Focus the Nation on Jobs and the Clean Energy Race

By Garett Brennan, executive director, Focus the Nation

Youth-led Clean Energy Forums are underway across the country this spring as part of Focus the Nation’s fourth national civic engagement campaign. Focus the Nation has been working this with youth leaders to help ‘focus’ communities across the upper Midwest, Maine and Arkansas on the intensifying global clean energy race and the tangible steps these communities and their elected officials can take to capture the economic potential of a competitive clean energy economy.


This past weekend, Focus the Nation teams in Arkansas, Maine and Wisconsin hosted Clean Energy Forums on Jobs and the Clean Energy Race. After last Saturday’s event, Focus organizer and student president of Arkansas State University, Ryan Beaird, reported that people in his community are realizing that the time is now to join the race to create clean energy jobs and industries. "The quicker we do it, the quicker we'll become a leader and the quicker we'll get returns on our investment,” said Beaird. “Our economy needs that right now. The future of Arkansas depends on it." Watch part of the Arkansas Clean Energy Forum here

More Clean Energy Forums took place Apr. 8 in Fargo, ND and Apr. 10 in Sioux Falls, SD, Bloomington, IN, St. Paul, MN, East Lansing, MI and Chicago, IL.

After working hard in the build-up to Copenhagen to spur U.S. clean energy leadership and international collaboration, Focus Organizers are now working even harder to ensure that we achieve real change in our local communities today. That is why Focus the Nation is working directly in key areas of our country that directly connect to our manufacturing muscle in the global market and the battle for legislative leadership in Washington. We are taking a hard look at clean energy job generation in the states where events are taking place: Maine, Arkansas, Indiana, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Illinois.

The slow moving Senate, while deeply concerning, does not mean that our communities and states have to stop moving forward on solutions. That’s what these Clean Energy Forums are designed for: while Congress is mired in debate, young leaders across the country are convening forums that are helping their communities get educated, engaged and connected to efforts to build a competitive and prosperous U.S. clean energy economy. No matter how old you are, there’s something totally amazing about seeing a young person moderate a panel of business and elected leaders on this issue. The presence of a highly articulate, passionate young person driving the discussion achieves a certain gravitas about how incredibly critical this is for generations to come.

If we’re serious about solutions, we need people in power to get serious about investment in clean energy research, development and adoption, and then empower young entrepreneurs with tools to unleash their creativity. Climate change is NOT the defining issue of our generation. After all, today’s ‘millennials’ didn’t put all that global warming pollution up there. But building a clean and prosperous energy economy that averts the risks of climate change—and leading that effort in a way that inspires people in diverse communities across the country to take part in that collective effort—this is the defining issue of our generation.

In Wisconsin this past weekend, Focus Organizer Jamie Racine led an event at the American Legion Post in South Milwaukee. At the Wisconsin Forum, the participants identified the solutions and roadblocks facing their state and communities. One of the more interesting solutions that surfaced was a discovery that strong partnerships already exist between federal and state governments and technical colleges in the area: every graduate coming out of tech school in manufacturing is trained for renewable energy installation. And according to panelist Amy Heart from the Midwest Renewable Energy Association, Wisconsin has the capacity to produce more than five times as much energy as it needs from renewable sources alone! With a whole crop of trained technicians each year and plenty of renewable energy potential in the area, it didn’t take long for participants to agree that investing in the growth of manufacturing and installation businesses seemed like a good thing to advocate for when they visit their elected leaders in the coming month and share their clean energy priorities. Watch part of the Wisconsin Clean Energy Forum here

Also included on Jamie’s panel was Robin Eckstein, an Iraq war veteran and volunteer with Operation Free. Robin delivered an impassioned first-hand account of why we need to start investing in clean, local sources of energy:

“The military is taking this seriously, whether it’s the fact that we’re completely vulnerable because of the finite source of energy, or because of climate change, or the fact that we’re funding both sides of the war. Former Senior CIA director James Walsey specifically stated that this is the second time in American history we’re fighting both sides of the war, the first being the Civil War. Every time we go to the gas pump, we are helping to fuel terrorists. We are buying that fuel, that money is going into the hands of countries who do not have our best interest at hand. We have our troops fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan and the bullets flying back at them are coming from money that we’re giving to those governments, by going to the pump, and this has to stop.”

Focus the Nation has spent three years creating educational community forums to ask these hard questions, facilitate difficult conversations and work toward unexpected partnerships to find solutions. We commend our partners like the Truman National Security Project and Operation Free, as well as the Alliance for Climate Education and Will Steger Foundation for helping Focus the Nation bringing together diverse perspective at our Clean Energy Forums. Watch Wisconsin high school students discuss their vision for a clean energy future here

We are anxiously anticipating the outcome of the remainder of this April’s Clean Energy Forums this Thursday and Saturday in IN, ND, SD, MN and IL. Each Forum will generate a citizen-built list of top roadblocks and solutions that youth-led teams will deliver to Senate leadership this spring.

