Next week, 10,000 youths nationwide will convene in Washington, D.C., for Power Shift '09. They will spend the weekend at workshops on climate issues, and then they will attend a Lobby Day. The group will have the chance to speak directly with decision makers and express its demands for a clean energy economy. The youths will ask for strict, governmental carbon reductions that are at the scale of the problem; increased renewable energy to keep the air clean; green jobs for their future; and U.S. leadership in these tasks.

If you find yourself on the University of Minnesota or Macalester campus Thursday night, you will see as many as 300 students from Minnesota piling into buses, eager to make the 1,100-mile trip to the Capitol. They're taking time away from classes and work, and each person has her own story.

Corrie Weikle grew up on a lake with her family. She would swim in the water, fish, and eat the fish. When she got older, she looked up the lake's water quality online and was surprised to find that it didn't meet even the most basic standards. She has since been active at Minneapolis Community and Technical College, organizing environmental fairs and pursuing sustainability efforts in the school's cafeteria. She's heading to Power Shift with her dad and sister.

Allison Stewart is part of a large group from Macalester that is attending Power Shift. She helped fundraise through a campaign her group called, "Powerbeard." The school's president promised to grow out his facial hair according to how much money the students raised. Now, it will be shaved into a funny style. Always thinking creatively, Allison has crocheted a number of beards for students to wear during fundraising efforts and festivities.

It's an important event at an important time for these youths. They have the possibility of inheriting problems that come with global warming, but they also have the chance to seize the opportunities that could come with the solutions.