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Protecting
Mother Nature By Lindsay Wittenberg Samuelson, ND
Naturopathic Doctor in Toledo, Ohio June 5, 2019, World Environment Day |
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When my daughter was less than 3 months old, I got a call early one morning from a panicked family friend. “Have you drank from your tap today?” I quickly thought about it. I had just finished breast-feeding and hadn’t made my cup of tea yet. As she continued to explain that a city-wide tap water ban had been enacted, I was grateful I hadn’t turned the tap on yet that morning. But then, I started to panic! No drinking! No bathing! No cooking! And, boiling water was not an option as it increased the toxicity level. I had no bottled water. My sleep-deprived self tried to make sense of what I was hearing.
As I let the news set in that early August morning in 2014, I experienced a vulnerability that I had not yet known before. Our water was toxic. I also worried about the 500,000 people in my region who would all be scrambling—at the same time—to stock up on bottled water. How did this happen? |
Toledo gets its water from Lake Erie, the shallowest of all the Great Lakes—receiving run-off from agricultural operations, shown here, with resulting poisonous algae bloom.
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NASA image captures an algae bloom across Lake Erie.
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The microscopic cyanobacteria that live in the lake are fed an increasing volume of phosphorus- rich agricultural run-off from both animal operations and row crops. These nutrients feed the algae which flourish in warm conditions into a thick green poisonous slime that you can also actually see from space. |
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We aren’t the only community affected. In 2017 alone, there have been 169 toxic blooms reported in 40 of the United States. These blooms produce a class of toxins called microcystin, which have serious health implications. They can cause pneumonia, neurological, liver and kidney damage in humans and deadly respiratory paralysis in dogs and other animals. |
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The best methods for preventing these algal blooms is to reduce the amount of nutrients that enter the body of water in the first place. The state of Ohio has implemented some regulations, but most agree that these regulations don’t do enough. Due to powerful corporate interests, the Ohio EPA has not responded or effectively addressed the root cause of the problem.
Toledo's water ban was lifted 3 days after it was implemented and the poor waste management practices were disregarded. The drinking water was monitored more aggressively. They now test drinking water daily in “bloom season” (July-October) and have added sensors to monitor water intake into their facilities. They also add additional chlorine. But the more that they treat the water, the more expensive it is and the more waste is produced. Our community was left with no long-term sustainable solution and an almost certain guarantee that this was going to be an ongoing problem.
Toledo's water ban was lifted 3 days after it was implemented and the poor waste management practices were disregarded. The drinking water was monitored more aggressively. They now test drinking water daily in “bloom season” (July-October) and have added sensors to monitor water intake into their facilities. They also add additional chlorine. But the more that they treat the water, the more expensive it is and the more waste is produced. Our community was left with no long-term sustainable solution and an almost certain guarantee that this was going to be an ongoing problem.
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A very small handful of concerned local citizens grew frustrated with the lack of solutions in our city. They began talking. Why was the health of a business more valuable than the surrounding ecosystem? Our economy could not be sustained without a healthy environment in the long term. When the government failed to respond to the root of the problem, this small band of locals mobilized and named themselves Toledoans for Safe Water (TFS) |
'Advocates for a Clean Lake Erie' hosting a rally about 'Lake Erie Bill of Rights' (LEBOR).
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and sought out a solution to make polluters held accountable. If the citizens didn’t do something, no one would. How could a democratic society be dictated to by corporate interests at the expense of the health of its citizens, community, ecosystem and—ultimately—the economy?
The Rights of Nature Movement works to provide legal rights and protections for local ecosystems. |
TFS got in touch with an environmental law firm from Pennsylvania called the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund (CELDF) and soon found the solution in the Rights of Nature Movement. What they learned was that, legally, entities are considered either property-which can be bought, sold and “legally destroyed” or recognized as having rights and protections which can be defended in a court of law.
This concept has evolved through the years. Originally, slaves and women were considered property. Over decades of activism, they each got their day in court and are now recognized as having rights and protections. Corporations have also been granted this right. They are allowed to own and destroy property and have the same legal rights as humans. If a non-living entity can have these rights to destroy the ecosystem, shouldn't the ecosystem it effects have rights too? The Rights of Nature Movement works to provide legal rights and protections so badly needed for these vulnerable entities. It had passed statutes in several communities around the globe including in Ecuador, New Zealand and Pennsylvania. These statutes give citizens rights to file law suits, on behalf of nature, in order to protect it. |
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It is an extremely uphill battle. CELDF and TFS drafted what is known as the Lake Erie Bill of Rights (LEBOR). This is a charter amendment which would allow any citizen of Toledo to sue on behalf of the lake. TFS needed to collect over 5,000 signatures in 2 years to get it on the ballot.
About a year after the crisis, I learned of this group as I read an independent local newspaper. There was a tiny paragraph about who they were and what they were doing. I called the phone number as a concerned mother and health practitioner. I spoke to Markie Miller, who invited me to coffee to discuss how I could become involved. Ms. Miller explained to me what they were doing and I offered to help get signatures. I made it out a few times, but nothing compared to the time and dedication of the key members. I witnessed this group’s passion, perseverance and dedication in all kinds of weather. But, I couldn’t have imagined what was about to happen through their efforts. |
Toledo environmental activist Markie Miller.
