Green Umbrella is hosting the Cincinnati premiere of the award-winning documentary, How to Poison a Planet, at Cincinnati World Cinema on July 15. This gripping film exposes the global crisis of toxic PFAS, also known as forever chemicals, and lays out how corporate and regulatory failures allowed PFAS to permeate the entire world. Following the screening, a discussion will feature Robert Bilott, renowned environmental attorney and real-life inspiration behind the 2019 movie Dark Waters, which dramatized his case against chemical company DuPont after they contaminated a West Virginia town with unregulated chemicals. 

Tickets are limited and available here. Special thanks to Cincinnati World Cinema for donating 100% of ticket sales to support Green Umbrella’s work to create a thriving and resilient Greater Cincinnati. This event is generously sponsored by Taft Law.

Following the success of the School Wellness Tool Kit Webinar, the Green Schoolyards Action Network is starting a short series of email newsletters called “Your Role in School Wellness”. Monthly through October, Green Schoolyards Manager Cynthia Walters will send out an email that features a deeper dive into a section of the new Local School Wellness Policy Tool Kit; ways that you can get involved, regardless of where you fit in the school community; and changes in national school wellness policy - the good, bad, and ugly.

To sign up for this newsletter, visit the link here and select “Green Schoolyards Action Network” (as well as any other newsletter you’d like to subscribe to!).

Local environmental groups are studying climate migration, where people relocate based on environmental changes like wildfires, hurricanes, or extreme heat. This summer, Green Umbrella is working to develop surveys, focus groups, and research about what Greater Cincinnati can do to prepare for potential future climate migration. “[It’s] one of many factors that shapes our region. And so we are dedicating a significant portion of our work this year to A, better understanding this issue; B, figuring out what are some of the strategy options for our communities are; and C, working with our communities to implement them,” says Van Sullivan, Senior Director of Programs & Climate Strategy at Green Umbrella.

As part of their ongoing series, Health Justice in Action, Soapbox Cincinnati recently highlighted Groundwork Ohio River Valley’s work in Lower Price Hill, where the average life expectancy is 15 years fewer than the national average. The neighborhood and surrounding areas deal with toxins in air, water, and soil, inherited from decades of industrial pollution that are still impacting residents. Groundwork ORV and Green Umbrella are working with these residents to help create community plans to improve climate resilience, and Groundwork ORV team members are on the ground collecting air quality data, planting trees, and developing greenspaces.

Organizations in Southwest Ohio are getting $1.3 million from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to fund recycling, composting, and litter cleanup projects. The funds also might be used for major expenses like new equipment or tools that greatly increase an organization’s impact capacity. Some of the recipients include La Soupe, Keep Cincinnati Beautiful, Clermont County Park District, and the Cincinnati Recycling and Reuse Hub.

A heat dome is an area of high pressure and hot air that remains stationary over an area for an extended amount of time. The high pressure prevents rain and acts like a lid on a pot, holding and concentrating the heat so it intensifies. Normal weather systems migrate along with global jet streams, but if a jet stream weakens and breaks, the weather system stalls, holding the heat dome in place for days or even weeks.

The heat dome over the Eastern United States right now is expected to break up gradually over the rest of the week, though the Ohio Valley isn’t likely to get relief until the end.

For how heat impacts our health, ways to prepare for extreme heat, and signs on recognizing illnesses like heat stroke and dehydration, visit our blog here.

Green Umbrella is proud to be hosted by Faith Communities Go Green in an informational webinar designed to provide an overview of the technical assistance Green Umbrella provides to local governments and specific ways that you and your congregation can help engage elected officials and public sector staff. Please attend to learn the critical role that faith communities have in the endeavor to prepare communities for climate action. Register to participate in this webinar and share with friends and colleagues!

Click here for the full Events Calendar. Members can submit events in the Green Umbrella online portal here.

Oxbow, Inc., a nonprofit land trust dedicated to land conservation and environmental stewardship, is hiring a full-time Engagement & Operations Administrator. This role provides essential administrative support, coordinates membership and donor communications, manages records for accreditation, and assists with fundraising activities. See the full job description here.

Have an event, volunteer opportunity, or job posting to share? Green Umbrella members can submit them via the online Membership Portal. To learn more about the benefits of becoming a member, click here.