National Teach-In on Global Warming Today

Today is the National Teach-In on Global Warming, with events happening in cities and on campuses across the country. Find an event near you.

The Teach-In's not a one-day event only, though - organizers are holding weekly teach-ins and mobilizing around a 100 days of action to stop global warming. Check out the call schedule and the experts involved, from Jessy Tolkan and Billy Parish of the Energy Action Coalition to Van Jones and Ross Gelbspan.

VP Al Gore and Speaker Pelosi at Netroots Nation

Vice President Al Gore made a surprise visit to Netroots Nation this morning to talk about www.wecansolveit.org and challenge us to become 100% energy independent by switching to 100% renewable resources. He and Speaker Pelosi are sharing the stage right now, talking about some of the most important issues to young voters this election: the job market, the war in Iraq, and of course global warming.



The two have answered audience questions on everything from wind power to sending more care packages to our soldiers in Iraq. Nancy Pelosi gave a great response to a question about sex education. One audience member has just asked Speaker Pelosi if Congress accepts Vice President Gore's challenge.

Her answer: "It is absolutely possible."

Al Gore Speech

Rock the Vote interns took a break today to go hear Al Gore speak at the DAR Constitution Hall.

Wow! That was such an amazing experience! I just got back from seeing Al Gore speak about the environment and what we can do to help solve the energy crisis that we are currently facing. The DAR was packed! There were only a few seats left empty. The seats were filled with people such as will.i.iam from the Black Eyed Peas, Al Gore's daughter and wife and several other important members of congress.

Today, Al Gore said "never have I seen so much wrong simultaneously". He spoke about changing the way we live our lives and that the answer to several of the problems that we currently face is ending our reliance on Carbon based fuels. Gore said that this solution, and other environmental solutions are in actuality, the answer to sky-high prices everywhere from the gas pump to the grocery store, problems with taxes and problems with employment.

Next, Gore posed a challenge to America. He challenged us to commit to producing 100% of electricity from alternative energy sources (i.e, non-carbon based fuels). Ryan Lee, 21, who also attended the speech thought that Gore's proposals were realistic and could be achieved.

He continued by saying that America has an appetite for a "new, different and bold approach". That is where Gore and I differ. I strongly disagree with him. I think that Americans are hesitant to change their old habits that they have grown up with and become accustomed to.

The excitement for me however, started after Gore's speech. I met will.i.am and even talked to him about Rock the Vote. He seemed very impressed with what we are trying to do and liked and approved with our main missions.



As if I wasn't star struck enough, I then met and interviewed Congressman Bob Barr. In regards to what Gore spoke about, Barr believes that he is deeply sincere. He believes Gore has nothing politically to gain from talking about and helping to solve the current environmental issues. I then asked Barr about youth vote and what his views are on its importance and its role in politics. Barr said that "[the young people] are the future of politics and cannot be overemphasized". He also noted that young people tend to be much more "open" and they "look down the road towards long term solutions." When asked the weight that young people will play in the upcoming presidential campaign, he responded by saying "pivotal".

-- Jane Maglaque

The League of Extraordinary Gentlepeople

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's actually a bunch of geriatric politicians and dignitaries! According to the New York Times, former South African president and patriot Nelson Mandela, retired Anglican archbishop Desmond Tutu, former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, the human rights activist and former Irish president Mary Robinson, and other notables have joined forces to "launch diplomatic assaults on the globe’s most intractable problems." The group calls themselves the Elders, named to model the hierarchical elders in African village societies, and are funded by the British business mogul Richard Branson and musician Peter Gabriel (formerly of Genesis). Mandela commented that "together we will work to support courage where there is fear, foster agreement where there is conflict, and inspire hope where there is despair."

Though it's too early to see the results of this elite diplomatic force, some of the issues they may tackle include climate change, the genocide in Darfur, and the elimination of global poverty. One thing's for sure--their help will certainly be well used.

Meet the Newest Social Class: Green-Collar America

It's an understatement to say that the American politics is beginning to address the implications of global warming and energy security--in fact, they are the cornerstones of many a debate these days, coming from all sides of the ideological spectrum. However, Republicans and Democrats alike balk at the prohibitive costs of curbing climate change--almost all scenarios of drastically reduced emissions are accompanied by a fall in economic productivity and gross domestic product (GDP). However, many new studies, as well as some congressional representatives, are saying that a shift to a reduced-emission, renewable-energy-intensive world would actually create jobs.

The Apollo Alliance, a pro-renewable energy yet pro-growth think tank and action group, released a study that offers details about the skill sets needed to obtain a "green-collar job," which are jobs that are associated with green industries. The Alliance speculates that a green economy will produce almost 3.5 million new jobs in the United States, many of which will be clean and relatively safe jobs for low-skilled workers in rural areas--a demographic and region where job growth is often most difficult to stimulate. Additionally, a report released by the Worldwatch Institute states that increasing the share of our nation's electricity from renewable sources to 20 percent of the total would create more than 355,000 new U.S. jobs, and that the consumer savings on cheaper electricity would ripple through the U.S. economy, spawning even more jobs.

Most importantly, green jobs aren't only a product of policy wonks. On June 27, 2007, a bipartisan vote of 26-18 sent the Green Jobs Act out of committee to the floor of the U.S. House. The Act will help create some 35,000 jobs in green industries like solar panel installation, building weatherization, and wind farm construction by authorizing up to $125 million in funding for national and state job training programs. Presidential candidate Fmr. Sen. John Edwards has released a renewable energy plan which will create 150,000 green-collar jobs, while presidential hopeful Senator Hillary Clinton introduced an amendment similar to Congresswoman Solis's which allots $100 million to train workers in green collar jobs.

The political dichotomy used to be to grow the economy or protect the environment. However, with these new ideas and legislation, it looks like the economy can grow by protecting the environment. This realization will shift the energy security and global warming debate--both presently in Congress and among presidential candidates--from one grounded in economic infeasibility to one of economic possibilities.

Google Goes Environmental

Remember when Google was just a simple search engine back when it debuted in 1998? Well, now that it's grown into a giant corporation, expanding into applications, mail services, video platforms (including the purchase of video giant YouTube), it's also beginning to throw around a bit of political weight, especially when it comes to environmental conservation.

Earlier this week, Google announced that it was voluntarily reducing or offsetting all of its carbon emissions by the end of 2007. To make the cuts, Google has invested (this interactive link is really cool!) in the largest corporate solar panel installation to date on its Californian campus, with 9,212 panels generating enough energy to fully power 1,000 residential homes. Google is also launching programs to make its computers and servers more energy efficient, in addition to purchasing carbon offsets abroad, which supposedly reduce overall global carbon emissions in an attempt to slow global warming.

In addition, Google has unveiled plans to increase the amount of plug-in hybrid vehicles across the country, both by creating parking infrastructure at its California headquarters where employees can plug into the electrical grid as well as by funding similar initiatives across the country. "This is just a start," Google Chairman and Chief Executive Eric Schmidt said in a release issued by The Climate Group, an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing business and government leadership on climate change which is assisting Google in its transition. "We are actively looking for more opportunities to help tackle climate change."

Today, Google announced it's newest approach: heading to Capitol Hill, where it will try to persuade politicians and energy companies, as well as the average American computer user to work together to reduce carbon emissions.

Climate change has become a forefront issue both in the current U.S. Congress, within individual states, in the current presidential campaigns, and among young voters especially. Do you think the government should take more of a role in tackling the issue of global warming, or are private companies like Google doing a good enough job by themselves? Let's hear what you think!