Comments on: What’s Next? A New Model for Student Innovation http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/2009/03/11/what%e2%80%99s-next-a-new-model-for-student-innovation/ Dispatches from the Youth Climate Movement Sun, 21 Mar 2010 13:27:06 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: R Margolis http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/2009/03/11/what%e2%80%99s-next-a-new-model-for-student-innovation/#comment-72124 R Margolis Tue, 17 Mar 2009 20:51:57 +0000 http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/?p=9383#comment-72124 Certainly an elitist solution will cause more problems and perhaps be defeated or delayed. However, in the pursuit of justice I would only warn not to let the perfect get in the way of the very good. There is NO energy source that does not require mining or material processing of some kind. Someone's neighborhood must host the mine and someone's neighborhood will be next to the processing facility. Tough choices will remain, though you can get a more just energy system than you have now. Certainly an elitist solution will cause more problems and perhaps be defeated or delayed. However, in the pursuit of justice I would only warn not to let the perfect get in the way of the very good. There is NO energy source that does not require mining or material processing of some kind. Someone’s neighborhood must host the mine and someone’s neighborhood will be next to the processing facility. Tough choices will remain, though you can get a more just energy system than you have now.

]]> By: Andrew N http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/2009/03/11/what%e2%80%99s-next-a-new-model-for-student-innovation/#comment-71941 Andrew N Fri, 13 Mar 2009 23:04:09 +0000 http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/?p=9383#comment-71941 We've seen what happens when only the elite lead social movements. When privileged, upper class, white women led the feminist movement, the dominate public discourse was on access to birth control, all while women of color were being forcibly sterilized in low income communities. The same thing happened with conservation efforts that pushed incinerators and power plants out of one back yard and pushed them into the back yards of those who live on poor side of town. If only the elite have seats at the climate change solutions table, were going to end up with solutions that are tailored only to their concerns and point of view. I for one don't want to see us stabilize atmospheric concentrations of CO2 to pre-1990 levels by reinforcing the systems of oppression in our society and abroad. We can't say, we've got to solve global warming, and then we'll worry about racism, classism and sexism. As much as I want to believe that Breakthrough and Environment America will shift their primary focus to fighting oppression after we pass bold leg in DC and internationally,I don't think thats going to happen. We have to do both at the same time. We need to demand solutions that aren't only clean, but also just. Can we burn coal without screwing over communities in Appalachia and Shanxi? No, we can't, so CCS is an elitest solution that leaves the poor and less privileged behind while ensuring that the climate in Berkeley, Burlington and Portland won't change. If we're going to get to a critical mass of people that is strong enough to make the policy and societal shifts we all want and need, then we have to rally around solutions that don't leave each other behind. We have to have room at the table for kids from BERC, but we need just as much room for kids from Brooklyn, Marsh Fork, and Anacostia. We're stronger together. We’ve seen what happens when only the elite lead social movements. When privileged, upper class, white women led the feminist movement, the dominate public discourse was on access to birth control, all while women of color were being forcibly sterilized in low income communities. The same thing happened with conservation efforts that pushed incinerators and power plants out of one back yard and pushed them into the back yards of those who live on poor side of town.

If only the elite have seats at the climate change solutions table, were going to end up with solutions that are tailored only to their concerns and point of view. I for one don’t want to see us stabilize atmospheric concentrations of CO2 to pre-1990 levels by reinforcing the systems of oppression in our society and abroad.

We can’t say, we’ve got to solve global warming, and then we’ll worry about racism, classism and sexism. As much as I want to believe that Breakthrough and Environment America will shift their primary focus to fighting oppression after we pass bold leg in DC and internationally,I don’t think thats going to happen.

We have to do both at the same time. We need to demand solutions that aren’t only clean, but also just. Can we burn coal without screwing over communities in Appalachia and Shanxi? No, we can’t, so CCS is an elitest solution that leaves the poor and less privileged behind while ensuring that the climate in Berkeley, Burlington and Portland won’t change.

If we’re going to get to a critical mass of people that is strong enough to make the policy and societal shifts we all want and need, then we have to rally around solutions that don’t leave each other behind.

We have to have room at the table for kids from BERC, but we need just as much room for kids from Brooklyn, Marsh Fork, and Anacostia. We’re stronger together.

]]> By: gabriel elsner http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/2009/03/11/what%e2%80%99s-next-a-new-model-for-student-innovation/#comment-71866 gabriel elsner Fri, 13 Mar 2009 00:16:29 +0000 http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/?p=9383#comment-71866 lala, I want the most educated, talented and intelligent individuals to lead us to the changes we need. If you want to call them the professional managerial/coordinator class, thats okay. But the truth is, BERC has some of the most talented individuals in the nation collaborating to drive the clean energy movement. I think meritocracy is a good thing, and these individuals are a great example of how collaboration across sectors/disciplines will get us where we need to go. best, gabriel elsner candidate b.a. political science, may 2009 uc berkeley lala,

I want the most educated, talented and intelligent individuals to lead us to the changes we need. If you want to call them the professional managerial/coordinator class, thats okay. But the truth is, BERC has some of the most talented individuals in the nation collaborating to drive the clean energy movement. I think meritocracy is a good thing, and these individuals are a great example of how collaboration across sectors/disciplines will get us where we need to go.

best,

gabriel elsner
candidate b.a. political science, may 2009
uc berkeley

]]> By: lala http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/2009/03/11/what%e2%80%99s-next-a-new-model-for-student-innovation/#comment-71834 lala Thu, 12 Mar 2009 19:30:34 +0000 http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/?p=9383#comment-71834 "So they created the Berkeley Energy and Resources Collaborative (BERC), to bring together people with varied backgrounds but a common interest. Today, the 27-person leadership team includes liaisons to the schools of business, law, public policy, environmental design, engineering, physical sciences, social sciences, and natural resources. This community of entrepreneurs, engineers, economists, and future lawyers and policymakers is exactly what the clean energy movement needs to drive innovation and change." So you're proposing the movement should be lead by the professional managerial / coordinator class? “So they created the Berkeley Energy and Resources Collaborative (BERC), to bring together people with varied backgrounds but a common interest. Today, the 27-person leadership team includes liaisons to the schools of business, law, public policy, environmental design, engineering, physical sciences, social sciences, and natural resources. This community of entrepreneurs, engineers, economists, and future lawyers and policymakers is exactly what the clean energy movement needs to drive innovation and change.”

So you’re proposing the movement should be lead by the professional managerial / coordinator class?

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