Tim DeChristopher understands why he’s going to jail. As he told Rolling Stone in a recent interview, “What I did was a threat to the status quo, so I understand why those in power want to put me away.”

Tim represents a new breed of disruptive, bold climate activists who are putting their lives on the line to bring about the transformational change we need. And he considers Solar Mosaic part of that transformation. Asked what it would take to fundamentally transform our energy system, he pointed to Solar Mosaic as proof that we’re on our way. For the folks at Solar Mosaic, this is both a huge compliment and a great expectation to fulfill.

A quick recap on Tim: One the eve of Obama’s inauguration, a 27-year old economics student from Utah entered an auction set up for oil and gas companies, became the top bidder, and won the lease rights. He had no intention of paying for the land; he was acting to protect public land from destructive extraction. Despite the fact that the leasing plan was flawed and has since been revoked, Tim faces up to ten years in prison for his actions. His sentencing was recently rescheduled for the tenth time and is slated for late July. To read Tim’s full story, click here.

I take a lot of inspiration from Tim, for his personal resolve and his commitment to confronting the inadequacies of the grey economy and spurring on a new energy transformation. I’m also inspired to witness this new paradigm taking hold in concrete ways around the country. Indeed, Solar Mosaic – which aims to democratize clean energy in Oakland, California and around the country – represents a radical departure from traditional top-down fossil fuel systems.

DeChristopher speaks of a future that promotes local power, justice and prosperity for all, and an economy based on human goodness. Solar Mosaic embodies these tenants, putting the energy in the hands of people, creating jobs and helping community institutions save money, and building an economy that reflects the values we strive to live by.

Monday’s Washington Post story on the march revealed that Arch Coal and Alpha Natural Resources, the two companies seeking to mine the coal-rich Blair Mountain, are the ones intimidating the National Park Service into keeping it off the National Register. To remove Blair Mountain from the historic list, the coal companies submitted names of residents who opposed the listing: ie, people who no longer lived there, couldn’t be located by the West Virginia Attorney General’s office, and yes, dead people.

When confronted about the fraud, Obama’s National Park Service did nothing.  Despite his promise to raise the bar for government ethics and accountability, Obama has so far watched as the agencies under him answer to Big Coal. As Obama continues to let corrupt, dirty industries rule, young voters are growing skeptical of his promise to bring change to Washington.

The marchers are also facing the treachery the coal industry, when their private campground reservations were cancelled thanks to Big Coal’s stranglehold on the region.  The coal companies are using fraud and intimidation because they are scared that this movement of people might convince Obama to come out firmly on the side of ethics and American heritage.

In his piece covering the March on Blair Mountain, Bobby Kennedy Jr. writes that the men and women protecting this historic site stand strong against the “ascendancy of unsheathed corporate power that threatens now to overwhelm American Democracy.” Will Obama stand with the people and stand up to these corrupt industries?

President Obama has the opportunity to begin meeting his promise to stamp out government corruption, by restoring Blair Mountain’s place on the National Register.

Throughout 2010 our movement has experienced major growing pains and witnessed major failures on the part of our politicians. Last year’s Conference of Parties in Copenhagen ignored the cries to the millions of world citizens demanding a FAB, fair ambitious and binding treaty. Instead we got a ‘FLAB’ deal: full of loopholes and bull$**t. American youth saw their leaders dilute and ultimately dismiss the climate legislation we’d been calling for. This fall, dozens of climate deniers and Big Oil politicians were elected into office.

These experiences have produced a lot of despair and disillusionment within our generation around the current system; political obstacles feel insurmountable, the corrupt fossil fuel interests are too powerful, and any significant agreement on an international level just seems impossible.

Youth at the Conference of Parties before Cancun

But the vexing reality is that these challenges cannot be     insurmountable, too powerful, or impossible. We have no    option but to face them. We know that our survival and      the survival of entire vulnerable communities count on it.    So what are we going to do about it?

Over the past two weeks, youth in Cancun have showed    our tenacity, our innovativeness, and our  uncompromising idealism. While youth recognize the    agreement coming out of Cancun as an important step  to stabilizing and building a foundation for future    negotiations, we know there is much work to be done    and much of the foundation hinges on what happens in  the coming year.

The following are lessons and resolutions from Cancun- on the current state of our movement and directions moving forward, into the light. In 2011, we must:

1) Improve upon our models for tracking and measuring our efforts and use our findings to build and refine our strategy.

2) Further engage our communities and change public opinion by utilizing earned and social media.

3) Continue to build our technical skills, employ creative methods, and utilize technological innovations.

4) Ask ourselves everyday: how can we connect our efforts to the source of bold, credible, and real hope? How can we communicate this real hope to others?

Please read on for further explanation and reflections from Cancun.

***

#1- We are full of good ideas. We have to cultivate and foster the growth of these ideas; this takes perseverance, patience, and flexibility. And every action is deserving of real strategy, and is an opportunity to consider our ultimate goals.

