Rising to the Challenge Final Report « It\’s Getting Hot In Here

January 29th through February 2nd, 2007 was a historic week for the youth climate movement. Here is a rundown of what we accomplished.

View this report in a Google Document.

The Largest Youth Mobilization on Global Warming

WEEK OF ACTION BY THE NUMBERS
50,000	Students and youth involved in Climate Week activities worldwide*
587	Campuses that took action*
49 of 50	U.S. States where actions took place
8 of 12	Canadian Provinces and Territories where actions took place
30	Organizations that provided direct support and outreach for the actions*
1900 and counting	Photographs posted for the Climate Photo Petition to the U.S. Congress and Canadian Parliament calling for 80% cuts in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050
71	Print, television, radio, and online media hits reported*
14	National media hits*: Bloomberg, Washington Post, USA Today, The Associated Press, The Huffington Post, ThinkProgress, Mother Jones, Grist Magazine, The New Standard, Investment News, Canada.com, ABCNEWS.com, CBC Newsworld, and CTV Canada
5000	Average total visits per day on Itsgettinghotinhere.org and ClimateChallenge.org**
900	Students who filled an auditorium at James Madison University for a screening of An Inconvenient Truth on Monday January 29th
11	11 new TXU coal-fired power plants in Texas that students from City University of New York and the group “Billionaires for Coal” protested on Tuesday January 30th by delivering lumps of coal to employees of Merrill Lynch, a major potential investor in the project
500	Letters delivered on Friday February 2nd from elementary school students to WV. Governor Manchin urging him to build the students of Marsh Fork Elementary School a new school away from a coal silo
225	Feet away from their current school where coal silo is located
1500	Signatures on a petition delivered to New Hampshire Congressmembers inviting them to come to a global warming panel. Due to the delivery, Rep. Carol Shea Porter accepted the invitation.
130	Students who attended the Northwest Climate Justice Summit in Seattle February 2nd-4th to cap off Climate Week
2063	Total number of local groups involved in 8 different U.S. and Canada days or weeks of action organized by the Energy Action Coalition since November, 2003: 11/03 – 65, 4/04 – 130, 10/04 – 270, 3/05 – 400, 4/05 – 305, 10/05 – 200, 4/06 – 106, 2/06 – 58

* Record for an Energy Action Coalition day or week of action
** All-time record for Energy Action Coalition

I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Students and young people on 587 college and high school campuses across the United States and Canada organized actions during the week of January 29th, 2007 calling for immediate solutions to deal with the potentially devastating impact of climate change caused by global warming. The events occurred in 49 different U.S. states and 8 Canadian provinces and territories, bringing the issue of the climate crisis and clean energy solutions solidly into the mainstream. During the week, more than 1900 students contributed their own images to an international photo petition to the U.S. Congress and Canadian Parliament calling for 80% cuts in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Anchoring the week of action were more than 500 public screenings of the global warming documentary, An Inconvenient Truth. In addition to the film screenings, students organized rallies, petition deliveries, educational forums and requested meetings with political representatives to urge that the U.S. and Canada take leading roles in reducing greenhouses gases.

This mobilization was by far the largest in the history of the Energy Action Coalition, an alliance of 41 organizations from across the United States and Canada, founded and led by youth in 2004 to help support and strengthen the student and youth clean energy movement. Every event planned during the week had a unique story of people not just getting turned onto the issue of global warming, but doing something about it. More than 1900 young people contributed their own images to a photo petition that will be delivered to members of the U.S. Congress and Canadian Parliament in April calling for 80% cuts in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. More than 5,000 people per day, more visitors than ever before, learned about the inspiring stories happening in every corner of the U.S. and Canada through the Itsgettinghotinhere.org youth climate blog. The Week of Action touched thousands more through the media. In all, more than 60 media sources covered the events including Bloomberg, USA Today, FOX News, The Associated Press, The Huffington Post, ThinkProgress, Mother Jones, Grist Magazine, Canada.com, ABCNEWS.com, CBC Newsworld, and CTV Canada.

