The LSU Environmental Conservation Organization invaded Washington D.C. on Thursday with 21 students, two minivans and one mission — to make the University more environmentally sustainable.Students joined more than 10,000 other students from around the country to participate in Powershift ’09 — a youth conference demanding government action to reclaim the economy and environment through climate and clean energy policy, according to the Powershift Web site.”The conference will give us skills training to organize effective campaigns on campus, learn how to have quick meetings, talk to the media and learn to be leaders,” said Rachel Guillory, Sierra Student Coalition campus organizer.These skills help ECO make a larger impact on campus after they get back today and work on sustainability efforts, Guillory said.They also allow ECO to avoid having a few leaders run everything then graduate and leave the organization without a stable support, Guillory said.Not even the weather stopped University students from demanding action as they took part in a rally on the Capitol lawn during Monday’s snowstorm.”We’re standing in three feet of snow to avoid three feet of sea level rise,” Guillory said.ECO worked to achieve their main goal of networking during Powershift, said Meredit Soniat, ECO co-president.”Louisiana lacks environmental awareness so networking with people on the same page as us allows us to see what other universities are doing and see what we can follow,” Soniat said.During Powershift, ECO joined up with more than 100 students from across Louisiana to start a joint effort for environmental action, Guillory said.”It was the highlight of the whole weekend,” Guillory said.  “We even had students from Penn State and Michigan that are from New Orleans come just to see what we can do.”One of their plans is to follow-up on their lobbying of Louisiana congressmen when Congress goes into recess in April, Guillory said.ECO benefited from Powershift greatly, and the only problem seemed to be driving back through the weather, Guillory said.”We don’t know how we’re going to get home,” Guillory said. “The issue is our safety.  None of us are used to driving in the snow.”When they do return, the members of ECO look forward to applying what they learned to the upcoming Unplug energy competition, Guillory said.
 
 
 
—-Contact Peter Hubbs at phubbs@lsureveille.com