As Focus the Nation watches and helps this movement grow into a more targeted, comprehensive and inclusive conversation, we are also seeing cool clean energy careers spring up around the country. In Arkansas, panelist Christopher Charlton, a young wind technology specialist with Greenway Renewable Energy spoke urgently and passionately about the work his company is doing to bring renewable options to the people of Arkansas. These are the jobs that we’re talking about. And with President Obama’s announcement of ending the moratorium on offshore drilling the big energy news out of Washington this week, we know that it will continue to be our intrepid communities, local leaders and path-breaking businesses that will keep building and fighting for a clean energy future and proving that it works. Build on! Build now!

Focus the Nation is a Portland, OR-based non-profit working nationwide to empower young people with the leadership, educational and civic engagement opportunities that will accelerate our transformation to a more just and prosperous clean energy future. Empowering a generation to power our nation. Find out more at www.FocusTheNation.org

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Focusing the Heartland on a Clean Energy Future

From St. Louis and Philadelphia, to Columbus and Denver, Focus the Nation's Clean Energy Town Halls bring youth, community members and elected officials together to find clean energy solutions and plan sustained action.

Forget Seattle and Berkeley. Move over Portland and Boston. When it comes to deciding America's energy future, it's place like Akron and Pittsburgh, St Louis and Detroit that deserve the spotlight right now. While many leading cities in the traditionally green bastions along America's coasts are showing what's possible, the American 'Heartland' is where the nation's clean energy future must be built. What's more, the Heartland is where the political fate of climate and clean energy legislation being debated in Congress will be decided.

It's good timing then that Nationwide Town Halls for Clean Energy Solutions are happening all around our country right now. In community centers, college lecture rooms, and church halls all across the nation this week and last, elected officials from all levels of government are joining young leaders and community members to focus on what it will take to build a clean and prosperous energy economy and tackle climate change. The ongoing Nationwide Town Halls for Clean Energy Solutions are sponsored by the youth-empowerment organization, Focus the Nation, and organized by hundreds of committed community leaders both young and old.

Focus the Nation events have been held in over 165 Congressional Districts, including dozens of town halls across Heartland states like Missouri, Pennsylvania, Colorado and Ohio.

The nationwide town halls kicked off on Monday, April 13th in Philadelphia, where swing Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) joined Drexel University students, community members, and business leaders for a discussion on tackling climate change and seizing the opportunities of the new energy economy.

With the help of Focus the Nation's young and talented central staff, youth leaders around the country have successfully engaged over 70 members of Congress and scores of state and local elected officials in open discussions about clean energy solutions. [See video statements from several of those elected officials here]

Focus the Nation paid particular attention to members of Congress like Senator Specter, who still need to be convinced to back strong climate and clean energy legislation. The town hall events engaged 24 of these swing senators and representatives, mostly from Heartland states, according to Focus the Nation's civic engagement director, Alex Tinker.

"It's usually our leaders who call town halls on pressing issues," said Lindsey Berger, a student organizer of a clean energy town hall hosted in Springfield, Missouri last Friday featuring State Representative Sarah Lampe and local elected officials. "Well this time we're inviting them to our town halls because our generation knows we don't have time to wait to build a clean energy future."

The event in Springfield brought students from across the Show-Me State together. "A lot of us, a great combination of college students from across Missouri who rallied together at Power Shift 2009 in Washington DC, worked together to put together this big statewide town hall in Springfield," Berger explains.

Across the state in St. Louis on Saturday, another Clean Energy Town Hall kicked off, featuring State Senator Jeff Smith and a representative of U.S. Congressman Russ Carnahan. The event spotlighted local clean energy technology businesses, featured a question and answer forum with elected officials, and concluded with the development of community action plans to help transform St. Louis into a model of the clean energy future.

"We set out to find St. Louis businesses that are working in clean energy fields," explains Will Fischer, a student at Washington University and an organizer of the St. Louis town hall. "What we found was a number of small businesses working here to get set up in this new and growing field. This is really exciting because these businesses are working on exactly the kind of solutions we're going to need as a country to build a clean energy economy."

Fischer is hoping the new networks WashU students are building with local business and community leaders, and the sustained engagement and activism sparked by the St. Louis town hall, will catch the attention of Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill. McCaskill is a Democrat and a critical swing vote on climate and clean energy legislation this year.

"This can't just be one event," Fichser says passionately, "It needs to be the start of a collective, organized, and motivating movement." Focus the Nation's Alex Tinker echoes that sentiment, saying, "It's really what comes next that's most exciting."

