday, September 12, 2021, 3:00 PM.  Voices from the Holy Land Online Film Salon: “Valentino’s Ghost: Why We Hate Arabs.” “Valentino’s Ghost: Why We Hate Arabs” exposes the ways in which America’s foreign policy agenda in the Middle East drives the U.S. media’s portrayals of Arabs and Muslims. The film lays bare the truths behind taboo subjects that are conspicuously avoided, or merely treated as sound bites, by the mainstream American media: “Why do they hate us?” “Why do we hate them?”  What were the events that led to the 9/11 attacks? What are the politics behind the U.S.-Israeli relationship?  Why is there a robust debate about these subjects in Europe, the Arab World and in Israel itself, but not in the United States? “Valentino’s Ghost: Why We Hate Arabs” provides a fresh inquiry which challenges the media’s daily barrage of rhetoric and misinformation about our complex and vital relationship with this part of the world. NOTE: Watch this 2019 film (1 hr 24 min) on your own, BEFORE THE EVENT. The panelists are the award-winning writer/director Michael Singh and Dr. Waleed Mahdi, assistant professor of US-Arab cultural politics at the University of Oklahoma and author of “Arab Americans in Film: From Hollywood and Egyptian Stereotypes to Self-Representation” (Syracuse University Press, 2020). The discussion will be moderated by Dr. Rosemarie Esber, author, historian and Fulbright Scholar to Saudi Arabia.  More information and registration here. 

Sunday, September 12, 2021. 03:00 PM.  Nicaragua Advances, Despite Attacks from Left and Right. In the run-up to Nicaragua’s November elections, prominent left-wing figures and others are criticizing Daniel Ortega’s government. Our September speakers will carefully examine claims of the critics. John Perry asks what these detractors are calling for, and how this squares with what Nicaraguans want and need. Becca Mohally Renk will discuss attacks on Nicaragua’s universal health care and its Covid response. Register for this Alliance for Global Justice webinar here. 

Sunday, September 12, 2021, 7:00 PM. North American Solidarity Activists Speak Out on US SANCTIONS ON AFRICA AND LATIN AMERICA.  Instead of reversing Trump’s unilateral coercive measures, Biden has extended them.  Hear: Ajamu Baraka (Black Alliance for Peace and UNAC Administrative Committee member), Omowale Clay (December 12^th Movement), Sara Flounders (International Action Center and UNAC Administrative Committee member), and Margaret Flowers, (Popular Resistance and UNAC Administrative Committee). Also, a major report on US unilateral sanctions will be launched.  Register here. 

Monday, September 13, 2021, 08:00 PM.  Ohio Poor People’s Movement Central Regional Meeting.  Register here. 

Tuesday, September 14, 2021, 1:00 PM.  Environmental Law and Policy Center Webinar: Climate Change and the Great Lakes with Dan Egan.  Please join us for a discussion with Dan Egan, two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, former Milwaukee Journal Sentinel journalist, and the author of “Death and Life of the Great Lakes”. Dan is currently a senior water policy fellow at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee’s School of Freshwater Sciences, and has covered the Great Lakes since 2003. Dan will discuss the impact climate change has on the Great Lakes and the ways in which we can restore them for the next generation. ELPC Executive Director Howard Learner will moderate.  Register here. 

Tuesday, September 14, 2021, 7:00 PM. From 9/11 to Today: What Have We Learned ? From Afghanistan to Guantanamo.  Following the attacks on 9/11 the Bush Administration opted for a “war on terrorism,” which has tragically continued until now. This important forum will draw on personal experiences to consider some overlooked consequences of that choice and implications for the present. Guest Speakers: Danny Sjursen is a retired US Army Major from Staten Island, who has served combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq and who has become a leading critic of the “forever wars.” Nancy Hollander is a distinguished criminal defense attorney, who has represented prisoners in Guantanamo and other politically persecuted individuals, including Chelsea Manning. Discussion: Where do we go from here?  Register here. 

Tuesday, September 14, 2021, 12:00 – 1:00 PM.  An Honest Education:  Talking About Race, Equity, and Inclusion in the Classroom.  Conversations about race, equity, and inclusion are not new to K-12 classrooms. From studying MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech to the analysis of works by poet Maya Angelou, these discussions have been necessary components in lessons on history, literature, and art for decades. Yet, in response to sudden outrage over Critical Race Theory, the Ohio state legislature has introduced two bills that ban “divisive concepts” – a broad definition that leaves much to interpretation and has put many routine classroom conversations in jeopardy. What will be at stake if these conversations are prohibited in schools? Why are honest conversations about race, equity, and inclusion important in K-12 education? Join the Cleveland City Club for a virtual conversation with local voices at the heart of the matter: John Adams, Department Chair for History, Cleveland School of Science and Medicine at John Hay High School; Melissa Cropper, President of the Ohio Federation of Teachers; Owen Ganor, Student at Rocky River High School; and Sarah Rintamaki, a parent of two children in the Westlake City Schools.  Register here. 

Tuesday, September 14, 2021, 12:00 PM. Ohio Environmental Council Training.  Advocacy 101: How a Bill Becomes a Law in Ohio.  Turning a bill into a law can be a complicated process. If you’re not a pro, understanding what’s happening with legislation at the Statehouse can feel overwhelming. It doesn’t have to be! Join us for Advocacy 101 where we’ll dive into the lawmaking process here in Ohio. We’ll share the basics on following legislation at the Statehouse, so you can feel empowered to get involved on the issues that are important to you. Register here. 

Tuesday, September 14, 2021, 5:30 PM. Clintonville Area Progressives.  We have reserved the open air shelter #1 at Whetstone for our September meeting. Our plan is to have a picnic with hot dogs, chips, and water provided. We are not asking you to provide food to share given the current situation with COVID. This event is in lieu of for our usual June Brunch. We have not been able to have this event since 2019 and look forward to a chance to get together. We will invite other clubs in central Ohio to join us to increase our impact on the local election.  We hope to have local office holders and candidates for local offices join us.  We ask that you RSVP to rshelly123@aol.com so we can be sure to have enough hot dogs, chips, and water for all of us…and so we don’t have to warehouse a lot of food.  Join us for fellowship and information…The best of worlds!

Wednesday, September 15, 2021, 7:00 PM.  Divest from War, Invest in Peace. The Real Costs & Lost Opportunities of War.  Part 2 of a 4 part series. The tragic end of the Afghanistan war provides ample evidence of the futility and wastes of war. Continuing to pour billions into military solutions instead of real human development and planetary health must be challenged. These four programs offer alternatives and actions we can take to redirect our commonwealth for the health and prosperity of people and the planet.With Lindsay Koshgarian, Program Director of the National Priorities Project of the Institute for Policy Studies. The National Priorities Project considers itself the “people’s guide to the federal budget.” Lindsay Koshgarian, NPP Program Director, will join us to share new research on the costs of national security since the 9/11 attacks. The figures are sure to grab attention and should help us assess the wisdom of pursuing endless war. Zoom link and more information here.

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

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BE THE CHANGE: READ OUR COMMUNITY CALENDAR

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Be the Change: Join Simply Living
Individual membership rates have been reduced to $25 Seniors, $20. Students only $10. Business memberships starting at $100 PLUS membership in the Ohio Sustainable Business Council.
Sign up online here or email HELLO@simplyliving.org

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