Hub Updates

On Sunday, June 13th from 5:30 - 7:30 PM, come join us for a virtual Good Jobs For All Teach-in! Learn more about the Green New Deal, how a jobs program could benefit our community, and what you can do to join the cause. Sign up here and bring your friends!

This movement runs on people power. Come help us grow! We’ll be spot canvassing on Sunday, June 6, connecting with the community and doing outreach for the Good Jobs for All Teach-In. Sign up for a shift or two here.

Want to join a growing community of Columbus climate activists? Come to our next Full Hub Meeting, Monday at 7pm!

Upcoming Events

Check out these other events in the community:

• Ready for 100 Clean Energy for All Ohio Conference - Friday to Saturday, June 25th - 26th. Hosted by the Ohio Chapter Sierra Club, the online conference is geared towards Ohio citizens and volunteers who want to get their city on board with 100% renewable energy.

• Youth for Appalachian Climate Justice Conference - Saturday, June 26th 9 AM - 6 PM. The Energizing Futures, Cultivating Change conference will have workshops on radical environmentalism and organizing skills facilitated by young organizers.

The Quick Takes

Columbus

Proposed Amtrak Routes Gain Traction

• Earlier this year, Amtrak released a map of potential new train routes nationwide, including a “three-c” corridor that would connect Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland, serving 15 million people. Columbus hasn’t had a passenger rail line since 1979, making it the second largest U.S. city without any rail service

• The expansion would be part of President Biden’s proposed $2 trillion dollar infrastructure package, with $80 billion to expand and upgrade Amtrak service

• The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission also proposed a Chicago-Columbus-Pittsburgh rail corridor, and assembled 30 letters of support from officials, including Mayor Ginther, the Columbus City Council, Senator Brown, and Representative Beatty. Mayors across Ohio expressed their desire to connect midwest cities, and emphasized the economic benefits the rail system would bring.

• During his term, former Governor John Kasich turned down $400 million in federal funds to build high-speed rail in Ohio. Governor DeWine has yet to comment on the proposed expansion

The Franklin County Housing Crisis

• A local advocacy group, Building Responsibility Equality and Dignity, or BREAD, staged a protest at the Columbus convention center last week, calling on Mayor Ginther, the city council, and the county commissioners to use federal stimulus money to build affordable housing in Franklin County

• The call for affordable housing comes as eviction cases pile up in Franklin County courts, despite a CDC moratorium aimed at preventing evictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. A year in, and many Columbus residents are still facing unemployment and economic insecurity

• As summer approaches evictions could prove deadly, as people who are housing insecure become increasingly vulnerable to heat-related illness. A new study finds 37% of heat-related deaths can be attributed to climate change.

• Last May, Central Ohio Housing Action Network (COHAN) formed in response to the reopening of the evictions court. COHAN “is an organization working to changing the realities of the housing crisis in Central Ohio” by helping tenants understand their rights in the face of evictions. Learn more about COHAN and sign up to volunteer on their Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram

• See the “Community Resources” section at the end of this newsletter for legal and financial housing resources.

Ohio

Bill would allow townships to block wind and solar power

• Senate Bill 52, which is expected to be taken up by an Ohio Senate Committee, would make it more difficult for wind and solar companies to apply for building projects, as a referendum can be forced on the project at a township level with as low as 8% of voters.

• This legislation does not affect fossil fuels and nuclear energy, both forms of energy that can be damaging to these same townships.

• Critics of Senate Bill 52 argue that it would hurt industry growth by forcing green energy jobs to neighboring states where it is easier for companies to make these kinds of investments and create a ‘de facto ban on utility-scale wind and solar’.

National

Activists demanding climate action win two Exxon board seats

• An activist investor, Engine No. 1, won at least two seats on Exxon Mobil’s 12-member board during their annual shareholder meeting. Engine No. 1, who owns just 0.02% stake in Exxon, has been fighting since December to demand the company diversify away from fossil fuels and reduce carbon emissions.

• The two seats were elected primarily because BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, supported Engine No, 1’s candidates. The election represents a shift towards fossil fuel companies being more accountable to their shareholders. Chevron shareholders recently voted for a proposal to reduce the emissions produced by the fuel they sell.

Dutch court rules Shell must do more to fight climate change

• A Dutch court has ruled that Shell must reduce its carbon emissions by 45% from 2019 levels by 2030. Shell had already set emissions reductions targets, however, the court called those “intangible, undefined and nonbinding plans.”

• While Shell is a multinational Dutch company, the ruling only applies to Shell’s emissions in the Netherlands. Some hope that this success will inspire similar legal action in other countries.

• About 1,375 lawsuits seeking climate change relief have been filed in U.S. courts. The pending lawsuits target other major fossil fuel companies including BP, Exxon, and Chevron.

Biden administration both defends and suspends major oil projects

• The Justice Department has defended a 30-year oil drilling project on the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska that would produce over 100,000 barrels of oil a day.

• The drilling has faced legal push-back from environment groups who note it is expected to harm fragile Arctic ecosystems and worsen ice melt. The Biden administration defended the Trump administration’s approval of the project, and the project is likely to go forward.

• Meanwhile, the Interior Department suspended oil and gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The Trump administration auctioned off drilling rights two weeks before President Biden’s inauguration, drawing major criticism as the refuge is home to migrating caribou, waterfowl, and polar bears.

• Indigenous residents in the area, including the Gwinch’in tribe, celebrated the decision as “protecting sacred lands and the Gwinch’in way of life”. The decision will likely face a legal battle.