"Focus the Nation Town Halls are catalysts for action," Tinker explains. "Organizers and participants will begin charting community action plans unique to their locality and will implement them with Focus the Nation's support over the coming year."

The community action plans will focus on overcoming roadblocks, sharing solutions from other regions of the country, and identifying opportunities to accelerate momentum along the path to a clean energy economy.

In Denver, Colorado, Eric Kornacki is helping organize a town hall event that will bring together college students as well as a diverse cross-section of Denver's communities, for a true multicultural event. This recent graduate of the University of Denver says the community is planning to regroup at a follow up event in October to gauge progress on the action plans they will draft at the town hall, chart next steps, and continue a dialog with elected officials.

"I think that this forum for dialog is so unique and it's really urgent right now, particularly in Colorado," Kornacki says.

He's right. In Colorado and Ohio, Pennsylvania and Missouri, and states all across the American Heartland, it's exactly these kinds of conversations about clean energy solutions that are so urgent.

Led by committed and energized young leaders like Kornacki, Berger, and Fischer, the nationwide Focus the Nation town halls are just the beginning of the clean energy revolution that must quickly sweep across the United States and help catapult the nation into a clean and prosperous energy future.


Jesse Jenkins is the founder and chief editor of WattHead - Energy News and Commentary and regularly writes for the Energy Collective, ItsGettingHotInHere.org and the Huffington Post. He is also a board member of Focus the Nation.

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Earth Day Update on Climate Bill Hearings from Congresswoman Doris Matsui

Guest post from Congresswoman Doris Matsui. Cross-posted from www.focusthenation.org.



As a member of the House of Representatives' Energy and Commerce Committee, I just wanted to take a moment out of the hearings we are holding today to discuss the comprehensive climate change bill, and give you a quick update about what is happening here in Washington.

In the last few days alone, more action has been taken on climate change than in the entire eight years of the Bush presidency. On Friday, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the findings of their scientific review, which recognized that global warming threatens both public health and public welfare, and that greenhouse gas emissions are influencing everything from crop failures to more intense heat waves that we are seeing in my hometown of Sacramento.

Yesterday, we started hearings in the Energy and Commerce Committee on the comprehensive climate legislation put forth by Chairmen Henry Waxman and Edward Markey. When passed, the American Clean Energy and Security Act will allow our children and grandchildren to live in a country that is more sustainable, more economically viable, and more efficient than the country we live in today.

Today we are celebrating the 39th annual Earth Day, a worldwide celebration designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment and educating individuals about what they can do to help.

And this weekend, I will be one of hundreds of Californians participating in some way at the California Student Sustainability Coalition Spring Convergence & Focus the Nation Town Hall in San Lois Obispo.

We are closer to making real progress on climate change legislation that ever before, and I hope we all take this opportunity to make this an historic Earth Day.

-Congresswoman Doris Matsui, (D-CA-05)

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Congress Speaks as Focus the Nation Launches Nationwide Clean Energy Town Hall

[Update 4/17/09: Video statement from Van Jones, Special Adviser to the President for Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation added]

In over 159 Congressional districts all across the country, citizens both young and old are coming together to organize Clean Energy Town Hall events and Focus the Nation on clean energy future. From Ann Arbor to Albuquerque and from Wichita to West Palm Beach, these Nationwide Clean Energy Town Halls are directly engaging over 60 members of Congress to discuss solutions to climate change and ways to build a sustainable and prosperous clean energy economy here in America.

The Focus the Nation nationwide clean energy town halls kicked off on Monday with an event in Philadelphia, featuring critical swing Senator, Arlen Specter (R-PA). Senator Specter joined students from Drexel University, community members and business leaders to discuss how to tackle climate change and seize the opportunities of the new energy economy. Students and community members then had a closed-door discussion with the senator's energy adviser, a hallmark of the kind of direct engagement with elected officials fostered by Focus the Nation.

In addition to live appearances from dozens of senators and representatives from both sides of the aisle at Focus the Nation events taking place across the country this week and through the weekend, video statements are flooding in now from members of Congress speaking directly to citizens and attendees of Focus the Nation events. Here's a selection of those videos, including both veteran Democrats like Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and freshmen like New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Oregon Congressman Kurt Schrader, as well as Republicans like ranking Senate Energy Committee member Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Congressman Bob Inglis of South Carolina. These videos are a rare chance to hear these elected officials speak directly about the transition to a clean energy economy and the role of citizen engagement in the decisions ahead.

Senator Kirsten Gillebrand (D-NY):


Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK):


Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi:


Representative Bob Inglis (R-SC):


Representative Kurt Schrader (D-OR):


Representative Edward Markey (D-MA), Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming and Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment:


U.S. Special Climate Envoy Todd Stern:


Van Jones, Special Adviser to the President for Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation:


Check back at Focus the Nation for more videos coming soon, including a statement from Green Jobs pioneer turned White House special adviser, Van Jones. Look for a clean energy town hall event near you this weekend and help Focus the Nation on our clean energy future.

