You may be at least casually aware of the PowerShift movement, which brought 12,000 people to Washington for meetings and demonstrations earlier this year. I wouldn't say I measure up even to "casually," but what I think I know is that it is a coalition mostly of college-age climate-change activists. Every time I hear them mentioned, the operative word is energetic.

Well, the Mass. chapter will need that energy for its summer gambit, which will send three teams of cyclists across the state to carry the climate-change message to cities and towns. 

Organizers Jay O'Hara and Elizabeth Pierce layed out their plans for members of the Mass. Climate Action Network steering committee, which met via conference call last night. O'Hara said each team of eight will spend two to three days in each town, going door to door and seeking to hook up with local climate-action groups to spread word of their cause.

"We're trying to promote action in line with what the science says we need," O'Hara said.

He said the riders have already connected with several MCAN chapters and with various denominations through the Mass. Council of Churches. They are trying to arrange sleeping quarters in church basements and in partisans' homes. 

O'Hara said Mass PowerShift has groups at about 25 private colleges and universities across the state. They're not snobby, though — they are partners with MassPIRG, which has chapters at most of the state schools. 

In addition the specific advocacy work and the alliances that the cycle tours might establish or strengthen, O'Hara said they will "bridge the semesters," sustaining ties developed among members during the school year. He said that often, campus organizing is undercut by the summer break, forcing annual rebuilding of connections. They expect to overcome some of that this year.

The cyclers have a website, massclimatesummer.org, though O'Hara said it is being retooled. Should be soon — remember: "energetic." He was unable to provide a list of town dates, but that's cool; I'll get another post out of it.