A Greener Eph: North Adams Hearing

Today Williams students turned out in force to support Senator Pacheco's Global Warming Solutions Act. Along with Senator Downing (dem - Berkshires), the senator is touring the state to hear testimony from community and business leaders on what should go into the bill.

35 Williams students made the trek across the great divide, the 4 miles from Williamstown to North Adams. Thursday Night Group showed its incredible capacity and skills in getting such a high turnout to an event this far away in the middle of a school day. Generally, the students who attended were really excited at being so close to real political work and hearing the discussion on the issue.

In addition to a high turnout, the hearing was also exciting for me because I suddenly became motivated to address the senators. During the final minutes of the hearing, I got up to the mic and asked the senators to include the words, "Green Jobs Training Program" in the legislation. He said he definitely would. This is partly a mimicking of how Van Jones got similar language into Nancy Pelosi's bill this summer. I felt like an imitator, but an imitator of the most amazing person I know of.

Today was also important for network building, making contacts with students at MCLA, state environmental leaders and staff members of the senate committee on global warming. All in all, a pretty great day.