It’s Getting Hot In Here

This weekend, I was one of several Minnesotan college students who retreated to a somewhat secluded castle in Northern Minnesota built by Arctic explorer and climate change activist Will Steger. Students from Macalester, St. Olaf, Hamline, the University of Minnesota, St. Scholastica, and St. Thomas gathered at the second summit of TEAM Minnesota- the Transcampus Energy Action Movement, that is. Good food, incredible meeting place (a castle on the Boundary waters?! Does it get better?), and dedicated people all make for the very best sort of coalition summit you can ask for.

TEAM got right to work planning statewide and national initiatives and exploring exciting new communications systems to keep us not only in touch, but maintaining the momentum and energy of coalition summits. In the past, TEAM has helped to pass aggressive renewable energy and efficiency legislation (Minnesota has the highest Renewable Electricity Standard in the country!), launch statewide energy conservation initiatives, and oh yeah, carpool to Power Shift.

Building off of momentum from last February’s Campus Wars, this year we’re launching the National Campus Energy Challenge for February 2008 and teaming up with Energy Action to make it huge!

The NCEC will be a national competition between campuses to save the most energy in three categories: electricity, heat, and combined.

Not only does this literally reduce carbon dioxide (last year during Campus Wars, MN college Gustavus Adolphus reduced their electricity usage for February by over 10%!), this is also an incredible way to engage the entire campus- faculty, staff, and students, and it is a great project to launch or solidify state and regional coalitions. Look out for more info at Power Shift and at the new website ncec08.org (which is launching later this week - check the link soon!).

WeCAN, the World Energy Community Action Network, provides our new framework for communication and project collaboration. WeCAN is an internet activist network that connects global citizens through their geographic regions, their projects, and other ways they define themselves. It brings together amazing people from across the state, nation, and world, but still emphasizes individuals and personal working relationships.

TEAM is not your standard state coalition. We are visionary, but practical. We have great faith in the resources we can each provide to each other. We think globally AND locally, and understand that we have amazing power through ourselves and through each other. TEAM is inspiring, productive, and, I think, profoundly understanding of our collective ability to transform our communities and emerge successful and healthy from the climate crisis.