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Jesse Jenkins

Jesse Jenkins

Posted April 17, 2009 | 12:40 PM (EST)

Congress Speaks as Focus the Nation Launches Nationwide Clean Energy Town Hall


[Update 4/17/09: Video statement from Van Jones, Special Adviser to the President for Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation added]

In over 159 Congressional districts all across the country, citizens both young and old are coming together to organize Clean Energy Town Hall events and Focus the Nation on clean energy future. From Ann Arbor to Albuquerque and from Wichita to West Palm Beach, these Nationwide Clean Energy Town Halls are directly engaging over 60 members of Congress to discuss solutions to climate change and ways to build a sustainable and prosperous clean energy economy here in America.

The Focus the Nation nationwide clean energy town halls kicked off on Monday with an event in Philadelphia, featuring critical swing Senator, Arlen Specter (R-PA). Senator Specter joined students from Drexel University, community members and business leaders to discuss how to tackle climate change and seize the opportunities of the new energy economy. Students and community members then had a closed-door discussion with the senator's energy adviser, a hallmark of the kind of direct engagement with elected officials fostered by Focus the Nation.

In addition to live appearances from dozens of senators and representatives from both sides of the aisle at Focus the Nation events taking place across the country this week and through the weekend, video statements are flooding in now from members of Congress speaking directly to citizens and attendees of Focus the Nation events. Here's a selection of those videos, including both veteran Democrats like Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and freshmen like New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Oregon Congressman Kurt Schrader, as well as Republicans like ranking Senate Energy Committee member Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Congressman Bob Inglis of South Carolina. These videos are a rare chance to hear these elected officials speak directly about the transition to a clean energy economy and the role of citizen engagement in the decisions ahead.

Senator Kirsten Gillebrand (D-NY):

Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK):

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi:

Representative Bob Inglis (R-SC):

Representative Kurt Schrader (D-OR):

Representative Edward Markey (D-MA), Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming and Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment:

U.S. Special Climate Envoy Todd Stern:

Van Jones, Special Adviser to the President for Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation:

Check back at Focus the Nation for more videos coming soon, including a statement from Green Jobs pioneer turned White House special adviser, Van Jones. Look for a clean energy town hall event near you this weekend and help Focus the Nation on our clean energy future.

 
 
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
jsgaetano
Semper Fidelis Tyrannosaurus!
05:20 PM on 04/17/2009
Republicans say... "America's security is based on the right to pollute! Some call it pollution, we call it life!!! STAY THE COURSE!!!! NO WE CAN'T!!!"
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
TJCole
02:04 PM on 04/17/2009
Clean energy...Green Jobs, Energy Independence...

Grow Hemp..!

Grow Here, Grow Now...!

http://hemp4fuel.com/

It renews every 4 months...
12:29 PM on 04/17/2009
Van Jones made a video too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kA_DZsDRvyA
11:10 AM on 04/17/2009
Let's hope the oil companies don't try to stop this AGAIN.
10:50 AM on 04/17/2009
If we wait on politicians to create enough change to save our future, FORGET ABOUT IT.
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Dredd
Our government is a wartocracy.
10:35 AM on 04/17/2009
Go clean, go green, go renewable energy.

It is crucial that we survive long enough to develop space travel and find another habitable planet.

http://blogdredd.blogspot.com/2009/03/resistance-is-futile-time-is-focused.html

We simply do not know it there are human like civilizations that know how to take care of habitable planets.

So we must proceed as if we were the only ones.

First learn to nurture planets then take that knowledge into the universe.
07:44 PM on 04/16/2009
We talking about solutions, but keep looking past the reality of what is already available to us. Solar and wind power along with the numerous other technologies have the capacity to solve our long term energy future.

Lets stop talking and start doing. We have and we are growing rapidly and hiring all over the country.

http://www.mygreenscene.com
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Genep34
stop the nightmare, end the GOP
10:49 AM on 04/17/2009
Agreed - start doing something - less talk.