In a fiery speech made today at the Clinton Global Initiative, Al Gore calls again on the youth to engage in civil disobedience to stop coal plants from being built.
UPDATE: More detailed notes from Gore's speech here>>
In a fiery speech made today at the Clinton Global Initiative, Al Gore calls again on the youth to engage in civil disobedience to stop coal plants from being built.
This is a crisis that is happening NOW. Scientists around the world are practically screaming from the rooftops to stop it...If you're a young person, I believe we've reached a point of civil disobedience.
Whether or not Gore knows it, young people ARE taking part in civil disobedience, especially here in Virginia. There have been two major actions against Dominion's coal-fired power plants. The Tredegar 12 and the peaceful protest at the Wise County site. Both of these actions were led by young people.
Young people in the climate movement are more organized, more energized and more active than youth working on any other issue. I can think of any other more inspiring moment in my organizing experience than hearing 6000 youth chanting, "We Want More!" when Nancy Pelosi was speaking on energy issues at the last Power Shift Conference. This year, there are conferences in many states, including Virginia, whose conference is coming up in a few weeks. If you are a young person, get involved! If you know a young person, get them involved.
POWER SHIFT at Virginia Tech October 10 - 12
Virginia Power Shift will give students the tools to build a sustainable Commonwealth through education, grassroots political action, and campus leadership training. Participants will attend their choice of workshops ranging from beginner composting to green politics, anti-oppression, and engineering. Guest speakers will reinforce the workshops with invigorating ideas and personal experiences. James Hansen, NASA scientist and Al Gore's advisor has been confirmed for Friday night and Mike Tidwell, Executive Director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, will speak Saturday night. Finally, a roundtable discussion between local, state, and national politicians will introduce the participants to different views concerning the government's role in building a sustainable Commonwealth. Join us in inventing the RIGHT future for Virginia starting right here in Blacksburg!
HERE'S HOW YOU CAN HELP:
1. Learn more.
More information can be found at www.vapowershift.org.
2. Register today>>
(Groups of 5 or more can now register collectively.)
3. Recruit your friends.
Our goal is to send 1000 students from all backgrounds to Virginia Power Shift and it would be amazing if your school came. Everyone can download resources such as a Recruitment Toolkit to help with organizing other students and promotional materials here. Please pass this along and anything you can do to help identify interested students and support them in attending would be amazing!
If you want "young people" to go and chain themselves to coal fired power plants, you go first.
Ghandi and MLK didn't tell anyone to go engage in civil disobedience, they DID IT.
Al Gore's better than this.