In order to build coalitions and be effective environmental activists, we need to constructively address the biases towards various groups that we, our colleagues, and our organizations have internalized. When someone makes a comment or acts in a way that we perceive as incorporating racism, classism, sexism, or otherwise biased or "otherizing" people, how do we react constructively? Often, our initial reaction may be internal: discomfort, upset, a sense of awkwardness. We may remain outwardly silent or internally upset, but never come to feel resolution about the situation. Speaking up and not “otherizing” can feel especially challenging when we notice our own biases, encountering bias within our own coalitions, and when in dialogue with those not in support of a clean energy future. In this interactive workshop, we will practice explicitly addressing potentially biased actions and statements in order to move in the direction of greater confidence and ease about doing so. In this the brief time allotted, we will demonstrate using role-play to explore situations from participants' experience or imagination, and these same situations will illustrate the theory behind non-defensively addressing bias. Come with a situation in mind that you might want to role-play!

Clean energy is powerful politics. Yet today, no one is making the case. Progressive Democrats don't have to, and moderate Republicans are scared to. An American Clean Energy (ACE) Party will prove that if you tell the clean energy story, and tell it well, you will win elections. By demonstrating the political power of clean energy, ACE can force Democrats to become leaders, and Republicans to become, once again, open to clean energy policy. This workshop introduces ACE, exploring the possibility of running candidates in US primary elections, both Democratic and Republican, in 2014 and beyond. ACE will be a "single focus" party, endorsing only candidates who pledge to run and govern as "moderate" D's or R's (as defined by their districts) in all areas excepting one. For economic revitalization, jobs, national security, rural development, energy independence, clean air and water for our kids, and climate stabilization, we need a revolution: clean energy! Clean energy is the defining issue of our time. On all other issues there is time to debate, and room to compromise. But on energy, time has run out. Addiction to fossil fuels is strangling our economy, and impoverishing the planet, and we have only a few short years to act before the window for action will close, forever. ACE is still in the formative stage. This workshop is a chance to learn about the concept and help us brainstorm how to make it work. Please join us.

There are 2300 paid energy lobbyists in Washington DC. If we leave our future to what coal and oil can purchase, the picture is bleak. Citizens Climate Lobby offers a model of citizen engagement where ordinary people will determine the course of US climate/energy policy. Learn how grassroots lobbying within our communities, in the media and directly with our members of Congress, will solve the climate crisis. There are actions that work and actions that are a waste of time. You will learn exactly what you need to do to move the political process forward. There is a lot that must happen for a stable climate, people need to change their individual behavior, and there are regional and statewide issues that need to be addressed. However, the single most important thing we can do is to get the US to adopt successful climate/energy policy. If you followed the talks at Copenhagen and Cancun you watched a world that said, if you lead we will follow. We are not going to take a chance on one more round of failed world energy talks. This time we will make sure the US will lead.