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MORNING MESSAGE
Kelsey Hawkins-Johnson
I spent the summer of 2015 knocking on doors across Cincinnati. That year, the Ohio River was the most polluted body of water in the nation. Named for the Seneca term for "beautiful river", the Ohio was then — and remains today — a dumping ground for toxic chemicals. That year, the state was in the middle of a two-year freeze on renewable energy and energy efficiency standards, making Ohio the first state to roll back its clean energy standards. When I learned that, I wanted urgently to talk to my neighbors about the harms coal and nuclear power plants posed to the environment and to public health — especially for low-income communities and communities of color. And I wanted to open a discussion about solutions for a cleaner and healthier economy. Before the freeze, renewables had saved Ohio consumers money, created a thriving solar and wind industry, and supported over 100,000 new jobs in the state. Thanks to our organizing, then-Governor Kasich eventually vetoed an extension of the freeze. Neither Ohio, the Midwest, nor the country needs more carbon emissions or air pollution. But from the White House on down, too many politicians care more about saving a failing toxic industry than protecting people or the planet. Now, who wants to knock on doors with me?
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