Spotlight Topic

Redefining the Modern Political Prisoner

For 18 years, human rights attorney Steven Donziger represented 30,000 Ecuadorian farmers and indigenous people in a class action lawsuit against oil giant Chevron. The oil company Texaco dumped 16 billion gallons of cancerous oil and gas drilling waste into ancestral lands in the Lago Agrio region, resulting in poisoned water, decimated Amazon rainforests, negative health effects like respiratory conditions, and cultural upheaval. When Chevron bought Texaco, they assumed responsibility for the $8.6 billion dollar settlement ordered by an Ecuadorian court but refused to pay and moved their assets out of the country, claiming the decision was “illegitimate and unenforceable”.

In line with an internal memo from 2009 showing Chevron’s long term priority is to “demonize Donziger”, Chevron has conducted a drawn out legal assault against Donziger. The oil giant has hired private investigators to follow him, created a publication smearing him, and hired lawyers from 60 different firms to campaign against him. After convincing a judge to draw up racketeering charges they were able to disbar him, freeze his bank accounts, and strip him of his passport. “I’m like a corporate political prisoner”, Donziger concluded after facing his second juryless trial on American soil for refusing a request to hand over his cellphone and computer (something asked of few other attorneys). Donziger has been on house arrest awaiting trial for 20 months and counting. The trial is getting so bizarre Donziger declined to testify at his last hearing to focus on building a case for appellate court.

The Ecuadorian people haven't seen peace either. Over 900 abandoned waste pits continue to leak into the soil and groundwater and large plumes of black smoke from poorly-maintained gas flares pollute the region to this day. A foreseeable oil pipeline rupture in April of 2020 spilled an additional 15,800 barrels of crude oil in the already affected region, contaminating water, soil, plants, and wildlife all the way down to Peru. These waterways have been home to indigenous groups that rely upon them for drinking, bathing, and fishing. As Chevron continues to avoid their responsibility for a comprehensive environmental cleanup, thousands of rainforest inhabitants remain vulnerable to cancer and other impacts.

A Chevron environmental auditor (Fugro-McClelland) confirmed in 1992 that in Ecuador “[a]ll produced water from [Chevron’s] production facilities [is] eventually discharged to creeks and streams" and Chevron’s lead representative in Ecuador, Rodrigo Perez Pallares, admitted that the company dumped at least 16 billion gallons of the "produced water" into Amazon waterways. These “produced water” dumps and waste pits contain dangerous levels of oil contamination. With evidence also showing that Chevron never budgeted any funds for environmental clean-up and used sham labs to test their pollution levels, we are faced with the reality that Chevron knowingly created one of the largest and most destructive oil-related disasters of all time, violated Ecuadorian laws, and went against its own contractual obligations.

These attacks on the land have not only left indigenous communities wrought with pain - it affects us all. What Chevron hopes to get away with in their smear campaign is to keep Donziger and other environmental lawyers and activists quiet. They know the judgment won by Donziger and his peers creates precedent for holding corporations responsible for their environment destruction and violations of human rights.

The public must hold Chevron accountable. Contact your representatives and urge them to uphold justice and join 55 Nobel Laureates and more than 475 lawyers in demanding for the release of Donziger. Further, boycott Chevron and demand they compensate the residents of the rainforest who continue to live on poisoned land. Support organizations like Amazon Watch that campaign for banks to divest from oil deals in Ecuador.

As citizens of this planet it is our duty to sustain the land that we inhabit and to protect the people that labour for its resources. Through grassroots organizing and collective power we can ride the path to the end of fossil fuels and bring us into an age of renewable energy. Donziger is Chevron's public relation nightmare because he and his team spoke the truth of his clients, and the sustainability of the Earth and its people.

Community Resources

Housing Resources:

• IMPACT Community Assistance provides emergency assistance in Franklin County for transportation, furniture, rental, mortgage, home utility assistance, bereavement, and expungement. See their website for full details on which households qualify or call 614-252-2799 for an appointment.

• Families with at least one minor child or a pregnant woman living in their home and who are at or below 165% of the poverty level also qualify for PRC Emergency Assistance.

• The Legal Aid Society of Columbus provides representation and advice for tenants.

Further Readings

• Engineering and Technology - 'How a company got away after committing the worst oil spill in history'

• Aljazeera - 'An oil spill in the time of coronavirus'

• The Atlantic - 'Wall Street's Skirmish with Exxon is 'Monumental''

• The Intercept - 'Corporate subsidy quietly dies in Texas - topping off a bad week for big oil'

Hub Updates

On Sunday, May 16th we hosted a successful hub retreat where we celebrated successes, set goals for the upcoming year, and built community around food and activities.

Hub members also participated in a Wide Awake on Saturday, May 15th outside OSU President Johnson's house to protest the construction of a gas plant on the university campus and showed up in solidarity with Palestine at a protest on Friday, May 14th.

Upcoming Events

Want to get more involved? Join our next weekly full hub meeting to take action for climate justice.

On Sunday, June 13th from 5:30 - 7:30 PM, come join us for a virtual Good Jobs For All Teach-in! Learn more about the Green New Deal, how a jobs program could benefit our community, and what you can do to join the cause. Sign up here and bring your friends!

We also encourage you to check out these upcoming community events:

• Palestinian Liberation is a Racial Justice Issue Webinar - Thursday May 20th, 8 PM.

• Free Palestine Columbus Protest - Friday May 21st, 6:30 PM at Goodale Park.

The Quick Takes

Columbus

ProEnergy Ohio “green energy” initiative would be bad for Columbus

• ProEnergy Ohio LLC’s proposed ballot initiative would move $87 million in city funding to so-called green energy programs. The Sierra Club, the Ohio Environmental Council, and other environmental orgs have come out against the measure, as it would place millions of public dollars in the hands of a private company with no oversight.

