Climate Corner: DOGE strikes again for Earth Day

Apr 19, 2025

Jean Ambrose

editorial@newsandsentinel.com

“Even a wounded world is feeding us. Even a wounded world holds us, giving us moments of wonder and joy. I choose joy over despair. Not because I have my head in the sand, but because joy is what the earth gives me daily and I must return the gift.” — Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass

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The first Earth Day in 1970 responded to a world in crisis — rivers catching fire from pollution, smog choking city skies, and wildlife vanishing at alarming rates. That national outcry led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency and, a few years later, the Endangered Species Act. For over five decades, these protections helped preserve clean air, drinkable water, and essential ecosystems.

But today, those hard-won gains are under threat. Federal environmental protections have been weakened or rolled back, and leadership in many agencies now seems more hostile than helpful. In the face of that, the responsibility to safeguard the planet falls more heavily on everyday citizens. If change is going to happen, it’s up to us.

A local example is unfolding right now. Saturday, April 26, a major cleanup of Buckley Island is scheduled as part of the annual Ohio River Sweep. The Friends of the Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge have spent weeks preparing — coordinating volunteers, planning logistics, and organizing resources. But just yesterday, six AmeriCorps National Service members who had come to assist with the effort were abruptly dismissed by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an extralegal agency with growing power and no accountability.

This follows a disturbing pattern. DOGE previously fired staff at the Bureau of the Fiscal Service, and now they’re interfering in environmental work with no explanation or regard for local impact. Their actions threaten more than just a weekend cleanup. Local projects — like tree planting and trail retaining wall construction — were planned based on having a full-time crew. The disruption affects not only the health of the Ohio River but the Refuge’s ability to attract visitors and support the local economy.

What can we do? We show up. We act. We clean up our rivers, plant our trees, and refuse to be sidelined.

Join us on Saturday. Boats will depart for Buckley Island from the Williamstown boat ramp (101 Julia Ave) at 1 p.m. All cleanup supplies will be provided. Before that, volunteers can enjoy a simple lunch at noon, hosted by Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action (MOVCA) at the nearby Refuge office. To help organizers prepare, please email Hunt Brawley at hbrawley@peoplesbanktheatre.com to register. But if you can’t RSVP, come anyway. Your presence matters.

This year, it’s especially vital for youth groups and volunteer teams to connect with the Refuge to help finish the work left undone — planting trees and stabilizing trails that protect the island’s future.

Action is the antidote to despair. Even small, local efforts can bring real change — and that change gives us hope.

Fortunately, the Mid-Ohio Valley is home to many organizations ready to support your ideas and passion for protecting the earth. Here are just a few:

* Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action (MOVCA), focused on renewable energy, energy efficiency, and sustainability. Find resources and connect at movclimateaction.org or on their active Facebook page.

* Green Sanctuary Committee, based at the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Marietta. This group models how faith communities can lead through pollinator gardens, solar energy, ethical eating, and public education.

* West Virginia Rivers Coalition advocates for clean water across the state, monitoring water quality and educating the public. More at wvrivers.org.

* WV Citizen Action Group partners with MOVCA to provide PurpleAir monitors, allowing residents to track local air quality. Contact Kayla Deem at kayladeem@ymail.com or 304-483-3718.

* Save Ohio Parks, a grassroots group, fights to protect public lands from oil and gas extraction, especially in Ohio’s state parks and forests. Learn more at hello@saveohioparks.org.

* Ecological Restoration Projects, led by Mark Krivchenia. Volunteers remove invasive species and restore habitats in parks like Mountwood and Broughton Preserve. Contact mark.krivchenia@gmail.com.

* Buckeye Environmental Network, a watchdog group exposing environmental risks — like spreading toxic oil and gas waste on Ohio roads. Their Brine Waste Task Force is pushing for reform. Contact: roxannegroff1227@gmail.com.

* Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL), a nonpartisan organization advocating for national climate policy and educating Congress. For Ohio’s District 06, contact George Banziger at gbanziger497@gmail.com.

Despite its wounds, the Earth still gives to us — with beauty, wonder, and sustenance. It’s time we return the gift. Let’s rise with hope and purpose, shoulder to shoulder, and protect what we all share.

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Jean Ambrose works at not being a criminal ancestor to her granddaughter.