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Todd Stern, Special Envoy on Climate Change, Addresses Nationwide Town Hall on the Clean Energy Future

An address from Todd Stern, Special Envoy on Climate Change, for the Nationwide Town Hall on the Clean Energy Future:



Our deepest thanks to Jeff Gustafson, SustainUS and the US State Department for making this happen.

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Senator Specter Kicks Off Nationwide Town Hall on Clean Energy Future, Cong. Cao Event Streams Live Today

Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) joined students from Drexel University, community members and business leaders for a discussion on tackling climate change and seizing the opportunities of the new energy economy this Monday in Philadelphia.

The event kicked off a series of 103 town hall-style forums, part of a nationwide Town Hall on the clean energy future sponsored by Focus the Nation, a clean energy youth empowerment group based in Portland, OR.

The Philadelphia town hall even featured presentations from Audrey Zibelman, CEO of Viridity Energy, a cutting edge carbon and energy management firm, representatives of the Philadelphia department of sustainability, Senator Specter and others. Afterwards, a select group of participants, students and community members from the Philadelphia area, had a closed-door meeting with one of Specter's advisers on energy and environment issues, James Decker, to continue a conversation about clean energy solutions.

Senator Specter may be the most crucial swing vote in the Senate as Congressional leaders gear up for a national debate on climate and clean energy legislation this year. As Newsweek recently noted:

"His colleagues may wince, but for reasons of math Specter now finds himself the most sought-after, and sucked-up-to, member of the Senate. He could wind up casting the deciding vote on major issues, including health-care and energy reform. Here's why: Senate rules say the Democrats need 60 votes to keep Republicans from filibustering. Even if Al Franken is (finally) seated, they're one maddening vote shy. They'll need a Republican defector, not an easy thing to get. On big votes, leaders bully members into standing with the party, and senators, fearing retaliation, usually comply."

"Sen. Specter's participation in the launch of this national discussion epitomizes the opportunity America has to redefine the kind of leadership it will take to keep our country at the forefront of building the clean energy future," said Garett Brennan, executive director of Focus the Nation. "This is our window to shift our economy from crisis to opportunity. Legislators need to hear that serious investment in green jobs and affordable clean energy isn't bold to their constituents at all. It's common sense. It's what they want and it's what our economy needs."

More than 100 similar events are occurring nationwide this week, including a town hall with Congressman Joseph Cao of Louisiana that will be streamed live from New Orleans at focusthenation.org today at 6:00pm ET.

The nationwide Focus the Nation Town Halls are largely being organized by hundreds of youth who are driving today's clean energy movement. The success of the events is a result of multi-sector and multi-generational partnerships that they are building in their communities.

"It's usually our leaders who call town halls on pressing issues," said Lindsey Berger, an organizer at Missouri State University. "This time we're inviting them to our town halls because our generation knows we don't have time to wait to build a clean energy future."

On the national level, many discussions will center on the new draft climate and energy bill released by Reps. Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Edward Markey (D-MA) that is the first to set science-based targets to cut global warming pollution. On the international level, the Focus the Nation Town Halls will set the stage American leadership at the December 2009 climate treaty negotiations in Copenhagen, Denmark. At the local level, the Town Hall discussions will cover a range of topics representing sectors like agriculture, energy, building, transportation and urban planning and will help each community identify where it sits on the trajectory toward a clean and prosperous energy future.

The Town Halls are also catalysts for further action. Organizers and participants will begin charting community action plans unique to each locality that will be implemented with Focus the Nation's support over the coming year. Those plans will focus on overcoming roadblocks, sharing solutions from other regions of the country and identifying opportunities to accelerate momentum along the clean energy trajectory.

The events are part of a growing clean energy movement that includes Focus the Nation and partner groups such as 1Sky, Energy Action Coalition, Green For All and 350.org. Together, these motivated leaders are mobilizing youth, business leaders, elected officials and other sectors to create climate and energy solutions within a necessarily rapid time frame.

International climate experts say that the next few years is the window for averting irretrievable climate disruption. "If there's no action before 2012, that's too late. What we do in the next two to three years will determine our future. This is the defining moment," Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, head of the international panel of the world's top climate scientists, famously warned. That was in 2007.

Attend a Town Hall near you and help Focus the Nation: www.FocusTheNation.org

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Congressman Vic Snyder at Focus the Nation in Little Rock, Arkansas

Congressman Vic Snyder participated in a Focus the Nation clean energy town hall Monday in Little Rock Arkansas. See local TV coverage below, or catch the full story here.