• Last Fall, the Columbus City Council rejected a petition from ProEnergy Ohio to place the initiative on the ballot, a decision that the Ohio Supreme Court has now ruled against. Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein says that Columbus now has only two choices: adopt the initiative outright or put the initiative on the ballot this fall.

• Behind ProEnergy Ohio is Columbus resident John Clarke, who was indicted on felony charges in December for “filing false campaign finance reports in 2019”.

• The city council stated that the ordinance would cause “irreparable harm to the city’s budget,” and Mayor Ginther promised there would be a public outreach campaign to advise voters against the measure.

Ohio

House passes bill preventing localities from limiting use of natural gas

• The Ohio House of Representatives passed House Bill 201, which would prevent local governments from limiting the use of natural gas or propane.

• Natural gas is a fossil fuel that releases CO2 into the atmosphere and contributes to climate change, although it is falsely marketed as a “clean” energy source. Methane is also leaked in large quantities during the extraction and transport of natural gas, which adds to its environmental harm.

• A report from Australia’s Climate Council finds that the health impact of a gas cooktop in your home is roughly equivalent to living with a smoker, and accounts for 12% of childhood asthma. This is why the gas industry is pushing bills in at least 14 US states to prevent local governments from restricting the use of gas, especially as safe, non-gas heat pumps, water heaters, and induction cooktops are now widely available and cheap.

• The bill passed with bipartisan support (64-32) and now heads to the Senate for consideration.

Ohio Republicans introduce voting restrictions to the House

• House Bill 294, introduced in the Ohio House, calls for a dozen changes to current voting protocols which include: prohibiting placement of ballot drop boxes anywhere but at a local elections office, eliminating a day of early voting, shortening the window for requesting mail-in ballots, and tightening voter ID requirements.

• House Democrats have criticized the bill as disenfranchising voters of color, and have said it will “unquestionably (create) voter hurdles”.

• The effort by Ohio Republicans is part of a national movement among Republican state legislators to revise state election laws in the wake of the 2020 election.

National

Executive order establishes Climate Change Support Office

• On May 7th, the Biden administration signed an executive order establishing the Climate Change Support Office, a temporary office at the Department of State to help better integrate climate crisis policy into United States foreign policy.

• This move is part of a broader campaign from the Biden administration to fulfill a campaign promise to elevate climate change policy to the cabinet level.

• The CCSO will serve an integral role in navigating the climate crisis at an international level, a crisis that will require successful communication of policy with the entire world.

Biden visits plant where Ford reveals new electric F-150 truck

• On Tuesday, May 18th, Ford revealed their model of an electrified F-150 truck during President Biden’s visit to its Michigan plant where it manufactures electric vehicles.

• In a speech at the plant, Biden touted his 2 trillion dollar infrastructure bill, which allocates 174 billion to spur the development and adoption of electric vehicles, an important step in the right direction.

• Critics argue that the money would be better spent on providing sustainable transit, such as high-speed rail and electrified busing, which would help address the simultaneous issue of lack of transportation for all.

Biden Administration repeals regulation curbing E.P.A.’s Power

• The Biden Administration repealed a Trump-era regulation designed to change how the E.P.A. calculated the economic costs and benefits of climate change rules

• The regulation, championed by the fossil fuel industry, helped industries legally block the E.P.A. over future air pollution rules and aimed to prevent future administrations from improving restrictions on toxic mercury pollution from power plants

• By repealing the regulation, the E.P.A. is able to use the best available science to develop clean air regulations and properly comply with clean air laws. Environmental activists have praised the move.

Spotlight Topic

No Meat, No Problem: Veganism and the Environment

Do you ever think about pollution when you eat a burger, drink a milkshake, or scramble some eggs? It’s something you may want to consider; the meat and agriculture industry are extremely harmful to our environment, our health, and our futures. Globally, the meat industry produces more greenhouse gas emissions than any other sector, including transportation. America and the standard American diet contribute to this in a massive way. Between 1961 and 2014, meat consumption around the globe nearly doubled, from 50 pounds per person each year to 95 pounds. But in America, roughly 133 pounds of meat is consumed per person annually.

Pollution from the agricultural industry affects us in three major ways: air pollution, water pollution, and land use. Only 1.2% of Earth’s water is freshwater accessible to humans. The agricultural industry is the single largest water user, accounting for 69% of global freshwater (over 40% of this is specifically used for livestock production). To put things in perspective, it takes 1,850 gallons to produce just one pound of beef compared to 31 gallons of water to produce one pound of potatoes.

Over two billion people do not have access to fresh drinking water. In the United States, over two million people lack access to safe, reliable drinking water despite being near one of the largest sources of natural freshwater in the world. Freshwater has become a global scarcity. While livestock production is not solely to blame for this problem, its contribution is undeniably harmful.

The primary source of air and water pollution from the agricultural industry is livestock waste. In the United States, livestock contributes thirteen times more excretory waste than the entire human population. While we have sewage systems and waste treatment facilities, livestock manure is simply spread out on untreated land. This “system” leads to toxic runoff into our freshwater sources. Along with polluting our limited freshwater supply, animal waste also pollutes our air. Air emissions from livestock operations make up 14.5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Remarkably, the top three meat companies in the world have a carbon footprint the same size as France.

With continually growing animal agriculture production, even more land is needed to raise livestock. This leads us to the final culprit in the trifecta of environmental devastation; Animal agriculture is the leading cause of deforestation. As greenhouse gas emissions grow, we are simultaneously destroying one of the only natural solutions, depleting our forests that serve as carbon sinks. Cattle ranching alone accounts for 75% of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest.

