When the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency refused in late 2007 to grant California the waiver it needs to require automakers to slash emissions, young people and college students responded. Fifty Michigan students rallied at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January, demanding a clean energy economy with sustainable transportation as the centerpiece. The students marched through downtown Detroit dressed in green hard hats and blue coveralls — a dynamic symbol of the reinvigorating potential of green jobs and energy-efficient auto manufacturing for Michigan's economy.

As a result of the effort, GM agreed to host a series of town hall meetings on fuel economy and next generation vehicles. What's more, participating students learned valuable skills for effecting change — training that will prepare them for careers in the low-carbon economy. Rally organizers from the Rainforest Action Network and Global Exchange taught participants how to write press releases, attract media attention, build alliances, lead effectively and campaign positively. Students from various campus groups also networked, sharing information and advice.

Driven by an urgent desire to be part of the climate change solution, the generation that first taught its parents how to recycle is leading a revolution. Savvy and skilled in social networking and communications, young people are demanding a transition from polluting conventional energy to the new, renewable energy economy. And with tremendous influence over their campuses, students in particular are changing the operations of these multibillion-dollar organizations — and beyond.

Finding Strength in Numbers

During the past two years, students at hundreds of high schools and colleges have established funds for renewable energy and sustainability projects and influenced administrators to commit to greenhouse gas reduction policies. Their efforts are displacing untold tons of carbon emissions and changing the way campus suppliers and college towns do business. What makes these students so effective is their ability to organize and network with like-minded campus leaders nationwide.

At the forefront of the national youth climate movement is the Energy Action Coalition. Energy Action unites diverse organizations in an alliance that supports and strengthens the clean energy movement among students and young people in the United States and Canada. Since 2003, the coalition has engaged thousands of youth to create change for a clean, efficient, just and renewable energy future. The work of Energy Action focuses on four strategic areas: campuses, communities, corporate practices and politics.

The Energy Action Coalition comprises more than 40 member organizations, including Global Exchange, Rainforest Action Network, Sierra Student Coalition and the Indigenous Environmental Network. In August 2006, Energy Action launched the Campus Climate Challenge to help students on U.S. and Canadian campuses to transform their schools into models of sustainability, while promoting students' influence on energy and climate issues. Students are then charged to go off-campus to fight for climate and energy issues in their communities.

Since the inception of the Campus Climate Challenge in 2006, the campaign has reached more than 500 high school and college campuses. In just the first year of the Campus Climate Challenge, students won more than 200 campus global warming-reduction policies. Victories include 64 signatories to the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, 28 renewable energy-purchasing policies, 27 energy-efficiency and conservation policies, the establishment of 22 green fee or sustainable project funds, 16 sustainable-transportation policies, the hiring of eight campus sustainability coordinators, creation of four sustainable endowments and more than 50 other sustainability policies and investments.

Training for Green-Collar Careers

The numbers are impressive, yet the Campus Climate Challenge's greatest success may be in its networking power. Through regional and national clean energy summits, mass mobilizations, internet-based communication and local organizations, Campus Climate Challenge has channeled thousands of new youth activists and organizations toward common goals.

The climate movement's youth are skilled, connected and confident. Not only are these students changing university operations and policies, but they're taking their message to industry, corporations and lawmakers. That's fitting, because young advocates represent the engineers, researchers, business people and entrepreneurs, communicators, builders, lawyers, and policy leaders of tomorrow.

Certainly participating in renewable energy advocacy efforts as a student is the best training for a career in this field. But youth involved in the climate movement are also working to create "green collar" jobs among low-income groups and people of color — the communities most often affected by conventional energy's consequences. The coalition supports the work of organizations like Green for All and the Ella Baker Center in creating jobs and improving the social and economic health of blighted communities. Through such alliances, youth leaders are bringing about a secure, energy-independent national economy while creating good jobs, safer streets and healthier communities.

Those who will be most affected by the energy and climate crisis must have a seat at the decision-making table to ensure the development of just policies. As the generation that will reap the benefits or inherit the burdens of climate and energy decisions made today, young people are making sure that our seats are in the front row.

About the author: Brandon Knight is the Midwest Freedom From Oil campus organizer for Global Exchange and the Energy Action Coalition. Contact him at brandon@globalexchange.org.