The Steger Foundation is proud to partner with Focus the Nation in our mission to educate, empower, and engage a new generation of climate leadership on a local, regional, national, and international scale. A nationally based organization, Focus the Nation (FTN) accelerates the transformation to a clean energy future by fostering connections between generations, and empowering young people through education, civic engagement, and action.

All FTN programming is intensely focused on empowering young people’s imaginative, civic and systems-thinking capacities so they can become powerful agents of change in their own communities. The skills that young people gain through FTN programming can be applied for decades in addressing the root causes that affect our current environmental, social, political and entrepreneurial challenges.

As part of a national program aimed at engaging climate youth leadership across the country, FTN is launching Clean Energy Forums a core component of their part 'Forums-to-Action program.  Aimed at developing new student leaders to drive solution oriented clean energy collaborations between their campuses and communities, the F2A program provides students with leadership skills, energy literacy, experiential learning and professional development.

The following Clean Energy Forums are being hosted in the Midwest this February and are open to the public:

University of Wisconsin Madison, Feb 15th

Through Focus the Nation’s Forums-to-Action Program, a multidisciplinary group of UW-Madison students is planning a clean energy forum for February 15th, 2012. This year’s event will focus on ways the campus and Madison community can speed adoption of energy efficiency and conservation measures in buildings. Students and campus leaders will come together with energy experts, business leaders, and elected officials to identify roadblocks and solutions in this effort to pick the low hanging fruit known as ‘negawatts’. One panel session will seek innovative solutions to get more rental property owners investing in energy efficiency retrofits. A brainstorming session over dinner will inform an action plan which students will implement over the next semester(s). This event represents a great opportunity for the campus and Madison community to come together in addressing an issue of great import.

The event is free and open to the public. It will take place February 15th, 2012 from 3-7pm in Union South, Varsity Hall III.

Who should attend:

• Students or community members interested in energy efficiency, energy policy, or renewable energy
• Business leaders
• Elected officials

Focus the Nation is now accepting applications to launch September 2012 teams. This spring they will be selecting one school in each state across the US to participate in our F2A programming. Sign up to host a forum for 2013.

Here in Minnesota the day started out with blustery late fall skies threatening rain (or snow) at any moment. On the Sunday of the opening weekend for deer hunting, the chances of anyone showing up for a rally against a pipeline carrying toxic tar sands seemed fairly unlikely. Yet, with only one weeks notice over 100 Minnesotans hit the streets and marched, in song, as we made our way from the People’s Plaza, home to OccupyMN, to Mill Ruins Park and the Mississippi River. The sense of unity and purpose upon arrival at the park was heightened as folks joined Scott Travis, a local singer, in singing “This Little Light of Mine” with versus changed to climate and hope-related prose.

While the bulk of our youth work is focused on the Midwest region, the Will Steger Foundation is also committed to engaging and empowering youth leadership on the national stage. This includes access to policy makers and high profile leaders in the non-profit/for-profit sector and academia, information and resources related to climate legislation, and opportunities to participate in national conferences and trainings.

 

Learn More about other areas: Local • Midwest • International • Back to Emerging Leaders Overview 

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On Tuesday, Minneapolis residents protested dangerous air pollution from cars and coal-fired power plants with an 18-foot-tall human hand holding an asthma inhaler. Concerned citizens gathered at Stewart Field, warning that air pollution causes asthma attacks and makes kids sick, and demanding that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reduce toxic air pollution from coal-fired power plants and from cars and encourage a 21st-century transportation system.

“Dirty air costs Minnesotan families too much,” said Jessica Tatro from the Sierra Club North Star Chapter. “Children with asthma need the EPA to adopt tough air-quality standards to protect our health and to transition us toward clean energy solutions like wind and solar.”

Burning coal for electricity and gas in our cars and trucks generates toxic air pollutants like smog and soot, which exacerbate asthma and other health problems. Children and seniors are especially vulnerable to the health risks of air pollution. The EPA estimates that smog and soot pollution cause over $100 billion in health costs nationwide each year. This startling number has not gone unnoticed by local community leaders, like State Senator Torres Ray.

On Tuesday, State Senator Torres Ray said, “I’m delighted to participate in the air quality awareness event organized by the Sierra Club in Minneapolis. Air Pollution caused by humans is an increasing danger for people and the environment. I’m very concerned about the threat to public health posed by cities' air pollution. Many children and seniors in our City are being diagnosed with asthma disorders and need to take strong measures to address it.”

Asthma is one of America’s worst public health problems affecting over 400,000 people – including 118,111 children – in Minnesota alone. A local community member and a parent of a child with asthma, Valerie Martinez, shared the heart wrenching story of when her two month old son had trouble breathing because of environmental toxins. “Communities with less resistance are not aware of developments like freeways that add toxins to their community,” said Valerie. “Or they are not educated about the implications of these developments. Too often, it is these communities that bear the brunt of development in the city.” More than 35 million Americans live within 300 feet of a major road, which puts them at greater risk for illnesses like asthma.

State Representative Clark commented on Valerie’s statement, saying, “Clean air protection is an environmental justice issue because air pollution disproportionately affects low income neighborhoods like the Phillips neighborhood in South Minneapolis” where the press conference took place.

During Tuesday’s event, Sierra Club members and local residents demanded that the EPA take action to reduce harmful air pollution that causes asthma. This summer, the EPA is expected to set new standards for cleaning up smog and soot. If strong enough, these protections will lessen public health problems like asthma and save thousands of lives every year. Strong standards would also boost to the economy by saving billions of dollars in health costs, reducing sick days, and creating jobs for workers installing pollution controls on power plants and building better public-transit systems. Strong new EPA air pollution standards would also help encourage development of clean, renewable energy sources like wind and solar that create even more green jobs.

Residents are also calling upon the Obama administration to protect children’s health by issuing strong protections from air pollution like smog. The EPA was scheduled to release its final rule on smog on July 29 but announced last week that it would delay finalizing the rule. The new ozone standard would protect some of America’s most vulnerable populations, including children and the elderly, from respiratory illnesses like asthma. “EPA's Science Advisory Board and health professionals have advocated a stricter standard for most of the 40 years that we've been monitoring ozone in the air we breathe,” said Dr. Simcik, a faculty member at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. “We need an educated public to support these experts and politicians in protecting both our health and our economy.” Dr. Simcik and other concerned citizens of Minneapolis urged the Obama administration to stand up for public health and to issue long overdue clean air protections that protect public health.

Jessica Tatro said. "We need to clean up our air and foster a healthy economy, with clean energy sources like wind and solar and a 21st-century transportation system.”

[via Minnesota North Star Chapter]

More than 7 million American children suffer from asthma. In 2005, there were approximately 679,000 emergency room visits due to asthma in those under 15.