Power 2 Change

As Earth Day arrives on April 22, many people are launching into new projects to help save the planet from global warming. The Sierra Club has started their Power 2 Change, a national clean energy advocacy campaign to educate the public about what is at stake in the 2008 elections by highlighting contrasting views of clean energy and highlighting different programs. Nine states, including Minnesota, are participating in this five-week campaign, which started March 26.

The Sierra Club chapter in Minneapolis has targeted local universities to help spread the word. On April 14, the Sierra Club “Energy Future” tour highlighted clean energy initiatives at Macalester College, Augsburg College and the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. At each stop, presenters showed how their college was becoming more energy efficient and any plans for the future.

On April 18, at the University of Minnesota the Sierra Club gave away free lunches along with energy saving light bulbs and asked students to sign petitions to state legislators, stating that clean energy is important issue. More light bulbs were handed out at a concert at Burrito Loco on April 20.

The age group with the most people contributing seems to be college students. We have grown up with the concept of global warming and conserving energy. We were told when we were young to “turn off the lights when you leave a room.” Our parents and grandparents never worried about losing the polar bears or a source of fuel for their cars. We know that global warming is going to affect us in the future, as global warming has already affected Minnesota winters.

Many people see that it takes a long time to get legislation to pass and find alternative ways to help the earth. All of the little things help, but a wider effort is needed. Policies can often suffocate a cause, like the No Child Left Behind bill suffocating schools, but if policies aren’t created, there will be no clean air to breathe. Grassroots programs encourage people to do anything they can to ease our footprint on the earth. This includes turning the lights off when leaving a room.

By targeting the college kids, the Sierra Club looks at targeting future legislatures, engineers, and advocates who will continue the quest of clean energy.