Pushing the Positive

Jamie Racine joined the Will Steger Foundation in 2009 as a member of the Expedition Copenhagen delegation, led in part by polar explorer Will Steger. Armed with a passion for service, a commitment to environment, a beaming smile, and clever camera, Jamie represented Wisconsin youth at the UNFCCC COP15 international climate negotiations last December, calling for a just and binding global climate treaty and documenting the expedition experience for viewers back home. Jamie recently opened her doors to a team of young bike riders traveling across the US on their way to the COP16 negotiation in Cancun, and shared her reflections with us below.

"What are your thoughts on Copenhagen?" A simple question posed to me over a post-dinner clean-up by Katherine, a noble young woman biking across the country with a small group of her friends, a few laptops and a video camera in search of solutions, out of desire of wanting to be a part of the solution. She and I share a passion and desire to be a part of one of many solutions to the climate realities we face, but, in all honesty, I am still not sure of my thoughts on Copenhagen. The feelings that rocket through my heart are still raw... they still sting with uncertainty. Yet, after pulling the memories forward to share, I find they are still rife with passion.

I flew home from Denmark at the end of 2009 ... speechless. I melded into the holidays at home; I found myself almost avoiding the conversation of my recent life-changing experience. I had no tangible solution to speak of, and this left the words caught in my throat.

Over the course of the first few months of 2010, I found my voice. I spent my time speaking to high school students, community organizations across Southeastern Wisconsin and my family. In reliving this global experience, I found that in each of our communities, on each of our streets, in each of our homes and hearts lies the solution. This is a humanitarian issue that must be addressed as such. Science supports it and can guide us in developing solutions to curb impending realities, but, ultimately, it is the responsibility of each of us to care for ourselves, our families and our communities, acknowledging that our climate is changing ways that threaten every aspect of our lives.

So what did I do to take my share of the responsibility? I organized the Wisconsin Clean Energy Forum to bring solution-based conversation to Wisconsin. I talk, every day, to someone new about one part of this issue. I work with young people, with teens, to develop civic-minded leaders that believe in themselves and believe in their ability to be a part of the solution NOW.

I am working every day to do my part to put this issue in my daughter Madeline's history books. I wake up every morning knowing that I have a responsibility to build a strong, noble legacy for my family and for the generations after me that walk Lake Michigan's shoreline and Wisconsin's parks and streets.

These riders are doing a great thing - inspiring conversation by sharing the stories of solution-minded, creative projects that are fueled by the passion of individuals establishing their legacy in the history books of their community and the scrapbooks of their family. We need sustainable policies, economics and community development - but all that follows the power of people doing it anyways. The power of people who are moving ahead of our governments, businesses and local leadership to challenge us to push ourselves further than what understand to be "the way things are". We must continue to live it and demand it from our leaders.

Before leaving my home, Alec, another rider, told me that we do not yet know the impact of all the positive movements we have witnessed and been a part of over the past few years - 350.org, You Tube videos and blogs documenting the real stories around the world - so, we must keep putting it out there. We must keep pushing the positive into our communities and ourselves. So that is what I will continue to do.

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Several of the 2009 Expedition Copenhagen delegates will be attending the COP16 negotiations this year in Cancun. You can follow their stories and those of other US youth delegates at www.sustainUS.org

The Will Steger Foundation is proud to sponsor Alec, Katherine and rest of the Solutions Revolution cross-country bike riders in their accreditation for COP16. You can see their images and follow their progress at www.solutionsrevolution.org.

Earth is over the hill...

Well, at least her day is. (Pardon the easy pun, but punny is what I do.)

In 1969, Wisconsin politician Gaylord Nelson and thousands of demonstrators on college campuses brought a public and political platform for environmental issues and the movement propelling solutions. In 1970, Earth Day became official and is now celebrated by millions in every country around the world.

So at the top of Earth Day's hill, what do we see?
I see a world of volunteers, a continued commitment to action from young people across college campuses and around the world, and a continued struggle for peoples around the world to have access to a natural, healthy environment.

As a country, we have come a long way.

In the early 70's, we created the Environmental Protection Agency, enacted groundbreaking laws (Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, Endangered Species Act) and, as a country, took action to create solutions to immediately curb our environmentally destructive behaviors.

