Explore this Localist Guide and Find Your Passion
- Environmental
Sustainability is achieved when
organizations conserve and protect natural resources and educate the public about
the benefits of healthy, resilient, pollution-free communities in the fight to
reverse global warming.
- Columbus Audubon Society offers EcoWeekend, Citizen Science programs,
and advocates conservation policies
columbusaudubon.org/
- Columbus Green Spot offers a variety of programs to go green
columbus.gov/greenspot/
- Drawdown EcoChallenge is a collaboration between Paul Hawken’s
Project to identify 100 best strategies to reverse global warming and the
Northwest Earth Institute’s EcoChallenge to drive individual climate actions.
drawdown.ecochallenge.org
- Environmental Professionals Network (EPN) organized by OSU’s School of
Environment and Natural Resources. Offers free and inexpensive educational
programs open to the central Ohio community
epn.osu.edu
- Green Columbus holds monthly Green Drinks events and their
annual Earth Day celebration offers the largest number of volunteer service
projects in the nation.
.greencbus.org
- OSU Climate Change Outreach Team is a partnership among OSU departments to help
localize the climate change issue by bringing related research and resources to
residents of Ohio.
changingclimate.osu.edu
- Simply Living offers community education for sustainable living
including monthly Meetups, Documentary Films + Local Solutions, courses on
sustainability topics, and info on community events.
simplyliving.org
- SWACO
(Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio) offers free household hazardous waste collection,
drop-off recycling centers, and a resource directory for recycling of e-waste,
compost, furniture, etc.
swaco.org
- Columbus Audubon Society offers EcoWeekend, Citizen Science programs,
and advocates conservation policies
Watershed Organizations
- Darby Creek Association darbycreekassociation.org/
- Friends of Alum Creek and Tributaries (FACT) friendsofalumcreek.org
- Friends of Big Walnut Creek facebook.com/fobwc/
- Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed (FLOW) olentangywatershed.org/
- Friends of the Ravines friendsoftheravines.org
- Olentangy Watershed Alliance olentangyriver.org
- Rivers Unlimited riversunlimited.org
- Wild Ones promotes biodiversity through landscaping with native plants
- for-wild.org/chapters/columbus/
- Political
Action can address climate policies through
direct action, lobbying, and by limiting the corruption of democracy by
corporate campaign contributions.
- Citizens Climate Lobby, Columbus Chapter lobbies Congressional representatives and
solicits community endorsements for legislation to tax carbon emissions and
return the revenues to every American household.
citizensclimatelobby.org/chapters/OH_Columbus/
- Columbus Community Bill of Rights petitions Columbus City Council to adopt a
charter amendment that guarantees clean air, pure water, and safe soil to all
residents. They advocate for local home rule to stop pollution from pipelines
and fossil fuel extraction.
columbusbillofrights.org
- Keep Wayne Wild is a campaign to protect Ohio’s only national
forest and stop the sale of oil and gas leases
keepwaynewild.com
- Move To Amend Central Ohio is the local affiliate of the national
campaign for a constitutional amendment that declares that corporations do not
have the rights of individual citizens and that money is not speech under the
first amendment.
movetoamend.org/oh-columbus
- Ohio Environmental Council advocates
for policies that secure clean air, land, and water.
theoec.org
- Yes We Can Columbus is a coalition organized to advocate for
working families by promoting a $15 minimum wage, the end of tax abatements to
attract corporate investment in high income neighborhoods, and strategies to
reduce the influence of money in our elections.
yeswecancolumbus.org
- Citizens Climate Lobby, Columbus Chapter lobbies Congressional representatives and
solicits community endorsements for legislation to tax carbon emissions and
return the revenues to every American household.
- Renewable
Energy Systems directly reduce
greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming.
- AEP Energy offers Eco-Advantage option to purchase 100% wind energy
- aepenergy.com/residential/renewable-energy/
- Columbus Municipal Power offers an EcoSmart Choice option to purchase 100% green energy
columbus.gov/GreenPower/- Columbus Smart City grant offers a variety of programs that support the transition to electric vehicles, installation of charging stations at local businesses and apartment buildings, driverless cars, and collaboration with COTA and universities to explore new transportation opportunities.
columbus.gov/smartcolumbus/home/
- Clintonville Energy Collaborative envisions a solar home on every street in the neighborhood
http://cec-freedom.org/
- Green Energy Ohio (GEO) offers individual memberships and its annual tour is the largest in the USA showcasing renewable energy installations.
- greenenergyoh.org
- Columbus Smart City grant offers a variety of programs that support the transition to electric vehicles, installation of charging stations at local businesses and apartment buildings, driverless cars, and collaboration with COTA and universities to explore new transportation opportunities.
- Ready for 100 is a project of the Sierra Club that is
advocating for a rapid transition to 100% clean energy with special focus on
cities and mayors.
sierraclub.org/ohio/central-ohio/readyfor100columbus- Clean Fuels Ohio offers individual memberships and hosts
electric vehicle demonstrations throughout central Ohio
https://www.cleanfuelsohio.org/
- Ohio Interfaith Power & Light works with congregations of all faith
traditions to “green” their building and their services by providing energy
audits and assistance in implementing their recommendations
ohipl.org
- Transit Columbus has developed petitions and campaigned to
encourage Columbus and COTA to consider transitioning to light rail, bus rapid
transit, and electric street cars options to avoid some of the problems
associated with our current car-centric freeway systems.
transitcolumbus.org
- Clean Fuels Ohio offers individual memberships and hosts
electric vehicle demonstrations throughout central Ohio
- Sustainable
Food Systems localize rural
and urban agriculture while lessening the negative impacts of the global
industrial food system on climate change.
- Franklin County Local Food Council works to strengthen local food system
fclocalfoodcouncil.org/
- Franklinton Farms: growing
food, creating food, building community
franklintonfarms.org/
- Growing to Green supports 250+ community gardens
fpconservatory.org/education-programs/outreach-programs/growing-to-green/
- Guide to Farmers Markets prepared annually by the editors of Columbus
Underground
columbusunderground.com
- Local Matters works to transform our broken food system
Local-Matters.org
- OEFFA
– the Ohio Ecological Food and Farming Association promotes organic food and
certifies organic farms
OEFFA.org
- Franklin County Local Food Council works to strengthen local food system
Contact Chuck@simplyliving.org is you would like copies of the Word or PDF version that can be duplicated as a 2-page handout. For more climate news and actions, visit