Netroots ‘08: Observations
It was a characteristically lazy summer Sunday all over Austin, TX. The notable exception was downtown at the Austin Convention Center, where Netroots Nation 2008 was wrapping up, and all involved were dashing about the floor trying to get a chance to see the final speakers. Speaking of which, check out Kate Sheppard of Grist.org’s fantastic coverage of Van Jones’ speech on the last day of the event.
Also, if you haven’t read David Roberts’ amusing real-time account of Gore’s surprise appearance during House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s speech, I recommend you check it out here.
For my own part, I was out and about patrolling the grounds cornering anyone brave enough to make eye contact with me, asking them about top-of-mind environmental issues and what they thought was missing from the conversation. Here’s a bit of what came from my rounds:
Miles Grant of the National Wildlife Federation talks about what was missing from the green debate.
Jesus Lopez of ONE.org talks about looking to the past for answers about our environmental future.
Mia Moore talks about how the environment is connected to every aspect of our lives, and how we can’t afford to compartmentalize it anymore.
Mary T. of the Texas Observer talks about the need for an open dialogue on the environment and our future.
Thanks again to everyone I encountered during the event. I had a blast talking with all of you, and hope that our paths will cross again in a greener future. Y’all have been an inspiration to me, and made covering the event a joy. As always, stay tuned for more environmental news and musings, and let us know your thoughts in the comments section below. We’re listening and looking forward to hearing from you!