During the past two weeks in Cancun, I had the privilege to witness and partake in the immensely creative and clever international youth efforts. For example, some youth developed brilliant and impressive policy papers and directly impacted negotiating texts, for example with Article 6, largely youth-written and a model for cooperation, passing in 90 minutes.

Meanwhile, other youth planned and deployed imaginative and hard-hitting media stunts, for example the Young and Future Generations market, where the earth was auctioned off at a two-for-one deal and glaciers (going fast!) were sold at discount.

Youth made a considerable impact on the negotiations in Cancun, though in hindsight, with a few exceptions, it is hard to directly identify youth-driven outcomes. Some find this point discouraging, others see it as inevitable. I see it as a point worth improving upon.

The following are ways we can measure and build our successes as a movement:

• TARGET, TIMING, TACTICS: If we want to make an impact, we have to draw a line of connection from our ultimate vision, to our concrete goal, to our target, to the tactic we use, right down to the message we use and the way we frame the argument. We also must choose a strategic timeframe that seizes upon available opportunities and builds momentum. Mapping out the strategy helps to identify disconnects anywhere, and to better understand the impact of our efforts toward our overall goals.

• TRACKING: Another important way to develop strong strategy is to learn from past actions. In order to study past efforts, we must first track them. We must believe we are taking action and making progress worth tracking. Some young people from around the world are currently scheming to create an online hub to capture photos, videos, testimonials, and strategy from major youth undertakings, such as media stunts and policy development, at international climate events. Such a place would give youth the opportunity to capture and share best practices, address weak areas, and ultimately improve our strategy.

• TAKE LEAFS OUT OF GOOD BOOKS: Lastly, we can learn from others within and around the movement. For example, Avaaz.org is widely known for using email petition data and experimentation to hone their message and strategy; Avaaz.org has also built a huge membership and helped achieve some major victories. We should observe and borrow ideas from organizations, movements, and leaders we admire.

In 2011, we must improve upon our models for tracking and measuring our efforts; and we must daily use our findings to build and refine our strategy.

***

#2- We must work to strengthen and communicate the connection between our local efforts and our shared vision of the just and sustainable clean energy future. We must tell our stories, collaborate between communities and coalitions, and keep sight of the long road ahead.

This year, U.S youth in Cancun mobilized a team of hundreds of people, assembling a Rapid Responder Network so that on a moments notice we could generate thousands of phone calls, get our message out to the media, and effectively frame the story around Cancun and build demand for real solutions.

Rapid Response crew

While our time, energy, capacity, and internet connection were all put to the test, this initiative forced us to make connections back home on a daily basis. Not only were we reaching back out to our networks, but we were also constantly determining how our local efforts play into the international climate talks, and vice versa.

Here are a few examples of how we used Rapid Response to connect Cancun:

• When President Obama announced tougher restrictions for offshore drilling while leaving many shores unprotected, we called on our newly elected officials to protect all shores and get Big Oil out of politics by making good on their promise to cut wasteful spending, stamping out destructive fossil fuel subsidies from our fiscal budget.

• When a pack of Climate Denier politicians wrote an appalling letter to Secretary of State Clinton, asking her kill the funds our nation pledged for climate justice to vulnerable countries and claiming to speak on behalf of youth, we not only generated hundreds of calls to the White House, urging Obama to stay strong on his promise, but we also wrote to our community papers and called on our senators to stand up for future generations instead of these Fossil Phonies.

• On the 11^th hour of the negotiations, we flooded the State Department, Twitter and Facebook news-feeds, and the plenary halls, demanding 1.5 degrees Celsius as the absolute cut-off line for global temperature increase in order to ensure the survival of all nations and people.*

In 2011, we must continue improving upon how we utilize earned and social media to engage our communities and change public opinion.

*Thanks to these efforts, the Cancun Agreement recognizes 1.5, though much work needs to be done to make 1.5 a requirement in future agreements.

***

#3- We must continue to build our capacity and use our savvy and ingenuity to troubleshoot everyday challenges. Lack of political legitimacy, scarce resources, scanty funding, the need for greater numbers, and limitations to communications are all opportunities to demonstrate our potential and vitality as a movement.

One inspiring example of how youth overcame a challenge using innovation and technological know-how in Cancun came during a daily YOUNGO meeting. These meetings are an important opportunity to gather youth from around the world to coordinate efforts. But a disconcerting pattern was emerging; the meetings were dominated by youth from developed countries, while youth from the developing, non-English-native countries were less represented. This challenge posed a difficult question; how can we simultaneously ensure meeting efficiency while improving inclusiveness? But rather than decree that meetings will always be held in English or become overwhelmed trying to include all of the many languages spoken in the circle, we recruited youth translators, headsets, and a google program to translate meeting notes in real time.