To get a sense of what this week really accomplished, you need only look at a few of the stories from the grassroots. Whether it was a delivery of hand-written letters from elementary school students to the Governor of West Virginia at a Groundhog Day breakfast, students and activists dressing up like billionaires with top hats and carrying lumps of coal into a New York City branch of Merrill Lynch to protest the bank’s investments in new dirty coal plants in Texas, or 900 Virginia students packing an auditorium at James Madison University to watch An Inconvenient Truth, young people were making their voices heard. By organizing events in 587 locations from Miami to the Yukon Territory, youth were able to demonstrate real solutions to end our addiction to fossil fuels. The Climate Week of Action was about a pro-active generation taking the reigns and creating it’s own opportunities to solve the climate crisis and enable a clean energy future.

Our Partners

The Climate Week of Action was organized by the Energy Action Coalition as a part of it’s Campus Climate Challenge campaign. The Campus Climate Challenge, a project of the Energy Action Coalition, unites young people to organize on college campuses and high schools to win 100% clean energy policies at their schools. Energy Action Coalition is a network of 41 organizations from across the United States and Canada, founded and led by youth to help support and strengthen the student and youth clean energy movement in the United States and Canada.

Energy Action Coalition partners are: Americans for Informed Democracy, Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, Black Mesa Water Coalition, Brower New Leaders Initiative, CALPIRG, California Student Sustainability Coalition, Campus Progress, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Clean Air Cool Planet, Climate Crisis Coalition, ConnPIRG, CoPIRG, Dakota Resource Council, Earth Day Network, Energy Justice Network, Environmental Justice and Climate Change Initiative, Global Exchange, Greenpeace Student Network, Indigenous Environmental Network, INPIRG, Kids Against Pollution, League of Conservation Voters Education Fund: Project Democracy, League of Young Voters, MarylandPIRG, MASSPIRG, MoPIRG, National Association of Environmental Law Societies, National Wildlife Federation’s Campus Ecology Program, NJPIRG, OhioPIRG, OSPIRG, Rainforest Action Network, Restoring Eden, Sierra Student Coalition, Sierra Youth Coalition, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, Student Environmental Action Coalition, Students United for a Responsible Global Environment, Sustainable Endowments Institute, SustainUS, Utah Clean Energy, WashPIRG, WISPIRG, Young People For and Youth Environmental Network.

II. BACKGROUND

Since November 2003, the organizations who founded Energy Action Coalition have come together for seven different U.S. and Canadian Days of Action and now one Week of Action. The objective of these joint actions has been to build a stronger and more youth movement for clean energy and climate change solutions. Before our first “National Day of Action for Clean Energy Campuses” a small coalition of seven organizations set a goal of uniting students on 25 different campuses on one day to change their institutions. The response was overwhelming and students on 65 campuses joined the effort. Four months later, participation doubled as 130 campuses took action during the first Fossil Fools Day. Now, three years later, we have a coalition of 41 organizations running a full-time joint campaign with 500 campuses across the U.S. and Canada. Still, this Week of Action has proven that our recent success with the Climate Week of Action may still be just the tip of the iceberg.

The idea for the Climate Week of Action came out of coalition discussions in the Fall of 2006 around a desire to leverage the power of the Campus Climate Challenge towards the leaders of our national governments. In December, a wide cross-section of young activists took part in an international brainstorm to come up with the theme for a week of action: “Rising to the Climate Challenge: Visions Of Our Future.” The idea was to unite tens of thousands of students and youth at high schools, college campuses, store-fronts, streets, parks, and public centers to communicate a strong and clear vision for a future beyond the crisis of climate change. All together at one time, for one week, with one focus, a generation of young people were going to make their voices heard and demand immediate action from the people who hold the key to solutions for a sustainable future: the United States Congress and Canadian Parliament. The message: youth are tired of talk. It’s time for action. For five days at the end of January, 2007 that message spread like wildfire across North America.

Why January 29th – February 2nd, 2007?
The time had come to show that our movement had arrived! The student-driven campaign to create zero-emission high school and college institutions, the Campus Climate Challenge had grown to more than 450 schools throughout the U.S. and Canada. The issue of global warming had never reached a higher level of potency in the consciousness of average citizens. After aggressive campaigning by climate activists and high youth voter turnout, the United States had elected a Congress that had taken the least money from oil and gas companies since 1990. In Canada, the Harper Government had begun to undo years of progress on global warming. In short, the opportunity for and the necessity of national action on global warming had come.

