News from the Grassroots Archives - Page 4 of 16

Feb 26, 2019

WTOL11: Lake Erie Bill of Rights passes in Toledo special election

After 21/2 years working to place their Lake Erie Bill of Rights on the ballot, Toledo, Ohio, residents celebrate victory for the Great Lake.

Feb 25, 2019

Mother Jones: Holy, Toledo! This Ohio City Is Voting to Give Legal Rights to a Lake

After decades of failed regulations to “protect” Lake Erie and several years of record-breaking algae blooms, Toledo, Ohio, residents prepare to vote on the Lake Erie Bill of Rights.

Feb 21, 2019

CNN: An Ohio city will vote on whether Lake Erie has the same rights as a person

Government representatives, acting on behalf of industry, have failed to protect Lake Erie. Toledo, Ohio, residents advance a Lake Erie Bill of Rights ballot measure to protect the Lake, their water, and their community. They vote next Tuesday.

Feb 19, 2019

The Guardian: Fighting pollution: Toledo residents want personhood status for Lake Erie

While elected officials do nothing substantive to protect Lake Erie, Toledo residents follow in the footsteps of indigenous and other communities, voting next week on a groundbreaking citizen initiative to recognize the rights of the Great Lake.

Feb 18, 2019

New York Times: Legal Rights for Lake Erie? Voters in Ohio City Will Decide

As the well-being of Lake Erie deteriorates, Toledoans are taking action, voting next week on a Lake Erie Bill of Rights citizen initiative. This is part of a growing strategy to recognize the Rights of Nature.

Feb 9, 2019

The Daily Sentinel: Meigs BOE among defendants in Civil Rights lawsuit

Meigs County, Ohio, residents join six other communities in a federal Civil Rights lawsuit. The suit alleges Ohio government officials have routinely blocked valid citizen initiatives from the ballot.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots

Feb 9, 2019

StarTribune: Minnesota tribe asks: Can wild rice have its own legal rights?

Traditional indigenous legal principles view nature and people as part of a whole. Today, the White Earth Band of Ojibwe is part of a growing movement to recognize these principles in modern law.

Feb 5, 2019

The Gazette: Boards of elections, secretary of state sued over ballot rejections

Medina County, Ohio, residents are part of a federal Civil Rights lawsuit filed to protect the rights of Ohio citizens to vote on proposed citizen initiatives. The lawsuit was filed after years of state officials blocking community members from the ballot.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots

Feb 4, 2019

21WFMJ: Environmentalists from Youngstown, six counties file federal lawsuit

Ohio officials have blocked citizen initiatives advancing communities and nature’s rights since 2015. In response, citizen have filed suit against Ohio’s Secretary of State and local Boards of Elections.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots

Feb 4, 2019

The Columbus Dispatch: Federal lawsuit seeks to stop elections boards from blocking ballot initiatives

Fighting to protect Ohioans’ right to citizen initiative, seven communities partner with CELDF to file a Civil Rights lawsuit in federal court.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots

Feb 3, 2019

The Blade: To the editor: Vote for Lake Erie Bill of Rights

An Ohio resident urges support for the Lake Erie Bill of Rights in Toledo to overcome devastating harms to the Lake’s ecosystem and communities’ drinking water.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots

Feb 1, 2019

Yes! Magazine: The White Earth Band of Ojibwe Legally Recognized the Rights of Wild Rice. Here’s Why

Winona LaDuke speaks to the White Earth band of Ojibwe passing a law formally recognizing the Rights of Manoomin, or wild rice, in December.

Jan 29, 2019

Cleveland.com: Toledoans to vote on Lake Erie Bill of Rights

“If there’s a problem to be treated, there’s a problem to be solved.” Toledoans take steps to solve the problem of contaminated water in Lake Erie on February 26th’s special election, with their Lake Erie Bill of Rights.

Jan 26, 2019

Cleveland.com: The Ohio Supreme Court has rightly affirmed that Toledoans get to vote on a proposed Lake Erie Bill of Rights

Cleveland.com editorial board member cheers the Ohio Supreme Court’s recognition of Toledo residents’ right to vote on the Lake Erie Bill of Rights initiative in February.

Jan 24, 2019

Inforum: The Rights of Wild Rice

In December 2018, the White Earth band of Ojibwe recognized the “Rights of Manoomin,” or the rights of wild rice. CELDF assisted tribal members to draft this first Rights of Nature law for a specific plant species.

Jan 23, 2019

The Bayou Brief: Red Tides, Green Lakes, Dead Zones: How a Single City Ordinance Could Change It All

Communities geographically far apart share similar threats to their water from red tides and green algae blooms. They also share looking at Rights of Nature to protect themselves – and Toledo, Ohio, is leading the way.