How does all of this impact Ohio? Let's start with water. The Great Lakes account for 84% of the freshwater supply in North America. Over the past several years, Lake Erie has experienced toxic algae blooms, fueled by water pollution from factory farms, specifically manure and its unregulated waste management system. These algae blooms are detrimental to our supply of freshwater and they often leave areas like Toledo without access to safe and reliable drinking water for days. Recent research suggests these toxins can go airborne, raising questions about the health effects for Great Lakes residents.

Air quality is also a major concern for Ohioans as we have one of the highest asthma rates in the country. Over 11% of Ohio adults suffer from asthma, ranking us number 6 in the country. Emissions from factory farms lead to decreased air quality, which will only further increase our asthma rates.

The environmental solution is simple: go vegan. Veganism is becoming more attainable everyday, especially if you live in or near a city. There are vegan alternatives for nearly everything; hamburgers, parmesan cheese, milk, even fried chicken. Columbus is extremely vegan friendly with an abundance of vegan restaurants and vegan protein alternatives in every grocery store. If veganism seems impossible, try cutting back your meat and dairy consumption in small steps. Reducing your meat and dairy intake from everyday to just a few times a week can still have a huge impact. This impact isn’t just environmental - vegan diets have also been linked to improved heart and gut health.

If you’re thinking, I’m just one person, how do my eating habits improve anything? For starters, you’re not alone. Veganism has become a major national and global movement. Milk consumption has decreased by 13% over the past decade, putting dairy companies like Dean Foods out of business. While we should demand for more regulations to limit pollution and deforestation, we can't rely on this when the meat and dairy industry is lobbying our elected officials and paying for their re-election campaigns. It's simple economics; by stopping (or limiting) our consumption of meat and dairy products, we are decreasing demand which prompts a decreasing supply and less livestock pollution. You can increase this impact by encouraging your friends and family to do the same. So before your next cookout, consider grilling some meat alternatives, like Beyond and Impossible burgers. They’re both delicious and environmentally friendly.

Community Resources

• Caring Veg Community - A local nonprofit organization striving to make veganism fun, friendly, and accessible. They offer free classes and presentations on veganism and do so much for the Columbus community.

Further Readings

• Vox - “More natural gas isn’t a “middle ground” — it’s a climate disaster”

• Poisoned Waters - PBS Series

• The Effects of Vegetarian and Vegan Diets on Gut Microbiota

• Vegans report less stress and anxiety than omnivores

• HappyCow - The ultimate vegan/vegetarian restaurant navigator

Hub Updates

Want to get more involved? Join our next weekly full hub meeting

If you’re already a member of Sunrise Columbus, make sure to come to our Spring Retreat on May 16th. We’ll be reflecting on our accomplishments and setting goals for the rest of the year.

We also encourage you to check out these events:

• Defend Our Right To Protest - May 6th at 6PM. Virtually write testimony against House Bill 109, the “anti-protester bill” that makes peaceful assembly and protest a felony in the state of Ohio.

• Healing in the Face of Asian Hate - May 6th at 7PM. A collaborative Inhale/Exhale session open to progressive organizers and activists of all genders who identify as AAPI.

• Defund Line 3 Global Day of Action - May 7th

• We Keep Us Safe: Prison Abolition and Transformative Justice - May 7th, from 6 - 7:30 PM

• Red Black and Green New Deal Climate Summit - May 11th from 6 - 8PM

The Quick Takes

Columbus

Content Warnings: police brutality, child death, racism

Police kill 16 year-old Ma'Khia Bryant

• On April 20th, less than one hour before a jury found Derek Chauvin guilty of three charges of murder in the killing of George Floyd, a police officer shot and killed 16 year-old Ma’Khia Bryant. Ma’Khia originally called 911 and attempted to defend herself from a perceived threat.

• Her murder resulted in sustained protests and calls for Columbus to defund its police, a position the City Council has backtracked on.

Yenkin-Majestic paint plant explosion

• At approximately midnight on April 7th, the Yenkin-Majestic Paint Plant in Near East Side exploded, killing one and injuring eight.

• According to federal records, the building has a history of workplace safety violations, including a 2011 incident where a forklift operator was killed.

• Columbus Stand Up! Has released an open letter, in conjunction with other local organizations demanding answers about the plant explosion. The explosion released ash and debris over homes in the predominantly Black neighborhood and the long-term environmental and health effects on residents is still unknown. You can find the letter here.

See our Spotlight section for more discussion on these recent events.

Ohio

Anti-protest bills

• The Ohio Legislature has drafted several bills to increase penalties for protests, in response to BLM protests last summer. Despite the peaceful nature of the vast majority of protests, legislators argue these bills protect against violence and property damage.

• Several similar bills have passed in other states and they contain language similar to anti-terrorism legislation passed in the wake of 9/11. As with anti-terrorism legislation, the passage of anti-protest bills can be expected to further oppress minorities and legalize police violence against citizens.

• These anti-protest bills have major implications for the future of environmental protests in Ohio. On January 11, 2021, Gov. DeWine already passed Senate Bill 33, which criminalized pipeline protests. The bill was lobbied by fossil fuel companies.

• Attend Defend Our Right To Protest on May 6th at 6PM to virtually write testimony against these "anti-protester bills".

Ohio Climate Justice Fund

• The new Ohio Climate Justice Fund seeks to fund $15,000-$30,000 grants to BIPOC environmental organizations in Ohio working on climate action and racial justice.

