Young Voters Declare Dirty Energy Top Election Issue
Thousands Demonstrate their Independence across U.S. and Canada

What: Energy Independence Day. October 19th, tens of thousands of young voters will sign a Declaration of Independence calling on candidates and institutional leaders to lay out their plan for a complete transition beyond dirty energy sources such as oil, coal, nuclear, gas and incineration. The Declaration signings will occur as part of a North American Day of Action with hundreds of campus actions and major demonstrations in seven cities to declare freedom from oil, support clean energy, fight environmental racism and stop global warming.

Where: Actions planned for October 19th include:
• Philadelphia, PA – Declaration of Independence from Dirty Energy: Youth Present Declaration at the Liberty Bell (Independence Hall/ Constitution Center)
• Dearborn, MI – Freedom From Oil: Citizens and Students Demand Separation of Oil and Auto (Ford Headquarters)
• Seattle, WA – Good Jobs and Clean Energy Go Hand in Hand: Students and Labor Rally at University of Washington to Demand Clean Energy Jobs (Denny Park)
• Long Beach, CA – California Go Solar: Students Call on Largest U.S. University System to Embrace Clean Energy (Office of Cal State Chancellor, Charles Reed)
• Middlebury, VT – 63 Years of Pollution-Free Energy: Vermont Students Celebrate the Birth of U.S. Wind Power (Middlebury College)
• New Haven, CT – Call For Leadership: Yale Students Urge Candidates to Adopt Platform (Sterling Library, Yale University)
• Near Flagstaff, AZ – Freedom from Coal: Hopi and Navajo Rally for Environmental Justice from Peabody Coal
• Hundreds of Campuses across U.S. and Canada – See website for complete listing.

When: Tuesday, October 19, 2004

Who: Energy Action - a coalition of the following organizations: California Student Sustainability Coalition, Climate Campaign, Energy Justice Network, EnviroCitizen, Free The Planet!, Global Exchange, Greenpeace, National Association of Environmental Law Societies, National Wildlife Federation's Campus Ecology Program, Rainforest Action Network, Student Environmental Action Coalition, Sierra Student Coalition, Sierra Youth Coalition, Southeast Climate Network, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, Students United for a Responsible Global Environment.

Why: In this election season, candidates from all parties are targeting young people as a pivotal voting bloc. A recent MTV/CIRCLE poll showed that an unprecedented 80 percent of youth under 30 said they definitely planned to vote Nov. 2. October 19th, thousands of young voters will make it clear that the most important issue to them is ending U.S. reliance on dirty energy, which is connected to war, economic instability, health problems, corporate power, environmental degradation, and global warming.

For more information about Energy Action: www.energyaction.net

North American Day of Action for Energy Independence

The Problem: North America’s energy dependence is a major threat to current and future generations:
• Toxic pollution, rising rates of asthma, cancers and nearly 24,000 deaths from power plant pollution alone each year that disproportionately impact low-income communities and communities of color.
• Economic stagnation from rising fuel costs and the outsourcing of U.S. energy-sector jobs
• International conflict and dependence on foreign oil
• Global warming, which already kills 160,000 people every year due to more intense hurricanes, severe droughts and floods, heat waves and the spread of infectious diseases

The Story: All the experts are pointing to young voters as the key constituency in this election.
• To get young people excited about voting it’s important for them to hear from their peers and to connect to an issue.
• The most compelling issue for students and young people in this election is energy, which is connected to war, economic swings, public health, corporate power, the environment, and global warming.
• On October 19th, we have a goal of 30,000 18-24-year-olds signing a Declaration of Independence from Dirty Energy, which calls on the presidential candidates and other leaders to lay out a plan for a complete transition beyond dirty energy.
• Energy Independence Day will be highlighted by nine major actions at Ford Headquarters in Deerborn, MI, at the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, at ground zero for the Florida hurricanes, and in symbolic locations across the country for getting the message across that youth are breaking free from dirty energy this election season.
• In addition to these major demonstrations, we have set a goal of 300 local actions in towns in every state in the union where students and youth will collect signatures with ink pens, powder wigs, and pinwheels. Each action will demonstrate the youth generation’s commitment to a clean energy future with creative and symbolic actions.

The Demands: This October, students and youth across the nation will send a clear message to candidates, elected officials and leaders of our institutions to lay out their plan for a complete transition beyond dirty energy.
• Declare Freedom from Oil! The United States has less than 5 percent of the world’s population yet consumes 25 percent of the world’s dwindling oil supply. Our nation must dramatically improve fuel efficiency and lead the way toward zero emissions vehicles.
• Invest in Clean Energy! The United States spends billions of dollars every year subsidizing powerful dirty energy corporations like ExxonMobil, Exelon Nuclear and Peabody Coal. Our nation must shift these investments into energy efficiency and a new generation of clean energy sources such as wind and solar, which will create millions of new jobs and improve our economy.
• Stop Global Warming! The United States creates nearly a quarter of the world's global warming pollution, but has worked to derail the Kyoto Protocol, the only international treaty addressing the problem. Our nation must create a mandatory cap on global warming pollution at home, re-engage international climate negotiations and invest in clean energy for developing countries.

Engage in Democracy: Youth and students across the country will go to the polls November 2nd to vote for candidates that are on board for clean energy initiatives.

Deliver Energy Freedom: After the elections, youth and students across the country will deliver the Declaration of Independence to key politicians in each state.