Students Promoting Environmental Action in Knoxville (SPEAK) took 48 students to Powershift Feb. 27-March 1. Powershift is one of the biggest environmental conferences in the country and was held at the Mt. Vernon Convention Center in Washington D.C.

More than 12,000 people attended panels and workshops on various topics of environmentalism including a journalism workshop, several indigenous peoples panels, and speeches given by such political figures as congresswoman Donna Edwards and politician Ralph Nadar. 

    "My favorite workshop was the Buddhist one because I felt that it was a really good message for activists in general. You can't help the world if you can't help yourself first." -Elizabeth Kajer, sophomore and member of SPEAK at UT
SPEAK worked hard to be able to go to the conference, doing many fundraisers to afford the conference fees and expenditures. 

SPEAK members first met with Senator Bob Corker's aide. Due to the foot of snow that fell overnight, the meeting was delayed for half an hour; however when it did take place, SPEAK members were able to articulate their desire for Sen. Corker's support for environmental policy change, including a 100% cap and trade on carbon. Senator Corker's aide was very polite and emphasized his belief that Corker's standing on the environmental issue was the same as thiers.

Between the meetings with Corker and Congressman Lamar Alexander, SPEAK waved signs and chanted in the snow along with 1,000 other people on the capital lawn, demanding that the environment be considered in congress' legislation.

In the mid afternoon, some SPEAK members split up to meet with Alexander's aid while others went to a direct action against the coal plant that gives the capital building its electricity. While the direct action seemed to be successful, SPEAK members were having a harder time agreeing with Alexander's aide on much of anything.

Former Ut student and TASSC member, Reagan Richmond, and Senator Alexander's aide Curtis Swager, disagreed on such quantifiable statistics as how much nuclear waste could be recycled. Swager stated that 90% could, while Richmond argued that only .3% was the actual number. Though most of the meeting with Swager was rife with disagreement, SPEAK did manage to get Swager to admit that he believed Alexander would have environmental interests in mind during the Clean Air Act proposal.  

Overall, the members of SPEAK felt that their time in D.C. was a huge success, and they all plan on painting the capital building green the next time Powershift rolls around.