Citizen Events to Focus on Senate and Copenhagen

In these pressure-building weeks as the Senate considers new legislation climate and before world leaders converge on Copenhagen, Focus the Nation has begun a campaign to help communities get their voices heard on issues of climate change and clean energy. It’s called Community and the Road to Copenhagen, and all across the country young organizers are hosting climate dialogues in their communities.

The campaign started on October 23 in Durango, CO. Local politicians, business leaders and representatives from the Navajo Nation attended, as well as about 150 area residents. “It was the type of event that energizes the people there,” says Mark Kimbrell, communications and actions manager at Focus the Nation. “There’s a creation of momentum that leads into taking the next steps.” Those steps might include lobbying Senators and calling and writing the White House, asking for action on climate protection and clean energy legislation. “It’s all about communities getting active.”

Following each event, Kimbrell will collect and synthesize the attendees’ comments and turn them into Clean Energy Action Lists to be delivered to Senate offices and also to Copenhagen in December, showing leaders that the people want action on climate change.

Other events across the country are planned for the coming weeks. These currently include:

Nov. 6— New York City

Nov. 7 – Santa Cruz, CA

Nov. 12—Jonesboro, AR

Nov. 12—Southfield, MI

Nov. 14—Tallahassee, FL

Nov. 20 – Akron, OH

Nov. 21 – Philadelphia, PA

Nov. 21 – Tempe, AZ

Nov. 21 – Charlotte, NC

Dec. 1 – New Orleans, LA

Kimbrell expects that list to grow as he gets events organized in other states; he encourages people to create their own events. “If you go to the Web site and click on the link that says ‘Organize,’ it walks you through what you need to do,” he says. “There’s an organizing guide and an event model, and you can connect with people in your state so you can share resources and skills.”

-- Suzanne Bopp