Young leaders from across the nation responded to the draft climate and energy legislation released this week by the House Energy and Commerce Committee by vowing to keep the heat on Congress until bold climate and energy policy is passed in 2009.
During the April Congressional recess, young people in more than 200 districts are hosting town hall forums or meetings with their representatives. The initiative grew out of the Focus the Nation campaign, which in January 2008 worked to raise energy and climate issues to the forefront of the presidential race.
This year youth are calling on Congress to pass bold climate legislation that sets stronger short term emission reduction targets, transitions America to 100% clean energy, creates millions of green jobs, and eliminates loopholes that will allow companies to continue polluting.
”While we applaud the introduction of the Waxman-Markey bill this week, we still have a long way to go, ” said Jessy Tolkan, Executive Director of the Energy Action Coalition. “It’s a good start but we need climate policy that is completely in line with what science and equity demand. We will continue to work for policy that promotes 100% clean energy, green jobs, and puts the responsibility on polluters to clean up their mess.”
One month ago, more than 12,000 young people from every state went to Washington, DC for the Power Shift ’09 summit. On March 2, thousands of this group descended on Capitol Hill to rally, testify and meet with more than 370 Congressional offices. These activists voiced their support for bold federal energy and climate policy and promised to keep the pressure on to ensure its passage before the international climate negotiations in Copenhagen in December of 2009.
During the April Congressional recess (April 6-19), in coordination with Energy Action Coalition and Focus the Nation, young people in more than 200 districts and in all 50 states are meeting in-person with their representatives, as well as other elected and business leaders to show support for aspects of the bill they agree with and discuss necessary improvements to vague or inadequate aspects of the bill.
“The Town Hall events are essentially a gift to Congress,” said Garett Brennan, Executive Director of Focus the Nation. “We’re creating the multi-sector, multi-generational forum they need in order to understand that their constituents are ready for the clean energy future and they want to be a part of it now. The only reason we haven’t seen a bill that meets what the science and equity demand, is because legislators are worried that a bold bill will be too disruptive to their local economy. If they just listen, they’ll realize that serious investment in green jobs and affordable clean energy isn’t bold to their constituents at all. It’s common sense and it’s what they want.”
“As the young people who will inherit the consequences of plans and policies laid out today, we remain unwavering in our opposition to so-called “clean coal," nuclear, and other concessions to dirty, polluting, dangerous energy,” said Kandi Mosset, of the Indigenous Environmental Network. “We can fix our economy, create jobs and a better future if we do this correctly now. We will help strengthen this bill and will make sure every single one of our representatives is held accountable for passing truly bold federal climate legislation this year.”
To find a town hall meeting near you, visit www.PowerShift09.org or the Focus the Nation website at the link below.
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