Sure is nice to see this starting, and yes, lets leave out the political labels, they serve only to divide, we’re all in this together, and so are the children, born and unborn.

Lets think ahead in the manner of the Aboriginal People of this land and try not only for to make it better for ourselves and our children but make it better for the next “Seven Generations”.

If each generation does so, it becomes a self full-filling prophesy!

Thanks to Craig!!!
Ray Solomon

Stop touting elitist Democrats as the answer to all our problems. There are people on both sides of the political fence that share similar climate opinions and recognize the need for immediate reductions in emissions!

Corporate and Government greed and the American people turning a blind-eye to these issues are our problems today…. One particular candidate or the other is not going to shift a mind-set of mistrust and division in a Country.

Let’s all commit to this issue and let the politicians do whatever it is they do! I hear a lot of Democratic candidates and their supporters beating on the drum but, do they invest their elitist dollars into these green industries? When someone can prove to me that the likes of Al Gore, Barak Obama and Hillary Clinton have invested their hard earned dollars into the industry like Jay Leno has, I’ll begin to respect what they have to say. Otherwise, the Washingtonians are just another group of greedy yeah sayers that are out after more corupt dollars for themselves!

let’s give it a shot

First I’ll echo Jesse’s thanks for starting this discussion.

Our movement needs a dramatic transformation not unlike the transformation we’d like to see of our energy infrastructure. You’ve hit the nail on the head with the shift in messaging – step two is to grow the movement to include all of the people who weren’t inspired by “save the polar bears” or “80 by 50.” Hopefully a positive message will do a lot to achieve that, but it will also require a kind of outreach and organizing we have yet to see.

We need collaboration on an unprecedented scale.

In the last few years we’ve seen the emergence of the youth climate movement – let’s make 2009 the year this movement grows up, and grows to include everyone who has an interest in bringing us into the new energy economy, which pretty much means, well, everyone.

While I am more skeptical of the technical feasibility of a 100% conversion to clean electricity in a decade’s time (we’re talking about a massive infrastructure change, and that takes a long time), 100% clean energy is the only sensible target and as soon as possible is the only sensible time frame. And an aggressive, some might say impossible target is exactly what grassroots movements, especially youth movements, should be fighting for. It’s our job to shift the discussion, to push for the hard asks, and to keep momentum moving in the right direction. So on lobby day after Power Shift 2009, when thousands off us take over the halls of Congress, I do hope that calls for “100% clean energy” and “green jobs now” displace chants for “80 by 50.”

Thanks for starting this discussion Craig. I look forward to hearing other’s perspectives/thoughts.