26 Hamiltonians at Power Shift 2009
by Elijah LaChance '10Science & Technology Editor
On Friday, Feb. 27, over 10,000 students, environmental advocates and concerned civilians will join together in Washington, D.C. at the D.C. Convention Center as part of Power Shift 2009. They will press the new Obama administration and Congress to pass comprehensive energy and climate legislation, including creating millions of green jobs, while at the same time build connections between student groups and campus organizers. Among the throngs will be at least 26 Hamilton College students.
The group will leave on Friday, taking a Jitney and a car. Because the interest in going was so high, Catie Ferrara '11, the campus coordinator for Power Shift 2009 at Hamilton, reports that some of the Hamilton contingent will be traveling with the group from Colgate. In Washington, D.C., the group will meet up with Hamiltonians in the Washington, D.C., semester study program, notably Kye Lippold '10 who, along with Ferrara, was part of Hamilton's 17-member contingent to Power Shift 2007 in November of that year.
Power Shift 2007 was the first event of its kind, and it was a landmark in organization history. Ferrara said, "It [Power Shift 2007] was the largest protest rally for anything since Earth Day 1970. It was really huge." Notable speakers in 2007 included Rep. Ed Markey, chair of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming and the Energy and Environment Subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee.
Power Shift 2009 promises to be even bigger. The headline speaker this time around is none other than Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Others include Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson, Reps. Markey and Donna Edwards (of Maryland), and green job luminary Majora Carter. Also speaking willbe TIME Environmental Hero 2008 Van Jones, the former head of President Obama's transition team John Podesta and the mayors of four U.S. cities.
Power Shift 2007 was "an amazing experience," said Ferrarra. "It left us all with a real sense of empowerment." However, she said she was looking forward to the 2009 version and explained the difference. "There is a new dynamic with the new administration -- we really think we can get something done," she said.
Ferrarra also was encouraged by the fact that many members of the Hamilton contingent this year are freshmen and sophomores who will continue to build programs on the Hill years into the future.
In addition to speakers, the Hamilton participants at Power Shift 2009 will participate in panels and workshops on a wide variety of environmental topics.Some of these sessions will be politically-based. Others will range in topic from "Faith, Religion, and Environmentalism," to "Civil Rights, Hip Hop, and the New Eco-Equity Movement." Many of these sessions will be focused on campus organization, teaching students how to organize effective groups on their own campus.
Other opportunities for Power Shift participants include a graduate school and opportunities fair, tours of toxic sites near Washington, D.C. and movie screenings. The final day of the gathering, Mar. 2, is Lobby Day. Almost all of the over 10,000 participants will be shadowing some part of the lobbying network on Capitol Hill connected with environmental awareness scheduled by Energy Action. The day will conclude with a rally in the U.S. Capitol West Lawn.
Programs like Power Shift have already enabled massive amounts of organization and cohesion. Since Powershift 2007, Power Shift's Power Vote campaign has garnered 341,127 pledges to vote and demand U.S. leaders create millions of green jobs, invest in a clean energy economy, cut global warming pollution and re-engage as a leader in the international environmental community. It seems Hamilton's contingent will have plenty of company in Washington, D.C.