Why a Week?
In the past, climate activists had focused efforts for one Day of Action, such as Fossil Fools Day or Energy Independence Day. This time we gave ourselves a week to tell our stories of global warming, to build momentum in our campaigns, and to show the true size of our movement for change.

Why Action?
It’s simple. When it counts, actions speak louder than words. The coalition came together for one week to step it up and chart a course for the future young people wanted to live in.

Our Goals

Escalate Campus Climate Challenge campaigns on campuses
Demand that campus and national leaders make climate change an immediate priority
Communicate to the U.S. Congress and Canadian Parliament the bottom line youth demands of a policy that achieves 80% reductions in greenhouse gas pollution by 2050.

III. SELECTED STUDENT QUOTES

Johns Hopkins University, Virginia:

“Nearly 900 students filled the auditorium for our screening of An Inconvenient Truth,” says John Hopkins University freshman Kevin Pai. “This sent a clear and powerful message that the John Hopkins community is serious about taken action to deal with the number one threat facing our generation: global warming.”

University of New Hampshire, New Hampshire:

“The students at the University of New Hampshire have shown their concern and their willingness to tackle these big issues,” said University of New Hampshire student Paige Root after her group had collected over 1,000 signatures on a petition inviting policy makers to come to campus to discuss global warming solutions.

South Charleston, West Virginia:

“I bet you if that was your school, you would want them to stop it immediately,” said a Connecticut elementary school student in a letter to Governor Manchin about the coal silo next to Marsh Fork Elementary School.

University of Maryland, Maryland:

“There is a growing sense of urgency about global warming among young people because we are the generation that will be most affected,” said Andrew Nazdin, a freshman at the University of Maryland. “The week of action is the beginning of students demanding real solutions to end our addiction to fossil fuels.”

IV. SELECTED LOCAL STORIES

Monday, Jan. 29
Itsgettinghotinhere.org: “SAVE the polar bears skit at VSU”

VALDOSTA, GA – Trent played the part of the polar bear, who was trying to be friendly with the Ice Queen (Jackie), but kept getting interference from Dirty Coal (Russell). While they acted out brief skits, the rest of our group were petitioning the crowd for Valdosta State University (in Southern Georgia) to commit to carbon neutrality by 2025. We were also doing a photo campaign, where people said their “piece” to politicians regarding climate change.

Tuesday, Jan. 30
Bloomberg News: “Merrill Targeted by Global Warming Protest Over TXU”

NEW YORK, NY – More than a dozen demonstrators costumed as Wall Street financiers — black dress coats, white spats, top hats fashioned from cardboard — congregated outside the entrance to the company’s New York City headquarters this morning and handed leaflets to employees arriving for work. “Merrill Lynch — Banking on Climate Destruction,” the leaflets said.

Ottawa Citizen: “UN Report confirms climate change happening now”

OTTAWA, ON – The Canadian Youth Climate Coalition was not letting the chilly Monday morning stop them from hitting the front lawn of Parliament Hill to voice a political action to achieve Canada’s Kyoto commitments.

Wednesday, Jan. 31
New Mexico Daily Lobo: “Valentines for Richardson”

ALBUQUERQUE, NM – The student chapter of NMPIRG is gathering valentines to send to Gov. Bill Richardson in support of proposed legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The valentines aim to encourage Richardson to sign an executive order that would require public buildings to get 30 percent of their energy from renewable sources, such as solar and wind power.

Thursday, Feb. 1

The Herald Dispatch: “Children write Manchin to move school from coal silo”

CHARLESTON, WV – Activists from Rainforest Action Network’s Global Finance Campaign and Coal River Mountain Watch hand-delivered hundreds of letters from schoolchildren around the world to the office of Gov. Joe Manchin today calling on him to rebuild Marsh Fork Elementary School away from a polluting coal silo that currently stands just 225 feet from the school building.

Friday, Feb. 2

The Associated Press: “Group hopes new climate report will speak change”

CONCORD, NH – Also at UNH, the campus chapter of the New Hampshire Public Interest Research Group has collected more than 1,000 signatures on petitions inviting policy makers to a discussion on global warming.

