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The Ohio River has been named the nation's 'second most endangered' waterway. So what happens now?

Daybreak over the Ohio River, July 14, 2022, as seen from Eden Park.
Bill Rinehart
/
WVXU
Daybreak over the Ohio River, July 14, 2022, as seen from Eden Park.

A national group focused on clean water and river health has named the Ohio River the second-most endangered waterway in the U.S.

American Rivers, based in Washington, D.C., highlighted the Ohio River in its America's Most Endangered Rivers of 2023 report, which is available online.

The Colorado River in Arizona was listed as the most endangered river in the report.

The group describes the report as "a list of rivers at a crossroads, where key decisions in the coming months will determine the rivers' fates."

RELATED: Ohio River deemed 'second most endangered' waterway by American Rivers group

On Cincinnati Edition, we'll discuss the factors that threaten the Ohio River and hear from advocates about how they want to see the river protected.

Then, the need to address climate change has become more urgent, with a recent United Nations climate report warning that the world is on "thin ice." But even that stark assessment stressed that humanity still has a chance to prevent the worst harms of the changing climate.

Green Umbrella's upcoming Midwest Regional Sustainability Summit is focusing on that collective hope and the need for action. The event on May 12 at the Duke Energy Convention Center features a plenary that will dig deep into climate justice action and possibility at the neighborhood, metro and national levels. On Cincinnati Edition, we discuss the message of this year's summit.

Green Umbrella is a financial supporter of Cincinnati Public Radio

Guests:

  • Heather Taylor-Miesle, senior vice president of advocacy and regional conservation at American Rivers
  • Richard Harrison, executive director and chief engineer at the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO)
  • Katharine Wilkinson, Ph.D., climate strategist and author, executive director, The All We Can Save Project, and this year’s keynote speaker
  • Peyton Siler-Jones, program director of Sustainability and Resilience, National League of Cities 
  • Charlie Gonzalez, member relations and events manager, Green Umbrella

Listen to Cincinnati Edition live at noon M-F. Audio for this segment will be uploaded after 4 p.m. ET.

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