It’s Getting Hot In Here

This chant, brought to us by the amazing youth of Sustainable South Bronx, filled an incredibly packed bus leaving UMD College Park on Saturday night, after the keynotes at Power Shift 2007.

Earlier that evening, we were active, eager and energized participants in what was the best three hours of my life, as the 5,500 youth at Power Shift heard from Evon Peter, Judy Bonds, Nancy Pelosi, Rep Markey, Van Jones, the Step it Up team, amazing Youth Speaks slam poetry and the bluegrass wanderings of “Here’s to the Long Haul.” As we filled the bleachers, chanting, cheering and dancing, I felt that we could have powered UMD campus with the energy we generated. More than ever before, you could feel a movement not only a’ brewin, but already here.

The whole experience at Power Shift 2007 was one of such incredible joy and optimism. Unlike most experiences I have had with climate change focused events, it didn’t feel like we were facing incredible, unsurmountable odds. Instead, I felt empowered, inspired and activated. This weekend, I realized more than ever before, that we CAN do it, and we WILL do it. As youth, we have the vision, passion and inspiration to lead our country towards the just, clean energy future we all dream of.

Especially during Van Jones’ inspired speech, it seemed so possible for us to achieve what sometimes seems impossible. The emotion, hope and possiblity that revereberated through Cole Field House was so palpable, so amazing. During the beginning of Van’s 35 minutes of possibility and promise, chanting Green Jobs NOT Jails with thousands of other young people, led by courageous and inspired youth wearing their Green the Ghetto shirts, I turned to my friend Anelisa (who had come all the way from Puerto Rico!), tears of joy streaming down my face, to see her also crying from pure happiness.

Afterwards, the excitement was still there. In that bus, we were all on the same wavelength, brought together by the same vision and passion, exhausted and so energized at the same time. The chanting didn’t end there, as at the Metro stop we all broke it down with impromtu drumming on found objects and chants that rocked out the entire Metro station. It continued on the entire 45 minute Metro ride, and then an impromptu parade of 60 people (all headed to RAN and SEAC’s AWESOME party) wound through the streets of D.C., a few blocks from the Capitol, letting everyone who passed us by know that a Power Shift was underway.

I have to say that Power Shift was the most incredible three days of my entire life, and I didn’t even get to stay for the lobby day and RAN/SEAC action.

It was worth all of the planning, preparation and stress that filled our lives in the months leading up to the event. I am back in Florida, but I have never felt more hopeful about the future than I do now.

This generation will lead the shift away from the destructive, insane path we are on currently, to a beautiful, sustainable, just future. I’ll carry this feeling with me for the rest of my life, and when I feel overwhelmed by the seemingly impossible task we are faced with, I’ll look back to Power Shift 2007, and know that SI SE PUEDE!