Counting Our Blessings for This and Future Thanksgivings ─ 4GEN Awards on 12/6 (Early Bird THRU 11/29)

Dear Friend,

I am wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving and to count our blessings at this time of year.

We can take a lot for granted in terms of our Earth and its ecological systems. At this Thanksgiving, we are hearing more urgent warnings about how our climate is changing. The Washington Post reported just this week on the most recent United Nations climate report which is calling for rapid, unprecedented cuts in greenhouse gas emissions. One can feel dwarfed by the enormity of these issues yet as climate activist Greta Thunberg says in her new book, "No One is Too Small to Make a Difference."

We want to make sure that we can continue to count our blessings at future Thanksgivings! Leaders in Energy is building a community of leaders to advance clean energy and sustainable solutions. We believe that by connecting people, and indeed our Four Generations Awards theme this year is "Alliances for Action," we can accelerate needed progress for the energy transition. An African proverb tells us "When you want to go fast, go alone, but when you want to go far, go together."

We hope that you can join us at our Four Generations (Four Gen) Awards and Holiday Dinner this year on December 6th. Our generations span from Gen Z/Millennial to World War II. Now more than ever, we need the power of multigenerational leadership and talent, and the need to harness the talent that exists among all ages, in order to transition to more sustainable energy and economic systems. Our remarkable honorees - who include teens and an octogenarian, and others in between - will share their insights on building coalitions and leadership to accelerate the green transition. The fields that they are working in span clean energy, climate justice, the circular economy, and more.

This year, we have a category for Emerging Leaders which include those who are spearheading the Green New Deal Virginia Coalition and founded the Mason Environmental Justice Alliance. Learn more about our awardees below.

We have a dozen Benefactors who have donated green products and services and other items to our silent auction. Bidders can win memberships and event tickets from environmental and clean energy groups, green books, an environmental documentary, solar lanterns, and a Nissan Leaf 4-Day electric auto excursion! We will have food provided by MOM’s Organic Market. Our event will be held at the Pepco Edison Place Gallery in Washington, D.C.

You are warmly invited to enjoy food and drink in a festive atmosphere – and spend the evening with other like-minded people who are passionate about these issues and are working for change at individual and collective levels. Meet intriguing new friends who care as much as you do about clean energy and sustainability, locally and globally, and who love to talk about it and act on it. Our early bird runs through Friday (11/29) of this week.

Have a great Thanksgiving and we look forward to seeing you on Friday, December 6th at our Four Generations Awards and Holiday Dinner.

Best,

Janine

Our Four Generations of Leaders

in Clean Energy & Sustainable Solutions AWARDEES

Gen Z/Millennial: The Eco Teen Action Network (part of the Global Co-Lab and Smithsonian Optimism project) with its 3 Hubs on Climate Change, Responsible Consumption, and Zero Hunger. (The Eco Teen Action Network Ambassadors are: Ashley Cheung, Eva Leikikh, Krithika Layalala, Kayla Peale, Sydney Rico, and Marieka Staheli)

Gen X: Julia Cohen, Co-Founder and Manager of the Plastic Pollution Coalition, comprised of over 1,000 organizations, businesses, and thought leaders in 60 countries working toward a world free of plastic pollution and its toxic impact on humans, animals, waterways, the ocean, and the environment.

Baby Boomer: Eric Goplerud, Founder and Chairperson of the Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions (FACS), which helps people of faith develop local solutions to the climate crisis. FACS works with congregations to develop Green Teams to give them resources to implement sustainability initiatives, programs, and education for environmental stewardship.

World War II: Andrew Euston, Urban Ecological Designer, who under several Presidential administrations, led one of the first Federal governmental efforts to recognize the importance of non-partisan efforts to integrate social, economic, and environmental planning and design in Community Sustainability programming at the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. He also helped stimulate the formation of the President's Council on Sustainable Development and continues to explore ways in which to improve communities.