B.O. and getting empowered
Some people have recently asked me where all of us planners get our energy. Despite this notion we all get, as central planner Jackie Pontious cleverly termed, B.O. (burnt out). It is especially hard for me personally to keep in touch with the human factor of my life when all I have is e-mails, phone calls, and meetings and an ever-building mountain of homework that I’ve neglected to keep up with all the planning items (note: this is BAD, don’t let it happen to you. Delegate, delegate, and delegate tasks until you can manage the things in your life to the point in which you actually have times where you don’t have to think about managing your life. If you’re in school, remember: SCHOOL IS NUMBER ONE PRIORITY!). Getting burnt out isn’t just getting tired and needing sleep—it is pure mental exhaustion that can get to the point where you don’t want to get out of bed anymore because of all the things you face the second you’re out of that safe care-free zone from under the sheets (for me driving my car is another safe mental retreat to clear my mine [yes, I bought carbon offsets]). I’ve been burnt out on numerous occasions, especially within the last few weeks, in which I needed to get away and clear my mind.
Yet, there is another aspect beyond a mere mental escape in actually getting recharged and empowered from B.O. Here's how I'm doing it now:
As I’m typing this I’m in Abington, Virginia in Southwestern Virginia with several dozen other folks from youth activists to community organizers to just neighbors down the street for the first annual Appalachian Communities Economics Conference of which its purpose is “visioning for more creative solutions and viable economic options and sustainable communities in Appalachia.” We broke up into random groups and were asked to introduce ourselves and why we came here and what we hope to take back to our communities afterwards.
My condensed story was that I was with just over a dozen students and other youth from across the state towards the end of last summer before school and we decided we wanted to create a statewide network. We talked for awhile about what sort of theme or issue did we want to unite on and the proposed Wise County / Virginia City Coal-Fired Power Plant came up and was decided to fight against it. I hadn’t a clue and was actually turned off about the prospect of coal, coming from a suburban Northern Virginia mindset in that I thought about how radical it was to question where our energy came from. Coal is coal; we can’t go up against that, after all we rely on it! Nevertheless I didn’t get in the way in the decision and so was determined to get educated on it and make an effort to educate the public about what I learn as well. Afterall we couldn't just fight this thing and get support without exploring the area impacted first. Within a few months I was headed to Wise County, Virginia to view mountain top removal for the first time and was absolutely appalled at the destruction I saw looking down from the top of Black Mountain to the scarred remains below (a forth of the county has been leveled). Since that day I’ve been lobbying from Virginia Tech to Richmond to Washington for clean energy and carbon neutrality. I’ve been to hearings and rallies, been followed by pissed off coal employees and have seen lists of cancer victims. I’ve seen people’s lives rely solely on a coal economy and scared women who told me of their husband’s unemployment and drug abuse. I’ve heard, beyond all else, the perspectives from the locals, the industries, and the youth—yet I only see one solution…
Indeed others in our group had amazing experiences. From local professors and those in neighboring states to a couple guys from California on a nationwide sustainable road-show, we all came together here in Abington to discuss how we can move forward and seek solutions. From our introductions themes emerged: Community. Local economy. Renewables. Education. Sustainability. Then we also talked about the less positive themes such as green washing, the idea of misleading the public with extremely overemphasized environmental benefits like a “Green Wal-Mart” or “Clean-Coal”. I was amazed at how despite our diverse backgrounds and experiences, these ideas came together like it was common knowledge. This, I realize, is the fundamental blueprint to this movement for our future, a movement has countless names (most of which will be taken and abused, green-washed beyond association). Experiencing this is what gives me hope, empowerment, and recharge. This is what energizes me and makes me come back together mentally to why I am devoting myself to the things I do. I’m doing this for our future. I’m doing this for myself and my children as well as for you and your children. This isn’t about us or them—this is about cooperation between each other and finding solutions for the benefit of all. Coal needs to go and will go- that is certain (after all after 165+ coal-fired power plants were proposed in 2007, 85 have gotten denied [unfortunately the Wise Co. Plant was approved]). It is up to us to make a JUST transition towards a renewable future and a sustainable future. That’s why we all devote ourselves tirelessly to spreading the message, the dream, the movement and creating the change we need to pass the policies we need to solve the problems of our communities, state, nation, and world. We’re fighting for social rights, for environmental rights, for community rights—we are fighting for the achievable potential of good we all have seen the world can have. Being at Virginia Tech has shown me just how supportive the world can be. Let’s work together to help stop and prevent the tragedies that have been drawn out way too long in Southwest Virginia and beyond and support these communities through the rough times and GIVE THEM HOPE for a future beyond coal.
Get excited, get empowered: three weeks until Virginia Power Shift 2008.
Yet, there is another aspect beyond a mere mental escape in actually getting recharged and empowered from B.O. Here's how I'm doing it now:
As I’m typing this I’m in Abington, Virginia in Southwestern Virginia with several dozen other folks from youth activists to community organizers to just neighbors down the street for the first annual Appalachian Communities Economics Conference of which its purpose is “visioning for more creative solutions and viable economic options and sustainable communities in Appalachia.” We broke up into random groups and were asked to introduce ourselves and why we came here and what we hope to take back to our communities afterwards.
My condensed story was that I was with just over a dozen students and other youth from across the state towards the end of last summer before school and we decided we wanted to create a statewide network. We talked for awhile about what sort of theme or issue did we want to unite on and the proposed Wise County / Virginia City Coal-Fired Power Plant came up and was decided to fight against it. I hadn’t a clue and was actually turned off about the prospect of coal, coming from a suburban Northern Virginia mindset in that I thought about how radical it was to question where our energy came from. Coal is coal; we can’t go up against that, after all we rely on it! Nevertheless I didn’t get in the way in the decision and so was determined to get educated on it and make an effort to educate the public about what I learn as well. Afterall we couldn't just fight this thing and get support without exploring the area impacted first. Within a few months I was headed to Wise County, Virginia to view mountain top removal for the first time and was absolutely appalled at the destruction I saw looking down from the top of Black Mountain to the scarred remains below (a forth of the county has been leveled). Since that day I’ve been lobbying from Virginia Tech to Richmond to Washington for clean energy and carbon neutrality. I’ve been to hearings and rallies, been followed by pissed off coal employees and have seen lists of cancer victims. I’ve seen people’s lives rely solely on a coal economy and scared women who told me of their husband’s unemployment and drug abuse. I’ve heard, beyond all else, the perspectives from the locals, the industries, and the youth—yet I only see one solution…
Indeed others in our group had amazing experiences. From local professors and those in neighboring states to a couple guys from California on a nationwide sustainable road-show, we all came together here in Abington to discuss how we can move forward and seek solutions. From our introductions themes emerged: Community. Local economy. Renewables. Education. Sustainability. Then we also talked about the less positive themes such as green washing, the idea of misleading the public with extremely overemphasized environmental benefits like a “Green Wal-Mart” or “Clean-Coal”. I was amazed at how despite our diverse backgrounds and experiences, these ideas came together like it was common knowledge. This, I realize, is the fundamental blueprint to this movement for our future, a movement has countless names (most of which will be taken and abused, green-washed beyond association). Experiencing this is what gives me hope, empowerment, and recharge. This is what energizes me and makes me come back together mentally to why I am devoting myself to the things I do. I’m doing this for our future. I’m doing this for myself and my children as well as for you and your children. This isn’t about us or them—this is about cooperation between each other and finding solutions for the benefit of all. Coal needs to go and will go- that is certain (after all after 165+ coal-fired power plants were proposed in 2007, 85 have gotten denied [unfortunately the Wise Co. Plant was approved]). It is up to us to make a JUST transition towards a renewable future and a sustainable future. That’s why we all devote ourselves tirelessly to spreading the message, the dream, the movement and creating the change we need to pass the policies we need to solve the problems of our communities, state, nation, and world. We’re fighting for social rights, for environmental rights, for community rights—we are fighting for the achievable potential of good we all have seen the world can have. Being at Virginia Tech has shown me just how supportive the world can be. Let’s work together to help stop and prevent the tragedies that have been drawn out way too long in Southwest Virginia and beyond and support these communities through the rough times and GIVE THEM HOPE for a future beyond coal.
Get excited, get empowered: three weeks until Virginia Power Shift 2008.
Labels: Abington, Appalachian Communities Economics Confernence, BO, getting empowered, Wise
posted by Bryce Carter @ 11:00 PM
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