It starts today.

As the world celebrates Earth Day, America has never been closer to passing comprehensive climate legislation, but one day of attention won’t be enough. To get this done, we need an Earth Day Revolution.

All the pieces are in place to launch our clean energy future — overwhelming scientific evidence, popular support, a bill passed in the House — all except for one: a Senate brave enough to make history.

Next week, senators will unveil a new bipartisan climate bill. There is a real chance of passing strong legislation, but at this point nothing is certain. It’s up to us to fight for our generation’s future.

It’s not our job to give the Senate courage to act, it’s our job to show them they have no choice.

The Earth Day Revolution is coming. Are you up for the fight?

Let’s get this done.

Rock the Vote’s Heather Smith

The Green Guru, League of Conservation Voter’s Gene Karpinski, stood at the podium to kick off an event on the West Lawn of the capitol this morning, rallying the crowd for clean energy jobs now.

In front of a group of the clean energy and climate movement’s biggest leaders, Karpinski harkened back to 40 years ago, the first year of Earth Day and said that despite the many victories that we have had, a major one remains.

The “big enchilada”, was how Denis Hayes, Earth Day director and part of the original day some 40 years ago put it. He talked about all of the accomplishments, but said we, along with generations after us, will look back on our success around the 40th Earth Day.

A comprehensive clean energy and climate bill is the only thing that will be make this Earth Day and celebration. Said Hayes: “It’s time to get angry. It’s time to say that if you’re not right on climate, you’ll be out of office.”

Hayes was preceded at the podium by Karpinski, Truman National Security Project COO Jon Powers and several others. Three are of particular note, however.

Head of the Washington chapter of the ACLU, Hilary Shelton, gave an impassioned speech about getting ourselves out of this paradigm of joblessness in our communities and bringing together coalitions that are unprecedented in the movement. Just seeing Shelton, along with the familiar face of the Hip Hop Caucus’ Rev. Lennox Yearwood speaks to how broad the support for clean energy is today.

Green Guru Gene Karpinski signs the declaration.

Rev. Yearwood was his usual self, of course. He told the crowd that future generations are counting on us. He renewed his call, saying this fight is about humanity. One of the most inspiring speakers in the movement, Rev. Yearwood said that there are no petty divisions on this issue. The future of our country, our health, our way of life is at stake.

However, it was a youth leader that stepped up to the podium that really put this into perspective. She was very frank: “this issue affects our generation more than any other.”

Heather Smith, Executive Director of Rock the Vote, looked into the crowd to say that the youth of this country have taken notice and we don’t like what we see. We are engaged, we are voting, we have a voice. And we better, since this is our future.

When the talking was done, the speakers all signed a declaration, calling for Clean Energy Patriots to start an Earth Day Revolution and pass comprehensive legislation.

Forty years ago, Earth Day because reality, providing momentum for decades of environmental policy. Now we stand in the face of our greatest environmental challenge, something with fingerprints all over our economy and national security.

In this we cannot fail. For this, we need a revolution.