On Nov. 25 Ernie and Ellen Huber, Martha Creedon and Nancy Banks attended the kick-off the Energy Empowerment Revolution at Faneuil Hall. Thanks you Ernie for this wonderful summary.

Faneuil Hall was known as the Cradle of Liberty because Samuel Adams and James Otis and the Sons of Liberty had met here in the decade before the American Revolution to form their opposition to the sugar tax, the stamp tax, and other forms of British oppression. The Boston Tea Party was conceived here. This was a fitting setting for last night's Rally to start an "Energy Empowerment Revolution" through the promotion of a massive green jobs program for Massachusetts.
The "Declaration of Energy Empowerment" outlines both a list of rights (warm homes, alternative energy, eco-justice, etc.) and responsibilities (use energy responsibly, lead the nation in an energy efficiency program, support the most vulnerable among us, etc.) Last night's "crowd" of only about 50 or so was asked to sign this declaration as they either filed into Faneuil Hall or as they left.
The talks that we heard were energizing and empowering. This is a group of people who want to do as much about solving the climate crisis as they do about aiding the most vulnerable people that will be affected by the climate crisis. The answers that were proposed here can do both- and solve the economic crisis as well. We heard this theme again and again- from a politician (Sen. John Kerry), from a pastor (Rev. Hamilton from the Roxbury Presbyterian Church), from activists (like Cindi Lupi, head of Clean Water Action), from a labor leader, from an energy company entrepreneur (Bruce Anderson, head of Wilson Turbo Power, an MIT spin-off), and from many others. The specific proposal to create a one billion dollar fund to promote weatherizing and energy improvements in 200,000 Massachusetts homes per year (starting with the poorest first) came across as an eminently reasonable economic stimulus package that would retrain the jobless, provide jobs, and reduce fossil fuel consumption in the most effective way possible at this time.
Rev. Bob Masse, a principal organizer of this event, summed up the talks by saying that every one of the leaders here has a vision of profound change, just like the previous leaders of change that met here in Faneuil Hall over 200 years ago. He said it is appropriate to call it a "revolution" because it a revolt against what was and a moving towards a new way of doing things in the future. He asked that this Declaration be posted everywhere and signatures gathered everywhere possible. He said that Senator Kerry's message was that "We haven't begun to fight yet" and he asked that this meeting will become an annual meeting- with next year's meeting having the goal of having President Barak Obama come as a principal speaker