The event will be held October 2, 2021, 1-3 PM at The Linden Branch of the Columbus Metro. Library (2223 Cleveland Ave.) Click here to RSVP.
Residents, Business Leaders, And Elected Officials Come Together To Discuss Clean Energy Jobs, Public Health, And Environmental Justice
At a time when clean energy projects are developing across the state, Columbus Stand Up! and the Ohio Climate Justice Fund will host a community conversation in the Linden neighborhood of Columbus to discuss ways to advance an equitable clean future for everyone in Ohio. 

For decades, the Linden community has been plagued by unabating fumes and toxic smells that settle over large areas of the neighborhood, creeks contaminated with cadmium and zinc, as well as flooding due to poor drainage. A study from Columbus Public Health just four years ago reported that deaths from lower respiratory disease occur nearly twice as often in Linden compared with the rest of Franklin County. Compared with the rest of the County, Linden remains on the low-end for the number of public trees - with only 2.2 trees/acre. Linden residents report that environmental justice is especially bound up with the lack of safe outdoor spaces where folks can gather. 

“Linden residents feel forgotten,” said Heather Johnson, community organizer. “All my life, I’ve smelled the same chemical smell in this neighborhood. I hope that this conversation empowers Linden neighbors to start asking what they can do to make their neighborhood part of the climate and clean energy conversations--not just to improve their own lives, but to prepare a healthier community for the next generations.” 

Columbus Stand Up! is a non-profit dedicated to mobilizing people in Central Ohio to serve the community, engage in the political process, hold elected officials accountable, and advocate for policies that will ensure everyone in our community can lead a stable life. 
Listen. Lead. Share. (LLS), is a statewide grassroots campaign that includes a goal of hosting public conversations with community members and stakeholders about the best and most effective ways to address climate and environmental justice in their communities. Intentional and authentic community listening is the first step in organizing grassroots support of equitable clean energy policies.