The Daily News Record: “Students Get The ‘Green Out’”

HARRISONBURG, VA – About 50 student members of the Clean Energy Coalition marched through campus holding signs, wearing green and chanting to onlookers. The entourage looked something like a mini-St. Patrick’s Day parade, complete with Earth balloons, pinwheels and a student dressed as a polar bear.

“JMU should be energy proud. We want green energy now,” they chanted. “We want green, let’s make it clean.”

The Mac Weekly: “Macalester declares war on 14 Minnesota campuses”

ST. PAUL, MN – When the lights in the campus center were suddenly shut off around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday evening, students eating in Café Mac did not know they were experiencing the kickoff event of Campus Wars, a statewide competition to save energy started by Macalester students.

V. WHAT WE LEARNED

Our coalition has organized eight joint international actions, countless summits and meetings, a direct youth lobbying effort at the international climate talks in Montreal, a summer-long biodiesel bus tour to re-energize the Detroit automakers, not to mention organizing and supporting thousands of campus and local events. It seems that every new project we take on, we learn more than the last one. This week was no exception. We were reminded of the importance of planning well ahead, engaging a selection of students and partner organizations in early planning stages, of setting a theme for the action, having consistent and clear central communication, and setting out and sticking to goals and priorities each week. While we were able to accomplish an incredible amount on a short timeline this time, we’ve recognized that we can make an even more pointed impact if we start earlier, open more channels of communication, and learn from the challenges of youth and students at the grassroots.

If you have ‘lessons learned’ from the week of action or suggestions for our coalition from your perspective, please share them with josh@energyaction.net.

VI. WHERE WE GO FROM HERE

With temperatures rising and more people feeling the pain of climate change every day, there is no time to rest on our laurels. This Week of Action was the beginning of a long journey to empower a generation of young Canadians and Americans to fight for a better future beyond the climate crisis. Young people have a vision for zero-emission campuses, climate justice, and a clean energy revolution and we are not going to stop until we get there. Directly in our path stands the fossil fuel industry and our campus, local, regional, and national leaders who have the power to enable clean, renewable, and just energy solutions. So, in 2007, we are planning a series of powerful demonstrations, summits, and joint projects to show our leaders the way.

Here are several actions and events that we are all collaborating for as a movement:

National/International Actions and Events

Mountain Justice Spring Break (March 10-18, 2007)

Charleston, WV

A week of education and direct action in Charleston, WV, from March 10-18, to speak out against mountaintop removal coal mining and the circumstances at Marsh Fork Elementary School. We shall converge on the front lawn of the state capitol! The week will include educational activities, workshops, speakers, a musical shindig, church service, poetry, letter writing, vigils, protest, a massive sit-in, and more!

Find out more: http://www.climateaction.net/mjsb

Step It Up and Earth Day (April 14-22, 2007)

Step it Up is a homegrown idea, born out of campus and community organizing. We’re calling on people to hold gatherings in every U.S. state on April 14, in many of America’s most iconic places: on the levees in New Orleans, on top of the melting glaciers on Mt. Rainier, even underwater on the endangered coral reefs of Key West. We especially want to highlight communities already impacted, and use the small megaphone of these actions and our website to increase awareness of the struggles of frontline communities. Every group will be saying the same thing: Step it up, Congress! Enact immediate cuts in carbon emissions, and pledge an 80% reduction by 2050. No half measures, no easy compromises-the time has come to take the real actions that can stabilize our climate.

Find out more: http://www.stepitup2007.org

1st National Youth Climate Summit (Fall 2007)

Washington, DC

Young people are playing a key role in catalyzing the international movement to confront the climate crisis. We are leading by example, making our schools models of sustainability with over 500 schools organizing the Campus Climate Challenge. Now we are ready to leverage the momentum we’ve built and take it beyond our campuses to a key place where this crisis must be addressed: Washington, DC. Join us!

Climate Justice Day of Action (Winter 2007)
The Climate Justice Day of Action will be an ambitious mobilization of students and youth to act in solidarity with local communities that are most impacted by the life-cycle of fossil fuels and climate change right now.

