It’s Getting Hot In Here

Welcome to the first edition of the Energy Action Coalition Digest. In here you will find important announcements and opportunities from our coalition partners and allies. Please share these with students and youth activists you work with. To suggest an item for the next digest, email josh@energyaction.net. Enjoy!

ACTION
I. REGISTER FOR POWER SHIFT 2007
This November, thousands of young adults will converge on Washington, D.C. for Power Shift 2007, the first national youth summit to solve the climate crisis. Youth of all backgrounds will use their experience from local and state level climate change movements to create a fresh, positive, and inspiring vision of the future, one focused on our potential to overcome the challenges of the 21st century, build a clean energy economy, achieve energy independence, create millions of green jobs, increase global equity, and revitalize the American economy.

November 2-5 University of Maryland – Washington DC Area
The first national youth summit on global warming!
Register today!

II. FEDERAL RULE CHANGE COULD RAVAGE APPALACHIA
Tell the Bush Administration: “Pull the Rule & Enforce the Law!”
CALL IN DAYS SEPT 17th -24th. Two new proposals are at hand to
make Moutaintop Removal Easier. Call in or write a Letter to the
Editor to TAKE ACTION!
For numbers, talking points, and more info go to:
http://www.climateaction.net/MTRaction

III. No War, No Warming
No War, No Warming says: Stop the war in Iraq and Future Wars! End our addiction to fossil fuels. Shift resources to rebuild New Orleans and communities impacted by racism and corporate greed. Go green and promote environmental justice with new jobs in a clean energy economy. These are the demands of No War, No Warming, a broad network that has come together over the last six months. On Monday, October 22nd, large numbers of people will converge on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. to engage in mass nonviolent civil disobedience to disrupt business as usual in support of these demands. It’s time for our peace, justice and climate movements to come together and step it up! Join us! You can find out more and sign up at www.NoWarNoWarming.org.

IV. Step It Up 2! Who’s A Leader?
At the same time that thousands of young people are issuing a call for change at Powershift, hundreds of rallies will take place nationwide on November 3 for Step It Up 2: It’s Time for Climate Leaders! Following up on the April 14 day of action, made possible in large part thanks to student and youth leaders, November 3 actions will challenge politicians to be true leaders. At each event, local organizers are inviting their elected officials in Washington to attend the rallies, and speak about their plans to address the 1 Sky priorities. Step It Up launched brand-new web tools to track these invitations. Check it out today, and spread the word far and wide!

V. Put Congress on the Hot Seat:
Tell Congress to support the Safe Climate Act!

NEWS
I. Appalachian Grandfather Seeks Justice in NYC:
West Virginia grand-father Ed Wiley, 49, has been in NYC to raise
awarness about the situtaion at Marsh Fork Elementary School. He will
be targeting the live cameras of the “Today Show” and the crowds at
Rockefeller Plaza. Wiley will stake out his spot to draw the nation’s
attention to the dirty business of Mountaintop Removal / Valley Fill
Coal Mining that is ravaging the Appalachian region and its people.

II. Hero: Larry Gibson:
Check out Larry Gibson, of Kayford Mountain, on CCN talking about his
fight against mountaintop removal

III. So Others Might Eat:
Tuesday Sept 4th over 1000 people nationwide joined in a fast for climate action while a press conference was held at the capitol.

OPPORTUNITIES
I. Mobilize.org Party for the Presidency
On the cusp of the 2008 Election year, youth from around the country will be congregating in Hollywood, California, to engage in a discussion of the state of the American polity. Joined by elected officials and candidates from around the country, consultants, staffers, interest groups, media and entertainment personalities, these youth will create an agenda, prioritizing the action steps that the youth Ambassadors will commit to collectively supporting through 2008. This unique convention is Mobilize.org’s Party for the Presidency, taking place December 29-31, 2007, at the Renaissance Hotel in Hollywood, California. Mobilize.org, formerly Mobilizing America’s Youth, is an all-partisan network dedicated to educating, empowering, and energizing young people to increase civic engagement and political participation. We work to show young people how their lives are impacted by public policy and, in turn, how they can impact public policy.
The Party for the Presidency is part of Mobilize.org’s Democracy 2.0 campaign, a year full of national events, regional forums, and online dialogues that address the need to reinvigorate American democracy with increased civic engagement. The Party for the Presidency includes the Mobilize Awards, an event to celebrate youth activists who have been making a change in their communities by engaging their fellow citizens to identify local problems, propose specific solutions, and be a part of the implementation process. To make this event possible, we need your help. Mobilize.org is trying to recruit 435 youth participants for the Party for the Presidency, with the goal of having a participant from each Congressional district. We are hoping you can forward the Party for the Presidency application to the youth involved in your organization. Additionally, we would love to have members of your organization apply to attend the conference. The application for Party for the Presidency is attached.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at christina@mobilize.org and visit our website at www.mobilize.org <http://www.mobilize.org>. By defining the issues young people care about and giving them a strategy to make a difference on these issues, we can enable today’s youth to become America’s future leaders.

