Whit Jones

In Ohio, Youth Activists Rally For a Cause, Not a Candidate

Posted on October 25

by Whit Jones, Campaign Director, Energy Action Coalition

This weekend, over 400 youth leaders from across the Midwest converged in Cleveland, Ohio to do some political organizing. Ohio is a critical swing state in the 2012 election, but these activists weren't coming to knock on doors for Mitt Romney or phone-bank for Barack Obama.

Instead, their mission was two-fold: continue to work together building the clean energy economy in the heartland, and two, stand up against the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, a major setback and threat for the Midwest.

#OccupyStateDept huge success! Let's build towards November 6th!

Posted on October 10

by Whit Jones, Campaign Director, Energy Action Coalition

#OccupyStateDept (Photo Credit: Josh Lopez)

#OccupyStateDept - approximately 4 am (Photo Credit: Josh Lopez)

Late Thursday night close to 50 people descended on the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, DC. We were there for one reason: #OccupyStateDept.

It was the eve of the final State Department public hearing on the proposed Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, and news was breaking about the corrosive influence that big oil and TransCanada were having on the State Department's deliberative process. We had heard reports from other hearings across the country that big corporations and their front groups were bussing in people, paying line-sitters, and skirting the rules to try to dominate the hearing process.

It was clear that Big Oil was once again going to try to flood the political process, using their financial muscle to drown out the voices of people across the country who oppose this disastrous pipeline. So we decided if Big Oil was going to try to flood this process, we would occupy it.

Students Demand a Power Shift at Virginia Tech, Coal to Clean NOW

Posted on October 3

by Whit Jones, Campaign Director, Energy Action Coalition

Photo Credit: Josh Lopez

This weekend over 200 hundred people from across Virginia converged in Blacksburg, VA for Virginia Power Shift! After an empowering weekend of workshops and trainings, Power Shift set it's sites on Virginia Tech's coal plant, an old and outdated plant that sits less than 50 feet away from student dormitories. Outraged by the health impacts (students report coal dust entering their dorm rooms, and increased incidence of illness like asthma and sinus infections), hundreds of us rallied at the student union and then marched to the coal plant to bear witness. Chants of "Hey, hey ho, this dirty coal plants got to go" were ringing across campus, and students were hanging their heads out of dorm rooms cheering us on!

There's much more to say about Virginia Power Shift and the fight to move Virginia Tech beyond coal, but for now check out these incredible photos and media hits:

Whit Jones's Posts

In Ohio, Youth Activists Rally For a Cause, Not a Candidate

#OccupyStateDept huge success! Let's build towards November 6th!

Students Demand a Power Shift at Virginia Tech, Coal to Clean NOW

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