• The fund is supported by many Ohioan environmental groups, as well several regional Chambers of Commerce (Toledo, Paulding, Colerain).

National

Biden's new climate pledge

• President Biden set a new climate pledge of 50% reduction in greenhouse-gas emissions by 2030.

• The exact plan is still an open question, but studies show success would require efforts such as shutting down all coal-power and increasing renewable electricity; 100% electric buildings; 65% of new vehicle sales being electric; expanding land protections to capture carbon.

• Challenges are numerous: backlash by Congress or courts; avoiding economic harm like job losses or energy price spikes; a future president dismantling Biden’s regulations.

• Ultimately, this new pledge is ambitious and promising, but success will require radical societal transformation and encounter numerous political obstacles.

U.S. encouraged to provide aid as India faces COVID crisis

• Experts are encouraging the U.S. to send their AstraZeneca vaccine stock to India as India’s COVID-deaths reach devastating highs and supplies run low. AstraZeneca has not been granted Emergency Use by the FDA and cannot yet be administered in the country, however the U.S. currently has a massive vaccine stockpile and could have 50 million more doses available in May and June.

• India’s COVID deaths surpass 200,000 and supplies like oxygen are critically low. Many hospitals are turning away the sick as health systems are overwhelmed by cases. Donations to orgs like Khalsa Aid can help supply oxygen concentrators and other vital medical supplies.

• The U.S. and many other Western countries have blocked proposals to the World Trade Organization (WTO) by over 100 countries to temporarily waive intellectual property rights of pharmaceutical companies and allow developing countries like India and South Africa to produce COVID vaccines

• Currently, poorer nations, which account for 80% of the world’s population, have access to less than ⅓ of available vaccines because of advanced orders placed by wealthy countries. India’s vaccinated population is currently around 2%.

• Greta Thunberg has said she will not attend the UN climate conference planned for Glasgow in November due to vaccine distribution inequalities, which will likely prevent low-income countries from attending

• The participation of low-income countries in climate conferences is crucial, as these countries are the most vulnerable to catastrophic consequences of climate change and have been instrumental in pushing discussions for more ambitious climate targets

Senate reinstates methane regulations

• The Senate voted on 4/28 to restore an Obama methane rule which imposes federal limits on methane leaks from wells and requires companies to be responsible for leaks from new drilling sites. The House is expected to vote on the resolution in the coming weeks.

• Methane is a climate-warming pollutant and is the second most abundant greenhouse gas.

EPA regulation will limit hydrofluorocarbons

• The EPA has announced a new regulation which would limit hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) production and imports in the U.S. by 85% over the next 15 years. Hydrofluorocarbons are a powerful greenhouse gas used in fridges, air conditioners, and insulation which contribute to climate warming.

• The economic benefits of phasing out HFCs are expected to be $280 billion over the next three decades. The regulation also aligns the U.S. with more than 150 other countries that have agreed to move away from HFCs.

Spotlight Topic

Climate, Police Brutality, and Institutional Violence

Content Warnings: police brutality, child death, racism

On Tuesday, April 20th, Ma’Khia Bryant was shot and killed by a Columbus police officer outside her home on Legion Lane. The 16-year-old was killed 20 minutes before the guilty verdict was announced in the trial of Derek Chauvin. Ma’Khia Bryant had called the police for help.

Since the killing of Ma’Khia Bryant, protesters have taken to the streets in Columbus. Hundreds of Ohio State students took over the Ohio Union building to protest the university’s relationship with the CPD and the CPD’s double standard of protecting white students while intimidating Black students. Protestors have gathered at the Ohio Statehouse, Goodale Park, CPD headquarters, and across Columbus to uplift Ma’Khia Bryant’s life and demand justice.

Demands for police accountability in Columbus are not new, and neither is police violence. According to the online data tool Mapping Police Violence, the CPD kills people at a higher rate than 78 of the 100 largest US city police departments. A staggering 83% of those killed by the CPD are Black, despite Black people making up just 28% of the city population. And since 2013, the CPD has killed more children than any other police department in the country, except the Chicago PD.

After a summer of protests in 2020 met by curfews, tanks, rubber bullets, and tear gas, over 900 testimonies were written to the Columbus City Council, the vast majority of which supported the demilitarization of the CPD. In the fall, Columbus City Council proposed “restrictions on the police department's use of military equipment and non-lethal weapons like tear gas;” however, City Council President Shannon Hardin and four other members quickly decided to table the proposal. After the CPD released a dashboard of police reforms “designed to promote transparency,” a Matter News analysis found that the CPD falsely over-stated its progress. Matter News even found that Former police chief Thomas Quinlan “stalled police reforms he opposed.”

Empty promises, weak reforms, and misreporting hinder reform and continue to encourage racist police violence in Columbus. In December of 2020, Columbus Police officers killed two Black men, Casey Goodson Jr. and Andre Hill. After the murder of Ma’Khia Bryant, Columbus Police Officers yelled Blue Lives Matter at onlookers.

This is not about a few bad apples, or a lack of training, or the need for better body cameras, as Mayor Ginther proposed. The Columbus Police Department is an appendage of systemic racism, an institution that does not protect Black lives and upholds white supremacy.

On April 7th, A few weeks before Ma’Khia Bryant was murdered by police, the Yenkin-Majestic paint plant on the east side of Columbus caught fire and exploded. The explosion could be felt throughout the neighborhood, shaking buildings and shattering nearby windows. One person was killed and eight injured, and the explosion released toxins from the paint plant into the surrounding area.