55 members of Congress have confirmed participation in clean energy town halls nationwide as of today. (See the current list here) "It's very timely to have this kind of discussion with a new president, a new congress and a new administration loaded with lots of new energy right now," Snyder remarked on the nationwide clean energy town hall, "this is a good opportunity to talk about these energy issues."

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Youth Engage Members of Congress, Local Officials in 103 Town Halls Nationwide to Build Clean Energy Future

April 13, 2009 - Young leaders organized by Focus the Nation are holding an unprecedented 103 Town Halls across the country beginning today and throughout this week’s Congressional recess to engage Congressional representatives, mayors and other elected officials in accelerating America’s transition to a clean energy future.

50 members of Congress have confirmed their participation in the Nationwide Town Hall on America's Clean Energy Future, along with dozens of city and state elected leaders. The events are being held during the Congressional spring recess to allow maximum participation.

Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania is kicking off the week today, at a 2 p.m. appearance at a Philadelphia Town Hall at Drexel University [Event details: http://www.focusthenation.org]. Sen. Christopher Dodd of Connecticut is confirmed for Apr. 16 at Central Connecticut State University in New Britain. The majority of the Town Halls, including one with Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, will take place on Apr. 18. A full map and list of local events and details is available at www.focusthenation.org/map.

“Sen. Specter’s participation in the launch of this national discussion epitomizes the opportunity America has to redefine the kind of leadership it will take to keep our country at the forefront of building the clean energy future,” said Garett Brennan, executive director of Focus the Nation. “This is our window to shift our economy from crisis to opportunity. Legislators need to hear that serious investment in green jobs and affordable clean energy isn’t bold to their constituents at all. It’s common sense. It's what they want and it’s what our economy needs.”

The Town Halls are largely being organized by hundreds of youth who are driving today’s clean energy movement. The success of the events is a result of multi-sector and multi-generational partnerships that they are building in their communities.

“It’s usually our leaders who call town halls on pressing issues,” said Lindsey Berger, an organizer at Missouri State University. “This time we’re inviting them to our Town Halls because our generation knows we don’t have time to wait to build a clean energy future.”

On the national level, many discussions will center on the new draft climate and energy
bill released by Reps. Waxman and Markey that is the first to set science-based targets to cut global warming pollution. On the international level, the Town Halls will set the stage for ensuring America’s leadership at the December 2009 climate treaty negotiations in Copenhagen, Denmark. At the local level, the Town Hall discussions will cover a range of topics representing sectors like agriculture, energy, building, transportation and urban planning that will help each community identify where it sits on the trajectory toward a clean energy future.

The Town Halls are also catalysts for further action. Organizers and participants will begin charting community action plans unique to each locality that will be implemented with Focus the Nation’s support over the coming year. Those plans will focus on overcoming roadblocks, sharing solutions from other regions of the country and identifying opportunities to accelerate momentum along the clean energy trajectory.

The events are part of a growing clean energy movement that includes Focus the Nation and partner groups such as 1Sky, Energy Action Coalition, Green For All and 350.org. Together, these motivated leaders are mobilizing youth, business leaders, elected officials and other sectors to create climate and energy solutions within a necessarily rapid time frame.

International climate experts say that the next few years is the window for averting irretrievable climate disruption. “If there's no action before 2012, that's too late. What we do in the next two to three years will determine our future. This is the defining moment,” Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, head of the international panel of the world’s top climate scientists, famously warned – in 2007.

Local Media: To localize this story, please visit www.focusthenation.org/map to see a list of top events in your area and access contact information for interviews.

For interviews with Focus the Nation Executive Director Garett Brennan and multi-generational Town Hall organizers across the country, please call Diane Dulken, 503-936-6323.

# # #
Through education, engagement and action, Focus the Nation empowers today’s young leaders to accelerate the transition to a just and prosperous clean energy future. Focus the Nation is headquartered in Portland, Oregon. For more information, visit www.focusthenation.org.

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Senator Lisa Murkowski Says Time to Focus the Nation on Energy Solutions

Ranking republican on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska is just one of the many members of Congress addressing students and citizens as part of Focus the Nation's nationwide town halls on clean energy solutions, coming up April 18th, 2009.

On April 18th, what will you be doing to focus the nation?!

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President Obama: We will harness new energy

Cross-posted on ItsGettingHotInHere

Today Barack Obama took the oath of office and became the 44^th President of the United States of America. He identified grave challenges our nation faces and called on all of us to unite in facing them.

George Bush is moving back to Texas, Henry Waxman (D-CA) is the chair of the House Energy and Commerce committee and our movement is stronger than ever. What are we going to do with it? Now is the critical time to make big plans, build the movement and make all the changes that have been out of reach for eight years a reality.

President Obama explicitly referenced harnessing "the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories," but the message I heard is that we must harness a new American energy - the energy of an awakened citizenry sensing the urgency of this moment - to power a global transition to a more just and prosperous clean energy future.