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'Vote Yes' poster at the TFS Election-Watch Party.
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Over several seasons, the group collected the signatures needed. They held a party to celebrate the final handing in of the petitions. They submitted these to the Board of Elections to await being placed on the local ballot for the next election. Unfortunately, the Board of Elections voted unanimously to keep the measure off the ballot, despite having the appropriate amount of valid signatures. TFS challenged this ruling. A host of powerful interest groups— including the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, the American Petroleum Institute, and other giants of industry—filed “friend of the court” briefs in support of the Board of Elections. They were not going to let a small group of local citizens win this game-changing battle. But, the Ohio Supreme Court sided with TFS and LEBOR was placed on the ballot in a special election in February 2019. |
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Media from around the world picked-up on the story and international support poured in for this groundbreaking initiative. Ms. Miller and others were interviewed in major news outlets around the globe. The initiatives that a small group of Toledoans were proposing became very big news.
Concurrently, the voters of Toledo were bombarded with negative campaign ads confusing the issue and leaving people unsure of what they were voting for. Slowly, in the days before the election, local groups came out in favor of the bill. But the outcome looked very sketchy. The bill ended up passing by 61%. This despite hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions used to run negative advertising and robocalls to the citizens of Toledo prior to the vote. It was undeclared who was behind these ads, but it was later discovered that the majority of anti-LEBOR ads were funded by Houston-based British Petroleum Corporation (BP). The day after the bill was passed, a preliminary injunction on LEBOR was filed by a Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation owner, Mark Drewes and the Ohio Farm Bureau. That same day, TFS attorneys filed to intervene in the court case as a defendant as well a motion to dismiss the case. This is now awaiting the court to rule. |
TFS volunteers preparing to go out in the dark.
'It's cold. It's damp. It's dedication." The bill ended up passing by 61%. This despite hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions used to run negative advertising... |
TFS posters and activists working their election message on the ProMedica Parkway Bridge overlooking the I-475 Highway.
We don’t lose until we quit! 
Markie Miller at the United Nations with supporting members of Toledoans for Safe Water (TFS).
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Whatever the court decides, this issue has hit the mainstream due to a handful of activists who are working tirelessly to get their voices heard. This local grassroots movement has added to the chorus of voices speaking out against the laws that are not only unjust but also destructive. “We don’t lose until we quit!” said Ms. Miller.
It is imperative for the continued efforts of our citizens to speak up and protect those in society whose voices are left unheard—human and non-human alike. Since that time, Ms. Miller has been interviewed from around the globe and was recently invited to speak at the United Nations for Earth Day—in association with their Harmony with Nature Resolution. It was surreal and incredible to witness this determined young woman go from the coffee shop where we met to speaking on the UN floor. She spoke about her experience during the water crisis and emphasized that the “crisis was fostered and encouraged by the very laws that we have relied on for decades” to protect us. “We the people must organize to dismantle the immoral laws by which we are trapped.” By thinking outside the box and persevering in the face of giants, TFS has contributed to the shift in how we each view our relationship to our environment. This revolutionary—yet ancient—mindset must be assimilated into our current culture in order to preserve the health of our children, our communities and our economy. The natural world is not merely composed of resources to be economized, but as an entity we must honor and protect. |
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Making this fundamental shift is a huge challenge to the mainstream. But it is necessary to ensure that future generations do not face more vulnerable conditions in the face of “property destruction.”
Now nature has a seat at the table! By protecting its value and well being, we ultimately protect our own. This holistic view is not new—just forgotten in our current paradigm. We are not above nature, we are a part of it. And, without healthy ecosystems, we can not have healthy communities. |
Now nature has 
3 of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
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The Nightingale Initiative for Global Health commends the exemplary citizen action of Toledoans for Safe Water, with gratitude for this report provided by
Dr. Lindsay Samuelson. Dr. Samuelson is a Naturopathic Doctor in Toledo, Ohio. She is a firm believer in treating the root causes of dis-ease. By identifying and treating the roots of illness one can more effectively cultivate sustainable mental and physical well-being. This is one of the basic premises of Naturopathic Medicine. |
Shown here with her daughter Amelia, Dr. Samuelson is licensed by the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice and is a proud member of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP) and the Ohio Association of Naturopathic Physicians (OHNDA). She is currently working towards a certification in Environmental Medicine under the tutelage of Dr. Walter Crinnion.
Besides nearly 10 years of post graduate study, Dr. Samuelson has travelled widely, gaining first-hand experience of a myriad of medical arts, including Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine. She has had the privilege of learning with medical teams in Nicaragua, India, the United Kingdom and Canada—to witness the universal healing power of nature.
Besides nearly 10 years of post graduate study, Dr. Samuelson has travelled widely, gaining first-hand experience of a myriad of medical arts, including Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine. She has had the privilege of learning with medical teams in Nicaragua, India, the United Kingdom and Canada—to witness the universal healing power of nature.
Image Credits
From the Facebook Page of Toledoans for Safe Water
and the archives of Dr. Samuelson, used with permission.
The above Logos for Sustainable Development Goals #3, # 14 and # 15
and SDGs Colour Wheel are used with attribution in accordance with UN.org Guidelines.