YOUNGO Spokescouncil Meeting

This is just one example of many instances where youth find resourceful ways to tackle seemingly impervious problems. The word ‘power’ derives from the root word, ‘poder’, which in Spanish means “to be able”. Our power comes from our ability to address problems and exercise agency.

On 2011, we must continue to build our technical skills, employ creative methods, and utilize technological innovations in order to pursue creative outlets for funding, expand youth legitimacy, reach underrepresented groups, measure and communicate our impact, and overcome any number of other challenges.

***

#4- Lastly, we must ask ourselves everyday: how can we connect our efforts to the source of bold, credible, and real hope? How can we communicate this real hope to others?

Real hope is not rooted in and fed by our idealism alone, but also by our strategy (see point #1). It is the culmination of what Marshall Ganz refers to as the two ways of knowing: the analytic (HOW) and the narrative (WHY). In order to convey hope we must simultaneously communicate both our source of motivation and our strategy.

The following are ways to link and convey our story and our strategy, by explaining the challenge, the choice, and the possible outcome, and by celebrating:

• CHALLENGE: in order to mobilize motivation and hope, we must couple uncertainty with promise and urgency with possibility. We must explain the “Crisitunity”, the specific, time-bound crisis and opportunity.

• CHOICE:  whomever our audience, we must provide a theory of change that outlines:

1) the “tipping point” or “choice moment”

2) a plan for delivery on our goal

3) a deadline in which action is set to occur

4) the action we are asking our audience to partake in

• OUTCOME: We must both provide a vision that is specific and imaginable; what will happen as a result of our action? Also, we must interpret small victories as sources of hope to propel us toward the greater vision.

• CELEBRATION: In order to inspire action and sustain our sense of hope, we must continue to tell the story of our movement and celebrate our achievements. To keep ourselves sane and energized during the two weeks in Cancun, my team made K’Naan’s ‘Waving Flag (The 2010 World Cup Celebration Mix)’ our unofficial theme song. It was incredibly comforting and poignant to hear my fellow delegation-mates humming it under the breath after meetings or before bed.

One of the most compelling and hopeful messages coming out of Cancun is encapsulated in a two-minute video made by youth from around the world who were shut out of the first week of the negotiations. The video begins with the bitter reality that our leaders have been negotiating our whole lives. This somber backdrop is flooded with light as one young woman states, “But while they’ve been negotiating, we’ve been growing”. One by one, youth share what they’re doing to build the just and sustainable future, ending our use of fossil fuels, building urban farms, creating green jobs, the list goes on.  In the end, we are asked by a squirming, beaming young child in his native tongue, “ye ustedes, que van a hacer?”- “and you, what are you going to do?”.

In 2011, we must own our vision and cultivate real hope that is persistent, credible, and contagious. We must continuously share this source of hope with others, utilizing art, culture, and spirituality.

***

We as a movement don’t have any illusions about the challenges we face- but we will also not forget what is at stake. And for these reasons, we’re not giving up and we’re not backing down. We have our work cut out for us this year. We’ll continue to grow and gain in strength and successfulness.

We’re going to make it happen.

Outside of the Cancun Messe at the international climate talks, runners Kevin Osborne from the U.S and Yingao Chen from China take their mark at the starting line. A sports commentator calls out: “It’s a beautiful day! The sun is shining, the wind is blowing and our two competitors are ready to begin this epic race for a brighter and more prosperous world”. At the sound of a whistle, the runners take off, racing toward the clean energy future.

What is the story behind this race? The U.S and China are major emitters and major economies with a complex relationship and huge opportunities to lead the clean energy economy…

At this moment in time, U.S is falling behind during a time that  we most need economic revitalization and a competitive new  job sector. While China has taken huge strides in building their  renewable energy sector, much of their turbines and solar  systems are exported while more new coal plants are  constructed to meet growing energy demands.

U.S leadership has come empty-handed to the negotiations and continues to accuse China of holding up progress. Relations between U.S and China remain tenuous and marked with antagonism and mistrust.

Can the two countries overcome their differences and rise to the challenge? Who will emerge victorious in the clean energy economy?

***

As athletes representing U.S and China race in slow-motion along the red carpet track, youth on the side-lines cheer on the runners, holding up signs of historical moments in the U.S China clean energy history. Sports commentators from both countries narrate the race:

2000: “U.S has started off in the lead, it looks like they’re making progress but can they keep it up?”  “Will China be able to catch up?”

At first the U.S is by all indications, equipped to outrun China in the race toward abundant clean energy.

2005: “China passes landmark Renewable Energy Law, she’s gotten a jumpstart and is closing in on the gap.”

The race becomes closer as both U.S and China take greater strides and vie for the lead…

2009: “Amazing comeback as China surges ahead, doubling its wind capacity in record time! She’s really devoting herself to the race- and it looks her investments are paying off!”

Now it is China that has taken the lead, with the U.S falling behind and looking winded.

