It’s Getting Hot In Here

Mass Power Shift rocking out

From Katie MacDonald, Mass Power Shift Co-Coordinator:

On the weekend of the 6th, February 2009, Massachusetts Power Shift held a leadership retreat in West Falmouth Cape Cod. The retreat was initially intended to be a time for the group to build up existing leaders and encourage new leadership for the coming year, but became much more than that as the weekend progressed. Those present got a unique opportunity to find common ground with fellow climate activists and explore their own personal motivations for involvement in the greater movement. 

Massachusetts Power Shift (MAPS) is an unaffiliated youth climate activist network that connects youth and allies from across Massachusetts in demanding bold, and collaborative climate solutions. The group works on the political level, playing a large hand in the passage of the Global Warming Solutions Act in 2008, and also locally across the state at over 20 colleges and Universities. Over the course of the last six months, network leaders have been working tirelessly to promote Al Gore’s RePower America Campaign and to build support for their present Adopt a Congressperson Campaign, designed to push legislators to support and create aggressive energy and climate legislation. 

Upon entering the space in which the retreat was held, the energy was palpable. Twenty three members of MAPS crowded around on couches and chairs waiting anxiously for the event to commence. That night the group delved into exploring the concept of personal stories. Everyone was encouraged to ask themselves who they were and what incidents in their lives had brought them to climate action and to relay that story to someone else. One particularly common theme present in many stories told was the idea that that person had at some point in their lives recognized the conflict facing themselves and the planet and had subsequently been forced to make a decision as to if they as an individual would act or remain apathetic. Individuals agreed that by choosing to act they had transformed a potentially horrific situation into a source of motivation for themselves and others. 
To further explore the concepts of conflict and solution, action and inaction (in the context of global issues) , attendees partook in the Awakening the Dreamer Symposium. A four hour long interactive symposium designed to assist in the opening of people’s minds to the seemingly insurmountable problems the planet faces using the big picture to generate a sense of shared purpose and collective action. ” It was the first time that our group had explored the emotional implications of living in a world on the verge of collapse” (said Harvard Law Student and MAPS Co-Coordinator Craig Altemose when asked to reflect on the exercise). The Symposium required participants to analyze a number of real world issues including the spiritual sickness of modern cultures, pollution and habitat destruction, and climate change. Gregory Reinauer, a longtime MAPS leader and the administrator of the symposium commented on the importance of this exercise; ” By allowing ourselves to feel the pain for our world, we can finally tap into the power and strength needed to save ourselves and the planet.” 

According to an article in the New York Times titled; Climate Change and Mental Health, acknowledging our fears and sharing our stories about climate change can be surprisingly therapeutic. “we may …derive some psychological benefit from banding together with other citizens to mitigate the effects of global warming. Taking action might not only give us back a sense of our own sense of efficacy against a powerful outside force, but also help us build community and social ties that offset stress” says author Emily Anthes. This certainly proved true for MAPS as MAPS leaders emerged from the weekend refreshed and ready to hit the ground running. ” The retreat reminded me why I do all the work that I do” reflected David Emmerman a sophomore at Amherst College, ” by identifying the problems we face, and recognizing how we can solve them, we all become empowered, and when it comes down to creating real change, that’s what makes the difference” 

To learn more about Massachusetts Power Shift go to www.masspowershift.org.