Blog & news round-up 3/5: 72 Hours wrapping up, green jobs connecting America, and a look back at 2009 in the movement

This was the week of 72 Hours for Clean American Power. You probably heard about the massive call campaign from us, but lots of groups were a part of this effort, and several posted reports back from supporters who called. We also read more this week about green job efforts both ongoing and in the works. Finally, a friend of the climate change movement came out with a great video showing the growth of the movement in 2009.

You might have read the reports from 1Sky supporters who called their senators this week. Lots of groups were involved with the 72 Hours for Clean American Power campaign though. The National Wildlife Federation posted on Wednesday with some of their own report-backs. One supporter wrote about how Senator Casey's aide requested a meeting with a green business owner after hearing about how a strong climate bill would help his small business grow. Read the full post for more stories like that.

It wasn't just major environmental groups spreading the word about the 72 Hours campaign. For example, Grant over at Snowboard Green posted about the campaign. Many thanks to him and others who spread the word through blogs, social networks, emails, and any other way.

A big part of the 1Sky Solutions is creating millions of green jobs to put Americans to work. Green jobs aren't just about solar panels and wind turbines, though. As Reuters reported this week, labor and environmental groups, including our ally Blue Green Alliance, are emphasizing the expansion of broadband as a way to create jobs, reduce emissions, and let America work smarter. Give the article a read for all the ways this will work.

One of the biggest green job efforts on the horizon is HOME STAR, a.k.a. "Cash for Caulkers," which would promote and finance making home more energy efficient, lowering energy bills, and quickly create work for the construction sector. Ben Jervey at GOOD magazine wrote about HOME STAR on Tuesday, giving an overview of the plan and highlighting some members of Congress who are working to make it happen. As Ben writes, "This win-win-win (jobs-energy savings-carbon cuts) solution can't be held up any longer."

As we get deeper and deeper into what will be for the climate movement in 2010, it's nice to take a look back at where we came from. The TckTckTck blog posted a video by Robert van Waarden called 2009 – The Explosion of the Climate Change Movement. The climate change movement is relatively young, and while we still have some serious work to do, 2009 was definitely the year that the movement came into its own.