The Yenkin-Majestic plant explosion appears cut and dry: an unfortunate and unforeseeable accident with tragic consequences. But the plant explosion is political, too. The paint plant, built in a predominantly Black neighborhood in Columbus, had a decades long history of health and environmental infractions. On April 19th, a coalition of Central Ohio organizations delivered a letter to local elected officials demanding a survey on the environmental and health impacts of the explosion. As the letter states, “The long-term effects on the water and soil in this predominantly Black neighborhood are still unknown.”

The Yenkin-Majestic explosion is an example of environmental racism, a form of systemic racism “whereby communities of colour are disproportionately burdened” with the impacts of environmental degradation. Through racist policies, communities of color are more likely to live near toxic waste sites, have unsafe drinking water, and be exposed to more pollution from nearly every source. While wealthy countries continue to profit off of the extractive industries causing climate change, people of color and poor people around the world bear the burden of its effects.

Environmental racism is not new to Columbus, and is intertwined with the historical and deliberate racial and economic segregation that shaped the city. An in-depth report by The Dispatch chronicled how the construction of highways such as I-70 “destroyed large parts of the predominantly Black Near East Side” while leaving white areas such as Bexley unscathed. Earlier this month, the Health Policy Institute of Ohio announced that residents of the Franklinton neighborhood have the lowest life expectancy in the state of Ohio.

Opponents of police reform argue that police killings are singular, random events; however, it is crucial to understand police violence as part of the same system that builds highways through Black neighborhoods and toxic plants in communities of color. Another way to understand this is to look at the numbers: in 2021, police funding remains the largest expense of the Columbus city budget at nearly $337 million, with an additional $17 million hidden in other spending categories. Money that could be invested in schools, parks, and community programs instead funds a militarized police force and helicopter joyrides. And it’s not just that the CPD takes potential funding away from communities; a new study “documents how the fossil fuel industry finances police groups in major U.S. cities while polluting majority Black and brown communities.” When the same corporations that pollute our planet and our communities are pouring money into police forces, one has to wonder who the police are meant to serve.

Racist police violence and climate degradation are two sides of the same coin: an economic system that extracts from communities of color in the service of capital. Accountability or transparency from the CPD is not enough. The Movement for Black Lives calls for “investments in Black communities, determined by Black communities, and divestment from exploitative forces including prisons, fossil fuels, police, surveillance and exploitative corporations.” Locally, the Black, Queer, & Intersectional Collective (BQIC) released a list of 10 demands in light of the murder of Ma’Khia Bryant, including “the immediate defunding and divesting from Columbus Police Department by 50%.” For white allies and those of us in the environmental movement, it is our job to follow the leadership of local organizations like BQIC, to uplift their demands, and to recognize that climate justice also calls for the abolition of the police. Climate justice and abolition contain the same vision: divesting from violent institutions, such as policing and the fossil fuel industry, and investing in the services that build thriving, sustainable communities.

Community Resources

Policing Alternatives in Columbus

• Don’t Call the Police, is an online directory of community-based alternatives to calling 911 and the Columbus, and other central Ohio, police departments. Don’t Call the Police includes resources for situations involving housing, mental health, domestic violence and sexual assault, LGBTQ+, crime (coming soon), substances, youth and elders.

Racial Justice Orgs in Columbus

• Black Queer Intersectional Collective - a grassroots community org working for the liberation of Black LGBTQIA+ folks thru direct action, community organizing, & creating spaces. Instagram handle: @BQIC.Ohio

• Showing Up for Racial Justice - Organizing white people to take action to fight white supremacy in Columbus, Ohio. Instagram handle: @SURJColumbusOh

• Matter News - a nonprofit news organization to empower people to be informed community members through innovative, investigative journalism covering the most pressing issues affecting central Ohio. Instagram handle: @MatterNews_

• People’s Justice Project - Organizes the Black working class and oppressed people leading the struggle against institutions that oppress or occupy our communities. Instagram handle: @PeoplesJustice

• Central Ohio Freedom Fund - a community bail fund, centered in black liberation and freedom. Instagram handle: @CentralOhFreedomFund

• Columbus Can’t Wait Podcast - Conversations around local politics in Columbus, Ohio hosted by Tareya and EhKees. Instagram handle @ColumbusCantWait

• Black Liberation Movement Central Ohio - a grassroots, multicultural organization fighting for liberation, equality, justice, and empowerment for Black and Brown people in the United States and abroad, to end systemic racism, and to encourage anti-racist action.

Further Readings

Tiraj Lucas - Piece by Piece

Hanif Abdurraqib - When it happens where you live

Scott Woods - Policing is the Problem, The Other Columbus: …………

Columbus Underground - Local Abolitionists and Academics Weigh in on Defunding the Police

Mariame Kaba - Yes, We Mean Literally Abolish the Police, Summer Heat

Derecka Purnell - What does Police Abolition Mean?

Matt Guariglia & Charlotte Rosen - Histories Of Police, Policing, And Police Unions In The United States

NYT - 'Biden Wants to Slash Emissions. Success Would Mean a Very Different America'

Médecins Sans Frontières - WTO COVID-19 TRIPS waiver proposal: Myths, realities and an opportunity for governments to protect access to lifesaving medical tools in a pandemic

BBC - 'Why India’s Covid crisis matters to the whole world'

The Appeal - 'Cops, Climate, Covid: Why there is only one crisis'

Hub Updates

Sunrise hubs across Ohio helped deliver 100+ letters to Senator Sherrod Brown demanding expanded public transit funding! See the full story from The Chronicle.

On Sunday 4/18 the Sunrise Columbus Hub received the Momentum Award from Simply Living for their momentum in the sustainability movement.

