Spring Into Health

Saturday, March 22, 11am to 5pm
At the Randolph Community Center
1639 Rt 44, Randolph, Ohio

Free to the Public

Program

• 11 am, Nature and Healing, Jennifer White of Portage Parks
• 12 pm, Pruning Apple Trees, David Stotler
• 1 pm, Spinal Health, Sonya Barker, Melanie Mills-Juhasz
• 2 pm, All about Herbs, Ruth Davis

KEYNOTE PRESENTER:

KLAAS MARTENS
3-5 pm, “What the weeds are telling us”

Klaas has been farming 1,600 acres in New York for
over 50 years.

Healthy food will be available for purchase thanks to:
RAMBLING ROSE KITCHENETTE

This event is sponsored by Sarchione Chevrolet and
Randolph Massage and Wellness Center

KEC hopes you will attend to participate in KEC and learn about our local water environment. After the short business meeting, there will be a brief talk by Holly Stoneberg about the Kent Bog Expansion and then the keynote speaker will be Dr. Robert Heath, who will talk about the Cleveland Water Alliance’s vision and efforts for Global Solutions in Our Backyard. This meeting is open to the public.

Date: Thursday, January 16, 2025 from 6:30 to 8:30
Place: Kent Free Library, 312 W. Main St., Kent, OH 44240
Second Floor Meeting Room –Free Parking

Please see the flyer below for agenda and presentation details.  To get a printable copy of the flyer, click here. Feel free to post or send to others you think may be interested.

KEC Board: Todd Cartner, President; Bob Heath, Vice President; Brad Brotje, Secretary; Bob Wilson, Treasurer; Lorraine McCarty; Renee Ruchotzke; Mary Starbuck, At-Large Members

Are you feeling despair about climate change and its impact on the land? Are you frustrated that those in power are looking to accelerate extraction and exploitation, harming our earth, water, and air? Are you looking for a community who perceives the losses and damage, and wants to find a new way forward grounded in local empowerment and action?

Come hear a vision for Northeast Ohio as a Bioregion, a geographical area defined not by political boundaries but by ecological systems. There are already numerous regenerative farms, skill-shares, homesteaders, permaculturists, community gardeners, alternative energy enthusiasts, holistic heath practitioners, skill sharers, natural builders (e.g. straw bale and cob), and artists that have a common understanding, and Kelly Clark (of Kelly’s Working Well Farm) has a vision for weaving connection and collaboration. Anyone who is looking for people, projects, or communities to connect to and collaborate with are encouraged to attend, especially if you are already doing something!

Connect. Communicate. Cooperate. Collaborate!

Bioregioning in NEO: Let’s make it Happen!

Thurs Jan 30, 6 – 8pm Unitarian Universalist Church, 228 Gougler Ave, Kent 44240

Free Event —- Directions and Parking —- Event is in Church Sanctuary (2nd floor). Accessible entrance in front.

Join the network at glessbioregion.net

One recent local item and a sampling of 2024 victories by several environmental organizations—some at the federal level but most at the state/local level, which experts say is a hopeful pathway during the incoming Trump administration.  Read about victories at the Ohio Environmental Council, Earthjustice, NRDC, and Sierra Club.

LOCAL

New access point to open in Peninsula for canoes and kayaks.  In May, this new access at Northampton Point will open off Akron off Akron Peninsula Road.  It will include a parking lot, a seating area, and a small changing room structure and a portable restroom. Summit MetroParks and Cuyahoga Valley National Park collaborated on this project.  This is in addition to the recently opened river access site at the Valley View Area of Cascades Valley Metro Park which is only a 6-mile paddle, which would take about 2 to 3 hours to complete—a reasonable trip.  Source:  Akron Beacon Journal–December 5, 2024

OHIO ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL (OEC)—From OEC’s 2024 Annual Report

