Climate advocates are meeting in Athens to journey across southeast and mid-Ohio to raise awareness about the state’s environment May 16.
The Great Ohio Climate March starts at the Athens Farmers Market, where participants begin a roughly 100-mile hike ending at the Statehouse in Columbus.
“Ohio may have once been at the forefront of energy generation, but it’s incredibly backward for the energy future of our state and a livable planet,” Ditte Wolin, co-facilitator of Third Act Ohio, said in a press release. “Ohio should be a model for what states can do with dependable, clean and emissions-free reliable, renewable energy.”
Third Act Ohio is an organization of Americans over 60-years-old who strive to “change the world for the better,” according to The Great Ohio Climate March website.
The event spans two weeks and is designed to be flexible for all participants.
Participants can walk the full route or join for shorter portions along the way, and shuttles will be available to carry gear and assist those who might need shorter hiking days.
The march follows parts of the Buckeye Trail for about seven days before reaching Salt Fork State Park. There, participants can rest and take part educational sessions focused on the purpose of the march.
After a few days of rest, participants will make their way to Columbus for the final leg of the march.
Claudia Lyon, one of the event organizers, and Judy Smucker, Third Act Coordinating Committee member, said the march aims to draw attention to fracking on Ohio’s public lands and parks, the influence of the oil and gas industry on state politics and the impact of climate change on communities in Ohio.
“We’re the only state in the country that allows fracking under our state parks,” Smucker said. “There are so many people (who) don’t know anything about fracking under our state parks that’s happening. So, we thought (the march) would be a way of really getting the word out.”
Fracking involves injecting fluid at high pressure into underground rock formations, allowing “trapped gas” or “crude oil” to flow through a pipe to a “wellhead at the surface,” according to Britannica.
The march also strives to help participants and observers understand the benefits of renewable energy sources.
“We want to educate people about what’s happening as far as fracking and the oil and gas industry,” Lyon said. “We also want to give them alternatives. We want to let them know that renewables are a possibility, certainly solar.”
Along the route, participants can see firsthand how energy development affects Ohio’s landscape. The march will take participants past sites connected to the oil and gas industry, including fracking pads, compressor stations and injection wells, according to the website.
Lyon hopes visiting these sites will open people’s eyes to the effects they have on the environment.
“If we’re going by a frack pad, depending on what stage it is … you’ll see lights … noise, smells, trucks in and out on back country roads,” Lyon said. “Even if it’s in a remote, rural area, it’s still disruptive. (Even if) it’s not disruptive to the people around it, it affects the wildlife.”
Lyon said residents living near the sites can see the march and spark conversations on the topic.
“We will be going through parts of Ohio where people live (and) they are in areas that are being fracked or have injection wells, and I hope they see us, and I hope they have questions for us,” Lyon said. “We want to be supportive of them and let them know there are alternatives.”
The march concludes May 28 at the Statehouse in Columbus with a rally and legislative day.
“We hope to have a big contingency of people to help us walk that last couple miles with banners and flags and whatever people want to bring to call attention to the fact we’re doing this, and why we’re doing this,” Lyon said. “Once we get there … there will be a rally, several speakers and then opportunities to speak with legislative staff.”
For many involved, including Lyon and Smucker, the march is about much more than a single event – it’s part of a broader effort to push for climate action in Ohio.
“I have grandchildren, and we’re leaving a mess for them,” Smucker said. “We made it (and) I feel responsible that I have to do whatever I can.”
As the marchers make their trek across Ohio roads and trails, Smucker, Lyon and the other organizers hope the journey will bring attention to the state’s energy, oil and fuel choices and inspire others to take part in shaping a more sustainable future.
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