In the 80's, millions of acres were designated protected wilderness and the movement built momentum.

In the 90's, the movement to reduce, reuse and recycle came to the forefront. The environmental outlook also took on a more global perspective, looking at the preservation of not only U.S. land, but also rainforests and other wild places that were (are) threatened by human economic "growth".

So where are we today? We are not dumping ALL of our trash into our waterways, have developed protocols to dispose of toxic materials and have preserved lands to maintain the wild of this world. But there is still a great struggle to sustain those accomplishments and move forward.

Today, we are faced with an unbelievable global situation and a hard question to answer: what do we do when the entire planet, including every community of the United States, is endangered through our actions, through our imbalance with the world's natural ecosystems?

Our unstable, unsustainable energy structure is threatening the health of our planet, including ... us. Humans are at great risk and not just in the most vulnerable communities of the far north, coasts and small island states.

Here in the Midwest, we are heavily dependent on coal for our energy sources -- Wisconsin alone gets 70% of its energy from coal. The founding state of Earth Day has the ability to create FIVE TIMES the amount of energy needed to power its own state needs from renewable energy sources alone! So why do we continue to ship $21 million tax dollars out of the state every year for non-renewable sources that harm our communities' people and environment? We lack the political will & clout to move us forward.

So this Earth Day, pick up trash, plant a garden and ride your bike... but you also need to call your Senators, send a thank you to your representative, write your local reps and figure out how we can stand true to our environmental legacy here in Wisconsin, around the U.S., and around the world.

Earth Day has reached the top of her hill, but she's not ready to go down yet... and neither am I.

Plans for Saturday?

Are you are free or looking for a break from holiday festivities/prep work on Saturday, April 3 from 11am-1pm?

Then bring family & friends to the American Legion (900 Monroe Ave.) in South Milwaukee for the Wisconsin Clean Energy Forum: Jobs & the Clean Energy Jobs Race!

This will be a great opportunity for you to:
*Learn more about WI energy system, where our energy comes from and the ecological footprint of our system
*Clean energy solutions for WI to improve our health, security and financial state LOCALLY ($21 million tax dollars leave WI EVERY YEAR to pay for non-renewable energy resources)
*Ask questions of our business, community and political leaders

Can't make it out? Send me your comments/questions via text or video on our Facebook event page OR e-mail them to everforwardwisconsin@gmail.com .

Interested? Check out this awesome line up we have:
-LIVE Chicago blues & Welcome
-Ed Session on Current Energy Practices & Legislation and where our state is headed
*Presentations by the Midwest Renewable Energy Association, 1SKY & Clean Wisconsin
FREE ORGANIC LUNCH provided by Circa Celeste Cafe (Ben's cafe!)
-Panel Discussion... and the 2010 panelists are...
*Amy Heart, Milwaukee Director, the Midwest Renewable Energy Association
*Katy Walter, Wisconsin Organizer, 1SKY/Clean Wisconsin
*Robin Eckheart, Veteran, Operation Free
*Rachel Pettit, Walden Green School student
*pending White House official energy representative

I look forward to seeing/hearing from you all soon!

Ever forward, Jamie

Multimedia | Institute on the Environment | University of Minnesota

Multimedia | Institute on the Environment | University of Minnesota

The nominees are in...

In the last week, countries around the world submitted their proposed emission reductions for the Copenhagen Accord. As of the unenforced deadline of January 31,88 countries put down their reduction goals (which will also be unenforced) for 2020.

Who came out on top for emission reductions? It's complicated, but here are a few key points that I picked up from the rolling results:

AWESOME POINTS:
1. 88 countries put down emission reduction targets -- this means a good majority of the world is hooked on addressing the issue of climate change. LOTS of players on the climate solutions field.  

2. The U.S. put down a solid percentage target. And we're IN the game!

3. The world's largest emitters (EU, China, Brazil, and the US) are all game on the accord. Play nice world leaders.

LAME POINTS:
1. This accord is not binding, such that there is no enforcement agent on these targets other than government's good will.  This is like the WNBA playing with no ref on the court. How can it be fair?