• The OEC commissioned a critical analysis of the economic and health benefits of replacing lead water service lines.  Th cost-benefit analysis found it would result in a return of $32 to $45 for every dollar invested, a return between $145 billion and $185 billion over the next 15 years, as well as better physical and mental health outcomes for Ohio families. The updated federal Lead and Copper Rule Improvements mandates that most US service water systems replace 100% of lead service lines in the next 10 years, supported by funding from the bipartisan Infrastructure Law.  The OEC and the OEC Action Fund, as well as partners at the Alliance of the Great Lakes, helped draft Ohio House Bill 354 years ago, which supports this effort, and they will advocate for its adoption at the Statehouse.
• The OEC provided expert testimony, highlighting the Oak Run Solar Project, which was approved by the Ohio Power Siting Board in 2024. They noted this project’s potential to mitigate climate change and its design to reduce harmful stormwater runoff, as well as the estimation that it will create about 1,500 construction jobs and contribute $8.2 million annually to local governments and schools.  This project is an example of Ohio’s transition toward renewable energy while ensuring the integration of sustainable agricultural practices.  The OEC also supported a bill that narrowly passed to allow utility companies to restore energy restore energy efficiency measures that were rolled back by Ohio’s controversial HB6 in 2019.  The OEC Action Fund will continue to push for the Senate to pass this legislation too.
• The OEC is actively opposing the leasing for fracking in 40,000 acres of the Wayne National Forest which was proposed by the Bureau of Land Management in 2024.  They have filed extensive science-based public comments opposing this development because the leasing project could emit the greenhouse gas equivalent to all carbon sequestered by the entire Wane National Forest for the next 30 years, knocking it out of the climate fight.  They are working alongside the Center for Biological Diversity, Earthjustice, and Sierra Club.  The OEC successfully blocked similar leasing plans in 2020 because there was insufficient environmental review of harmful impacts.

EARTHJUSTICE—From their 2024 Victory Report and Earthjustice Climate & Energy Report

• Protecting Grizzlies & Wolves. Idaho opened a year-round wolf trapping season on private lands in 2021.  Earthjustice and a 13-client coalition showed in federal court that wolf traps and snares also injure and kill federally protected grizzly bears.  The court ruled to prohibit recreational wolf trapping and snaring on public and private lands in grizzly bear habitat for 9 months of the year, protecting bears, wolves and many other species.
• Preventing Cryptomining Pollution. Greenidge, a gas-fired power plant that occasionally bolstered New York’s grid in times of peak demand, began burning fracked gas around the clock to mine Bitcoin, nearly quintupling its emissions in one year. In response, the state denied Greenidge’s air permit renewal.  Earthjustice worked with local community groups to get that denial and to defend it in subsequent proceedings.
• Blocking reckless drilling. Off-shore oil and gas lease sales opened a million acres of federal waters in Southcentral Alaska, threatening critical habitat for endangered beluga whales and sea otters.  A coalition of national and community groups convinced the court to susp5end the sale and order that a new environmental review be done.
• Historic settlement—13 youth plaintiffs granted their constitutional right to a life-sustaining climate. In June, the Navahine v. Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation negotiated a settlement agreement, which the court has approved, which recognizes children’s constitutional rights to a life-sustaining climate and mobilizes HDOT to plan and implement transformative changes of Hawaii’s transportation system to achieve zero emissions in all ground transportation, and interisland sea and air transportation, by 2045. The court will retain jurisdiction to enforce the agreement for the next 21 years until its terms have been achieved.

NATIONAL RESOURCE DEFENCE COUNCIL (NRDC)—From Natures Voice: Winter 2025

• The Supreme Court Sides with Clean Air.  The US Supreme Court rejected 3 attempts by the fossil fuel industry to block federal rules to cut leaks of methane from the oil and gas sector, reduce pollution from power plants, and curb toxic air pollution from coal-fired power plants linked to asthma, heart attacks and other serious health hams. NRDC intervened in each lawsuit as did many other organizations and groups.
• Court to L.A. Port—Green Up! A California superior court ruled that the lease between the Port of Los Angeles and its largest shipping customer, China Shipping, must include enforceable measures to protect air quality and communities nearby. Residents have been fighting for this for over twenty years and NRDC partnered with them.  These commonsense safeguards will cut the port’s reliance on heavily polluting diesel will go a long way to address the single largest source of pollution in LA.
• Maine River Cleanup Begins. After approval of 13 beneficial environmental projects by the trustees overseeing the remediation of the Penobscot River, the work has begun to fulfill the 2022 settlement won by NRDC and the Maine People’s Alliance.  The $187 million award is to clean up industrial mercury contamination in the river.
• States Stand Up for Bees. New York became the first state in the US to clamp down on the most widespread uses of bee-killing neonic pesticides, and Vermont quickly followed suit.