2011: “Oh what’s this- it seems that a major obstacle is blocking the path to a clean energy future- how will the runners handle this challenge?”

Two youth from the crowd crouch down on the track, creating a roadblock. The runners pause, looking frustrated and perplexed. They push the obstacle but it won’t budge.

“It looks like they’re struggling one their own and refusing to cooperate. Can the U.S. and China cooperate, to develop the next generation of clean energy?”

At this moment, youth from the crowd begin to chant “To-geth-er!” The runners continue to push, but to no avail. Finally, as the cheering become stronger, the runners take hands and push through the roadblock together…

“Wow, in a surprise turn of events, US and China work together to overcome the obstacle!”

The athletes resume the race, surging toward the finish line.

“An unbelievable comeback from the U.S and both athletes seem to be performing excessively well, blowing old records out of the water!”

Sprinting now, U.S and China take hands and cross the finish line victoriously!

***

U.S and Chinese youth have come together to urge President Obama and Congress and to spur on new job-creating economic drivers at home by rapidly growing U.S green economy between now and COP17 in South Africa and encourage the Chinese government to implement more clean energy projects at home, bringing the clean energy transformation to the Chinese people, matching major strides in wind and solar manufacturing with increased domestic installations.

This race illustrates the need for ambition in advancing toward the clean energy economy—to provide new sources of employment and improve air quality, to enable true progress toward international climate solutions, and to secure a viable future for our generation.

But jobs, solutions, and the security of our planet won’t be ensured by competition alone. In the lead-up to this race, Chinese and U.S youth became acquainted with the importance of building trust and mutual leadership. We need both China and the U.S rising to the occasion, racing toward the clean energy future.

According to U.S runner Kevin Osborne of the Cascade Climate   Network, “If we don’t learn to lead together, then we won’t lead   at all. We need to be leaders and demonstrate far-reaching      cooperation to achieve effective clean energy solutions.”

As part of the U.S China Youth Climate Exchange, over the    past two weeks, American and Chinese youth are  demonstrating the sort of cooperation and leadership that we  are asking of our governments. Learn more about this initiative  and the impressive string of media it has garnered here.

***

This week, President Obama announced a framework tax deal that would scrap the Renewable Energy Grant Program, the only major national program incentivizing renewable electricity; such a decision would kill nearly 100,000 jobs, and further cripple our country in the clean energy race.[1]

President Obama must show real leadership on this issue: no more fumbles, give-aways and cop-outs. We need Obama to get into the game and stand up to Big Oil Bullies and Climate Deniers; he must demonstrate how the clean energy economy can revitalize America and employ millions.

Meanwhile, the current 2011 fiscal budget proposes to repeal tax breaks for major industries like Exxon Mobil, freeing up $20 billion and saving an estimated $45 billion over the next ten years, funds which could be re-funneled to green jobs training programs, energy efficiency, and clean energy development.[2]

Ironically, these wasteful dirty energy subsidies are likely to be protected by industry-entrenched members of congress simultaneously calling for fiscal restraint and job creation.[3]

Congress must approve a budget that reflects American priorities: investing in clean energy technology and removing wasteful subsidies to fossil fuel industries.

It’s already clear that we have a long way to go in order to make real progress on the international front. The first step to saving the negotiations and saving the planet is for the U.S to seriously  step up its clean energy game.

For the past two weeks at the U.N negotiations in Cancun, youth representing the major world powers, from the Chinese Youth Delegation, Sierra Student Coalition, SustainUS, and Cascade Climate Network, have converged in Cancun to form the U.S China Youth Climate Exchange, an innovative, multi-pronged initiative and to demonstrate the sort of cooperation and creativity that our nations’ leaders should be working toward to solve the climate crisis.

One crucial aspect of our efforts is a shared action to send the message to U.S. and Chinese politicians; we need both China and the U.S rising to the occasion, racing toward the clean energy future. I’ve had the amazing opportunity to work closely with Yingao, my counterpart on the Chinese youth delegation to plan and drive forward this action. In planning this action, what began as a very tactical alliance turned into a much more meaningful and beneficial experience than I had ever expected.

U.S and Chinese youth met with lead-negotiator Jonathan Pershing to voice our vision for greater cooperation between our two countries.

As a young person from the U.S, I am very concerned with our nation’s role in climate change, and in stalling progress on international cooperation. I am also committed to the notion that in order to make a difference as youth, we have to be blunt and we have to be specific. Specifically, in order to fulfill our mitigation responsibilities and make a real contribution to international progress in time for COP17 in South Africa, we need to demand that President Obama match China’s solar growth rate and double wind capacity in the next year.

After my first few meetings with Yingao and other Chinese youth delegates, I began to realize that American and Chinese youth have very different perspectives on our governments and the best way to inspire political progress. As I encountered these differences, I began to fear that my vision for this action would be compromised and so I asserted my own will as if it was inherently at odds with those of the Chinese youth. These meetings left me feeling somewhat discouraged and fatigued- and as if I was coming up against a wall.

