Power Vote

Part 2 of our daily series introducing other amazing movements and voices from around the world to the Power Vote Nation. We draw great strength from our unity within Power Vote, but we are part of something so much more.



Today’s Voice: 350

350 is the red line for human beings, the most important number on the planet. The most recent science tells us that unless we can reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to 350 parts per million, we will cause huge and irreversible damage to the earth.

Stories from across the country are coming in about some great actions to hold our elected leaders feet to the fire. BIG card deliveries, rallies outside of Capitols, lobby days inside. Check out just a few of the highlights below! And then start to plan your own, its not too late!



http://www.powervote.org/nov18



A post-election poll confirmed that "18-24 year-olds outpaced other age groups in their support for clean energy as a fix for America’s ailing economy, with 87 percent support." Now that the election is over, we can't let them forget it! Plan on action and tell us about it in the comments!



In the Rockies, Power Voters from Univ. of Northern Colorado and Univ. of Colorado, Boulder are printing out some big welcome cards, taking them to campus on Monday to get hundreds of signatures, then delivering them to their reps on Tuesday!

Part 1 of our daily series introducing other amazing movements and voices from around the world to the Power Vote Nation. We draw great strength from our unity within Power Vote, but we are part of something so much more.



Today’s Voice: The Climate Project

The Climate Project consists of 2,500 dedicated volunteers from throughout the United States, Australia, Canada, India, Spain, and the UK, all personally trained by Al Gore to educate the public about climate change. TCP presenters have reached a combined 4 million people worldwide. Our hope is that by raising the awareness of our fellow citizens about this crisis and informing them about potential solutions, all of us, together, can preserve the climate balance on which humanity and our planet depend.

"Yes We Can"
What a powerful statement, but let's take it apart and see why its so uplifting.



Yes: The quintessential English affirmation. There is absolutely no part of the word that can be read negatively. The letter ‘Y’ from which it begins even oddly resembles an upward growing expanding sentiment.



Similarly one can define ‘can.’ Even in it’s most negated sense it often comes out positive. “There is nothing we can’t do,” is a lesson we instill as often as possible. From the youngest child, to the most powerful nation on the planet, the occasional reminder never hurts.

Throughout Nov. 14th- Nov 18th, Energy Action Coalition and partners will be organizing actions throughout the United States that call for an end to coal and that begin to hold our elected officials accountable to the demands of the Power Vote Platform.

www.dirtymoney.org

The first set of actions will be Nov 14-15. These actions are being spearheaded by Rainforest Action Network and Greenpeace and call for No Coal.


www.powervote.org/nov18

The second set of actions will take place around November 18th. These actions will make bold demands of the new Congress and other newly elected officials by asking that they make strong commitments to clean and just energy on Day 1 in office.

---

I hate retiring old mantras. Little sayings that have helped provide direction in the oft-confusing roadmap of life. “The ends justify the means,” whether you like it or hate it, you know it. This little saying was useful whenever I needed a pat on the back or little personal reminder that it will all make sense later.



It is so wrong. Let me tell you why.



There is no ends.



Everyday is a beginning and a new opportunity to make steps. For so many people Nov 4th was an “end.” For us at Power Vote it was only a beginning.

Siloam Springs, Ark. (October 28, 2008) – John Brown University is pleased to announce the addition of a Bachelor of Science degree in Renewable Energy beginning fall 2009. JBU is the first university to offer a renewable energy degree in Arkansas and one of only a few U.S. institutions offering a four-year degree in this field.



“Renewable energy sources are becoming an important share of the mainstream energy supply in the United States,” said Fernando Vega, director of the renewable energy program. “Economic, political, and environmental concerns are among the drivers contributing to this rapid growth. The scientific and engineering communities are being pushed for breakthroughs in this area. JBU is developing this program and will be seeking to integrate sustainability topics into other curricula to match the demands of this emerging trend.”

Power Shift 2009 is our opportunity to bring a clear message to Washington, "We want clean and just energy now!". In February, 2009 over 10,000 young people will converge on DC for three days of training, strategy and action. We will unite as a movement and hold our elected officials accountable.



Over 350,000 people have signed the Power Vote pledge stating their wish to have alternative sources of energy be considered at the highest levels.



From the beginning of this Power Vote Campaign until the election our sole goal was to make the youth climate vote massive. The numbers available to us show that the youth block represented over 20% of the total electorate.

Here is a note on the numbers sent from field director Josh Tulkin:

I'm writing from a Brueggers Bagels outside Raleigh, not the best location to reflect on this amazing campaign and historic election. But I'm on my way back to DC and its the best I have. I'll save the warm fuzzies for later. For now, I'll let the data do the talking.



The numbers are just starting to roll in, but the early reports show a HUGE youth turnout. Thanks to the Student PIRGs , we have some early reports from a few precincts with heavy youth population, and there will be much more to come. Here are some highlights, check out the full story from ABC. And it should come as no surprise that these are some of our top Power Vote schools!



• Indiana University Bloomington, Precinct 01 – at least a 287% increase over 2004. 3114 people voted today, while only 804 voted in 2004.

A little personal note-



An unbelievable night. I pivotal change in not just American politics but the course of human history. I might be over stating, but something about what happened over the past year of electioneering and the subsequent election makes me renew my faith in the future of humanity. We can honestly look to the future now through a lense of opportunity and possibility. Nothing is off the table, and business as usual is going to have to finally take the stand and defend their reign. No longer will established oil, laissez faire cowboy economics, and closed door strategies be accepted without consideration as the answer. They will have to fight tooth and nail with alternative energy, regulations, transparent governance and open honest political deliberance to even remain at the table.