We are that energy. Here are three things you can do today to harness it:

1. Register now for Power Shift 2009 Feb. 27 - Mar. 2 in Washington, DC, get ten friends to come with you and visit your representatives in Congress where they work.

1. Call your representatives in Congress today and tell them the stimulus package must include green jobs. Congressional Switchboard: (202) 225-3121. You can also send an email through MoveOn, 1Sky or Green For All.

1. Start organizing a town hall on energy as a part of Focus the Nation 2009, a nationwide event to focus on our energy future on April 18^th. Get your campus, your community and your representatives in Congress together and turn our national conversation on energy into action. Contact your regional organizer to find out more.

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Face It Contest Says "No Coal!"

Architecture 2030 selects winners of graphic design contest. Students use face/body paint to send a clear message: "No Coal!"

If you could only use a single still image, your own face or body as a canvas, and body paint as your medium, how would you communicate the powerful message: "No Coal!"?

That was the challenge laid out by Metropolis magazine, USGBC, American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS), and Architecture 2030 in their "Face It" graphic design contest, part of Architecture 2030's ReVERBerate project, launched on January 30th-31st (along with Focus the Nation).

The entries, from students across the nation, were varied and creative. Many were frankly stark and disturbing! Check out the submissions here.

And without further ado, here are the winners in the three categories: face, black-and-white, and body:



Check below the fold for the grand prize winner and some good runners up (my picks, may take a while to load given the number of images)...




Some other good submissions...

My favorite runner up (particularly relevant given upcoming Fossil Fools Day):



Some other good ones.



















I think this one broke the rules, but it's pretty good...



Here's to some patriotism...



And finally...



Face It also involved a video contest. Check out submissions here. Voting has closed and winners will be announced soon by Architecture 2030 and the Face It partners.

This one has my vote for impact...



And this one for humor!



[A hat tip to Edward Mazria at Gristmill]

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Cascade POWER SHIFT Summit Wraps Up Two Weeks of Intense Northwest Climate Action!

Cascade POWER SHIFT 2008, the Northwest's largest youth climate summit, ended on February 11th, wrapping up two weeks of intense climate action across the Northwest that also included nearly 50 Focus the Nation events across the region on January 31st, a giant rally in Oregon's Capitol to oppose new liquefied natural gas importation on February 6th, and Oregon and Washington's first-ever youth global warming lobby days in both Salem and Olympia on February 11th.

That's a lot of climate ass-kicking! No wonder I'm exhausted today...



Cascade Power Shift: Mobilizing Youth for Climate Justice took place February 8-10th at the University of Oregon campus in Eugene, Oregon, and brought together over 200 young people from more than 20 colleges, universities and high schools across Oregon and Washington. The weekend summit was followed by a Citizen Action Lobby Day on Feb. 11th in both Salem and Olympia brought dozens of students and youth to their state capitols to amp up both youth political engagement as well as politicians’ response.

Entirely volunteer-driven and youth-organized, the weekend was sponsored by the Cascade Climate Network, the new network of Northwest youth climate activists, and pulled together people from across the region for a blow-out event aimed at training, engaging and activating hundreds of youth in the region to take on the most important challenge and opportunity of our generation: climate change.

A great line-up of keynote speakers and panels introduced summit attendees to important climate change issues in the region, such as the prospect of green jobs and social justice opportunities as well as false solutions like proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) and coal plants. Experienced students and community activists also provided dozens of skill-building trainings and facilitated campaign kick-off sessions for new regional campaigns, including efforts to win state climate victories, rise to the climate challenge on campuses, seize opportunities to create new green jobs and fight off false solutions like LNG.

We learned, we met new friends, we were energized by our fellow activists. Oh ya, and of course, we partied!

“The amount of passion and energy popping-up in so many communities throughout the Cascade Region is powerful and hopeful,” said Jesse Hough, summit organizer and OSPIRG student leader at the University of Oregon. “Creative, thoughtful and inspired youth are stepping-up, and it’s especially exciting to work with people who have never thought of themselves as activists before.”

On Monday, Cascade Climate Network members followed up the Cascade POWER SHIFT summit with youth global warming Citizen Action Days in Olympia and Salem, taking their energy and passion directly to the statehouse. We fanned out throughout both state capitols on Monday to meet with our elected officials, testify in committee hearings and support state climate solutions (download the archived audio here to listen to the passionate testimony of three CCN members in Oregon's House Energy and Environment Committee! Fast forward to about 39 minutes in to the hearing...)