Jan 15, 2019

Imascalzoneit.com: Rights of Nature

An Italian interview with CELDF’s leader of our International Center for the Rights of Nature, Mari Margil.

Jan 12, 2019

The Blade: Recognizing the rights of nature

CELDF’s Australian partners champion the Lake Erie Bill of Rights, understanding the Great Lake – like the Great Barrier Reef – must be recognized as having the right to exist and flourish. CELDF is working with both groups to advance those rights.

Jan 4, 2019

Orcas Issues: Initiative to Protect the Salish Sea Takes Shape. Does Nature Have Rights?

San Juan Islands residents in Washington work to advance the rights of the Salish Sea.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots

Jan 2, 2019

KNKX: ‘Rights of nature’ movement expands locally to help protect endangered orcas, Salish Sea

Communities along the Salish Sea are organizing to advance the Sea’s rights to exist and flourish, free from toxic and other harms.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots

Jan 2, 2019

Fosters.com: NH constitutional amendment for local self-governance backed by nonprofit

In this LTE, New Hampshire resident and Community Rights advocate speaks to the NH Community Rights state constitutional amendment, proposed and supported by ten legislators.

Dec 26, 2018

Cleveland Scene: Citizen-Led Ballot Initiative Will Allow Toledo Residents to Vote on ‘Lake Erie Bill of Rights’

Overcoming numerous hurdles, Toledo, Ohio, residents will vote on their Lake Erie Bill of Rights in February. The measure recognizes the rights of Lake Erie to exist and flourish – and the right of residents to clean water.

Dec 26, 2018

The Blade: Lake Erie Bill of Rights headed to Feb. 26 ballot

Toledo, OH, residents celebrate advancing their Lake Erie Bill of Rights citizen initiative to the February 2019 ballot, despite state and industry efforts to stop them.

Dec 26, 2018

Climate Liability News: As Climate Lawsuits Grow Worldwide, Legal Strategies Evolve Too

Litigation based on the Rights of Nature is part of a growing movement to stop climate devastation.

Dec 17, 2018

The Press: Board hearing Thursday: Lake rights bill to be contested

Industry allies attempt to keep the Lake Erie Bill of Rights off the ballot, while Toledo community members rally to protect the Lake’s rights and advance the measure.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots

Dec 16, 2018

The Blade: To the editor: Put Lake Erie “bill of rights” on ballot

In this LTE, Toledo community members call out efforts to block the Lake Erie Bill of Rights from the ballot and urge the Board of Elections to let the people vote.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots

Nov 29, 2018

13ABC WTVG: Lake Erie Bill of Rights backers call on Toledo City Council to include ordinance in special election

Toledo, OH, residents press city council to place their Lake Erie Bill of Rights on a special elections ballot in February.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots

Nov 15, 2018

The Laconia Daily Sun: What’s the point of local government when we can’t decide?

Despite being known for local democracy, New Hampshire residents are under siege by their own state government. The people are advancing a rights-based state constitutional amendment to change that.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots

Oct 26, 2018

Eugene Weekly: Alarmed Into Action

Following author Chris Hedges’ visit to Lane County, OR, earlier this month as part of a Community Rights tour, community members rally to continue challenging corporate power, state preemption, and to create the communities they envision.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots

Oct 24, 2018

The Blade: Supporters keep up push to put Lake Erie Bill of Rights on ballot

Toledo, OH, community members are keeping up the pressure on their City Council as they fight to advance a Bill of Rights for Lake Erie.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots

Oct 12, 2018

$The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio Supreme Court rules to keep anti-fracking initiative off the ballot$

The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio Supreme Court rules to keep anti-fracking initiative off the ballot

Community Rights organizing is growing in Ohio. In response, the state Supreme Court backs efforts to quash democratic rights, keeping a Columbus rights-based citizen initiative banning fracking waste disposal off the November ballot.

Fosters.com: To the Editor: Where do NH’s candidates stand on local choice?

Where do New Hampshire candidates stand on the right to local community self-government? Community Rights supporters ask this question as they advance their rights-based state constitutional amendment.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots

Sep 27, 2018

Alternet: Here’s How Community Rights Could Help Save the Great Lakes

Community Rights and Rights of Nature are growing. Here, how Toledo residents are advancing them to protect the Great Lake Erie.

Sep 26, 2018

The Progressive: ‘Not Another Flint! Let Us Vote!’