Regional Actions and Events

Southeast Student Renewable Energy Conference (Feb. 16-18, 2007)

Clemson University; Clemson, SC

Hundreds of students will converge for the 4th annual regional student renewable energy conference. The conference will include dirty energy, clean energy, organizing trainings, and campus and community energy solutions workshops.

Find out more: http://www.climateaction.net/ssrec

Midwest Climate Action Conference (March 2-4, 2007)

University of Wisconsin; Madison, WI

Join students from across the Midwest for the second annual Midwest Climate Action Conference focusing on energy, global warming and the power of students and young people to help stop the climate crisis by organizing both on and off campus for clean energy solutions.

Find out more: http://www.ssc.org/states/wi.php

California Campus Climate Challenge Summit (March 16-18, 2007)

University of California; Berkeley, CA

Details T.B.A.

5th Annual Northeast Climate Conference (March 23-25, 2007)

Boston, MA

Imagine being a part of history. Imagine walking in the street with hundreds of people demanding immediate, comprehensive and bold global warming policies. Imagine being a part of the largest climate demonstration to date in the country. Imagine spending a day being trained by top level organizers about how you can take action against global warming on your campus, in your community and in your state… Sound good?

Find out more: http://www.ssc.org/nesummit/

Southwest Climate Justice Summit (March 30-April 1, 2007)

Northern Arizona University; Flagstaff, AZ

Details T.B.A.

Week of Action Links

Itsgettinghotinhere.org Stories about the Week – http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/category/week-of-action/
Final Week of Action press release – http://docs.google.com/View?docid=dgfm6wjt_11d6w49j&revision=_published
All International Photo Petitions – http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/climatechallenge/
Comprehensive Challenge Calendar of events – http://www.climatechallenge.org/calendar

