It’s Getting Hot In Here

I am here at Bonnaroo – one of the biggest music festivals in the world – with a crew from the Southern Energy Network. We roadtripped through Tennessee in a Flexcar (a car sharing program) hybrid from Knoxville to Manchester…getting some interesting looks in the process. We arrived at PlanetRoo and set up our signs and gear, to tell folks about the Youth Climate Pledge and the Powershift 07 conference. It’s an interesting crowd out here, with over a hundred thousand people setting up a impromptu music city on 540 acres in small town Tennessee.

PlanetRoo is a major initiative of Bonnaroo, with space given to groups that can reach the crowd on issues like Global Warming, Wildlife Conservation, and how to install solar power. A solar stage has performers talking about environmental issues and rocking out on solar-powered speakers. Our neighbors are groups like Oceana, the NRDC, StopGlobalWarming.org, and Grist. Sarah van Schagen, one of Grist’s writers, and I talked about we can build online communities that can make change and how we were missing the Grist party in DC.

What I have found amazing is how open people are to talking about global warming. I mean I know that we understand the problem, but I am really gratified to see that our generation not only get it, but is willing to talk with like-minded people on the issue even while they are here to see a show. Our folks here are really excited about signing up people to talk about how they can take action and the response has been really great. I would love to hear from everybody what events they might be going to this summer and the kind of things they all do to get people involved, besides Liz’s immortal Mohawks for Clean Energy.

So while we are all baking out here in the intense Tennessee heat, lets see if we can turn down the temperature!