April 9, 2010

The Veterans for American Power Tour reached the 25,000 mile mark today as it rolled into New Orleans for a press conference with local veteran and renewable energy company president, Troy Von Otnott.  The tour which has spanned over half of the nation and well over 100 events has been an incredible success for Operation Free – a coalition of national security and veterans organizations discussing the national security threats posed by oil and carbon pollution.  Robin Eckstein, an Iraq veteran who has been a part of the tour since its maiden voyage in October stated, “[the tour] has been one of the best things I have been a part of in a very long time”.  Few outside of the defense community knew about the national security implications of U.S. energy policy before Operation Free and the Veterans for American Power Tour came along, but their efforts have changed how Americans are thinking about fossil fuels and the carbon pollution that is causing destabilizing climate change.

New Orleans is the last stop in Louisiana, it went through Shreveport yesterday to meet with the Shreveport Times and the Mayor of Shreveport, but it is far from over.  The tour continues to roll on back North where it will host events in Arkansas, Tennessee, and Virginia before it makes a 4 day stop in Washington, D.C. to participate in the Earth Day activities on the Capitol Mall and head down the Eastern Shore.  Will the tour hit 30,000 miles?  We’ll see…

25,000 plus miles – check.  Changing how Americans look at clean energy – check.

James Whitaker is the Southern Regional Field Director for the Truman National Security Project based in Washington, D.C.

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