Power Shift, the biennial youth
climate movement summit, runs from Friday, April 15, to Monday, April
18.
10:00am – 11:30am Action: Make Big Polluters Pay
April 18th is Tax Day and we’re hitting the streets to send a clear
message: “It’s time to end handouts to Big Oil. Make Polluters Pay and
fund OUR future: a 100% clean energy future
that looks out for everyone.”
12:00pm – 4:00pm Lobby Visits
We’ll march from our demonstration to Capitol Hill to bring our demands
to Congress. With thousands of us converging on Capitol Hill, it will be
one of the largest citizen visits ever!
Power Shift, the biennial youth
climate movement summit, runs from Friday, April 15, to Monday, April
18.
9:00am – 1:00pm Movement Building Sessions: Training & Planning
People will come together regionally to meet one another, share stories
and ideas, and plan collective efforts. We’ll practice and learn the
fundamentals of grassroots organizing that will give us a strong
foundation for campaign work.
1:00pm – 2:00pm Lunch
2:00pm – 6:00pm Clean Economy Canvass
Attendees will have the opportunity to help build the clean energy
economy in Washington, DC. Participants will be trained in the best ways
to engage friends and neighbors in energy efficiency work.
2:15pm – 3:15pm Workshop & Panels: Session 1
3:30pm – 4:30pm Workshop & Panels: Session 2
4:45pm – 5:45pm Workshop & Panels: Session 3
6:00pm – 7:30pm Dinner & Caucuses
During dinner, attendees will have the opportunity to meet with other
folks to talk about how their identity has impacted their experiences
throughout the weekend.
7:30pm – 11:00pm Keynote & Concert
We’ll reconvene in a keynote session to hear from more movement leaders.
EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and 350.org
founder Bill McKibben are confirmed as keynote speakers, and more will
be announced soon!
Power Shift, the biennial youth
climate movement summit, runs from Friday, April 15, to Monday, April
18.
2:00pm – 5:30pm Generation Waking Up
An optional activity, Generation Waking Up will help us launch Power
Shift fired up and inspired to take action. Through music, exercises,
dialogue, and video, we’ll explore the critical questions facing young
people and society
6:30pm – 9:00pm Opening Keynote
Our opening keynote will set the stage for the Power Shift 2011—we’ll
give an overview for the weekend and start to hear from movement leaders
and climate and energy experts. Al Gore and Van Jones are confirmed as
keynote speakers for the evening.
9:00pm – 12:00am Films Fueling the Energy Revolution
We’ll be showing a handful of films discussing and investigating
environmental issues. These films will kick off the Reel Power film
series scheduled to air throughout Power Shift 2011.
Responding pre-emptively to
plans of a massive act of civil
disobedience
at the coal-fired U.S. Capitol Power Plant, the leaders of Congress
today called for an end to its use of
coal. In a letter to the Architect
of the Capitol, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and House
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) describe the plant as “a shadow that hangs
over the success” of the architect’s efforts to green the Capitol:
The Capitol Power Plant (CPP) continues to be the number one source
of air pollution and carbon emissions in the District of Columbia
and the focal point for criticism from local community and national
environmental and public health groups.
Reid and Pelosi note that “there are not projected to be any economical
or feasible technologies to reduce coal-burning emissions soon.” (In
other words, coal is dirty.) They ask
the architect to switch the plant fully to natural gas “by the end of
the year”:
Therefore it is our desire that your approach focus on retrofitting at
least one of the coal boilers as early as this summer, and the
remaining boiler by the end of the year.
The switch will allow the plant “to dramatically reduce carbon and
criteria pollutant emissions,
eliminating more than 95 percent of sulfur oxides and at least 50
percent of carbon monoxide,” as well as the costs of “cleaning up the
fly ash and waste.”
Gristmill’s Kate Sheppard reports “that doesn’t mean the big
protest on
Monday is off, according to organizers,” because “there are still
hundreds of other power plants burning coal around the country.”
On Wednesday, February 4 the youth-led Energy Action Coalition is
hosting a national teleconference for student reporters about the
crucial role of young people in the fight for bold federal energy and
climate legislation.
From February 27 to March 2, 2009, 10,000 young leaders from across the
country will convene for Power Shift ‘09 in
Washington, D.C. to demand that the President and Congress pass bold
climate and energy policy that prioritizes renewable energy, green job
creation, and an aggressive reduction of carbon emissions.
Jessy Tolkan, Executive Director, Energy Action Coalition
Dominique Hazzard, Power Shift ‘09 organizer and freshman at Wellesley
College, Executive Committee Sierra Student Coalition
Jason Walsh, Policy Director, Green for All
Dave Hamilton, Director, Global Warming and Energy Program, Sierra
Club
The speakers on the call will be able to answer questions about Power
Shift ‘09 and the role of young people in shaping federal energy and
climate policy.
From February 27 to March 2, 10,000 young leaders from around the world
will kick off a historic year for climate action by convening in
Washington, D.C. for Power Shift ‘09. Young people will demand that the
President and Congress rebuild the economy and reclaim the future by
passing bold climate and energy policy. Participants will share ideas
and success stories, learn new skills, build connections, hear from
leading experts and change-makers and come together to deliver a unified
message to the nation’s leaders. On March 2, Power Shift ‘09 will
culminate with a massive lobby and rally day on Capitol Hill.
Q: Does the National Wildlife Federation support the idea of a cap and
auction system?
A: Yeah, we’ve been working for a number of years on supporting the
best cap-and-trade system possible. We support 100% auction of
credits, or if there is distribution, there should only be
distribution for public benefit, and want to see good legislation come
out of Congress. Our time for strong action is rapidly dwindling and
want to see the best legislation we can possibly pass as soon as we
can possibly pass it.
Responding pre-emptively to
plans of a