SIERRA CLUB— From Sierra–Winter 2024 Issue

• Fracking Finale. A new California law which prohibiting fracking took effect on October first. It forbids regulators from issuing new permits, which Sierra and many others have advocated for decades, according to Jasmine Vazin, the deputy director of their Beyond Dirty Fuels Campaign.
• Standard Bearer. Sierra also joined the Supreme Court lawsuits regarding Maine’s air pollution mentioned by the NRDC above.  These decisions in these cases maintained standards limiting the amount of mercury and other hazardous pollutants that coal plants can release into the air and requiring oil and gas companies to do more to prevent methane leaks.
• Making Waves. Sierra Club’s Santa Lucia Chapter worked with local tribes and California leaders for many years to protect thousands of square miles off the Central Coast.  In October, 2024, NOAA announced the creation of the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary, the first tribally nominated and third largest marine sanctuary in the US.

Tis the season, and with this past election_1, minimal accomplishments of COP29₂ and more₃, it has never been easy to be an environmentalist or conservationist.  Personally, my passion stems from when I was in ninth grade when a catastrophic oil well drilling exercise went horribly wrong, cutting a huge swath of trees over three quarters of a mile through my childhood playground, only to have drilling brine spill to kill many additional acres.  Even the great Aldo Leopold₄ recognized that “One of the penalties of an ecological education is that one lives alone in a world of wounds.“

While I know this is hard, the holidays are no time to be down but count our blessings and enjoy what we have of friends, families, and the world around us.  Ben Franklin can encourage us by remembering “Energy and Persistence Conquer All things.₅” We do have many memorable accomplishments to be proud of in 2024.

Environmental and Conservation Wins in Ohio, a short list:

1. Wetland Restoration through H2Ohio: Over 16,200 acres of wetlands were restored, enhancing water quality, wildlife habitats, and flood prevention. The program also launched 49 new projects and partnered with private businesses for key restoration efforts_6,7.
2. Trumpeter Swan Recovery: Trumpeter swans were removed from Ohio’s threatened species list after surpassing population goals, marking a major conservation success₇.
3. Dam Removal on Mohican River: The Ohio Mitigation Program completed its first-ever dam removal, restoring natural river flow and benefiting ecosystems₈.
4. Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation: The Friendship Park Highwall Project reclaimed hazardous mining areas, promoting safety and outdoor recreation₇.
5. Nutrient Reduction in Lake Erie: Collaborative efforts addressed harmful algal blooms by advancing nutrient reduction strategies in the Lake Erie watershed₉.
6. Tell us more in the comments.

And whether it is the local Portage Park District Plan Update_10, Big State and Local Wins for Climate₁₁, or the many great accomplishments mentioned in our KEC Environmental Watch Dec. 2024₁₂, we do have a lot to be thankful for. David Attenborough reminds us from his 2020 documentary, A Life on Our Planet₁₃, “No one will protect what they don’t care about; and no one will care about what they have never experienced.”  We have experienced a lot in 2024. I personally could not have imagined going through it without the energy and motivation of my good friends at the Kent Environmental Council.  We do have a lot to be thankful for.  With that, I wish everyone in Kent, Portage County, and beyond, glad tidings, good cheer, and hope for the new year.

“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.” Rachel Carson, A Sense of Wonder₁₄

Kindest regards, and best wishes, Todd

1. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5ygplyg09ro
2. https://cop29.az/en/home
3. https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/science/causes-effects-climate-change
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldo_Leopold
5. https://www.ipl.org/essay/Energy-And-Persistence-Conquer-All-Things-Essay-FKG4ZAH4NDVV
6. https://dam.assets.ohio.gov/image/upload/h2.ohio.gov/H2Ohio-FY24-Report-Final.pdf
7. https://dam.assets.ohio.gov/image/upload/odnr/department/2024_ODNR_Annual_Report.pdf
8. https://www.nature.org/content/dam/tnc/nature/en/documents/FY24_Ohio_Annual_Report_FINAL.pdf
9. https://www.healthylakes.org/latest-news/2024-clean-water-wins
10. https://theportager.com/portage-park-district-plans-updates-and-listening-sessions-in-2024/
11. https://www.nature.org/en-us/newsroom/state-ballot-measures-2024-election/
12. https://kentenvironment.org/2024/12/09/environmental-watch-dec-2024/
13. https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/david-attenborough-a-life-on-our-planet
14. https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-sense-of-wonder-rachel-carson

On October 30^th, the City of Kent’s Sustainability Coordinator, Julie Morris, held the third Climate Action Plan (CAP) Series which informed residents about energy efficiency.  She talked about the steps the City is taking to reduce their carbon footprint and highlighted programs available to residents to help them take efficiency measures in their own homes.  Julie also provided a list of federal Clean Energy Tax Credits available from 2023 to 2032 for consumers who purchase eligible equipment to make their homes more efficient.  Click hereto see the list.

