YEA! MN students present at the Living Green Expo on local school campaigns and formative experiences at the Power Shift 2011 youth summit in Washington DC

Driving through the night across Ohio and up through Michigan from Cleveland to Detroit on Friday with four of the most amazing women I have ever met, I was stunned and awed by the industry and power production surrounding us on all sides. Bright lights, flares and billowing smoke flooded the otherwise peaceful, moonlit night as we rocked out to Lady Gaga and Blondie barreling down interstates 90 and 75. Now, back home in Oberlin, Ohio, as I reflect on the weekend, I feel overwhelmed by the amount of magic and terror I experienced over the past few days. This country and region we call home are really quite extraordinary. We are consumed by so much beauty, grime and inertia on a daily basis. These are the things that lead me to join the environmental movement, and as a result I often find myself contemplating the same rehearsed question: how can I harness all of this power, innovation and social context for healthy and just change? Perhaps more importantly, how can I work toward this change and past this broken system while remembering to take care of myself and stay positive?

What would you do to address climate change if money wasn't an obstacle? For many young people passionate about the environment, ideas are not what's lacking. It's the means to make these ideas a reality that stands in the way of effective leadership and implementation.

Of course there is mentorship, skills training, community support, time and energy to consider - which are equally if not more important. But concrete funds and the ability to raise them are considerably more challenging for young people than adults who are in the work force and often part of a larger community of connected people.

Let me tell you a story. It’s a classic tale of the ‘Hero’s Journey’: persevering against the odds, navigating obstacles that lie in the path, gathering allies, and being transformed through the experience of the journey. These heroes are not brandishing swords, light sabers, or magic wands. They are the young people in our midst using their creative genius, their collaborative spirit, and their technical know-how to shape new perspectives on how we live on this planet and challenge the energy structures we take for granted.