Liz Veazey and I have escaped the heat for the moment here at the US Social Forum in Atlanta. We just got back from a march for justice with several thousand dancing, singing, piping, strumming, drumming activists down by the Georgia State Capitol. People aren’t too big on the President or his Halliburton sidekick down here. It was a little eerie passing the skyscrapers of Georgia Power and Georgia Pacific knowing what they are doing to the world’s mountains and forests respectively. Georgia Power is part of the Southern Company who, along with TVA was a main voice on the Hill opposing a federal Renewable Portfolio Standard this month. The theme of this first-ever United States Social Forum strikes a chord: “Another World is Possible; Another U.S. is Necessary”!
Here at the Social Forum all week are fellow Energy Action Coalition partners Environmental Justice and Climate Change Initiative, Southern Energy Network, Rainforest Action Network, Global Exchange, Student Environmental Action Coalition, Sierra Student Coalition, Indigenous Environmental Network, and Black Mesa Water Coalition at last count. Together we are spreading the word about Power Shift, our national youth climate summit in DC this October 19th-22nd, and educating about climate justice, defunding King Coal, promoting green power and green jobs, youth leadership, and a lot more. This event is just getting started, but already we are feeling the buzz.
I can only imagine how frustrating that must have been to be so close to the companies that are undermining our world’s cries for a sustainable future. Glad to hear so many Energy Action folks are making more invaluable links and having those pressing conversations in order to create a new U.S.! Here in California, we just had a huge (over 800 people?!) sustainability conference where we made bridges between campuses and are energized to move forward …