The City of Kent recently completed facility energy audits for all the City of Kent’s buildings for the year 2022 by working with World Kinect (through a grant from NOPEC).   Julie noted that the Police Department is a LEED Silver building and is fairly energy efficient. But even there, a few action items suggested, as there were for all the buildings.  City Council then decided to focus on four of the buildings.  For a list of the detailed facility energy audit data for all 4 buildings, click here and scroll down to the bottom of the page.

World Kinect then put the City in touch with a program at the Cleveland Partnership that paid for an American Society of Health and Refrigeration Engineers (ASHRE II) Audits of four city buildings.  These ASHRE II audits are necessary to apply for federal funding and many grants. For a summary list of the auditors’ suggestions for Energy Conservation Measures and the potential savings that implementing those measures could provide for each of the buildings, click here and scroll down to page three.  (Note:  if you continue scrolling, pages 5 to 10 will describe where you can donate unwanted items and highlights two local sustainability oriented stores.)    

City Council has decided to focus on obtaining funding for two buildings to start with:   The Fire S Executive Director, Community Action Council of Portage County.  Station #1 (downtown) and the City’s Vehicle Maintenance Facility.

Then David Shea, Executive Director, Community Action Council of Portage County, spoke about their programs to connect people to efficiency and home repair.  While he encouraged eligible people to apply for their programs, he lamented about the rising costs for improvements, the difficulty finding craftsmen to carry them out, and the lack of sufficient funding.  Some new federal funding from the IRA is pending, but we are waiting for Ohio to figure out how to implement the programs here.

To sign up for the Sustainable Kent News,  click hesre or email  Julie Morris at Julie.Morris@KentOhio.gov.  Julie can also be reached for questions at 330-678-8108.

Circularity and Sustainability – What’s Wrong with the Fashion Industry and How Can We Change It?

Join the Kent Environmental Council as Noël Palomo-Lovinski, MA, MFA, Professor, School of Fashion KSU, and Justine Gallo, owner of Sun in Leo, and Kelsi Biondo, manager Branded in Kent’s present this engaging topic of sustainability in the fashion industry.  The event is Tuesday November 19th, at 7:30 at the Kent Free Library and is open to the public.

Click here for full program handout.

Click here for a full schedule of KEC meetings and events in 2025.

Please Join the Kent Environmental Council for our

NEW!! KEC Evening Meeting: SEEK Presentations and Discussion

SEEK – Saving Earth with Environmental Knowledge

Making an impact in Kent, Portage County, and Beyond

Monthly Meetings will include:

• News and Updates from the KEC
• 2-3 Short Presentations on pressing topics from KEC and community members
• Note: This is in addition to the Weekly Breakfast that meets at the Kent State University Hotel and Conference Center at 8:00 AM.  Consider joining us for good food and engaging conversations.

Quarterly Speaker – A special invited guest who is an expert on key environmental or conservation topics

2025 KEC Special Events

• Kent River Days
• Edith Chase Symposium
• Kent State Earth Day
• Who’s Your Mama Festival
• Reeds and Roots Earth Skill-share Gathering
• Kent Heritage Fest
• And more…

Please check back for updates on dates and topics.  For questions, please reach out to https://kentenvironment.org/contact/

The KEC membership is constantly reading engaging books.  We thought we would share some of these titles with you.  Take a look at the titles shared by members.  Leave a comment below if any of these are meaningful to you, or suggest new titles.  Members will periodically share excerpts from titles they are reading during our 2025 SEEK Monthly meetings.

Brad Brotje’s suggestions:

1. A Short History of Everything, by Bill Bryson
2. A Reverence for Wood, by Eric Sloane
3. Great Heart, by James Davidson and John Rugge
4. Mark of the Grizzly, by Scott McMillion
5. The Greater Cleveland Environment Book, by David Beach
6. Ecology of a Cracker Childhood, by Janisse Ray
7. The Botany of Desire, by Michael Pollan
8. Cradle to Cradle, by William McDonough
9. A Natural Sense of Wonder, by Rick Van Noy
10. Hot, Flat and Crowded, by Thomas Friedman
11. Surviving the 21st, by Julian Cribb
12. The Uninhabitable Earth, by David Wallace-Wells
13. The Story of More, by Hope Jahren
14. Entangled Life, by Merlin Sheldrake

Patti Koch’s suggestions:

1. The Book of Eels, by Patrik Svensonn
2. Beaverland, by Leila Philip

Todd Cartner’s suggestions:

