Power Vote's Nonpartisan Push for Clean Energy
by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 09.14.08
Image Courtesy of Power Vote
The Energy Action Coalition is spearheading Power Vote, a political movement focused on getting young voters to register and to support clean energy initiatives in the upcoming election cycles. The concept is simple: interested or concerned youth log on to the Power Vote website, and sign a pledge to make voting for clean and renewable energy their priority this election. And it’s gaining traction fast—Power Vote went from 2,802 to 102,412 pledge signatures in two weeks. At that rate, the organization’s goal of one million pledges seems like no problem. But what, exactly, will the youth of Power Vote do?
Power Vote’s Manifesto
According to Power Vote’s website, its goals are to:
• Harness the political power of one million young voters who want a bold new vision for America's future that reduces dangerous pollution while creating millions of good jobs.• Elevate energy and climate issues in this historic election.
• Mobilize grassroots support for bold political action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and invest in a clean energy economy.
If that all seems a little vague—well, that’s fine. The goal appears simply to be invigorating young folks to combat global warming—and to make the charge public. The louder the voice grows, after all, the harder it’ll be for legislators to continue to ignore the myriad pressing issues regarding climate change—and the harder, and more inappropriate it’ll be for the American government to delay taking action.
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PowerVote is awesome! I am currently working on the campaign at West Virginia University as well as the Presidents' Climate Commitment. It is a time for change, a time for our political leaders to realize the power of the voters from the ages 18-31 which control 25% of the electorate, and the youth know it.
You see it in the university,in the towns, in the communities, in the children. West Virginia is one of the most raped and pillaged states for coal and lumber. It was the bases of the economy in the past, but it no long provides the jobs, and economic stability that it claims, there are new cleaner greener technologies and industries that meet these demands, while providing clean working and living environments for it workers, good pay, clean energy ('clean coal' is nether clean nor green), as well as protecting the most important resource the Environment. It is time to change the way we think, the way we act, the way we treat the world and it will be this generation that succeeds or fails at this, the greatest challange the human race has ever faced.
PowerVote 2009
I pledge to vote, hold our leaders accountable through my sustained involvement, and create a Power Shift!
JUSTIN BURNS