From Feb. 27 to March 2, 17 University of Massachusetts students attended Power Shift 2009, a respected national conference that deals with confronting issues of global warming, in Washington, D.C.
The
students consisted of members of the Massachusetts Students Public
Interest Research Group (MassPIRG) and Massachusetts Power Shift
(MAPS), which describes itself as a non-partisan network of climate
change activists.
While
at the conference, the students participated in various panels, a
designated Lobby Day in which they were trained in how to lobby
Congress about issues and listened to keynotes speakers, such as House
Speaker Nancy Pelosi and U.S. Rep. Ed Markey, (D-Mass.).
According
to MassPIRG member Rebecca Fowler, more than 12,000 people— mostly
students, from all 50 states and Puerto Rico—showed up to the event,
which was organized by the Energy Action Coalition (EAC) and held at
the Washington Convention Center. The initial expectations were for
about 10,000 people.
Fowler
said that the students attended different panels that discussed ways to
expand the environmentalist movement. She attended a panel entitled
“Climate Change and the Economy: Making Sense of Their Growing
Connection.” The panel discussed how helping the environment would also
help the economy by creating green jobs, among other things.
But Fowler added that all Power Shift 2009 attendees were particularly excited about making their voices heard.
“The
main point of it was the Lobby Day on Monday, when we went to lobby at
Congress for some climate change legislation,” she said.
Several interest groups also hold their own Lobby Days throughout the year.
Fowler
said the EAC put together four demands to put forth to Congress. The
group wants legislation forcing carbon emissions to be reduced by 25 to
40 percent in order to get below 1990 levels by 2020 and an 80 to 95
percent decrease by 2050 in order to achieve sub-1990 carbon levels;
more clean, renewable energy; an investment in a “green economy” that
can create five million green jobs and develop a “Clean Energy Corp” of
service, training and job opportunities; and the United States to
become a world leader in climate change prevention.
Fowler
and about 24 others went to lobby U.S. Rep. John Olver (D-Mass.) and
spoke to one of his aides. They told the aide they wanted to invite
Olver to a global warming rally, expected to be held on the W.E.B. Du
Bois Library lawn on April 18.
Kate MacDonald, a member of MAPS and a UMass freshman, was also at the event in Washington.
She said that another important matter of the weekend was pressing for
legislation to keep levels of carbon dioxide to 350 parts per million
(or ppm), a mark that has already be passed. One ppm is equivalent to 1 milligram of something per liter of water.
MacDonald,
an environmental science major, said that this is a level that many
world-renowned scientists, like James Hansen, say must be maintained to
keep global warming in check.
“[Power
Shift] was just a great opportunity to be in the nation’s capital,
really effecting some serious change … It was the biggest Lobby Day in
the nation’s history,” she said. “[We want] to send the message that
these issues aren’t just for hippies. These are very serious issues
that are going to be on the forefront of thought in the political arena
and we, as people who want something better for our future, really care
about.”
