Word from our friends at Green For All is Senator Bernie Sanders is going to offer an amendment on the floor tomorrow to the economic stimulus package, asking for them to add in full funding of the Green Jobs Act.   This Green Jobs Act was included in the 2007 Energy Bill but has yet to be funded. 

Tell Congress it’s time to “GO GREEN AND GO EQUAL in the stimulus package: fund the Green Jobs Act tomorrow and support the Sanders Amendment!”

If possible, please help spread the word, hit your email lists and encourage everyone you know to call their Senator’s DC office as soon as possible, ask to speak with the staff person working on the economic stimulus package, and ask that staff person to support the Sanders Amendment to fully fund the green job workforce training program.

With Focus the Nation events tomorrow across the country (!), here’s another idea: bring your cell phone and a list of phone numbers for your state’s Senator’s offices to your Focus the Nation event!  Grab people who are jazzed up from Focus and tell them they have a chance to help create thousands of new green collar jobs… all they have to do is take two minutes to call their Senator from your phone (or there’s) right now!  Just an idea…  Time is (very) short, so seize the opportunity and get on the phone!

Here’s the skinny:

1. Call your Senator’s DC office.  Contact info available here…

2. Ask to speak with the Staff person working on the Economic Stimulus Package

3. Ask for your senator to support the Sanders Amendment to fully fund the green job workforce training program.

On a related note: the Senate has included extensions of critical clean energy incentives in their version of the Stimulus Package, heading to the floor tomorrow.  If we get the Green Jobs Act funded, we’ll have a clean, green stimulus that’ll help us on a path to a sustainable, just, and prosperous future!  Spread the word!

Green For All!

Hoo-boy! New York Times online has a smart article connecting meat consumption and global warming. It’s great to see such a solid source making these connections — though people have been making this argument for decades, it’s generally over shadowed by other issues. To me, this is one more way our world will look different when we create the sustainable, healthy communities we’re striving for.

Here’s my favorite quote:”Growing meat (it’s hard to use the word “raising” when applied to animals in factory farms) uses so many resources that it’s a challenge to enumerate them all. But consider: an estimated 30 percent of the earth’s ice-free land is directly or indirectly involved in livestock production, according to the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization, which also estimates that livestock production generates nearly a fifth of the world’s greenhouse gases — more than transportation.”

See the article, “Rethinking the Meat-Guzzler” by Mark Bittman complete with some great graphics connecting meat consumption with fossil fuels consumption for yourself

As a college activist from a rural town, I’m often unaware of the diverse groups that are involved in the Youth Climate Movement. Amazing action certainly doesn’t have to wait till you get a high school diploma, and YEA Minnesota is proving it.

A couple months ago, a coalition of high school environmental groups formed YEA Minnesota (Young Environmental Activists). My fellow college activists Timothy Denherder-Thomas and Jason Rodney attended this phenomenal YEA MN event just weeks ago, hosted by the Will Steger Foundation. Just listen to what high school student Ethan Buckner and some others have to say.

From my experience, these kids are phenomenal thinkers and activists. I’ve had the distinct pleasure of working with Ethan through TEAM MN, and many more students are engaged and involved. It’s incredibly inspiring to see this organization develop and take action. This is people power at its finest. The Youth Climate Movement should be sure to connect with student organizations at all levels, as all have incredible visions. Do you have any reports of high school action in your area? Let’s make some connections.

A few days ago, Phil wrote about the confrontation between student activists and Big Coal lobbyists in the S.C. primary. Check a video we put together to show the action first hand. Living in a Feb. 5th primary state? Big Coal might be coming to your town, as well. Keep your eyes open. Enjoy: