I've always struggled with introductions - whether it's an intro to a research paper or essay, an introduction to myself, an introduction in social settings, and so on and so forth. It seems that there is just so much to say, so much to catch up on before the flesh that comprises us first came into contact in that initial embrace. So, I guess I'll try to navigate this as best as I can in sharing a few thoughts and reflections.

Today marks the 1 1/2 year anniversary of my move to Detroit from Lawrence, KS, where I had attended school (University of Kansas) and lived for 6 years. In looking back on that experience, I would be remiss to dismiss it as inconsequential, because I feel that any environment or circumstance or choice presents opportunities that otherwise wouldn't have been available, but I also recognize that it was not difficult to part ways with. I had intended to move to the west coast, but intentions and serendipity is not always congruous. What ended up happening instead is that Detroit found me, literally, after I posted a general application on the AmeriCorps website looking for work.

I moved to Detroit in September 2008 after having been hired by an AmeriCorps program, and have since been truly reborn. Several months after having moved to Detroit, I fell into the den of one of the most revolutionary leaders and philosophers Detroit has seen over the past decade, began to cut my teeth as an "activist," and found myself on a new trajectory towards individual transformation. It is through these experiences that I found SEAC.

Plastic thoughts by Fredo

We are going to change and it is going to be very fast.....So all of you that were so smart with your big wastefull houses, cars and waste....Let us now join together to help fix what we as a america have f....up...Help the population become one with the earth. We need to use the sun the wind and the water to power us with clean energy.Use your smarts and save our environment. Just a thought for the day

www.climategroundzero.org

by Becca Rast (former NC Member), Nora Graubard and Erika Zarowin

This morning, five individuals took direct action against Mountaintop Removal (MTR) by halting work at an MTR site. Sitting in barren oak trees and a poplar are Eric Blevins, 28, Amber Nitchman, 19, and David Aaron Smith, 23. On standby at the trees’ base are the direct supporters Josh Graupera, 19, and Isabelle Rozendaal, 22. The trees’ location on Coal River Mountain directly impedes on Massey Energy’s attempt to build an access road to an impoundment where the toxic leftovers from coal processing (or, “slurry”) are being held back from the communities below. Their banners state: “EPA: Halt the Blasting”, “Windmills Not Toxic Spills”, and “Save Coal River Mountain.” Blevins expressed disbelief at this careless action, pointing out that “Massey Energy is a criminal corporation with over 4,500 documented violations of the Clean Water Act, yet the government has given them permission to blast next to a dam full of toxic coal waste that will kill 998 people if it fails.”

Hey Everyone welcome to SEAC Nation. We look forward to a great progressive, and exciting 2010. Let's start a Green Revoulution together.

On a freezing December day in Charleston, WV hundreds of Appalachians and allies gathered together to demand that the blasting on Coal River Mountain be stopped. We gathered as Massey Energy put forward non-union workers to inject explosives into our Mountain and blast it to bits. As they were blasting apart the rock and topsoil, they were blasting apart a historic opportunity to put miners to work in green & permanent jobs. We gathered in the cold to demand that our government does the hard work of saving Coal River Mountain, ending mountaintop removal and implementing an aggressive plan to transition Appalachia’s Coalfields to green jobs. The battle is still raging. One month to the day after that protest, the EPA is taking action and a blockbuster study on the effects of Mountaintop Removal has been released.

The journal Science has released a huge peer-reviewed study that draws the science-based & sharp conclusion that, “Clearly, current attempts to regulate Mountaintop Mining / Valley Fill practices are inadequate … Regulators should no longer ignore rigorous science.” This is major and this is big. This provides a situation so clear that a blindfolded drunk dog would be able see what to do. The Obama Administration has long pledged to use science, not politics, as the basis for its decisions. The course of action is clear, the EPA must outright ban mountaintop removal, that is, unless they value politics over science.

11:09 Wow! Your comments of support are incredible and we just blew past 114 of them. It couldn’t be better timing: one of the big plenary debates just let out and delegates are coming out into the hallways. They’ll be seeing the sit in and hearing your comments that we’ll be passing on to them. Please, keep the comments coming and spread this thread to your friends. Know that you have a voice inside these negotiations and help make our collective demand for action even louder.

10:38 Thanks to the support of all of you online, this action is now resonating louder and louder here at the UN Climate Talks and beyond. But we still need your support. As you can see from the video of the incredible Dessima Williams below, the youth at the sit-in are talking with delegates from around the world as they pass by the demonstration. We want to be able to tell these negotiators — many of whom are now coming under immense pressure from rich countries to back down and compromise their very survival — that the world supports them. We know that 19 people at a sit-in isn’t enough — we need your voice too. Can you add your message of support to this post and push it past 100 comments? We’ll repeat those messages to our heroes as they walk by, and remind the countries blocking progress that the world is watching!

10:15 During the sit-in we spotted one of our climate heroes here in Copenhagen, Dessima Williams, chairwoman of the AOSIS (small island state negotiating block). We asked her for her reactions on the sit-in, and told us an incredible story! 14 years ago she sat in at this SAME center for 8 days to urge military funding move towards women focused development. A true hero, and the struggle goes on, check it out:

10:03 About 20 yards from the sit-in, fossil fuel hack is interviewed by Fox news – people riled up by sit-in respond with “boos” and laughter. He’s laughed off the camera.

Things like this make me wonder what's wrong with humanity: http://onelescar.blogspot.com/2009/12/what-hell-is-wrong-with-people.htm...

But I have hope that through the simple act of biking, I can help regain some of this humanity that we seem to have lost.

I've been riding a bike pretty much as soon as I learned to walk, but this year more than ever I've been a little obsessed. Learning everything I can about how my bikes works, riding it as much as possible, advocating for alternative transportation, and helping other people ride safely have become passions of mine.

Biking is more than just a way to stay in shape and save money. Every morning I hop on my bike, I'm making a statement about how I choose to make an impact on the world around me. Environmentally, socially, and politically.

I'm resisting the stereotypes that the only people who bike to work are people who can't afford cars and people who've had their licenses taken away. Biking is something that almost everyone can do, but our society has restricted it to the margins and set unrealistic expectations that we should all be clean, primped, and impractically-dressed when we arrive somewhere. In short, I'm resisting the consumerist values that restrict us from our human potential.

As a woman, I'm challenging the system that wants me to stay safe at home. I recognize that biking is inherently dangerous, but I've never been afraid to ride my bike around campus at night and if something breaks, I usually know how to fix it. The self-sufficiency and sense of freedom I have gained are unbelievable.

This post is written by Zoe Beavers, a SEACer with the Charleston Adult / Youth Environmental Network (CAYEN) in Charleston, WV.

Peddler’s Paradise Cycle Shop is community-based bicycle building, repair, education and advocacy program committed to transforming bicycling from occasional recreation to valid, safe transportation in the Kanawha Valley. The Charleston Adult and Youth Environmental Network is a grassroots coalition working together to protect our planet and our future, starting in the Kanawha Valley. We focus on challenging structure by encouraging change in current political, social and economic systems through education, empowerment, legislation and action.

CAYEN has found bicycles are the most affordable, sustainable, efficient, healthy, environmentally friendly, fun and liberating forms of transportation and recreation (besides one's own two feet). Bicycles currently displace over 238 million gallons of gasoline per year, by replacing car trips with bicycle trips. According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics 41.3 million Americans (20%) used a bicycle for transportation in the 30 days measured in the survey. Bicycling is the second most preferred form of transportation after the automobile, ahead of public transportation.

Peddler's Paradise Cycle Shop aims to share tools and knowledge about bicycles and cycle maintenance to anyone willing to invest a bit of time and sweat-equity .

Understanding the SKVI grant is a year-long, project-based grant, CAYEN will use the grant used to build the physical shop - the core of a sustainable foundation in which to establish a long-term, community-based environmental and social bicycle advocacy program.

The Shop:

Hey folks,

SEAC is looking for dedicated and effective leaders and organizers to join the 2009-10 Student Environmental Action Coalition (SEAC) National Council. The National Council is the youth leadership of our organization. We don't have any adult executive director or any figure in the shadows giving orders to SEAC - we are an authentically youth led and run organization. The National Council provides the vision and planning, and is involved in the day to day operations of SEAC. Check out the responsibilities, and if you're interested in helping to build an awesome youth-led grassroots organization, apply today for the National Council!

Being on SEAC's National Council is a great way to get involved in the national work of SEAC, as well as meet organizers and activists from all over the country, while learning the skills to improve your organizing. The SEAC NC meets twice per year in person, and has conference calls every other week to keep in touch and get work done. For more information about the responsibilities of NC members, check out the list here.

For questions or more information, email alayne(at)seac.org.