By Suzanne Forcese in WaterToday Ohio on December 17, 2021
“I have been called to carry a message. It wasn’t something I planned, or something I could ever strive for, or even thought about. But, when I received ‘the call’, there was no other option. I know have a responsibility to act on that call. I am the Voice for Lake Erie.”
–Markie Miller, Volunteer Organizer for Toledoans for Safe Water in an Interview with WATERTODAY
In 2014, half a million citizens of Toledo could not drink or use or drink their water for five days due to toxic algal blooms in Lake Erie. Following that crisis, Toledoans For Safe Water (TFSW) was birthed. The advocacy group wrote, petitioned, and campaigned for the LAKE ERIE BILL OF RIGHTS – the first Rights of Nature law for a specific ecosystem in the United States. The law passed in 2019. However, with ongoing corporate and State opposition, the battle continues.
The following interview between WATERTODAY & MARKIE MILLER has been edited for clarity and length.
WTOH: You are still an active voice in the Rights of Nature and Lake Erie, can you give our audience a snapshot of your continuing involvement?
MM: Rights of Nature for Lake Erie is my life. I lend my voice in the hope that others will be inspired to speak up and take action for just, fair, and sustainable communities.
I am regularly invited to speak at different functions and to high school and university classes. It’s really rewarding to know that people have not forgotten the power of this story. When people say, ‘this is what we want’ and see what TFSW has accomplished, they can build on our efforts.
WTOH: And the documentary – Invisible Hand?
MM: I recently participated in the Rights of Nature documentary produced and narrated by Mark Ruffalo. We are also working on a university curriculum to accompany the film. It’s a wonderful story that says, ‘This could be your community’. So, it’s a starting point for discussion and action.
WTOH: In 2019 you spoke before the United Nations about LEBOR (Lake Erie Bill of Rights). What was that experience like for you?
MM: It was both rewarding and daunting. Here I was just an ordinary person from a scrappy grassroots organization that was invited to this platform. I had five minutes to showcase our story with people representing whole countries from the entire world.
It was such an odd moment. Everyone from these countries knows about LEBOR. It was like an international soap opera where everyone wanted to know what was happening next.
It also made me sad to know we have a name in the world and international support but at home, we are vilified…
Read the full transcript HERE.