Atlanta’s Green Students React to Presidential Debate

…. By Installing 8,000 Energy Efficient Light Bulbs In Limited-Income Communities.  Joining a Nationwide Day Of Action To Call For Green Jobs Now!

Article by Beth Bond and the LRAM Team!
ATLANTA  – Saturday, September 27th, residents and students of metro Atlanta joined tens of thousands of concerned citizens across the country for a national day of service and action. Let’s Raise A Million, a student founded non-profit to bring the message of green and sustainable living to limited-income communities, was one of the national day of services spot light events. The event demonstrated that people are ready to build an inclusive green economy and communities of service.
With over 100 students, community residents, and Atlanta Firefighters in attendance, a press conference and rally were held. With speakers from as faraway as Oakland, California and as esteemed as Chief Kelvin Cochran of the City of Atlanta Fire Department, the audience learned about how the light bulbs and detectors would make positive changes in the neighbor’s lives.

Florida Organizations Unite to urge Gov. Crist to say No to Nuclear

With a new Energy Bill slated to be signed by Florida’s Governor Crist, grassroots organizations from all over the state came together this week to sign a letter urging Governor Crist to take a stance against nuclear energy. Currently, nuclear is being hailed as the answer to Florida’s energy needs since there is a moratorium on new coal plants in the state. However, the folks in Florida see it as a false solution with serious side effects that would be detrimental to the economy, environment, and security of this state and well beyond. (**Consider this: Nuclear Power + Hurricanes…this can NOT be good!)

I was so excited to see, a mere 24 hours after the letter went circulating around the network, there were nearly 20 organizations signed on. Some of the organizations to step up and use their voice to express their concerns to the Governor are: Florida League of Conservation Voters, Florida Consumer Action Network, Greenpeace, Southern Energy Network, Nuclear Information Resource Service, Save It Now Glades!, Nuclear Watch South, We the People, chapters of the Sierra Club, Faiths United for Sustainable Energy, among several other local groups. Although this letter will be submitted to Crist this week, efforts will continue to build a larger, stronger coalition to fight nuclear and pressure Crist to take decisive action against the expansion of this toxic energy source.

So, watch out Florida! There is a new campaign in town, and an organized group of folks from all over the state are coming together to fight against false solutions like nuclear while fighting for green jobs and renewable energies!!

To be added to the No Nuke Florida mailing list, please contact:

Mandy Hancock

FL Campus Coordinator, SEN

mandy@climateaction.net

South Carolina talks Economy; 725+ say Green Jobs Now!

South Carolina Alliance for Sustainable Campuses and Community (SCASCC), a network of the Southern Energy Network hosted over 75 young concerned citizens from 11 colleges, high schools, and universities to call on elected officials and educate the public about the potential to create over 28,000 new jobs in energy efficiency and renewable energy sectors in the next two years!

The SCASCC fall summit, In the wake of a near total economic collapse, poorly thought-out government bail-outs, and a fuel-crisis that has haunted the Southeast for the past several days, focused on ending our nations daunting addiction to the fossil fuels that are driving the economy into the ground.

Taking to the streets, 30 student activists paraded through the party-minded tailgaters at the University of South Carolina vs University of Alabama Birmingham football game, preaching the gospel of the potential for real sustainable green jobs to lift the econcomy while solving the imposing climate crisis.

Over 725 youth signed the PowerVote pledge in just under three hours, sending a message to elected officials that South Carolinians are ready for a Green Economy to lift all boats, pull our nation out of its fossil fuel addictions, and declare an end to coal and nuclear development in the south.

Corruption, Coal, and Cobb EMC

Even as courts wade through the appeals being made over the permits granted to Georgia’s first coal plant proposal in over 20 years, and young peole are in the streets protesting new fossil fuels facilities, Cobb EMC (Electrical Membership Cooperative) is pushing through with its plans to build a second dirty coal burner in the state.

Their plans though, have not gone uncontested.  Students from around the state have assisted community members in forming the local Fall-Line Alliance for Clean Environment, and have taken various action to stop the plant.  Recently, concerned Students with Georgia Students for Sustainability joined other Cobb EMC customers, unhappy with recent allegations of corruption within the board and lack of transparency for members, voted on Sept. 4th to cancel the plans and oust the current board. Lawyers for the cooperative say, of course, that no motions passed at the meeting were binding.

Youth Growing a Greener Peach-State

Youth at Environmental-Action Conference work for Climate Change Solutions

(Atlanta, Ga) Georgia’s young people are working to cure our nations energy crisis and are going green in a big way.  This Labor Day weekend, over 150 students and youth leaders from around Georgia participated in the third annual GreenPeach! Youth Environmental-Action Conference hosted by  Georgia Students for Sustainability and the Southern Energy Network.

The GreenPeach celebrated the work students have already done to green campuses around the state, and provided workshops to enhance participant knowledge of state environmental issues, like the affects of climate change on Georgia’s agricultural industry.  Conference attendees also learned the skills necessary to run campaigns that target polluters and decision-makers with the power to help green Georgia’s campuses and communities.

“Young people recognize the affects of climate change and how it will impact our future” said Kate Morales, conference organizer and Georgia State student.  “It’s motivating thousands of Georgia youth to take a stance and work for positive changes in how we produce our energy”.

Over the past year Georgia Students for Sustainability passed “green fee” initiatives, minimal student tuition increases which are used to fund renewable energy projects, on numerous campuses like Georgia Tech and Georgia State, and in the Board of Regent’s Student Advisory Council.

“Young people are working around our stat to put a stop the injustice of dirty energy developments like nuclear expansions and Cobb EMC’s proposed coal-fired power plant” said Valdosta State student and Southern Energy Network organizer Natasha Fast, “and at the same time are creating real solutions and green economies on their campuses and in their communities”.

Students with Georgia Students for Sustainability canvassed Monday, to encourage Cobb EMC members to attend the annual co-op meeting on Thursday the 4th.  Cobb EMC CEO Dwight Brown was surprised with a visit from local Pope High-school students worried about possible rate-hikes from their decision to build a new coal-fired power plant.  Young people have worked to oppose the co-ops decision to build the new 850MW plant in Washington County since the proposals announcement in January.

Georgia Students for Sustainability is a network of the regional organization the Southern Energy Network, which works to build a student and youth-led movement that emphasize a just, safe, clean energy future.