Embrace your inner change agent.. can one person fight climate change?

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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

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

  • 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
  • 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
  • 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

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

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