NEW ENERGY ECONOMY PREPARES INTERNS TO LEAD GREEN FUTURE

NEW ENERGY ECONOMY PREPARES INTERNS TO LEAD GREEN FUTURE

Santa Fe, N.M. -New Energy Economy, in collaboration with Youth Works and Earth Care International, will run a summer internship program June 8 through August 29, 2009, giving 13 youth participants tools to lead the way in a new green economy. The training includes phone-banking and field organizing in communities throughout New Mexico, where they will be focused on important issues such as green energy alternatives to oil and gas drilling and uranium mining.

New Energy Economy interns will be trained in online advocacy, public speaking, filmmaking and effective media communications. They will work on federal energy research and climate change legislation, including building a statewide network of businesses to support a science-based cap on emissions, a 100% auction system for permits to polluters and a dividend to cover the rising cost of energy.

"We are looking forward to getting this great group of interns started in just a few weeks," says Ryan Shaening Pokrasso, New Energy Economy Director of the Internship Program."We have developed an intensive program for them that will be quite rewarding, and hopefully, in the end, will impact all New Mexicans in a positive way."

"I am thrilled to be able to work with New Energy Economy and Youth Works to provide this amazing opportunity for local youth who have been trained through our leadership and organizing programs," says Bianca Sopoci-Belknap, Program Manager at Earth Care International. "These interns are looking to deepen and utilize their skills to address climate change and other critical environmental issues on a state-wide level."

As part of the summer internship program, meetings and gatherings will be held at local businesses that have demonstrated green and sustainable practices. Whenever possible, the interns will be encouraged to travel by public transportation, or walk or bike. The hands-on component of the internship includes green house building, planting trees and river clean-up projects. The interns will also be visiting renewable energy projects around the state to see how industries such as solar, wind, geothermal, and biomass can create thousands of jobs and boost the economy with environmentally sound practices.. Meetings with advocates and key players in the areas of renewable energy, green jobs and climate policy will teach them how to conduct and run effective meetings.

"Global warming continues to impact New Mexicans and we are going to be asking these interns to help us address this and lead the way to a cleaner, healthier future," says Dr. John Fogarty, Executive Director for New Energy Economy. "We are structuring the internship program to lead us to a greener future."

The New Energy Economy interns will also be speaking publicly to various audiences at workshops, fairs, community events, and conferences throughout the summer. Each intern will give a PowerPoint presentation at the end of their program. New Energy Economy will coordinate meetings with New Mexico state legislators at the end of August so that interns may share their experiences and findings. All interns will author a final paper incorporating journal entries, experiences, and their hopes and visions for the future of New Mexico.

The 13 interns are from college including Wesleyan and Carelton universities; high schools in Santa Fe and several regions around the state including Taos, Clayton, Farmington, Albuquerque, Hobbs, Las Cruces and Silver City.

Youth Works' Green Collar Jobs Apprenticeship Program is funded in part by the City of Santa Fe.

New Energy Economy is dedicated to creating green jobs, boosting the economy and solving global warming.

http://www.newenergyeconomy.org/

Contact:
Jennifer Marshall
505-231-1776
jennifer@jmarshallplan.com
www.jmarshallplan.com