First up, Phil Primack of Boston.com, who waxes nostalgic about the Boomers and the first Earth Day, pivoting to smack down Millennials:
In 1970, when I was finishing college, Earth Day fit into the take-it-to-the-streets era of social change, though a bit less angry than both the civil rights and antiwar movements. But it helped unleash a social and political momentum that led to, among other things, passage of the federal Clean Air and Clean Water acts. That was largely because Americans, especially college students and other youth, insisted on action, not platitudes. They believed in collective power and organized protest. They stuck to it – and not just long enough to fill an afternoon with Tweets – and forced Congress to listen
But wait! Van Jones and Lindsay McClusky posted a different assessment in the Huffington Post, fresh from their experience with this weekend's Power Surge in Washington,DC, which attracted about 10,000 attendees:
What will the Millennial Generation do? What young people always do: Innovate and fight back. Students are piloting new attention-getting tactics like Briefcase Brigades. On their upcoming national action April 27, youth and students across the country will dress up for job interviews, some with briefcases, and visit local offices of members of Congress. They will ask their elected reps to stop cutting education and jobs. Photos and videos will be posted in social media. Briefcase Brigades will be followed by graduation actions. Summer actions will build up to bigger actions in the Fall.
I can speak for the Boomers: we weren't all activists; many of us just quietly went about our lives and tried to make good environmental choices. Should we have marched more, rallied more, demonstrated more? I honestly have no idea if that would have made a difference. Drawing on our experience as you see it, what kind of energy and strategies do today's young adults bring to the table?
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