II. Power West Virginia Energy Gathering – Glenville, WV – Sept. 28 – 30th

Coal Companies are sacrificing West Virginia in the name of cheap and dirty energy for the rest of the country. Mountaintop removal coal mining is blasting way the southern part of the state. Cancer causing coal slurry is being injected ungrounded and coming out of people’s faucets. The children at Marshfork Elementary breathe coal dust while going to school. The coal mined from these mountains if fueling our pending climate chaos. West Virginia needs a just transition to a clean and renewable energy future. We can halt injustices in the mountains and build a sustainable economy based on clean and safe jobs. Youth can come together and support this region wide struggle. PoWer-VEG is a point of convergence where young people can come be a part of this movement. Will you join us?

III. Sustainability Innovator Awards
The Sustainable Endowments Institute has just created the Sustainability Innovator Awards. The nomination process is now open and everyone is invited to nominate a college or university for its outstanding performance in campus and/or endowment sustainability initiatives. Those selected will be recognized in the 2008 College Sustainability Report Card (being released next month). Colleges and universities eligible for nomination are those not among the 200 schools already included the 2008 College Sustainability Report Card. To see if a school will be included, please visit our website: http://www.endowmentinstitute.org/awards.html.

If you don’t see a school on the list, please nominate it! Just visit the Institute website and follow the instructions. Due to publication deadlines, entries must be received by October 1, 2007.

IV. Do Something Offering Weekly Grants for Young Social Entrepreneurs
Do Something and GameStop are offering grants of $500 each to young
people, age 25 and younger, who have a great idea for a community
action project and need support to turn their idea into a reality.
To learn more go to http://www.dosomething.org/grants

V. YSA Youth Venture Grant
Have an idea that could help your community? Want to be connected to
other young changemakers? Need the funding and resources to get your
idea started? Find out more information about this grant opportunity
by visiting:
http://www.genv.net/en-us/region/ysa

VI. The People Speak: Climate Crews: $500 grants available
Climate Crews is a project that will harness a valuable natural resource: college students’ creativity. Students will propose innovative campaigns around the global issues of climate preservation and clean energy and how, by documenting their experiences on film, they will be able to turn their campaigns into renewable resources that will guide similar efforts on other campuses. TPS will select up to 10 winning ideas and provide a $500 mini-grant and training for the students to implement and document their campaigns. Each campus group will return to their school, conduct the campaign, and create a short film or video toolkit showing how others could replicate their campaign idea on another campus. Deadline: Sept 30

VII. Free Video Camera from MTV
MTV is giving out video cameras to 50 young people (ONE IN EVERY
STATE) to cover their local issues and work between now and the
elections.
Deadline to apply is September 21st!
Apply at http://www.mtv.com/thinkmtv/politics/election_08/index.jhtml#application

VIII. CFLs for Kids
Mission
CFLs for Kids is an organization dedicated to helping students raise money for their schools, universities or extracurricular programs by offering a fundraising product that makes a positive impact on the community. CFLs for Kids has developed a program that facilitates the sale of compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) to raise money for students, save customers money and help the environment.
Benefits
In addition to raising funds for vital student programs, the CFLs for Kids program offers several benefits:
Provides an easy way for students to take action to reduce our environmental impact
Saves customers 50-75% on lighting bills by using advanced technology
Reduces greenhouse gas emissions (~156 lbs per bulb, annually)
Educates students and the community about climate change
Is a useful alternative to other fundraising products (e.g., candy, wrapping paper)
Minimizes burden on students and schools by having customers place their orders and shipping purchased CFLs direct to customers via UPS.
Please visit our website at www.cflsforkids.com or contact us via e-mail at infopackage@cflsforkids.com for an information starter package and to begin working with CFLs for Kids today.

