New York – we’re living in a special time.

Young people all across America are working hard to ensure that our nation’s addiction to fossil fuels is not going unnoticed. Not even the busiest of back to school schedules deterred youth from standing up for what is right; making the trip to DC for the Tar Sands Action to stop the Keystone XL pipeline, hundreds of individuals kicked off of what promises to be a huge semester for the youth environmental movement.    

Last Saturday, over 50 of us from New York headed down to the Tar Sands Action to tell president Obama that he’s got to fulfill his campaign promise to stand up to Big Oil and begin the transition to a clean energy economy. As youth, If we want a say in what our future’s going to look like, we need to take action now: we need to work towards a clean, green and just future that we can look forward to living in.

This October 21-23, at Power Shift New York, young people of all backgrounds will unite in Albany for a mass convergence to demand a green economy spurred by communities, not corporations. The weekend-long, workshop-driven summit will educate, activate and empower our generation to put an end to hydrofracking and stand up for a just and sustainable future.

This is a turning point for New York. As climate change intensifies, New York State officials are continuing to push a fossil fuel intensive economy. Plans for hydrofracking across New York State come at the expense of our clean air, water, and health, while putting massive profits in the pockets of big oil and gas corporations. This is our moment to devise an alternative future! We’ll build grassroots campaigns for clean energy and sustainable agriculture across New York, and work to ensure accountability from our elected leaders in Albany. With powerful training and a bold vision, we’ll turn the collective potential power of young people into game-changing action and create a green and livable future for all New Yorkers.

At the Tar Sands Action, we took a stand to hold Obama to his campaign promises. At Power Shift New York, we’re going to take action again to send Governor Cuomo a message: we won’t settle for anything less than a 100 % clean energy economy. No fracking. No way.

When a dedicated group of people with a common vision work together, amazing things can happen. Youth have been a driving force in social change throughout history, from the civil rights movement, to the fight for LGBT rights, to the international movement to achieve climate neutrality. Now it’s time for New York youth to unite and demand that our elected leaders in Albany support a green economy and viable future.

This is our call to action, and we’re taking a stand.



Get involved today by registering to join us at Power Shift New York.

Attend the event on Facebook & follow us on Twitter.


We look forward to seeing you in October!

The Green Umbrella State Focal Point Team,
Ariana, KC, Laura and Reed

The Green Umbrella: NY Youth for a Just and Sustainable Future