Comments on: Climate Generation: The Evolution of The Energy Action Coalition’s Strategy

By: How Will We Define This Decade « It’s Getting Hot In Here

How Will We Define This Decade « It’s Getting Hot In Here — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 19:27:01 +0000

[...] been great to see this discussion on IGHIH with a number of really thoughtful posts. We got an idea of where we came from, learned about the importance of ambition and going big, and reflected on what we can learn from [...]

By: Caroline Howe

Caroline Howe — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 05:24:58 +0000

Twinkles to Jamie, too. I’ve said it too many times, but I wouldn’t possibly be where I am today without you, Billy. I remember with so much love and gratitude the first time I met you, sitting on the floor after the girl across the hall said there was actually a group on campus that was making positive change and not just talk – a group getting stuff done. Plus, she said, I could meet a man who could pull off a jumpsuit and cowboy boots, and I was totally sold. A few hours later, I was in the thick of getting students mobilized on campus, taking petitions to Connecticut legislature, dancing in Connecticut suits on Fossil Fools’ Day, headed to Montreal. Change is addictive, and you helped so many people make it. You empowered so many of us around the nation, and inspired so many around the world. I’m grateful to be a part of this movement with you.

Even then, though, I didn’t realize just how big the movement was, just how many people were involved all across the country. I’m so grateful to the powers of social media, and the people of EAC, 350.org, and the Step It Up campaigns for knowing how to use those tools and for showing such how big and beautiful we were and are.

Simultaneously, EAC has inspired a global revolution, with dozens of countries (and hundreds more to come in the next few years) creating their own national coalitions to build their movements. I am very much looking forward to seeing where EAC goes and how the global movement builds along with it.

By: Kyle

Kyle — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 04:36:26 +0000

I remember organizing one of the original Campus Climate Challenge campaigns, but not really making the connection between what we were doing on campus and the broader movement or the Energy Action Coalition. It was probably two years after organizing and our campaign and graduating before I thought…”oh, THAT was EAC!” Exactly that decentralizing problem Billy talks about.

It’s exciting to see how our identity and coordination as a youth climate movement has grown since then, though we still have a lot to do. Just as Billy talked about reaching youth who are not on traditional college campuses, we also haven’t made a movement big enough for many groups of college students and other youth to feel comfortable being a part of our movement or feel like they have a say in what we do. Yet.

By: michael beer

michael beer — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 17:31:37 +0000

Impressive summary. EAC has done such terrific work.

Good luck in figuring it all out.

By: Meg Boyle

Meg Boyle — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 18:34:06 +0000

Twinkles (ditto) to Jamie’s comments. For introducing me to this work and this world, Billy, thanks just doesn’t cover it. And I think this type of institutional memory is super important and sometimes hard to come by in youth organizing, so thanks for mapping it out.

By: Subsidy Eye

Subsidy Eye — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 16:14:27 +0000

There is also an NGO that is working to eliminate fossil-fuel subsidies at the international level, in support of the G-20 Leaders’ commitment to do so. It’s called the Global Subsidies Initiative. Check it out at http://www.globalsubsidies.org

By: jamiehenn

jamiehenn — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 22:39:49 +0000

Thanks for the great history Billy, but you naturally left out an important piece: you. Like Morgan, who wrote a few days ago about meeting you for the first time, I remember that snowy February back in 2005 when we first hung out up in Vermont. You came up to speak to the class Jon Isham was leading on the climate movement. I remember walking you over to the room where we were about to have meeting and you politely asking if you could take a nap in the hallway for a few minutes because you’d “been traveling a bit lately.” I’d find out later that what you’d really been doing was sparking a bit of a revolution. Thanks for the leadership (and the b-ball and parties). Here’s to rocking out even more in the future.