Then things started to shift- the platform on which U.S and Chinese youth were interacting and collaborating was expanding under my feet- the action was just one, important but not self-sufficient, aspect of these efforts. Throughout the first week of the negotiations, I participated in many eye-opening experiences. I attended a workshop led by U.S and Chinese youth on our unique histories and educational backgrounds, our governments and their approach to tackling climate change, and a philosophical evaluation of our own cultural assumptions and patterns of behavior between people from such distinct nations.  Also, during an “open space” session at our “diplomacy dinner,” I conversed with Chinese youth on issues as diverse as the role of religion in China, national security in U.S and China energy policy, and the Kyoto Protocol “Common but Differentiated Responsibility” clause.

"I took a philosophical glimpse at the cultural assumptions and patterns of behavior between U.S and China"

The overarching message and importance of the U.S China shared action was as evident in the planning process as it was in the execution of the action. I felt firsthand what it feels like to negotiate one’s own values, principles, and objectives with those of someone from a very different background. I also began to realize the importance of engaging the other and of acting in the spirit of cooperation, rather than opposition. As I got to know Yingao and other Chinese youth as individuals, we started examining our cultural assumptions and explaining our histories and the reasoning behind our beliefs. Once we began to share these insights, it became clear that we did not inherently disagree- in fact, most times we could understand where the other was coming from. Our dialogue did not feel like a series of traded concessions- it felt like a collaboration.

I say all this because I firmly believe that in order for our countries to reach any agreement and enable international progress to solve the climate crisis, we need to learn, use, and listen to the language of shared understanding. It is my hope that U.S and Chinese negotiators examine their own assumed boundaries to cooperation and begin to find opportunities for mutual collaboration.

Stay tuned for Part 2, Taking Action

A controversial yet prescient ad illustrating the role of Big Oil in Congress,

As a young person and a voter, I’m disappointed. I’m disappointed by what has become a custom among candidates: all over the country and among both parties, politicians welcomed the influence of dirty money into the political process. In the wake of the Deepwater Horizon Off-shore drilling disaster last April, candidates raked in campaign contributions from fossil fuel industries, some accepting sums totaling over $1 million. How should I have confidence in our leaders when the very industries that funded their campaigns are those corrupting the political agenda, last year spending a combined total of $175 million on lobbying?

But it’s clear that for these industries, this is money well worth shelling out: in the oil industry alone, federal subsidies and tax breaks range between $6 and 39 billion annually. Between 2002-2008, federal fossil fuel subsidies totaled $72.5 billion, going toward tax expenditures, foregone revenues, grants, and direct payments. $14 billion of this total goes to funding oil production overseas; that’s money going to major polluters and not toward creating jobs at home. In 2006, tax expenditures to oil and gas companies made up approximately 88% of total federal subsidies. Most of the largest dirty energy subsidies have been written into the U.S Tax Code as permanent provisions. We’re channeling taxpayer dollars into an industry that is already well established and wealthy and locking ourselves into the gray energy economy.

Meanwhile, our economy is stagnating and the job market is looking bleak, especially for my generation. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in July of this year, the U.S youth unemployment rate rose to 19%, the highest on record.

On the other hand, many studies show that every $1 investment in clean technology sectors will produce four times as many jobs as the same investment in oil and gas. A study from University of Massachusetts-Amherst found that shifting investments from dirty to clean energy would produce 7,686 jobs in my home state of New Hampshire.

Now that the results are in and the campaign noise has died down, there is much left at stake. Many newly elected candidates have expressed the priority of cutting wasteful and unnecessary programs from the fiscal budget, while stimulating domestic job growth and encouraging new economic drivers. President Obama’s 2011 fiscal budget proposes to repeal tax breaks for major industries like Exxon Mobil, freeing up $20 billion and saving an estimated $45 billion over the next ten years, funds which could be re-funneled to green jobs training programs, energy efficiency, and clean energy development.

Ironically, these wasteful dirty energy subsidies are likely to be protected by industry-entrenched members of congress simultaneously calling for fiscal restraint and job creation.

Not only is dirty money flooding our democracy, but it’s seeping into international territory as well. Despite the commitment made last September among the Group of 20 major economies to phase out fossil fuel subsidies, estimates for 2009 subsidies to dirty energy industries was in the vicinity of $100 billion, or roughly 1% of world GDP. President Obama’s leadership could be instrumental in prompting other countries to follow suit.

In one month, heads of state and negotiators from around the world will gather in Cancun to discuss international efforts to address climate change. The U.S has done relatively little to lead the clean energy economy: if we go in empty-handed, we will be hard-pressed to encourage other countries to take steps toward reducing greenhouse gases. Besides being a major emitter, last year China became the leading wind turbine and solar photovoltaic manufacturer, doubling its wind capacity and outpacing us in new wind installations. How can we point the finger while we sit on our hands?

