Apply to harness the POWER of BROWER « It’s Getting Hot In Here

Back in October 2006, my camera clicked away, capturing their nervous smiles, the sincereity in their eyes, if only the urgency in their voices could speak through my photos. As I watched them, I remembered a couple years back when five of my peers and I were being honored with the legacy of David Brower. For me, it was one of those turning points. It absolutely reaffirmed, the need to persevere, to keep going, and of course that’s where I met Energy Action, and in short now I am at their office clicking these keys.

The seats were lined with excited faces young and old, some familiar with David Brower and some new to his name. Some people say that David Brower was the father of environmentalism. He was the first executive director of the Sierra Club, founded Friends of the Earth and the Earth Island Institute, co-founded League of Conservation Voters, and is the reason why we have most of our natural land that we do like the Grand Canyon, Point Reyes, Dinasour National Monument- to name a few.

As these leaders took to the stage there was a similar sentiment in there voice, we need education, we need activation, and we need it now. One thing that David Brower was known for was his uncomprimising spirit and these Brower Leaders exemplified that in their very core. “We are building a national movement,” Bruno Vogt BYA Awardee said. And, everyone in the audience could feel the power of his words.

Become apart of this national movement by signing up for the challenge, or apply for the Brower Youth Award and elevate your work and the people around you to a new level. The deadline to get your application is May 15th, 2007, but I wouldn’t wait apply today!!!

***Other Youth Climate Activists

May Boeve 2006, Elissa Smith 2006, Alberta Nells 2006, Erika Eva Chase 2005, Kayla Carpenter 2005, Billy Parish 2004, Eugene Pearson 2004, Shadia Wood 2004, Rachel Ackoff 2003, Illai Kenney 2003, Nathan Wyeth 2002, Jared Duval 2001

About Shadia

Shadia began at age seven as an advocate for justice and the environment, in an eight year campaign to pass state legislation that, without it, was responsible for cancer clusters and deaths that existed in her community. In response to her efforts she has received the Yoshiyama Award from the Hitachi Foundation, and the Brower Youth Award from the Earth Island Institute. At age fifteen, She attended the World Summit on Sustainable Development, joining the youth energy caucus' efforts to create the Official Global Youth Energy Policy Statement. Months later, Shadia attended the Second National People of Color Summit and there she helped create the Environmental Justice Youth Platform. She is a member of the Environmental Justice Climate Coalition Youth Committee and is on the Kids Against Pollution National Board of Trustees. Shadia graduated from West Canada Valley High School in 2005, where she then took two years off before entering a career in higher education to work as a leader in the Global Youth Climate Movement. She finished working for the EJCC as the youngest Campus Climate Challenge Coordinator in the Energy Action Coalition, in October 2007. She is currently attending American University of Beirut, studying Arabic and Communications.