Green Jobs Now wrap up: What you did last Saturday (UPDATE: with video!)

Last Saturday was a historic day, as thousands of Americans supported Green Jobs Now by attending nearly 700 events in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Meanwhile, tens of thousands have also signed the "I'm Ready" petition, and the Green Jobs Now team is receiving more signatures in the mail every day. We know that many 1Sky folks participated in these events and even took the lead in organizing them, so from all of us here at 1Sky, thank you!

Here's a video montage of an event held in Anacostia, Washington, DC, produced by our new film fellow Mónica Pinzón :

And here's a report on the Anacostia event, courtesy of Lisa Curtis (you can read all reports here, and if you haven't already, you can send your own report):

Sitting in the grass, I listened to speaker after speaker drive home the same basic point: transiting to a green economy isn’t just good for the environment; it’s good for America. To my astonishment, towards the end of the event a well-dressed man pulled up in a cab. It took me a second to register that this was one of the men that I admire the most in this world, Van Jones. After he gave an inspiring speech, I was managed to grab his attention before he hopped back into his cab. I briefly congratulated him for generally being amazing and then I told him about what I am doing.

I told him that I am currently working to coordinate the conference logistics for UNEP’s new Kick the Carbon Habit Education Campaign. I handed him a description of the campaign, telling him that Green Jobs wasn’t incorporated into the campaign but that I really, really want it to be. He gave me his card and a few names of people that I should contact and jumped into the cab.

. . . . . .

At the end of a very fulfilling day I took the metro back to Anacostia Riverfront and rode my bike back towards Capitol Hill. As I headed back, I saw a side of the Capitol that I have never seen before and that I doubt I will ever forget. Framing the Capitol were two towering smokestacks emitting a black smoke that seemed to entwine the gleaming white building in a toxic embrace.

As I later found out, my metaphor wasn’t so far from the truth; the pair of smokestacks is the Capitol Power Plant, a coal-burning plant that is operated by Congress to heat and cool famous government buildings in the area such as the Supreme Court, the Library of Congress and the Capitol itself. It also happens to be a major emitter of nitrogen oxide which exacerbates respiratory diseases such as asthma. In a city where 9.2 percent of the adults (8 percent nationwide) and 11 percent of the children have asthma (9 percent nationwide), it is a testament to the skewed politics of Congress that it still exists.

I stopped riding my bike for a second, the enthusiasm and hope that the Green Jobs event had given me suddenly dwindling. The need for the transformation to a green economy is clear, but will the decision-makers on the hill ever see through the smoke? Suddenly it wasn’t Anacostia that scared me…

Another report, from an event in King County, Washington State:

Volunteer canvassers walked door-to-door to educate residents about conservation and efficiency measures that could reduce their energy bills and the opportunities of an inclusive green economy that brings good jobs and lifts all boats. Residents received a reusable eco-bag filled with free CFLs, energy conservation tips, and voter registration forms. They were also offered the opportunity to enter into a raffle to win a free energy audit. Volunteers asked residents to support the Green Jobs Now petition and the Seattle Climate Action Plan.

Volunteers returned from canvassing to listen to speeches by elected leaders (including by Michelle Gregoire on behalf of her mother, Governor Gregoire; State Rep. Bob Hasegawa; and King County Councilman Dow Constantine). They also ate lunch, enjoyed musical and spoken word performances, learned from eco-village exhibits about energy and water saved by efficient products, and taped individual interviews with EnviroSpeak.tv in which they expressed their views about the new, green economy and the need for good, green jobs.

You can find pictures from many other events at Flickr, like this one:

The day of action drew lots of press coverage across the country. Here's what the New Orleans Times-Picayune had to say:

The national economy might be a disaster, but that hasn't deterred a number of local nonprofits and the City of New Orleans from spreading optimism about the budding "green" economy in south Louisiana.

Whether it's new solar installers, energy auditors or green building specialists, so-called green-collar jobs are popping up in New Orleans, and, if they continue to grow, they promise to foster both the city's growing environmental consciousness as well as its economy.

. . . . .

"People have been really focused in terms of the green economy on some of the higher, what they call 'eco-elite,' parts of the green movement, and I think that this is really going to bring the green movement down to earth," Moore said. "It's going to be talking to those folks who are going to be putting those solar panels up and showing them how they are included in this economy as well. It's a huge opportunity for folks to plug in who are normally left out of this conversation when it comes to green."

The main event is an afternoon rally at Lafayette Square Park with live music from Shamarr Allen, remarks from City Council members and local environmental leaders, and information from a host of environmental organizations, said Nicole Godfrey with the New Orleans Council for Community Justice.

And here's another report from the Flint Journal in Michigan. After years of economic decay, Flint is quickly becoming a hub of green jobs activity:

Flint, which soon will be home to two new plants that make biogas and electric car engines, is poised to become a national leader in the "green" economy if it can maintain its current momentum, some local officials believe.

An event designed to fuel that momentum took place Saturday at the Flint Farmer's Market. "Green Jobs Now" brought together business and academic leaders to educate the public about the green movement, which advocates non-pollluting forms of energy.

"We have some very good things happening in Flint right now," said W.L Scheller, an associate professor of manufacturing engineering at Kettering University.

"I don't know of another community in the nation that has this much going on so quickly - in terms of the number and variety of projects - in such a small area."

Thanks again to all who took part of this historic event in one way or another. If you couldn't join us, you can still send our leaders a strong message by signing the "I'm Ready" petition.