APPENDIX A: Collected Media Hits from the Week

Print

1/9 (Open Press) – “Free Inconvenient Truth Fuels Student Week of Action
1/9 (Grist magazine) – “Have Some Class: Week of Action”
1/19 (ABC News) – “Students Use Civil Rights Tactics to Combat Global Warming”
1/22 (USA Today) – “Colleges Graded on Environmental Practices”
1/22 (The Daily Targum, NJ) – “Contest may help lower energy use”
1/23 (HometownAnnapolis.com, MD) Mention of week of action in article about St. John’s victory in MTV’s Break the Addiction Challenge
1/23 (Arundel Digest, MD) – “Clean Cars hearing set for Thursday”
1/25 (Southern MD Online) – “SMCM Students to Dive into Frigid Waters on Feb. 2nd”
1/26 (OSU, The Lantern, OH) – “Saving energy at home”
1/29 (Holy Cross, MA) – “Global Warning: Screenings of ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ among student-led efforts to educate campus about climate crisis”
1/29 (The State, SC) – “Best bet | ‘Inconvenient Truth’ at USC”
1/29 (The State News, MI) – “University students to offer education about climate changes, future impact”
1/29 (CSUEB News and Events, CA) – “An Inconvenient Truth, Panel Discussion Jan. 30″
1/29 (Ohlone College, CA) – “Help Stop Global Warming!”
1/29 (The Daily Colonial, DC) – “An Inconvenient Truth Kicks of Green Week”
1/29 (The Johns Hopkins University Gazette, MD) – ‘An Inconvenient Truth’
1/29 (Warren Wilson College, GA) – ‘Climate Week of Action
1/30 (Grist Magazine) – “Have Some Class: Week of Action in Action”
1/30 (The Stanford Daily, CA) – “Film Kicks off Climate Change”
1/30 (Collegiate Times, VA) – “Saving the world: Campus Climate Challenge”
1/30 (FOX News, NY) – “Environmental Group Delivers Lumps of Coal to Merrill Lynch to Protest Texas Power Plant Project”
1/30 (The Gateway, NB) – full story
1/30 (Bloomberg News, NY) – “Merrill Targeted by Global Warming Protest Over TXU”
1/30 (Treehugger) – “Want To Take a Climate Stand On Campus?”
1/30 (The Campus Press, CO) – “‘An Inconvenient Truth’ Sheds light on grim environmental future”
1/30 (Canada.com) – “UN Report confirms climate change happening now”
1/30 (Ottawa, ON: PDF file) – 24 hours (free newspaper in Ottawa, page 5)
1/30 (Ottawa, ON: PDF file) – Rush Hour (free newspaper in Ottawa, front page pic)
1/30 (Ottawa, ON) Ottawa Citizen
1/31 (The Roanoke Times, VA) – Kayak launches climate change events at Tech http://www.roanoke.com/news/nrv/wb/wb/xp-102444
1/31 (Grand Valley Lanthorn, MI) – “SEC Continues efforts for cleaner campus”
1/31 (Think Progress) – “75,000: Number of Young People who will see Al Gore’s “Inconvenient Truth” documentary this week”
1/31 (New Mexico Daily Lobo, NM) – “Valentines for Richardson”
2/1 (The Breeze: James Madison University, MD) “Through Murky Waters: SGA gives mandate for clean energy” (print only)
2/1 (The Breeze: James Madison University, MD) “Energy group presents bill” (print only)
2/1 (The State News, MI) – “Saving Mother Earth One Day at a Time”
2/1 (Roanoke Times, VA) – “They Didn’t Call Him Al — at least not yet”
2/1 (The Herald Dispatch, WV) – “Children write Manchin to move school from coal silo”
2/1 (The Daily Trojan, CA) – “Cardinal and Gold but not green: USC Fails Environmentally”
2/1 (Baltimore Examiner, MD) – “There’s ‘Snow Day’ Like Today” (photo of Towson University student, Erica Stout with caption)
2/2 (The Mac Weekly, MN) – “Macalester declares war on 14 Minnesota campuses”
2/2 (Baltimore Examiner, MD) – “Keep Winter Alive” (photo of Towson University student, Amanda Duzack on front page)
2/2 (Huffington Post) – “Global Warming–For the Kids”
2/2 (The New Hampshire, NH) – “Environmental Film draws large crowd”
2/2 (The New Hampshire, NH) – “NHPIRG fights for climate change”
2/2 (Fosters Online, NH) – “UNH Students send warning on global warming”
2/2 (The Associated Press, NH) – “Groups hope new climate report will speak change”
2/2 (The Cornell Daily Sun, NY) – “Kyoto Now! Demands Climate Action from Skorton”
2/2 (Southern Maryland Online, MD) – “St. Mary’s College Students Dive into Freezing River Water”
2/2 (The Daily News Record, VA) – “Students get the ‘green out’”
2/3 (Eagle Tribune, MA) – “Groups hope new climate report will spark change”
2/3 (The Understory) – “WV. Gov tries hide from own shadow at Groundhog Day Breakfast”
2/3 (The Free Lance Star, VA) – “Local students act globally”
2/3 (Washington Post, DC) – “Cold Enough for You” (St. Mary’s College of MD Polar Bear Plunge photo clip)
2/5 (Grand Valley Lanthorn, MI) – “Students assemble to discuss global warming”
2/5 (The New Standard) – “Activists ‘Step Up’ Challenge to Climate Change”
2/5 (The Rebell Yell, NV) – “Campus Brings Climate Awareness to Students”
2/5 (Investment News) – “Merrill Lynch gets lumps of coal”
2/5 (Daily Bruin, CA) – “Hoping UCLA will earn an ecological 4.0″
2/6 (University of Rochester News, NY) – “University of Rochester Students Take on Campus Climate Challenge”
2/7 (Daily Princetonian, NJ) – “Superstition vs. Science in Climate Change”
2/7 (Community Times, MD) – “Reports, bills, college events focus on global warming”
2/9 (Cavalier Daily, VA) – “Energy Unplugged” (print only)

TV

1/28 (CBC Newsworld, Canada) – Rosa (Sierra Youth Coalition Director) and Trevor (local organizer) interviewed
1/29 (CTV Newsnet, Canada) – Anjali (SYC) interviewed before the rally and Rosa after
1/29 (Canada AM on CTV) – Rosa (SYC) interviewed at the rally
1/29 (Ottawa, ON) – CTV
1/29 (Ottawa, ON) “Robert Fife on the green political climate” also uses some video from the rally from that previous site

Radio

1/29 (Ottawa, ON) – Rosa interviewed on CFRB (Ottawa radio station)
1/29 (Ottawa, ON) – One of the easy listening Ottawa stations
2/1 (Green Majority Toronto, ON) – Billy Parish interviewed about the Week of Action