Communities across Ohio are not only fighting to protect their water from corporate harms – they’re fighting for their right to vote on their own initiatives as corporate and state government encroach on fundamental human rights.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots

Sep 19, 2018

WCRS Community Radio Columbus: The Ohio Community Rights Conference & More

Bob Fitrakis and Dan Dougan with Community Radio Columbus interview CELDF’s Tish O’Dell on the upcoming Ohio Community Rights Conference – and the recent Ohio Supreme Court decision keeping Columbus residents’ rights-based citizen initiative off the ballot.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots

Sep 15, 2018

The Intercept: How a Ragtag Group of Oregon Locals Took On the Biggest Chemical Companies in World — and Won

The chemical industry is doing all it can to shut down communities from banning toxic chemical use. But in Oregon, CELDF partners in Lincoln and Lane Counties refuse to fold. This is their fight for their lives and their communities – and it’s growing.

Sep 12, 2018

Toledo City Paper: Water Rights: Protecting Lake Erie and our Drinking Water

Toledoans for Safe Water are determined to protect Lake Erie through their citizen initiative recognizing the rights of the Lake to exist and flourish.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots

Sep 9, 2018

WGRZ.com: Nature’s Law: The Rights of Nature to Exist

CELDF is working with communities across the U.S. and around the world to advance the Rights of Nature – and the movement is growing.

Sep 8, 2018

Columbus Community Bill of Rights: Corporate Lobbyists Attack the People’s Right to Vote on the Columbus Community Bill of Rights Initiative

Corporate lobbyist groups come out in force to argue against the people’s right to initiative in the Ohio Supreme Court. Columbus residents are unwavering in their stand to protect their community.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots

Aug 31, 2018

The Toledo Blade: Elections board sued in Ohio Supreme Court over Lake Erie Bill of Rights ballot initiative

CELDF assists Toledo, OH, residents appeal the Lucas County Board of Elections decision to block their Lake Erie Bill of Rights from the ballot.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots

Aug 31, 2018

The Columbus Dispatch: Letter: Citizen initiative would be important protection

In a LTE, a Columbus, OH, resident points out blockage of the people’s Community Bill of Rights citizen initiative banning fracking waste was led by an oil and gas ally on the Board of Elections.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots

Aug 29, 2018

The Toledo Blade: Board of Elections rejects downtown jail, Lake Erie bill of rights petitions

Toledo, OH, residents vow legal action as the Lucas County Board of Elections votes to block a Lake Erie Bill of Rights from the ballot. CELDF is representing residents denied their right to vote.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots

Aug 27, 2018

ABC Drive (North Queensland): Interview on the rights of the Great Barrier Reef

Listen to Dr. Michelle Maloney, founder of the Australian Centre for the Rights of Nature, on laws recognizing rights of the Great Barrier Reef to exist and flourish.

Aug 26, 2018

InDepthNH.org: Opinion: Northern Pass Appeal Ignores Wishes of NH People

If you think regulatory agencies like New Hampshire’s Site Evaluation Committee (SEC) have your community’s interests at heart, think again. They exist to approve permits that meet legal requirements, regardless of communities’ wishes.

WOSU Public Media: Franklin County Board Of Elections Rejects Fracking Ban Proposal

Despite Columbus, OH, residents qualifying their Community Rights citizen initiative banning frack waste, the Franklin County Board of Election blocks it from the November ballot.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots

Aug 23, 2018

CCBOR PRESS RELEASE: COLUMBUS, OH, FRANKLIN COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS WILL VOTE ON CITIZEN INITIATED COMMUNITY BILL OF RIGHTS ORDINANCE HEADED FOR BALLOT

An oil and gas industry ally submits a protest to block a Community Bill of Rights initiative banning fracking waste from the ballot in Columbus, OH. CELDF attorney Terry Lodge presents arguments to defend the people’s right to vote on Friday, 8/24.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots

Aug 22, 2018

Lagniappe Weekly: Bay lives matter

Mobile Bay is a heavily polluted watershed in Alabama. Let’s follow the lead of communities across the country who are adopting “ecosystem rights” laws to protect air, soil, and water, such that Mobile Bay’s right to exist and thrive is recognized and enforced.

The Toledo Blade: Toledo water group collects signatures for “Lake Erie Bill of Rights” inclusion on Nov. ballot

Toledo, OH, community members submit petitions to place a Lake Erie Bill of Rights citizen initiative on the November ballot. The measure recognizes the right of Lake Erie to exist and flourish, protecting it from major pollutors.

Aug 6, 2018

Columbus Free Press: Columbus Community Bill of Rights Initiative Makes November Ballot

Columbus, OH, residents qualify their Community Bill of Rights banning fracking activities for the November ballot.

Jul 27, 2018

The Daily News: Supervisors to defend ordinance

Todd Township, PA, supervisors vote to defend their Community Bill of Rights ordinance banning industrial farm.

