On May 22, 2007 Van Jones, President and Founder of the Oakland-based Ella Baker Center, testified in Washington D.C. at a special hearing called, “Economic Impacts of Global Warming: Green Collar Jobs.” He was there to push Congress to make “clean energy jobs” and “green-collar job training” for urban youth and low income communities a top priority.

He reported back on his trip to Washington in the Ella Baker Center blog, Grist Magazine, and the Huffington Post.

Jones defines a “green collar” job as a “vocational job in an ecologically responsible trade.” With the increasing demand for alternative energy sources such as solar panels, waste reduction, materials re-use and recycling, and sustainable agriculture, skills in these trades will give unprecedented opportunities to low income communities - if training programs are designed and delivered effectively.

At the hearing, Congresswoman Hilda L. Solis (CA-32), a Member of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming and the House Energy and Commerce Committee, delivered a statement called, “Green Jobs Will Create Pathways Out of Poverty.” Congresswoman Solis is currently building support for federal funding of “green collar job training” programs, which would help give low income communities access to the skills they will need to compete in the new green economy.

According to Jones, The Ella Baker Center initially introduced the concept of green collar job training as a pathway out of poverty to Speaker Nancy Pelosi earlier this year, which led to the beginnings of legislative language by Congresswoman Solis. The Center is expecting the proposal to be a part of the historic U.S. energy package, to be introduced on July Fourth (”Energy Independence Day“).

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Twice a month, I present an endangered California desert tortoise to a diversity of school kids in San Francisco during a docent talk in the theater of the Randall Museum. I am astonished that even kindergartners here oftentimes know what “endangered” means. When I ask, they reply, “It means they are going away.” “They are almost gone.”

On Friday, May 18th, parks, wildlife refuges, zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens, environmental agencies, conservation organizations, schools, museums, libraries, businesses, and community groups across the country will host events to bring awareness to imperiled species on Endangered Species Day.

I heard about Endangered Species Day from Patrick Schlemmer, President of the San Francisco Naturalist Society. Patrick works at the San Francisco Zoo, where an inaugural celebration of Endangered Species Day will host over 2,000 school children bearing Endangered Species Day “Passports.” Docents will be stationed at exhibits of endangered species at the zoo to answer questions and stamp passports. While visiting the endangered western lowland gorilla, Sumatran tiger, Waldrapp ibis, Grizzly bear, Ring-tailed lemur, and San Francisco garter snake, children will learn about ways to save wildlife.

For more information and to find a list of events, visit the Endangered Species Coalition Web site: www.stopextinction.org.

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People’s Grocery is having a second workday of the 2007 year at the Sunol Agriculture Park and Farm. On Sunday May 22nd, staff, interns and volunteers will be heading down to Sunol, near the city of Pleasanton in eastern Alameda County, to plant peppers, watermelon and okra. They are looking for more hands to help out with springtime seed planting and working the land. The garden supplies fresh and organic food for the West Oakland community and is transforming the local food system.

To join the group, RSVP Jason Uribe, Farm Manager for People’s Grocery at (510) 504-3664 or email at Jason@peoplesgrocery.org, by Friday 5/20/07.

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Digital storytelling gives communities and grassroots groups opportunities to share experiences and raise awareness to social change issues and ideas like never before. Open source, free, and accessible technologies have created unprecedented opportunities for communities to build networks and amplify voices of the under-heard.

The Bay Area Video Coalition and The Community Technology Foundation of California collaborated to create the Digital Storytelling Institute, which works with community-based organizations to develop social change digital storytelling programs. The Institute’s Web site provides several free resources on how to plan and produce a digital story. The downloadable PDFs include preproduction and production tips (steps to take, defining your audience, camera movements, interview tips), storyboard templates, other online storytelling and grant funding resources, and distribution opportunities.

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