The Middlebury Campus

Issue date: 11/8/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Kevin Redmon Over 6,000 students and other leaders of the climate movement descended on Capitol Hill for Power Shift 2007. [Click to enlarge]

Nearly 80 Middlebury students, of 6,000 in total attendance, travelled to Washington, D.C. last weekend for the Power Shift 2007 conference, marking a significant milestone in the growth of the climate movement. Most of the Middlebury students drove down to Washington in a bio-bus sponsored by the Environmental Council and Environmental Quality.

"I wanted to carry the excitement with us," said trip organizer Sierra Murdoch '09 about her decision to hire a bus. Getting Middlebury students to attend "turned out to be so much easier than I expected," continued Murdoch. Students from the College represented the largest out-of-state delegation in attendance.

The conference gained notoriety for its high level of attendance, its practical focus on building a climate movement and its high-profile speakers. In another significant moment, the much-anticipated 1 Sky Campaign launched its three major initiatives at the conference.

"It was an unprecedented opportunity," Jeff Garofano '10.5 said on his decision to attend, "with 5,000 college kids and such a pressing issue."

Students spent Nov. 3 in panel sessions covering topics ranging from methods of movement building to ways of approaching the 2008 elections.

The day culminated in a series of keynote addresses from leaders of the climate movement. Speakers included Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Middlebury Scholar-in-Residence Bill McKibben, 1 Sky Chair Betsy Taylor and environmental activist Van Jones.

Several Middlebury students stood behind McKibben and, after McKibben's call to action, stepped forward and added brief statements.

In her speech, Taylor unveiled 1 Sky's three-pronged initiative which includes reducing U.S. carbon emission by 80 percent in 2050, creating 5 million new green jobs and building no new coal-powered plants.

The most inspirational moment of the evening for students came as Jones, founder of the new movement Green for All, rallied the crowd around its common cause.

Continued...

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