What Ppl have learnt from Power Shift

"The Power Shift conference all too clearly illustrated the serious
challenges we face in the fight against global warming. While the
consequences of climate change are dire, it's clear that all too often
competing interests take priority in both personal and societal action.
Perhaps the most compelling failure of our carbon-belching economy presented
at Power Shift is that of the tremendous human cost. While polar bears and
ice caps seem to receive most attention in the news, the environmental
burden on people is strangely overlooked. Thousands of miles from the poles,
coal-fired plants spew carbon and harmful chemicals into the atmosphere. One
Ohio resident spoke of her rural community surrounded by 7 such plants; the
rate of cancer in her county is the highest in the state. In West Virginia,
hundreds of thousands of acres of mountain tops have been leveled to reveal
coal seams; the fill is then pushed into valleys, damming streams and
poisoning the water. Residents live in constant fear of the collapse of any
one of the hundreds of earthen dams in the state, each retaining some of the
billions of gallons of slurry waste produced by the mining operations. One
resident related how a neighboring town was destroyed after a dam breached,
killing a family in their own home; another explained how such a dam was
built just above an elementary school. While it's clear that our dirty,
fossil-fueled economy must be transformed for environmental reasons, Power
Shift also demonstrated that switch to green is essential from a social
justice standpoint"
- Chris Van Alstyne 

"From Powershift, I learned how many ways there are to be involved
in the "green movement." From environmental education to international
policy to farming to engineering, there is a huge need for innovation
and change. I was really empowered to pursue environmental initiatives
while still at Colby, and a career in an environmental field upon
graduation. I also learned just how big this movement is. 12,000 people
were there, and the energy was just surging through the conference
center. I feel like I gained a sense of the urgency taking action, but
also the feasibility of it, so I hope to hold on the the energy I (and
EnviroCo) have gained and really make a difference this semester and
the years to come"
- Rachel Baron 

"I am pretty cynical about climate change and our gross consumption
practices; however, seeing so many enthusiastic, young
environmentalists, gave me hope that this will be the year that
corporate interests are pushed aside. The most important thing I
learned at Powershift (while talking with Sen. Snowe's staffer) was
that the US government will give $40 billion dollars in tax incentives
for big oil companies. This needs to change. When energy efficiency,
such as storm windows and efficient appliances, can reduce electricity
consumption by 30%, I don't understand why our national weatherization
fund (energy efficiency) is merely $5 billion dollars. Our government
needs to stop giving oil companies, that are making historic profits,
tax incentives. It's ridiculous! Corporations should only be allowed to
give the equivalent to an individual's gift during campaigns (250$??),
so the link--business and government-- will be broken, and we can be
governed and led correctly"
- Alex Place  

"I learned that methane capture in landfills is more and more
considered to be a negative impact on the ecosystem and climate than an
ordinary landfill"
- Steve Erario   

Power Shift 2009

Ready to change the world!

Past Events

2008/2009

October Sustainability Month

Trash Audit- dissecting and decoding Colby’s waste heaps

Evening for the Environment at the League of Progressive Voters, Portland

Take Back the Tap – protesting against the commodification of water and the continued legal action against the people of Fyreberg.

Used Clothes Drive for the Mid-Maine Homeless shelter

Power Shift 2009!

Power Shift 09 is an amazing 4 day national summit where young people all over the country will demand bold climate and clean energy policy.  It will be held on Feb 27 – March 2 in Washington D.c. Here, students will attend workshops (on topics such as community mobilization and activism)  and listen to movers and shakers of national policy.

Enviro-Co is organizing students to attend this event. If you are interested, please contact Li Yu Chan (lychan@colby.edu) or Sarah Sorenson (jssorens@colby.edu) for details. Enviro-Co is currently raising funds to cover the cost of attending to ensure that any willing student is able to attend.

“At this conference, leaders of our generation will share ideas, learn new skills, make new connections, establish a national voice for our generation, and send a united message to our national leaders: we are moving beyond the same old special interests, empty promises, and inadequate results to embrace a new paradigm that leverages our strengths and achieves what is possible for our future. With new leadership, we are presented with a fresh opportunity to harness solutions to the climate crisis, record unemployment rates, and a depressed economy. But we must unite in a collective call for change.”

– Power Shift 2009

Highlights from Power Shift 2007: