In May of 2025, we received termination notice of a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency. This grant enabled a study in partnership with Over-the-Rhine Community Housing and the City of Cincinnati to research energy efficiency and air quality in affordable housing units. We are thankful to the community for the groundswell of support, both financial and emotional, that we received after the termination announcement.

Research partners from the University of Pennsylvania and Carnegie Mellon University have secured private funding to keep our energy burden research project moving forward. Thanks to the generous support of Carnegie Mellon University, an anonymous donor, and the community, we are able to move forward with weatherizing and electrifying Over-the-Rhine Community Housing rental units this summer and fall. We look forward to sharing the results of this groundbreaking study once the research is complete!

Are you eager to increase the impact of your research, explore climate resilience in our region, and collaborate on innovative projects? Green Umbrella's Climate Research Incubator (CRI) invites researchers (and grad students!) to join our upcoming cohort. We're looking for those whose area of expertise/research directly addresses climate change, who aim for measurable impact, and who are committed to partnering with communities to create tangible, local solutions.

Participants will:

Visit the link here for more information and how to apply. Questions? Contact Dr. Kristy Hopfensperger at hopfenspek1@nku.edu.

Every year, the U.S. throws away nearly 60 million tons of food—almost 40% of what’s produced - while millions face food insecurity every day. Join us for the Wasted Food Summit, a powerful one-day gathering of changemakers, business leaders, chefs, advocates, and sustainability experts, all working to turn wasted food into opportunity. Whether you’re a business or institution interested in learning about food donation or an individual looking to be part of the solution, this event will equip you with tools, insights, and inspiration to take action.

The Wasted Food Summit will take place on Wednesday, October 29 at Memorial Hall in downtown Cincinnati. Tickets and more information are available here.

Mark your calendars for Thursday, October 2, 2025 at the Cintas Center in Cincinnati, and be part of the premier event for high-performance and sustainable building design! The 2025 REBUILD Conference will bring together world-class keynote speakers, real-world case studies, and insightful panel discussions, creating a dynamic space for industry leaders to exchange best practices and innovative solutions. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect, learn, and explore the future of sustainable building. Early bird pricing ends on September 12.

The Cincinnati Rumpke facilities have experienced three fires this month. “All were minor events in scope, and all were caused by a lithium-ion battery," said Jeff Snyder, Rumpke’s Senior Vice President Recycling & Sustainability. “We know that residents make a curbside decision on their waste – but batteries don’t have a curbside solution."

Batteries of any kind are not safe to throw in your trash bins; lithium batteries especially so, as they are extreme fire hazards. Lithium batteries can be found in phones, laptops, watches, portable chargers, alarm systems, and more (click here for a guide to identifying lithium batteries).

The Cincinnati Recycling & Reuse Hub is a great resource for recycling old or damaged batteries. They currently have a partnership with some Greater Cincinnati fire stations to collect lithium batteries. See the list of participating fire stations here.

Greater Cincinnati Water Works is currently accepting applications for the 2025 Citizens Water Academy. This program educates residents about the value of water, provides a detailed overview of operations, and creates a network of community-outreach ambassadors. Participants go behind the scenes of the state-of-the-art facilities, seeing daily processes from lab work to water main repair and exploring GCWW operations, planning, and policies.

The program is free but space is limited. Interested parties must fill out an application and commit to attending all five sessions in October 2025.

A new study has alarming projections for the future of U.S. tennis, with the Cincinnati Open emerging as one of the most vulnerable tournaments to climate change impacts. The 2025 tournament took place August 5-18 at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio amid brutal heat and humidity, with one player collapsing between sets. In the coming years, with temperatures and extreme weather expected to increase, up to 50% of matches at the Cincinnati Open could be cancelled due to climate-change-linked disruptions. This puts the future of the tournament at jeopardy, especially on the heels of a major $260M renovation at the Lindner Family Tennis Center.

The Cincinnati Open brings in spectators from around the world and tennis’ biggest stars to the region every year. The expanded 2-week tournament is expected to bring over $150M to the region annually if the tournament remains in Mason.

Join Green Umbrella’s Greenspace Alliance, Cincinnati Parks, and the Cincinnati Center for Collaboration on Climate and Community for Health (C4H) at Badgley Run Park for a Meet A Greenspace Hike!

Located in the residential Northside District of Hamilton County, Ohio, Badgley Run is an urban, 16-acre park that had been previously slated for development. Cincinnati Parks, along with other regional partners, are responsible for managing this little-known greenspace.

This Meet A Greenspace Hike will be a unique opportunity to explore an urban greenspace alongside scientists who are working to understand and reduce the impacts of climate change on vulnerable populations. Registration is free and encouraged in advance.

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

Urban Native Collective has an available position for an Ohio Native Land Initiative Mapping Specialist to develop processes for and oversee the location, mapping, and cataloging of traditional food, medicine, and sacred sites throughout the State of Ohio, in alignment with Indigenous land management principles and traditional stewardship practices. The ideal candidate will have an in-depth understanding of the local Indigenous community, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, regenerative management practices, food sovereignty, and native ecology of the Ohio region. See a full description and how to apply 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.