Posted by Ethan Frey on Tue, Oct 13, 2009 @ 9:48 am
cross posted from the World InSight, Americans for Informed Democracy's blog...
Hey Everybody,
Power Shift is fast approaching and this is not the time to sit at home. We've got some big things happening this semester - Climate Change bills in the House and Senate, Copenhagen, Power Shift! - so let's get things moving: sign your ass up today! Here's a post from an organization I work with, Americans for Informed Democracy, on the G20 and International Adaptation Aid (which we'll discuss at the conference) - see you next weekend!
Penn State is in the midst of some really exciting campaigns leading up to (and continuing much after) POWERSHIFT PA!!! Eco-Action, the hosts of the conference, are doing 3 themselves! The first thing that they are working on is the “Take back the Tap” campaign, to ban water bottles from being sold on campus. They are also working with campus organizers to join in to the “Campuses Beyond Coal” campaign. Members are also volunteering at campus dining halls in order to raise awareness and save the on-campus c
This week, we’ve had an amazing opportunity to not just reach local Pittsburghers- but people all over the world as the International Coal Conference and the G20 descend on our city. We kicked off the week with a screening of Coal Country a powerful film on the full cycle of coal in Appalachia: from Mountain Top Removal, to the processing and burning of coal and ash/waste disposal issues.
On Monday, over 30 young people, students and community members converged near PNC Park intercept a “Just Ducky” tour for attendees of the International Pittsburgh Coal Conference. What ensued was a dance off between a dirty coal smoke stack and a clean energy windturbine.
Dancers fell to the ground as a monster of a smoke stack attacked and two activists unrolled a banner that read, “It’s Time to Move Beyond Coal.” A windmill revived the dancers and took down the smoke stack in a dance-off. Throughout the dance, one of the coal conference attendees shouted at the activists to remind them that he loves coal.
Posted by Amy Wilson on Tue, Sep 15, 2009 @ 7:27 pm
For the past several years the Pennsylvania environmental justice and climate movements have worked to protect our state's natural resources and end environmental injustice. We have successfully defeated dozens of proposed polluting facilities, passed local resolutions and ordinances, and challenged our colleges and universities to cut carbon emissions. Last year, Pennsylvanian youth voted for new leadership and positioned our state at the center of the clean energy debate. But, we still have a long way to go in making our state and nation more sustainable and just.
As Pennsylvania rises in importance on the national political level, the weight of our actions and the importance of unity in our cause is paramount. This October, our efforts will culminate in the Power Shift Pennsylvania conference- our catalyst for change and a jumping-off point from which we can start to save ourselves and our future on this planet. Whether you are coming to learn about climate change, connect with others who feel as strongly as you do, or to strengthen your role in the environmental justice and climate movements, we invite you to join us for this groundbreaking weekend that will go down in history as the moment youth took back Pennsylvania's environment.