The Quick Takes

Columbus

Columbus City Council retirements

• Who is retiring? Council-member Brown has announced retirement in December, the second city council retirement in two weeks, after council member Tyson. Their retirements come after the deadline to qualify for the November election ballot, leaving the decision for replacement candidates in the hands of a five-member nominating commission.

• An undemocratic process: With no democrat primary for the chair, this nomination process tends towards an undemocratic system of favoritism and rewarding colleagues. Similar criticisms have been made by progressives who have previously campaigned for city council positions, who claim that the process is rigged, and that the elections are not free and fair. Since 1998, only two council members have initially won their seat through an election rather than through Council appointment

• Democracy and the environment: A fully democratic election process is critical because a green and sustainable Columbus cannot be achieved unless candidates are chosen by and represent the people. Click here for further reading on Council-member Brown’s retirement.

Ohio

House Bill 6 (HB6) corruption and repeal efforts

• What is HB6? House Bill 6 was passed in 2019 and is now the center of a federal bribery investigation. HB6, led by Previous House Speaker Larry Householder, bailed out two Ohio nuclear power plants using customer-funded subsidies and hijacked Ohio’s renewable energy efforts.

• Repeal efforts: On March 31st, Governor Dewine signed HB128, serving as a partial repeal of HB6. In response, FirstEnergy, one of the utility companies implicated in the bribery scheme, announced they will refund around $26 million to consumers for charges it collected through a function of HB6. Two proposed Ohio Senate bills, SB10 and SB44, would further repeal and revise sections of HB6. Both of these bills are likely to be signed into law.

• Effects of HB6: A recent study by Ohio Energy Waste Reduction found that HB6 will likely cost Ohioans more than $2 billion in excess utility bills and more than $7 billion in health care costs (stemming from pollution) from 2021-2030.

Environmental bills in the Ohio Legislature

• House Bill 175: HB175 would deregulate certain ephemeral water features under various water pollution control laws. Ephemeral waters are streams, wetlands, ponds, and other waters that don’t have water year round and mainly exist after precipitation, like rain or snow. Some scientists have argued that removing protection from ephemeral streams is dangerous for water quality. The status of HB175 is “as introduced.”

• Senate Bill 32: SB32 would require the Director of Transportation to establish an electric vehicle charging station grant rebate program. Many states have similar programs which incentivize electric vehicles by providing tax credits, rebates and grants to consumers. Under current Ohio laws, electric and hybrid car owners pay higher fees than gas car owners. This bill is currently in the senate committee.

What electrifying Ohio buildings will do for the environment

According to a new study, Ohio ranks 5th in the nation for potential reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and gas usage as a result of building electrification. The report shows that by 2050, going all-electric in our state’s buildings would cut emissions by 13.9 million metric tons (equivalent to 15 million pounds of coal burned), improve public health, and fight climate change.

Dispute over Indigenous historical site heads to Ohio Supreme Court

Historians hope to preserve ancient Indigenous mounds in Newark, Ohio, known as the Octagon Earthworks, but efforts to recognize the land as a UNESCO World Heritage site are currently blocked by the golf club currently leasing the land. The Ohio Supreme Court will now consider whether a historical nonprofit has the right to buy out the remainder of the lease and open the earthworks to full public access, which would be crucial to gaining World Heritage recognition and showcase the astronomical and geometric sophistication of the Hopewell people who built the mounds.

National

Biden’s Infrastructure Bill

• A promising start: President Biden unveiled a $2 trillion infrastructure bill, a "once-in-a-generation investment" that aims to improve national infrastructure and shift to greener energy. The proposed bill demonstrates clear concern for the climate crisis and represents a shift in the national conversation on climate change, thanks in large part to Sunrise Movement’s activism over the past four years. The definition of “infrastructure” includes aspects like worker training and funding for broadband, showing the government acknowledges the relationship between the environment, jobs, and justice. The bill would be paid for by corporate tax increases.

• Will it be enough? Progressive activists and legislators agree that while moving in the right direction, the plan does not invest nearly enough money to restructure the economy and fully address the climate crisis. In addition, strong opposition from Republicans and centrist Democrats makes it likely President Biden will compromise the size and breadth of the bill.

Democrats introduce the THRIVE Act

• What is the THRIVE Act? Progressive democrats introduced the THRIVE Act (Transform, Heal, and Renew by Investing in a Vibrant Economy) to push for a bolder vision for economic and environmental recovery.

• The act would invest $10 trillion over the next 10 years, enough to “create and sustain more than 15 million jobs in the United States while cutting climate pollution in half,” It would slash carbon emissions, expand public transportation, and allot 50% of its budget to low-income communities and communities of color “that have borne the brunt of the fossil-fuel economy’s cruelties”.

• Who is behind the act? The act is the brainchild of the Green New Deal Network, a national coalition of organizations committed to addressing the intersecting crises of climate change. Lead sponsors of the bill such as Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Debbie Dingell see COVID-19 recovery as an opportunity to address pre-existing inequalities, such as economic inequality and structural racism, that make crises like pandemics and climate change deadlier for vulnerable populations.

Spotlight Topic

Individual vs. Collective Action

When it comes to addressing climate change, a false dichotomy is often made between individual action and collective action. However, while activists and economists often praise one over the other, individual action and collective action are closely interlinked, and using one can help us address the limitations of the other.

What is individual and collective action?

Individual action emphasizes personal choices one person can make to reduce their environmental impact. Examples include eating less meat, flying less, biking and walking instead of driving to work, and buying locally-grown produce. Advocates consider individual action crucial for living out environmental values and doing one’s part to mitigate climate change. For some, policy changes and broader organizing is seen as a tedious, slow process that is difficult to implement.