APPENDIX B: Week of Action Wrap Up Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, February 6, 2007

Contact: Michael Crawford, Communications Director, Campus Climate Challenge,
202 247-0965 or Michael@energyaction.net

Contact: Will Duggan, Better Days Alliance, 860 345-0000, info@truthoncampus.org

LARGEST YOUTH MOBILIZATION ON GLOBAL WARMING REACHES MORE THAN 50,000 STUDENTS

Students on over 575 college and high school campuses across the United States and Canada organized events January 29-February 2 calling for immediate solutions to deal with the potentially devastating impact of climate change caused by global warming. The demands were made as part of Rising to the Climate Challenge: Visions of Our Future, a week-long series of actions coordinated by the Campus Climate Challenge. The week of action coincided with the release of the Intergovernmental Panel Climate Change report stating that man-made activities are a leading cause of greenhouse gas emissions. “The Challenge” unites young people to win 100% clean energy and zero-emission policies at their schools.

Anchoring the week of action were more than 500 screenings of the Oscar-nominated documentary, An Inconvenient Truth. In partnership with The 11th Hour Project and Truth on Campus, the Challenge made copies of the DVD and public screening licenses available to college and high school campuses across the U.S. and Canada.

In addition to the film screenings, students organized rallies, educational forums and requested meetings with members of Congress to urge that the U.S. take a leading role in reducing greenhouses gases. Events occurred in 49 states and 8 Canadian provinces and received mention in more than 50 print, television, radio, and online media outlets including Bloomberg, USA Today, FOX News, The Associated Press, The Huffington Post, ThinkProgress, Mother Jones, Grist Magazine, Canada.com, ABCNEWS.com, CBC Newsworld, and CTV Canada.

Events included:

• Students at the University of New Mexico collected signatures on a petition urging Governor Bill Richardson to issue an executive order mandating that state agencies purchase 30% of their energy needs through renewable sources.
• Students from all eight Ivy League universities issued a joint call for their campus administrations to develop plans towards making the universities climate neutral.
• Students from City University of New York and the group “Billionaires for Coal” delivered lumps of coal to employees of Merrill Lynch to protest its investment in TXU, a company proposing to build 11 new coal power plants in Texas.
• Activist hand-delivered more than 500 letters from elementary school students to WV. Governor Manchin urging him to build the students of Marsh Fork Elementary School a new school away from the coal silo that sits 225 feet from their current school.
• Students are making short videos and writing essays explaining how their campuses are going green as part of a video/essay contest called Chill Out sponsored by the National Wildlife Federation.
• More than 130 students gathered at the Northwest Climate Justice Summit, held February 2-4 and co-sponsored by the Sierra Student Club and the Campus Climate Challenge.

“During the Week of Action students sounded the alarm about the need for bold and immediate action to end our addiction to fossil fuels,” said Michael Crawford, communications director for the Campus Climate Challenge.

“Nearly 900 students filled the auditorium for our screening of An Inconvenient Truth,” says John Hopkins University freshman Kevin Pai. “This sent a clear and powerful message that the John Hopkins community is serious about taken action to deal with the number one threat facing our generation: global warming.”

“There is a growing sense of urgency about global warming among young people because we are the generation that will be most affected,” says Andrew Nazdin, a freshman at the University of Maryland. “The week of action is the beginning of students demanding real solutions to end our addiction to fossil fuels.”

The Campus Climate Challenge, a project of the Energy Action Coalition, unites young people to organize on college campuses and high schools to win 100% clean energy policies at their schools. Energy Action Coalition is a network of 41 organizations from across the United States and Canada, founded and led by youth to help support and strengthen the student and youth clean energy movement in the United States and Canada.

Truthoncampus.org is helping colleges, universities and high schools across the country increase the positive outcomes from their screenings of “An inconvenient Truth.” Coordination is being led by Better Days Alliance, a Connecticut-based 501(c)(3) organization with support from Aveda, Annie’s Homegrown, Ben & Jerry’s Homemade, Clif Bar, Stonyfield Farm and the 11th Hour Project.

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It\’s Getting Hot In Here