In Oregon, we began our lobby day with a press event, featuring Cascade Climate Network members, and a fun game of "Dirty Energy Dodgeball" on the steps of the Capitol! Not willing to stick to the boring old script for press events, CCN Citizen Action Day in Oregon began with lobby day participants “taking a shot at global warming,” lobbing dodge balls at a human-sized dirty energy target as other CCN-members dressed dirty energy “lobbyists” defended. Now THAT'S how you kick-off a lobby day!



Judging from the feedback from the weekend, attendees came out of the weekend jazzed and energized with new connections, friends and allies and plenty of new ideas for action. At least several minds were blown! Mission accomplished for the now-exhausted Cascade POWER SHIFT organizers...

I've been simply stunned by the amazing individuals I've met since about twenty of us came together to form the Cascade Climate Network just last October. We are getting connected, getting engaged and getting active, and I cannot wait to see what the next four months has in store for Northwest youth climate activism. Here's to building a sustainable, just, and prosperous future for all!

_______________________________

The Cascade Climate Network is a group of college students and recent graduates working toward climate change solutions. We are completely volunteer-driven and are active at over 20 college and university campuses in Washington and Oregon.

For more information, go to www.CascadeClimate.org

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Vote Now on Global Warming Solutions

You’re thinking, “If only we could get Congress to actually pass some of these policies…” We won’t stop until they do! So far Focus the Nation teams have invited more than 150 members of Congress to participate in dialogs on global warming solutions. 30 Congressional offices have confirmed so far, and we’re getting more every day. Check out who’s coming to Focus the Nation and what’s happening around the country.

The Focus the Nation Choose Your Future Vote is now officially open. “Build Green: Carbon Neutral by 2030” is out to an early lead with “Create Green Jobs” and “Invest in Clean Energy” close behind. What solutions do you want to see? Vote on your top five solutions now!

In other exciting news, Edward Norton will make an appearance on the 2% Solution web-cast along with Senator Bill Nelson and Governor Crist of Florida, Governor Napolitano of Arizona, Van Jones, Hunter Lovins and Stephen Schneider. Check out the trailer with Ed Norton and if you haven’t already, sign up to host a screening in your community.

Wait, there’s more: Project Slingshot, a partnership between Clif Mojo and Focus the Nation, is offering $10,000 scholarships in three categories – Outdoor Fanatics protecting the places they love and play, Artists inspiring their communities, and Innovators challenging our expectations. You all fall in to one of these categories, so apply now!

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Political Will Needed on Global Warming

(LTE Published in The Christian Science Monitor Dec 21)

Regarding the Dec. 18 book review, "Newt Gingrich explains why red staters must turn green": I am heartened to see this article (and Mr. Gingrich) touch on the need for cooperation on global-warming policy.

Unfortunately, the political status quo cannot and will not address greenhouse- gas emissions enough to prevent the worst-case scenarios. Never before has an issue required collective action on the scale this emergency demands, and never before has our country been so divided and unable to cooperate. The scientific evidence rolling in is daunting, but I have hope.

The technologies and policies to stop global warming, grow a green economy, and lift people out of poverty already exist. What's missing is the political will in Washington and a unified demand for action from people on both sides of the aisle.

On Jan. 31, 2008, more than 1,000 college campuses in all 50 states plan to hold simultaneous teach-ins as a part of Focus the Nation. Members of Congress, along with countless local and state legislators, have already been invited to participate in solution-oriented roundtable discussions on global-warming policy.

As a parent, I urge all concerned citizens, journalists, and politicians to help us focus on global-warming solutions together.

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U.S. Going Nuke-ular?

This Monday Congress agreed to guarantee loans for up to 80% of construction costs for new nuclear reactors. The legislation directs the Department of Energy to provide $20.5b for nuclear energy, $10b for renewables and $8b for “clean-coal” technology.

Numbers don’t lie. Only $10b of almost $40b in this bill is going towards the solution. What Congress is saying with this allocation is that renewables come in a distant second behind the already proven dangerous nuclear option.

What can be done to impress on Congress the need for real investment in real renewable energy? Focus the Nation teams have invited more than 100 members of the House and Senate to come to their campuses and discuss global warming solutions. That means about 400 of them still need to hear from you.

There’s another number of note here. Even if we generously assume that all the historical safety issues with nuclear reactors have been solved and that we can adequately secure them from terrorist attacks, nuclear power has a very low EROEI (energy returned on energy invested) ratio. Depending on whose numbers you use, nuclear plants may in fact take more energy to construct, maintain and deconstruct than they generate over their lifetimes, which is to say the EROEI is less than one.

Wind turbines have an EROEI between 18 and 25, and produce no emissions. Could it be any clearer?

Apparently it needs to be made a whole lot clearer to decision-makers in D.C. On Jan. 31, hundreds of local and state elected officials are already committed to engage with us on global warming solutions. It’s time to turn up the heat on Federal legislators and demand their attention.

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Not Seeing Eye-to-Eye with Congress? Want to?