Collective action refers to actions taken by large groups of people, often to influence government and corporate policies. Examples include petitioning banks and universities to divest money from fossil fuels, campaigning for plastic bag bans in cities and states, and pushing for a federal Green New Deal. Proponents of collective action often consider individual action insufficient to sustain meaningful impact against climate change, and some argue the focus on lifestyle changes can actually distract people from voting for meaningful climate change policy.

Limitations of individual action

Individual action alone is not enough to drive meaningful reductions in the CO2 emissions that contribute to climate change. COVID-shut downs showed that even with dramatic worldwide drops in transportation, flights, and consumption as individuals largely stayed at home, emissions of carbon dioxide dropped by only 6.4%. Emphasis on individual action is also well-documented to be driven by corporate PR. Multinational conglomerates avoid taking responsibility for their climate damage by shifting the blame to consumers. For example, The Coca-Cola Company funds advertisements promoting recycling while squashing policies like bottle bills that would boost recycling rates by putting some of the responsibility and cost of recycling on the companies that produce the waste. Oil giant British Petroleum first popularized the term "carbon footprint", which encouraged individuals to offset their personal carbon emissions through lifestyle changes even as it spilled 4 million barrels of oil in the Gulf of Mexico and paid $8.8 billion in natural resource damages.

Limitations of collective action

Collective action is often difficult to put into practice because of two concepts: the tragedy of the commons and the free rider problem.

The “tragedy of the commons” explains that individuals often act in their own interests, even though everyone acting in their own interest leaves society worse off as a whole. For example, people want to cut down trees to produce palm oil because it is economically profitable in the short-run, but palm oil production hurts biodiversity, releases massive amounts of carbon into the atmosphere, leads to soil erosion, and creates pollution. The negative long-term effects of palm oil production on society and the earth ends up heavily outweighing the benefits a few individuals received.

The “free rider problem” explains that because climate and the environment affects everyone and is not limited to one region or person, efforts to reduce emissions benefit people even if they did not do any work to contribute. For example, one neighborhood organizes a cleanup of a nearby riverbank, reducing water pollution in the river. Because the river spans many miles, people in other neighborhoods downstream also benefit from the cleaner water, and are less incentivized to organize their own river clean-up.

How collective action makes individual action easier

Collective action driving policy changes makes environmentally-friendly lifestyle changes easier for individuals and addresses the root issues driving high-carbon lifestyles. Organizations like Beyond Plastics helps build local and state campaigns to eliminate plastic bags, polystyrene foam, and straws and campaigns for companies like Amazon to end single-use plastic packaging. This makes plastic alternatives more widely available and holds the companies producing waste responsible. For example, in states and cities that have banned plastic bags or straws, reusable cloth bags, bamboo or metal straws, and compostable take-out containers are far more accessible to consumers. Electric vehicle incentives, which can include financial incentives for purchasing electric cars and expanding electric charging stations, make it cheaper for an individual to buy and maintain an electric car while also incentivizing car manufacturers to transition from the production of gas-vehicles.

How individual action multiplies and influences collective action

One lifestyle change can influence others to do the same, and also encourage broader participation in collective projects. Behavioral contagion, which means people are inclined to copy what others around them do, is the mechanism that multiplies the impact of one environmentally-friendly choice by encouraging those around you to do the same. People are more likely to purchase an electric vehicle if their neighbor purchases one, and houses are far more likely to install solar panels if neighboring houses have solar panels.

Individual choices and behavioral contagion can also encourage an individual or community to identify as environmentally-conscious, which can incentivize participation in broader climate actions. Studies looking at why people participate in neighborhood climate initiatives found that social identity and “perceived participation norm”, or the idea that “everyone else is doing it, so I should too”, are consistent reasons for participation.

Conclusion

Individual action and collective action are two sides of the same coin. Instead of arguing whether individual or collective action is better, we should recognize that both motivate each other and can help make up for the other’s limitations. There will be no single “right” way to fight the climate crisis, and we will need both perspectives to move forward to a brighter climate future.

Community Resources

COVID-19 vaccinations are now available to all Ohioans 16 years and older. Vaccinations are FREE and available to all Americans regardless of insurance or immigration status. See ProPublica for things that should not prevent you from accessing the vaccine.

To book an appointment, click here or call 1-833-427-5634. You can also schedule an appointment on many vaccine provider websites. See the full list of COVID-19 Vaccine Provider Locations.

Need a ride? Columbus Stand Up! has partnered with COTA to provide rides to people who need them. They are also in need of volunteers. Sign up here.

Further Readings

The Conversation - 'To address the climate crisis, we need more democracy, not less'

Grist - 'Ohio’s utility bribery scandal could cost the public billions more than previously thought'

Farm and Dairy - 'Ohio bill seeks to deregulate state’s ephemeral waters'

Environment Ohio - 'Ohio places in top-10 nationwide when it comes to ability to cut fossil fuels-harms in homes and offices'

NextGen Climate America and PSE Health Energy - 'Our Air: Health And Equity Impacts Of Ohio’s Power Plants'

The Conversation - 'Carbon footprints are hard to understand - here’s what you need to know'

UC Davis CLEAR Center - 'Big oil distracts from their carbon footprint by tricking you to focus on yours'

Nature - 'COVID curbed carbon emissions in 2020 - but not by much'

Yale Environment 360 - 'The Plastics Pipeline: A Surge of New Production Is on the Way'

Washington Post - 'How peer pressure can help stop climate change'