2. Everyone's reduction targets are based on different years, so the percentages are not fairly comparable. In other words, folks are looking at higher levels of emissions in later years (i.e. 2005 vs. 1990) as their baseline amount so that the bigger reduction numbers look better but actually do less. We're all playing by different rules.

3. The U.S. is taking their reduction target date from 2005 and still only putting 17% on the table. C'mon Obama -- we can do it better. GET YOUR GAME FACE ON AMERICA & BRING IT!

Right now, the U.S. has the highest percentage of installed wind power -- go US! Yet this is a short-lived victory and does not do much for our economy. The New York Times ran a front page spread on China emerging as the global leader in clean energy production. They have put stronger reduction targets on the table (40-45% by 2020) and have already surpassed previous global clean energy leaders, including Denmark.

Obama's talking clean coal and nuclear to push our country to the forefront of the renewable economy -- that will take us nowhere sustainable. He has just TRIPLED the funding for nuclear power (which has no disposal plan for nuclear reactors -- scary!) and increased funding for clean coal technologies that have not been developed yet. He also talks big game about how his administration is putting record amounts of funding toward renewable energy; however, when administrations past have put next to no funding to this line of the budget (or lacked a line for renewables all together), nearly anything is a record amount.



WE can do better America. WE need to do better. We are the second highest emitting country in the world and the responsibility we have taken and are taking for the ecological and economic issues pale in comparison.

This is an issue that must have change DEMANDED from our government. Call, write, meet with your representatives -- find out who that is here. This issue will only get more expensive to address with less options to address it with in the future.

Two months ago today, I embarked on an epic global journey to the heart of the climate problems, solutions, politics and policy. The stories from that two week adventure are still engaging, and I'm still telling them; however, the story is not yet historical.We are making history -- it is up to us what will be written.

There and back again

Many voices sounded in the streets across Copenhagen this past December, and they came together late in the evening on the 18th of December as COP15 came to a close.

On that night, I sat in a small Danish apartment with a few of my fellow delegates and listened to President Obama give his final words on the accord. For the first time in near two and a half weeks, the world seemed quiet. Shock, exhaustion, disappointment, confusion... his seemingly empty words hung in the air. All I could hear was the breathing of my comrades and his political statement. Not a statement of conviction, of passion, of progression, of change... a statement of politics.

I felt deceived, brokenhearted, emotional and worn out. What had we worked so hard for? What does this mean for us? For humanity? What does this mean? I felt blindsided by the auditory wrecking ball delivered by my President that thrust a gaping hole into my relentless hope for the impossible.

The world was quiet and still. 

I took some time to talk with my friends and put this new reality to the back of my head. Just for a few hours, then I returned to the quiet. The quiet that had settled over Copenhagen and over the youth movement. For the first time in two weeks, I did not have 350 emails to check by the end of the day. The world slowed back down. My psyche reverted to the corner of my mind with the over-sized sofa and low-light lamp where I go to reflect when I don't know what to think. This is where I stayed for the next few days and my long travels home.

A few weeks later and back at home, a renewed passion has reignited in my heart. I have returned home to the thought and aspiration that initially inspired me to apply for Expedition Copenhagen: local, sustainable communities.

I met hundreds of young people and thousands of people of all ages from all over the world; each of their home communities has different ways to meet the same goal as communities all over the world: local and sustainable. We need to take care of each other here, at home. We can address this global issue of climate change through local solutions. The Midwest specifically has phenomenal opportunity to become a leader domestically and internationally through clean energy development.

2010 must be a year of action. We must continue to hold our leaders at the top to the promises they campaign on, but we cannot go to the top alone. Our action, as we know, needs to happen at all levels of government and in the home of our community members.

Three Words.

What can be said in three words? President Barack Obama built a campaign around three words: Yes, we can.

A majority of America believed in those words and many still do. The deal, err accord, that was created in Denmark as a result of COP15 was much less than what we called for: a FAIR, BINDING, JUST treaty.We have not lost hope, only multiplied our strength in numbers and our ambition to reach our goal by COP16 in Mexico City.

In addition, the crew of us in Copenhagen compiled a short video (put together by the talented -- and fun -- Jerry Stenger) to capture our experience, on the ground, as youth, at COP15 in Copenhagen in 2009. Enjoy!