Read More | Community Wires, News from the Grassroots

Book: ‘Death by Democracy’

CELDF's Proposed Rights of Nature Principles

2023 Year-end Newsletter: Living with Nature

WTOL11: Lake Erie Bill of Rights passes in Toledo special election

Mother Jones: Holy, Toledo! This Ohio City Is Voting to Give Legal Rights to a Lake

CNN: An Ohio city will vote on whether Lake Erie has the same rights as a person

The Guardian: Fighting pollution: Toledo residents want personhood status for Lake Erie

New York Times: Legal Rights for Lake Erie? Voters in Ohio City Will Decide

The Daily Sentinel: Meigs BOE among defendants in Civil Rights lawsuit

StarTribune: Minnesota tribe asks: Can wild rice have its own legal rights?

The Gazette: Boards of elections, secretary of state sued over ballot rejections

21WFMJ: Environmentalists from Youngstown, six counties file federal lawsuit

The Columbus Dispatch: Federal lawsuit seeks to stop elections boards from blocking ballot initiatives

The Blade: To the editor: Vote for Lake Erie Bill of Rights

Yes! Magazine: The White Earth Band of Ojibwe Legally Recognized the Rights of Wild Rice. Here’s Why

Cleveland.com: Toledoans to vote on Lake Erie Bill of Rights

Cleveland.com: The Ohio Supreme Court has rightly affirmed that Toledoans get to vote on a proposed Lake Erie Bill of Rights

Inforum: The Rights of Wild Rice

The Bayou Brief: Red Tides, Green Lakes, Dead Zones: How a Single City Ordinance Could Change It All

Imascalzoneit.com: Rights of Nature

The Blade: Recognizing the rights of nature

Orcas Issues: Initiative to Protect the Salish Sea Takes Shape. Does Nature Have Rights?

KNKX: ‘Rights of nature’ movement expands locally to help protect endangered orcas, Salish Sea

Fosters.com: NH constitutional amendment for local self-governance backed by nonprofit

Cleveland Scene: Citizen-Led Ballot Initiative Will Allow Toledo Residents to Vote on ‘Lake Erie Bill of Rights’

The Blade: Lake Erie Bill of Rights headed to Feb. 26 ballot

Climate Liability News: As Climate Lawsuits Grow Worldwide, Legal Strategies Evolve Too

The Press: Board hearing Thursday: Lake rights bill to be contested

The Blade: To the editor: Put Lake Erie “bill of rights” on ballot

13ABC WTVG: Lake Erie Bill of Rights backers call on Toledo City Council to include ordinance in special election

The Laconia Daily Sun: What’s the point of local government when we can’t decide?

Eugene Weekly: Alarmed Into Action

The Blade: Supporters keep up push to put Lake Erie Bill of Rights on ballot

The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio Supreme Court rules to keep anti-fracking initiative off the ballot

Fosters.com: To the Editor: Where do NH’s candidates stand on local choice?

Alternet: Here’s How Community Rights Could Help Save the Great Lakes

The Progressive: ‘Not Another Flint! Let Us Vote!’

WCRS Community Radio Columbus: The Ohio Community Rights Conference & More

The Intercept: How a Ragtag Group of Oregon Locals Took On the Biggest Chemical Companies in World — and Won

Toledo City Paper: Water Rights: Protecting Lake Erie and our Drinking Water

WGRZ.com: Nature’s Law: The Rights of Nature to Exist

Columbus Community Bill of Rights: Corporate Lobbyists Attack the People’s Right to Vote on the Columbus Community Bill of Rights Initiative

The Toledo Blade: Elections board sued in Ohio Supreme Court over Lake Erie Bill of Rights ballot initiative

The Columbus Dispatch: Letter: Citizen initiative would be important protection

The Toledo Blade: Board of Elections rejects downtown jail, Lake Erie bill of rights petitions

ABC Drive (North Queensland): Interview on the rights of the Great Barrier Reef

InDepthNH.org: Opinion: Northern Pass Appeal Ignores Wishes of NH People

WOSU Public Media: Franklin County Board Of Elections Rejects Fracking Ban Proposal

CCBOR PRESS RELEASE: COLUMBUS, OH, FRANKLIN COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS WILL VOTE ON CITIZEN INITIATED COMMUNITY BILL OF RIGHTS ORDINANCE HEADED FOR BALLOT

Lagniappe Weekly: Bay lives matter

The Toledo Blade: Toledo water group collects signatures for “Lake Erie Bill of Rights” inclusion on Nov. ballot

Columbus Free Press: Columbus Community Bill of Rights Initiative Makes November Ballot

The Daily News: Supervisors to defend ordinance

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