The buzz in Congress about Focus the Nation has representatives calling our Civic Engagement Director asking “Where is my invitation?” Want to know what your rep has to say about global warming? Here’s how: The Green Democracy model is providing a day of carbon-neutral DC-to-district engagement on Global Warming Solutions for America.

There is no excuse for Congress not to give us the dialogue we deserve on real policy solutions. We’re working with Sight Speed and Congress to set up a room in the Capitol on January 31^st, where politicians will sit down and video chat with their constituents back home in a non-partisan, solution-oriented discussion on climate change.

Many teams have already sent the first wave of invitations. What about your senators and representatives? If you’re a Focus the Nation organizer, get those invitations sent in before the winter holidays – we’ve already written them – all you have to do is print, sign and send! If you aren’t, find a team in your town to help out or sign up to form one right now!

Are you being adequately represented in Congress? Make your voice heard on January 31st?

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Don't Turn Down the Heat: Changing Lightbulbs Isn't Enough to Stop Global Warming

Riding your bike to work and changing your light bulbs may make you feel like you’re a part of the solution, but you’re not really making a difference. No matter how many of us stop driving gas guzzlers, swap out our incandescents and eat local, we still face the construction of 850 new coal plants in the US, China and India.

It’s time for progressives to stop washing their hands of politics by “being the change they seek” and turn up the heat on decision makers in Congress and the industries responsible for this civilizational emergency.

Focus the Nation is mobilizing millions of students, educators and citizens across the country in a day of education and civic engagement on global warming. We aren’t asking anyone to promise to join a carpool or turn down the thermostat. We’re challenging you all to educate each other and yourselves on global warming solutions, take that knowledge to the people in charge and demand action.

If you aren’t already working on Focus the Nation, its time to start. We’ve got ten weeks left before the biggest day of civic engagement on global warming ever on January 31st.

If you’re on a campus, find out who’s organizing at your school. If your school still isn’t signed up, take the initiative yourself. If you aren’t a student, then sign up your household, organization, business or faith group for a showing of the 2% Solution web cast with Van Jones.

Don’t ditch your cruiser just yet. We’ve got a long ride ahead of us, and we all need to start pedaling a whole lot harder.

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Court Rejects Weak Fuel Economy Regulations, We Want More

Let’s all thank the 9th Circuit court for stating the obvious. Thursday a three judge panel ruled that 23.5 mpg is not a high enough fuel economy standard for light trucks and SUVs. Why not? The court finally stated explicitly that standards must take greenhouse gas emissions into account. This is not an earth-shattering assertion, but it is progress.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, we can talk about a complete overhaul of fuel economy regulation. First of all, as long as there are different standards for cars and light trucks/SUVs, the numbers don’t mean a lot. Americans drive light trucks and SUVs as commuter cars, and the current legislation exempts vehicles like the 8,500-lb. Ford Excursion and 10,000-lb. H2. No matter how efficient our cars are, as long as these behemoths are driving alongside them, too much carbon is getting in to the air.

California’s proposed fuel efficiency standards will reduce greenhouse gas emissions from new vehicles 30% by 2016, in line with the overall target of 80% below 1990 levels by 2050. They incorporate not only GHGs coming out the tailpipe but emissions over the lifetime of the vehicle – including those released during production, maintenance and scrapping.
We cannot afford to settle for band-aids. We need real global warming solutions for America, and we need them now.

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Viva Atlanta?

As Edward Abbey once said, “There is no lack of water in the Mojave Desert unless you try to establish a city where no city should be.”

Ah, Las Vegas: Artificial oasis in the desert. Monument to speculative excess. Sin City.

Whatever you choose to call it, Las Vegas is the largest per-capita consumer of water in the United States, coming in at a gluttonous 343 gallons/day (compare that to 200 in Los Angeles).

The view of the Las Vegas strip from cruising altitude is quite impressive. To many Americans it’s a beautiful sight. Unfortunately for me, it’s hard to appreciate a city whose high-powered fountains propel water hundreds of feet into a sky choking on the CO2 emitted by powering the Strip’s bright lights. Keeping those lights on requires enough energy to generate 160,000,000 tons of CO2 emissions each year.

All that CO2 reminds me of my destination. I’m on my way to Atlanta, where an epic drought is just another American story of global-warming induced disaster. There is talk of evacuating Atlanta in January, when the water is scheduled to run out.

So here’s my question: Might residents of Atlanta like to see “Shut Down Las Vegas” as an option on Focus The Nation’s Choose Your Future Vote on January 31st? At what point do we start actively targeting the many excessive, fundamentally useless sources of energy consumption in an effort to address this civilizational emergency? Or is there a way to power all those lights without the emissions?

Hmm….The Mojave sure is sunny.

Source: EERE

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