National Teach-In For Climate Solutions: Update from Whitman College

This week, as part of the National Teach-In on Global Warming Solutions, campuses all over the country held talks about climate change and the bold solutions that are necessary and achievable in the first 100 days of Obama's administration.

For the past week Whitman College has been holding lectures twice a day focusing on issues such as local food availability, energy and the new administration, discussions on ways to green the campus with our new (first) campus sustainability coordinator, an open mic on climate solutions and yesterday we gathered for the final day which included of a National webcast and lecture from IPCC scientist, John Fyfe.

In typical Whitman College fashion, students, professors and community members started pouring into the National Teach-in webcast a good 10 minutes late, but what the group lacked in promptness, it more than made up for in energy.

Since the inauguration of President Obama I have felt a new wave of energy, patriotism, and responsibility to serve in my community, and watching today's webcast helped to jumpstart the motivation throughout our campus, across the United States and right into the halls of Congress. Young people are at the forefront of the climate movement and we are demanding bold federal solutions to climate change--we've helped decide the elections this year and we will control the elections for future years. We are a generation that is facing a climate crisis and an economic crisis, but we're also a generation that has grown up with Google and have become accustomed to instant gratification. We've sat back for too many years accepting the inaction of our elected officials and that time has run out. The nation is ready to embark on the journey of a lifetime and as Power Shift 2009 nears, the young people are preparing to unleash the power of the new clean, green energy economy--watch out Congress, we're coming fast!

All the pieces of the puzzle are in place and in the first 100 days of Obama's administration it's up to all of us to take action and transform our environment, our economy, and the world into a system that can successfully address global climate change. It's up to our generation to keep the pressure on Congress, speak the truth and demand a swift transition to a green energy economy. Time is running out and the action we take today will chart the course this country takes in the future.

Stay strong and keep the faith!