The Shifting Power - Powershift 2009

Our world is a complicated one. Achieving sustainability an even more complicated pursuit. Yet, at the Convention Center in Washington, D.C. this weekend Powershift 2009 showed that there is one thing that is very simple. We are part of a changing world. Seemingly more complicated, the writing is on the wall that our global energy portfolio is in the process of a seismic shift, and that is simple to see.

In the past, "student movements", especially environmentally focused ones, have been labeled as priveledged, white, liberal, and idealistic. The group of students at the front of the pack for Powershift gathering couldn't be further from that stereotype; under-resourced, diverse, progressive, and pragmatic. Over 12,000 college students converged on the nation's capitol this past weekend to take part in the largest climate focused college conference. These student leaders hailed from tribal nations, latino communities, coal country, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, rural areas, and under resourced communities in addition to thousands of students from every religion, race, political persuasion, and state in the union.

The generation in attendance at Power Shift 2009 is not a generation of black and white or even of black, white, Hispanic, and Asian. This is a generation of a bi-racial president, of tri-racial friends, and multi-racial familiarity and appreciation. A generation of “we,” instead of “us” and “them”, and nowhere is this more apparent than at the crowds of young people that are chanting to take the reins in a new era of civic responsibility. - Powershift Blog

Even with the snow falling on Washington, D.C. this morning the Powershift bunch is preparing for a historical undertaking, the largest student lobby day in history, full of meetings with members of Congress on Capitol Hill.  The convergence of students and young people to the nation's capitol has less to do with grandstanding and more to do with the very real issues that we are forced to deal with in our world. 

The complexities of the issues were on the table this weekend.  There wasn't a notion that our challenges will just disappear, in fact the students continue to address our nation's inaction in the face of this complexity, with the most simple action available to every one of us.  Giving it the good old college try.  And as time will continue to prove in our country, showing up to meet with your political leaders is one of the most simple and powerful actions we can take as citizens.