I have the opportunity and the privilege to attend these negotiations as a representative of youth and civil society. Rather than witness our nation’s humiliation on the international stage, I’d like to see us lead in the way that we’ve lead throughout history.

President Obama is a crucial player in building the green economy in the United States.

When we took on expansion of the national railroad network under President Lincoln and when President Kennedy committed to putting a man on the moon with the Apollo Mission, we showed our ability to advance in the face of considerable challenges. We can build the new energy economy, but to do so we must stop the flow of dirty money that’s bloating our fiscal budget, polluting our democracy, choking our economy, and hampering international cooperation.

We need President Obama and Congress, Democrats and Republicans, to rise above dirty and partisan politics and show the sort of leadership that history will remember. We can start by eliminating wasteful government spending and investing in innovative job opportunities; by saying no to Big Oil and yes to green jobs for American workers.

This post is the first of a series on Obama, the UN Climate Negotiations, and the clean energy future, so stay tuned for more news in the lead-up to Cancun.

This past Monday, I was invited to join a youth environmental leader’s call hosted by the White House, geared toward energizing young voters around Obama’s environmental agenda. At the end of the call, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson fielded a few questions, including one from me; I asked her what Obama would do to make up for a lack of congressional action on climate change, both here in the U.S and in the lead-up to the U.N international climate negotiations in Cancun this November. Not surprisingly, her answer was vague and indirect.

The next day, I received exciting news from the White House. After a month of pressure from grassroots groups, President Obama made a symbolic step toward committing to clean energy leadership, by agreeing to outfit his home with solar panels and a solar water heating system. Despite the pride I feel for this movement victory, I am still left wanting.

After a long hiatus, Obama has given the green light to have solar power reinstated on the roof of the White House

Our country is lagging behind when it comes to building the clean energy future. Our largest clean tech investment thus far came from the stimulus package, and our federal government still insists on funneling money into destructive dirty energy projects. In the U.S oil industry alone, federal subsidies range from roughly $6 billion to a staggering $39 billion annually.

Meanwhile, our leaders’ lack of action has obstructed any meaningful progress on the international front. Not only has Congress failed to produce climate legislation, but this week at the U.N intercessional climate negotiations in Tianjin, China, instead of making headway in the lead-up to Cancun, U.S negotiators insisted on pointing the finger at developing countries for not taking enough action.

Youth in other countries are noticing this hypocrisy too. The day before Obama’s announcement to install solar on his roof, youth around the U.S circulated a letter written from Chinese youth and their university professors, addressed to U.S Special Envoy on Climate Change, Todd Stern, calling on the U.S to follow China’s example and make real strides toward clean energy development; by doubling domestic wind capacity and matching China’s solar growth rate within one year.

Tianjin is not the only place where decision-makers are gathering to negotiate the clean energy future and set the stage for Cancun. Today, delegates are arriving in Washington D.C for the annual International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group meeting to discuss major issues in the global economy. High-ranking on the agenda is international climate finance, an issue that’s likely to be a focal point in Cancun.

International climate finance poses an opportunity for the U.S to begin redeeming itself and make substantial contributions toward global progress; by helping developing countries, many of whom lack real energy infrastructure and face the greatest threat to climate devastation, to build up their clean energy infrastructure while reducing global carbon emissions.

Obama has scaled up global clean tech funding commitments for 2010 and 2011, but there still remains a huge gulf between what is on the budget and what is needed. Meanwhile, mirroring our backward domestic energy policy, we continue to subsidize fossil fuel projects abroad.

While this year brought troubling evidence of the destructiveness of fossil fuels, our leaders continue to use tax-payer money to promote dirty energy.

The World Bank, the major body for distributing these funds, is also taking the approach of signaling one direction while turning the other. While the organization has appointed their first “clean-energy czar” and is touting their commitment to green energy, 2010 marks the World Bank’s highest fossil fuel spending year to date.

According to Steve Kretzman at the Institute for Policy Studies, removing global fossil fuel subsidies could result in 10 to 12% reductions in greenhouse gases globally.

These subsidies exacerbate the climate crisis and impede real progress on building strong, competitive hubs for clean energy on an international scale. They are also a result of inadequate leadership on the part of developed countries, including the United States.

Despite the fact that President Obama helped forge an agreement within the G-20 to phase out international fossil fuel subsidies, no real commitments or actions have been made, and Obama has so far failed to take advantage of this opportunity to shift fossil fuel subsidies to clean tech for developing countries.

This Sunday, after negotiations in Tianjin have concluded and while the IMF meetings draw to a close, over 5,000 communities around the world will roll up their sleeves and get to work building the clean energy economy that our elected officials have so far failed to foster. As part of the 350.org 10/10 Global Work Party, hundreds of people will gather in front of the White House for a rally to celebrate our victory of getting solar on the White House and call on Obama to move beyond merely symbolic leadership.

How can Obama offer his leadership in building the clean energy economy?

In the coming months, there are three major actions that Obama can take to ensure that the U.S invests in the development and availability of clean energy beyond just the solar panels on the White House.

Obama must:

#1- Lead the G-20 in removing fossil fuel subsidies from the federal budget and re-funneling those funds to clean tech programs abroad.

#2- Move our country forward as a clean energy leader by doubling our wind capacity and matching China’s solar growth rate in the next year.

#3- Commit to meaningful long-term contributions toward international climate finance in Cancun this November.

Youth continue to pressure Obama to stop passing the buck and take the lead on climate finance.

If Obama wants to strengthen his position as a leader and is asking for young people to stand behind his agenda, he needs to start taking real action. We can encourage him to do so by getting started building the new green economy this Sunday and by getting vocal about our demands.

One creative and significant way we can address Obama is through the MTV Town Hall Forum next Thursday, October 14^th at 4pm EST. The call will air live on MTV, CMT, and BET and will give young viewers the chance to ask Obama questions via Twitter. Let’s tune in and flood the Twitter feed, making sure Obama understands that the clean energy future doesn’t stop at the White House.

***Please reply to this posting with ideas for how we can creatively message these demands on Thursday evening, or other ideas for getting vocal.***

This post is the first of a series on Obama, the UN Climate Negotiations, and Funding the Clean Energy Future, so stay tuned for more news in the lead-up to Cancun.

First, we got a rousing warm-up from Ben Wessel, who’s been working hard on the Race to Replace in Vermont (more on that later )- we celebrated the Cape Wind victory, called on our Southern politicians for leadership, and cheered on the potential for the clean energy to be the new economic driver in the Midwest!

Next, we heard from a handful of leaders who laid out how they’re going to MAKE CHANGE and ENGAGE OUR GENERATION this fall and have a really good time while they’re at it!

• Ben shared his plan for the Race to Replace- which is about saying goodbye to dirty nuclear and hello to 100% clean electricity, 100+ bikers, lobbying in Montpelier, potlucks in Burlington with UVM students, concerts, partnerships with utilities, and politicians getting behind our vision! Check out his video here.
• Erika Zarowin in Ohio also told us about Making Green a Primary Color, which will build off the groundwork laid during Ohio Power Shift, bringing youth climate demands to the forefront of the Ohio Congressional Primary.
• There are so many other good stories and ideas to take from nearly twenty states working to make this fall about SAYING YES TO WIND and clean energy, NO TO COAL and dirty fuel, and PUTTING THE POWER IN THE HANDS OF THE YOUTH! You can check out these plans and more on our Build Our Electoral Campaign Page.

After hearing all the excitement and visions of state and local leaders around the country, we took it to the next level to discuss with one another: common themes and messaging to share, resources and tools that we could collaborate on developing, and  how we can continue to support one another between campuses, communities, and across state lines! Lots of sweet ideas that came out of that, and I’m excited to see them taken to the next level!

• This fall is about showing our politicians how the green economy will create jobs in each state, to spotlight that young people are tired of waiting and are leading!
• Students from newly emerging state networks expressed interest in strengthening ties with neighboring states with strong networks, to share that wealth of knowledge and experience in getting started. Involved in a state network? Help us continue strengthening and supporting our own and one another’s networks by filling out this Needs Assessment.
• Many leaders expressed interest in having regional conversations to share ideas, offer best practices, and identify opportunities for collaboration. Massachusetts is already planning an end-of-summer retreat to amp up for the fall and even strengthen the ties of leaders across the Northeast as they push together for true leadership: 100% clean electricity by 2020!
• Lots of leaders brought up the importance of TRAININGS for building a team, getting media, pressuring our politicians, and on a variety of other creative topics. Trainings via video, phone, downloadable online, and in-person at the end-of-summer training in Chicago: Can you dig it?

Are you excited yet? What are two incredible ways we can get to work to build the green economy and demonstrate solutions, meet and work with leaders from around the country, get world-class trainings, and prepare to make this fall about VICTORY?

Need a summer gig? Share your talents, make friends, make change: sign up for a Summer Project online by May 4^th: Change-makers in Oregon, Michigan, New England, Virginia, Utah, Texas, Minnesota, DC, and West Virginia are ready for you to join them!

Can’t commit to a whole summer? Committing, and still want more? Join us from August 4-8^th for a spectacular Summer Training Program: we’ll come together in Chicago, where the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization and other partners are working to transition their communities away from dirty energy by replacing two old and dirty coal plants with clean energy and green jobs. We’ll spend the first couple of days learning critical leadership and campaigning skills, and then we’ll put them to use organizing a community festival and coal plant action to launch our campaign.

We’ll all leave Chicago trained and ready to take the action back to our own communities and campuses! Sign up to receive priority by May 16^th!