IX. We Add Up
WE ADD UP(tm) is a global organic t-shirt campaign that literally “Counts You In” in the fight against global warming.
Take part in a global count of people committed to helping stop climate change. The climate crisis is real and upon us right now. People are asking, “What difference will changing my light bulbs really make? The problem is so huge and I’m so small.” The mission of WE ADD UP(tm) is to spread the message that each of our efforts DO matter, because WE ADD UP. No one can do everything, but everyone can do something in the fight to stop global warming. WE ADD UP(tm) is an organic t-shirt campaign. What makes it unique is that each organic t-shirt is individually hand-printed with YOUR number, so people can literally get ‘counted in.’ On the back of each shirt is a word that describes an action almost anyone can take to reduce their carbon footprint, such as- Unplug, Lights Off, Demand Change, Recycle, Carpool, Hybrid, Bike, Insulate, and Buy Local. Our goal is to get the whole planet counted in and committed to acting to stop climate change now. WE ADD UP(tm) also offers organic reusable totebags, recycled sports bottles, and stainless steel coffee mugs that promote the message.

WE ADD UP(tm) invests a percentage of all sales in wind and solar power projects to offset the carbon it takes to manufacture its product line. WE ADD UP(tm) also donates 10% of all profits to environmental groups, such as The Alliance for Climate Protection, The Earth Island Institute, and The Green Project in New Orleans. All environmentally-related non-profits are also eligible to become affiliates of WE ADD UP(tm), earning 20% of all sales that are directed from their newsletter or website. For more info on how to spread the word and have your organization earn money, contact Jill Palermo at jill@imorganic.com.

WE ADD UP(tm) officially launches October 22nd. Consumers can get their personalized tee online and also buy gifts for their green loved ones on that date. WE ADD UP(tm) also currently offers its products as a fundraiser for high schools, colleges, and community and non-profit groups. Groups receive 20% of all sales and are eligible for exciting prizes.

For more info and pictures of some of the products, visit: http://imorganic.com/weaddup/WeAddUp-online.gif
WE ADD UP(tm) pre-launch site: http://www.weaddup.com
Contact: 440.946.7083 or 800.401.9195

JOBS & INTERNSHIPS
I. Energy Action is Hiring a New Partnerships Director
Due Date or Expiration: 1 Oct 2007
Location: Washington, DC or San Francisco, CA
Hours Per Week: Full-Time
Compensation: Dependant on Experience

SUMMARY DESCRIPTION
The Director of Partnerships and Alliances cultivates and maintains existing and new partnerships for Energy Action Coalition – focusing on, but not limited to, building relationships with under-represented populations, non- traditional allies, and organizations working with high school students. The Director of Partnerships and Alliances will also facilitate the ongoing inclusion of social justice and environmental justice trainings with Energy Action Coalition partners. The type of partnerships include new coalition partners that reach a currently unrepresented population for the Campus Climate Challenge and organizations and businesses that will further amplify public awareness of the Challenge.
Full Description and application info

II. Work for Southern Energy Network!
Join the Southern Energy Network, fighting global warming and supporting student and youth climate and energy work in the Southeast. We’re a founding member of the Energy Action Coalition and are running the coalition’s Campus Climate Challenge campaign here in the South. We are building up state networks to provide a student support network and leverage student power beyond campus to pressure utility, federal, state and local policies to include increased energy efficiency and renewable energy! These positions involve strategically and organizationally supporting the work of college students and youth campaigning for clean energy and sustainability. You’ll be working with students and youth on campaigns of their own choice in so doing teach them about power, organizing and campaigning.
positions available: Mountain Justice Spring Break Internship; Tennessee Campus Organizer; Florida Campus Organizer
For full job descriptions and more information visit www.climateaction.net/jobs

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The Energy Action Coalition unites a diversity of organizations in an alliance that supports and strengthens the student and youth clean energy movement in North America. The partners of Energy Action work together to leverage our collective power and create change for a clean, efficient, just and renewable energy future. The work of Energy Action is focused on four strategic areas: campuses, communities, corporate practices, and politics. Energy Action Coalition members are: Americans for Informed Democracy, Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, Black Mesa Water Coalition, Brower New Leaders Initiative, 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.