This weekend, the Global Warming Story Tour came through Bloomington to ask community members how global warming is affecting them. People were very excited and curious to see our biodiesel-powered, solar-energy-equipped vehicle and asked lots of great questions

Many people expressed interest in putting solar panels up on their houses and wanted to know if there was anyone in town who helped out with that. Luckily, the person who runs SIREN (Southern Indiana Renewable Energy Network) kept dropping by the event to answer their questions. People who were not familiar with our global warming campaign seemed excited to know that there was a local group working on the campaign and were eager to get involved.

During the busiest part of the event, four of our Congressman’s staffers (that would be Rep. Baron Hill) stopped by to check out the festivities. I asked them if they wanted to do video testimonials, and they politely declined.

Still, I think we got some great video testimonials from people who really represent southern Indiana, so I’m excited about that. Overall, it was a good event!

- Lisa Ramsden
Greenpeace field organizer, IN-09

“And thank you, also, for showing me a side of Greenpeace that I really didn't know about before.”

-Cathy Puchalski, Superintendent of Recreation, Arlington Heights Park District.

Sometimes the elephant in the room is that people just don't know what the environmental movement is really about — what Greenpeace truly stands for. After all, for almost 40 years we've been up against rich companies whose PR department budgets probably outstrip the GDP of Finland. Greenpeace's global warming campaign is challenging perceptions while simultaneously giving notice that people aren't going to sit by anymore and let their voices be ignored. And we're doing it right where the fat cats are most uncomfortable seeing us, and where we can best show everyone our true hearts for the cause: in the heart of American communities.

People know that global warming is here, and it's affecting us in our own backyards. They've bought their canvass bags and they're trying hard to remember to bring them every time they go to the grocery store. They're teaching their kids about recycling. They're making the small changes in their own lives that show Americans care.

They want their government to step up to the plate. But not everyone can ship out on the Rainbow Warrior or lead a march on Washington. After all, there are the bills, the job, the kids . . . But what's this? Greenpeace? At my local park? With — let me get this straight — activities for my kids, letter-writing tables for me, and a whole lot of smiling volunteers educating people and taking pictures and videos to send to Congress? I never knew Greenpeace did . . . that.

Thanks to the hard work of volunteers from Illinois' 10th District and from the Rolling Sunlight's crew, lots of people in Arlington Heights got a glimpse of how they can help stop global warming, right here, right now. And they're seeing a Greenpeace they never knew before.

- Adam Smit
Greenpeace field organizer, IL-10

As the Story Tour continues to roll across the country, they’re not only finding a variety of ways global warming is affecting people, they’re finding a variety of events drawing people out to talk about it.

Urbana-Champaign saw two Story Tour events. On Thursday, August 28th, the truck powered over 3 hours of music. And on Friday, August 29th, the Rolling Sunlight set up in downtown Champaign.

The concert on the 28th provided a fun venue to bring people together and introduced us to some wonderful new members of the community. On Friday, state representative Naomi Jakobsson came to share her story after hearing about the concert the day before, and we also had an appearance by Democratic challenger for Congress Steve Cox, who
rode his bike to the event and pledged his support for science-based legislation to combat global warming.

It was great to see people so eager to share their stories. Folks were literally lining up to make sure Congress heard their stories. Events like this really accentuate the fact that people in east-central Illinois are doing their part to stop global warming. Nearly everyone
who attended the event walked or rode a bicycle, and all the energy used by the bands came through the squeaky clean solar panels atop the Rolling Sunlight truck.

We heard stories about people shopping at the farmers market, composting and recycling, riding their bikes more, and eating meat less. We also heard a lot about how much this community wants to see Congress take the lead on this very non-partisan issue. What we really need now is strong leadership in Congress on this issue.

More than anything, I think the two events we had here in Champaign-Urbana show that this community is trying to do it’s part. We just hope Representative Tim Johnson is ready to lead.

- Drew Chiaro
  Greenpeace field organizer, IL-15

The Global Warming Story Tour hit Columbus, Ohio on Tuesday, and the two politicians hoping to represent us in Congress turned up to see and hear firsthand why so many voters are telling them that they need to be leaders on global warming if they want to be elected.

"We can work together and face this issue, and it's important to raise awareness like they're doing today," Republican candidate Steve Stivers told a reporter from the Columbus Dispatch who was at the event. "Global warming is an issue that cuts party lines, and people are really starting to understand that this issue is a big deal."

Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy is getting the message as well.

"The concerns I hear from voters on this issue are valid, and they are concerns I share with them. Oil-based economy is in the past, we must look to the future," Kilroy was quoted as saying in the Dispatch's article. (Read the story: "Greenpeace event draws citizens, candidates." Includes a slideshow!!!)

The day was a great opportunity for the two candidates to see the power of clean energy firsthand. Both Stivers and Kilroy had questions about the truck -- What does it run on? (Answer: used vegetable oil.) How much energy do those solar panels provide? (The Rolling Sunlight is packing 256 sq. ft. of solar panels; enough to power three homes with no pollution!)

Perhaps more importantly during this nationally watched tossup election -- Stivers and Kilroy got to hear from real voters who are thirsty for Congress to act on global warming now.

For me and the volunteers working with Greenpeace here in Columbus, it was encouraging to see that the two folks who want to represent us are taking this issue seriously. No one knows who's going to win this race right now, but both candidates can help themselves by continuing to respond to their voters' concerns -- and that means improving their plans to stop global warming.

- David Pomerantz
  Greenpeace field  organizer, OH-15

Greenpeace had the Rolling Sunlight stationed outside The E Street Café in Encinitas, which is a local hub for entertainment, coffee, and socializing with the local crowd. The café is just off the Coast Highway 101, the main drag, so the event drew folks in from all over the city on a Sunday afternoon.

We had approximately 50 attendees and volunteers who made the event possible, and we were able to collect about 20 letters, 25 photos, and 13 video testimonials to deliver to our candidates for Congress, asking for strong global warming leadership! People of all ages and backgrounds participated in sending messages, but perhaps one of our favorites was Spencer, a young man who skateboarded by the event and stopped to see what was going on. When asked how he felt about global warming, Spencer answered, “I just sold my car and now I skateboard everywhere because I want to do my part.” It was fantastic -- when asked if he would tell the same story to our video crew, he jumped on the opportunity!

To add to the success of the event, around 15 Greenpeace volunteers, including Frontline crew, spread all over the streets surrounding the event to recruit people to join us and get postcards signed. They succeeded in getting almost 200 postcards signed, including 50 folks who signed up to get involved volunteering for the campaign! A small handful of those volunteers were folks who came by to check out the event and were so excited about what was going on they decided to throw on STOP GLOBAL WARMING shirts and help out with the event right there.

The Global Warming Story Tour’s stop in Encinitas on Sunday, July 27th, made for a fun and empowering community event for all!

 - Jenny Binstock
   Greenpeace field organizer, CA-50