It’s Getting Hot In Here

Hello,  I want to update you all on what I’ve been doing this summer.  I created my own green job and got hired by a community non-profit in North Adams, MA, to create a campaign based on the ideas of a green economy strong enough to lift people out of poverty, and re-thinking energy as an opportunity to improve our quality of life.  My town is predominantly working class, with high unemployment.  We had no town-level group working on any sort of environmental issue and ‘green’ is regarded by some as a dirty word.

Our common concern si the price of energy, especially home heating oil.  People are worried about the home heating crisis.  Many people on fixed incomes need to choose between paying for food or medication, but this winter heat has been added to the list.  I talked with many people to develop energy saving points that were most effective, most understandable, least intrusive and not tied to any income bracket (i.e. solar panels).  Then we looked at how information spreads - how do we reach thousands of people (as high as 50% or more of the population) instead of the social circles connected to environmentalists?

The result is Take Charge: The North Adams Campaign to Save Energy:

The results have been good.  After two months of work, we have a strong presence in the community, a strong core group, excellent media, and strong partners at the library, bank, fuel assistance office and elsewhere.  We were on the front page of two local papers, our internet publication and our local NBC affiliate (coverage not posted).

As a result of this hard work, I follewed up our press conference with an op-ed in the paper

One of the most iconic images of the strength of America is the World War II poster of Rosie the Riveter with the bold words, “We Can Do It!” When our nation rose to the greatest challenge it had known, mobilizing to protect democracy and the free world, our efforts brought out the best in us.

As I look at the scale of the climate crisis, I have the same feeling that the poster embodies. I am ready to roll up my sleeves and say, “we can.”

I borrowed liberally from Van Jones:

If you look at our economy, it seems like we have throw-away people to go along with our policy of throwing away energy and resources.

…and I got in my lobbying point:

Whether you’re a homeowner who can Take Charge and cut your energy use 50 percent or more, or a legislator like John Olver who can work to fully fund the Green Jobs act, we applaud your efforts just as we need everyone to mobilize for the challenge ahead of us.

Building the just and sustainable future we need is going to take a lot of work.  Its going to take an army.  Efforts like this one, and better, in every town in America.  But we learn from each other, and we do it better every time.  Skills I learned at SPROG impressed the hell out of my boss.  Talks with the Summer of Solutions helped with my sense of community energy efficiency possibilities.  And the excitement of running Power Vote this fall kept me motivated through the tough parts.

If anyone would like to learn more about Take Charge and how to run a BIG and STRATEGIC energy efficiency campaign in your town, please contact me: morgan.goodwin [at] gmail and I’d be more than happy to talk.  That’s enough for this post though.

Happy organizing!