1. A Sand County Almanac,  Aldo Leopold, (75th Anniversary Edition now $7.50 at https://www.aldoleopold.org/products/75th-anniversary-edition-a-sand-county-almanac )
2. Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder, Richard Louv
3. The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate – Discoveries from a Secret World, by Peter Wohlleben
4. The Climate Action Handbook, by Heidi Roop
5. Silent Spring, by Rachel Carson
6. The Sense of Wonder, by Rachel Carson
7. Bringing Nature Home, by Douglas W. Tallamy (anything written by Dr. Tallamy)
8. Sacred Earth Sacred Soul, by John Philip Newell
9. Crossings, by Ben Goldfarb
10. Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer
11. The Social Conquest of Earth, by (EO) Edward O. Wilson
12. Dirt to Soil: One Family’s Journey into Regenerative Agriculture, by Gabe Brown
13. The Last Lecture, by Randy Pausch
14. The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, by Charlie Mackesy
15. The Alpha Female Wolf, by Rick McIntyre
16. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, by Robert M. Pirsig
17. How Will You Measure Your Life? by Clayton M. Christensen
18. Braving the Wilderness, by Brene Brown
19. The Beast In the Garden, by David Baron
20. Finding Your Element, by Sir Kenneth Robinson

Lorraine McCarty’s suggestions:

1. Our Fragile Moment: How Lessons from the Earth’s Past Can Help Us Survive the Climate Crisis, by Michael Mann
2. The Future Earth: A Radical Vision for What’s Possible in the Age of Warming, by Eric Holthaus.

Bill Wilen suggestions:

1. Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed To Reverse Global Warming, edited by Paul Hawken
2. Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out?, by Bill McKibben
3. The Climate Book, by Greta Thurnberg
4. The Climate Action Handbook, by Heidi Roop
5. This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate, by Naomi Klein
6. Hot, Flat, and Crowded, Why We Need a Green Revolution and How It Can Renew America, by Thomas L. Friedman
7. 50 Simple Things You Can Do to Save The Earth, by John Javna
8. Cheaper, Faster, Better: How We’ll Win The Climate War, by Tom Steyer

Karl Liske suggestions:

1. When Smoke Ran Like Water: tales of environmental deception and the battle against pollution, by Devra Davis
2. Radiation: What It Is, What You Need To Know, by Robert Peter Gale
3. Tyranny of the Gene: personalized medicine and Its threat to public health, by James Tabery
4. Green Guide Families: The Complete Reference for Eco-Friendly Parents, by Catherine Zandonella
5. Silent Spring, by Rachel Carson
6. The Connection Cure: The Prescriptive Power Of Movement, Nature, Art, Service, and Belonging, by Julia Hotz
7. Fatal Conveniences: The Toxic Products and Harmful Habits That Are Making You sick-and the Simple Changes That Will Save Your Health, by Darin Olien
8. How To Be a Conscious Eater: making food choices that are good for you, others, and the planet, by Sophie Egan
9. A Poison Like No Other: how microplastics corrupted our planet and our bodies, by Matt Simon
10. The Human and Environmental Impact of Fracking: How Fracturing Shale for Gas Affects Us and Our World, edited by Madelon L. Finkel
11. Animal Factory: the looming threat of industrial pig, dairy, and poultry farms to humans and the environment, by David Kirby
12. Better Basics For The Home: simple solutions for less toxic living, by Annie Bertold-Bond
13. The Long Reckoning: a story of war, peace, and redemption in Vietnam, by George Black
14. Sacrifice Zones: the front lines of toxic chemical exposure in the United States, by Steve Lerner
15. How to Sell a Poison: the rise, fall, and toxic return of DDT, by Eleena Conis
16. Poisoned Ground: The Tragedy at Love Canal, Film, screenplay by Jamila Ephron
17. Go Gently: actionable steps to nurture yourself and the planet, by Bonnie Wright
18. Start Now!: you can make a difference, by Chelsea Clinton
19. Islands of Abandonment: Nature Rebounding in the post-human Landscape, by Cal Flyn
20. Healthy House Building for the New Millenium: a design & construction guide, by John Bower
21. Not Just a Pretty Face: the ugly side of the beauty industry, by Stacy Malkan
22. Kennedy Green House: designing an eco-friendly Home from the Foundation to the Furniture, by Robin Wilson
23. Waste: one woman’s fight against America’s Dirty secret, by Catherine Coleman Flowers
24. Voices From Chernobyl, by Svetlana Alexievich
25. Mill Town: Reckoning What Remains, by Kerri Arsenault

For additional information, contact Todd Cartner @ (330)962-6792