Interested in getting more involved in these conversations, starting your own, or learning more? Please shoot me an email: caroline [at] energyaction dot net

I’d love to talk! And I hope you’ll join future conversations about how this fall the key words are FUN and VICTORY.

This post is a part of a series of posts about Defining Our Decade and building collaborative campaigns from the ground up to do it!  Check out previous posts to get caught up on the conversation!

The basic idea is that (1) in communities across the country we are having discussions on what we hope to achieve moving forward — for many of us this would build off our Define Our Decade events and discussions — (2) then we are having statewide discussions to develop collective goals, objectives and talk coordination, and finally (3) we’ll pull it all together on a conference call (RSVP!) for each state to share their ideas, discuss how to weave our efforts together, and make plans to work with and support one another.

Based on a few reportbacks I’ve heard, people are really narrowing in on how we can use the election to build power and support behind our issues. Whether it’s offshore oil drilling in Florida, or clean energy opportunities in the coalfields of West Virginia, people are identifying the most important issues to work on that will inspire lots of people to engage. And the discussion isn’t just about turning people out to vote, there’s talk of bird-dogging candidates, running spoof corporations for office to expose the influence of dirty money on politics, and other creative tactics!

A few state network discussions have already happened, but there are a bunch more planned (and it’s not too late to plan your own)! Check out the listing below, and http://www.energyactioncoalition.org/BuildOurElectoralCampaign for updates.

• April 8 – West Virginia Youth Action League
• April 8-11 – Florida Student Lobby Day and Leadership Planning Summit
• April 12  - Midwest Electoral Call
• April 16 – Maryland Student Climate Coalition Lobby Day and Visioning Bonanza
• April 16-18 – Electoral Discusstion at Power Shift New York Regional Summit
• April 19 – SEN Southeast Regional (NC, SC, FL, GA, TN, AL, MS, LA) Electoral Call
• April 21 – Virginia Climate Action Network State-wide Call

My first foray into grassroots organizing was with a budding state network in planning the 2008 Massachusetts Power Shift Conference. Riding on the momentum and excitement of Power Shift 2007, youth around the state gathered to plan an ambitious conference that would apply pressure on the Massachusetts legislature, to support the Global Warming Solutions Act. On the weekend of April 12^th 2008, youth from around the state gathered in the Capitol to attend a conference highlighting state issues and create cohesion among youth leaders. The weekend culminated in a media-garnering press event, as well as a slew of lobby visits to members of the Massachusetts legislature. The state bill, which called for 80% reductions in CO2 emissions by 2050 successfully passed that spring, and affirmed Massachusetts’ position as a leader on climate action. And in the efforts of this network haven’t stopped: the Leadership Campaign is pushing for 100% clean electricity by 2020 and has a big sleepout planned for this Earth Day.

This is all to say, that I am a firm believer in the power of state networks to zero in on local issues, organize to make real changes, and set the mark for real ambitious goals for our generation.

This year, 2010, the beginning of a fresh decade, we have the opportunity to redefine how our political leadership is addressing the climate crisis. All around the country, members of Congress and some Senators will be facing off with competitors, working to build the support of key constituencies on a host of issues.  It is a golden opportunity to bring our ideas, solutions, visions and demands to the public, media, and candidates, and change the course of our country.  Our local campaign and victories can bring our movement into the national spotlight.  This fall, we are poised to propel youth into a position of real power. We will do this by rooting it in our communities, building strong relationships and developing leadership, launching bold, savvy campaigns to shut down coal plants, bring new clean energy jobs to our towns, get green fees on our campuses, and make our state officials true leaders in the national climate debate.

Where do state networks come in? Elections are an amazing occasion to coordinate state efforts. Statewide action unites and amplifies our local work and allows us to demonstrate our collective power. State networks are an incredible resource and skills-sharing vehicles, engaging leaders across the state. They also showcase the talent and savvy of youth, bringing us into decision-making and leadership roles. By reaching out broadly and building deep leadership in our states, we can tap into our local goals while creating a strong youth voter bloc to hold our elected officials accountable.

This is just the beginning of our coordination and collaboration. At the end of the summer, we’ll have the chance to meet one another, build skills, dig deeper into our plans, and roll up our sleeves at a national training.  It’s not too late to join the effort; if you are interested in starting the conversation in your state, joining a national dialogue among states, or participating in the summer training, please visit http://energyactioncoalition.org/BuildOurElectoralCampaign

I am so excited and so ready to see what our generation can accomplish this first year of the new decade, in our states, our communities, and in the national political landscape.  I personally can’t wait to sit down with friends and fellow organizers from Maryland to articulate what kind of change we’d like to see in our state, and how we plan to use the fall to mobilize and build power around these issues.  I look forward to sharing our stories and celebrating our victories with other states from New Mexico to New Hampshire, this year and in the years to come!