You can’t have a real discussion about biofuels without talking about indigenous people affected by deforestation, or people who survive on corn and are stuck with higher prices. You can’t discuss a carbon-free economy without talking about green jobs and alternative infrastructure. But instead of integrating environmentalism into the broader progressive agenda, mainstream media and even some non-profits keep green in a silo. We gain nothing by such segregation. Hear progressive activists, bloggers and environmentalists discuss environmentalism as it is understood by the rest of the world—as an issue that permeates most others.

Since 2006, the Latino blogosphere in the United States has grown by leaps and bounds—often spurred on by hateful anti-immigrant ordinances and laws considered by states and communities across the nation. Several of Texas' most prominent Latino bloggers will discuss strategies for communicating both with their Latino and non-Latino audiences and developing a blog that is a resource for progressive Latino activists.

There is a large underbelly to politics that bloggers often don't recognize or get involved in: campaign finance and ethics laws. A panel of Texas bloggers will explain how they single-handedly got the Texas Ethics Commission off its behind and politicians to pay attention to the campaign spending rules, and how you can do it in your state. In addition, Travis County DA Ronnie Earle, Texas’ primary ethical watchdog of elected officials, will share his views on the role of the Netroots in shaping the debate related to ethically-challenged politicians.

This workshop is an in-depth look at how to get your message heard in the congested online world using blogs, websites, e-mail and advertising.

What’s it like to be at the “pointy end of the spear” in a state that spawned the modern religious right movement? People on the front lines of some of the toughest fights in the country discuss strategies, tactics and messaging for fighting for progressive values in a red state.

Once upon a time, dramatic TV coverage of showdowns in Birmingham and Selma made the media equal partners in the struggle to civilize America. After the 1968 Democratic Convention,however, executives startled to learn that most Americans reviled the media for "taking the protesters' side" set in motion the broken mainstream media dynamic of today: bending over backward to please a mythic "middle America," patronizing even the most popular liberal political expressions as "elitist." Building on Rick Perlstein's NIXONLAND, this panel will explore this pattern's causes and consequences, and whether and how online activism might change it.

This panel will explain the economics of the subprime mortgage meltdown and the subsequent foreclosure crisis. It will go on to describe the political and social conditions that gave rise to these phenomena. Panelists will discuss progressive responses to predatory lending and rising rates of foreclosure nationwide, including organizing campaigns, legal challenges and legislative proposals. Panelists will also offer a progressive messaging campaign and blogosphere actions that can help change the current set of assumptions and debate on the subprime crisis.

How can humor help your video message go viral? Clearly, laughter plays a role in promoting progressive values—on TV and on the web. Comedians and online activists from The Onion, 236.com and Comedy Central discuss what makes humor work online, showcase their examples of successful video and offer feedback on videos brought by attendees.

Join in one of these ad-hoc sessions that originated from Rootscamp (or organize your own). Check out the details on how a self organizing session works here (.pdf 155KB).

Join in one of these ad-hoc sessions that originated from Rootscamp (or organize your own). Check out the details on how a self organizing session works here (.pdf 155KB).

The youth are voting! But, what happens after the polls close? Young adults are underrepresented in the halls of power and they know it. When asked how well leaders in Washington represented them, 68 percent responded not very well. In contrast, 79 percent believe that corporations have it good. Qvisory's knows the woes of those aged 18-35. Our mission help advocate for money, health, and work policies that address the unique challenges they face. Join us for a discussion of how to best shape our advocacy agenda and engage our community on the issues that matter the most to them.

Military blogs (milblogs) have played an increasingly important role in not only the dissemination of battlefield information in real time, but also in shaping how Americans view the troops and the wars in which they’re fighting. In recent years, milblogs both supportive and critical of the war effort in Iraq have sprung up across the blogosphere. Some, like VetVoice and Blackfive, have even evolved into online communities for troops and veterans. This panel will explore the implications of milblogs on military policy by discussing them with three veterans who blog and a traditional media military reporter.

NASA is in crisis—overburdened, under-funded and inefficient. Yet the progressive legacy of space, which dates back to JFK, is being quietly reborn: NASA can reinvent itself as a critical resource in climate change mitigation; the UN and some in the U.S. military are collaborating to prevent space weapons from becoming an arms race with China; and progressive “NewSpace” entrepreneurs are creating new domestic high-tech jobs. Before 2009, a new progressive space policy needs to be devised and advocated beyond the traditional space constituencies, to upgrade Bush's failing space exploration vision. Who better to initiate this work than the Netroots?

Tort "reforms" protect the Exxons and Enrons of the world, leaving regular Americans high and dry if we're ever harmed by corporate misconduct. Conservative think tanks and the industries that fund them work hard to convince Americans that these policies are good for us, our economy, and our legal system. How can progressives work together to inform and mobilize the public around the right's stealth attack on our rights? Panelists discuss their groundbreaking work, and together examine why and how the left must work on- and off-line to build a stronger movement for civil justice.

Debates over whether or not current policy in Iraq is “working” are meaningless absent scrutiny of the issue working to do what? Iraq needs, in short, to be placed into a broader strategic context concerning al-Qaeda, nuclear proliferation, Iran, Syria, etc. The mainstream press rarely addresses these issues, and when it does, it tends to simply reiterate conventional thinking. Can the Netroots help progressives articulate a meaningful strategic alternative?

Molly Ivins once called Texas “the national laboratory for bad government”—and for good reason—Texas politics is like a legal contact sport. From mid-decade redistricting debacles, runaway corruption at juvenile prisons and a House Speaker who assumes monarchal authority to legislative antics and bizarre campaign debacles, nobody knows Texas politics better than the bloggers and citizen journalists who regularly cover it. In this panel, four of Texas’ premier bloggers will address a variety of issues and topics to give the attendee an insider’s view of politics and the legislative process in Texas.

Bloggers are frequently stumped by two things: how to get their blogs noticed and build a consistent readership, and how to make money from their blogs. In this panel discussion, bloggers will discuss various marketing strategies and internal marketing tools; using social networking to boost, engage and create synergy with your readership; and monetizing your blog.

Have you thought about taking the leap and running for office? This informative discussion will walk you through what you need to think about before you launch your campaign and give proactive steps that you can take now to run in the next one to five years.

What happens to the 705 people of Crawford, Texas when George W. Bush moves to town? This award-winning documentary takes on the town the President "claims" as home and looks inside the lives of the residents and their mixed feelings toward their presidential neighbor. With Austin-based director David Modigliani.

Immigrants built this country and remain a vital part of our communities. Yet immigration has become a political hot potato in recent years. With Congress held hostage to a vocal minority of hard-line immigration restrictionists stirred up by right-wing websites and talk-radio, the Bush administration has launched a series of showy “crack-downs” that have divided working families and transferred billions into the hands of well-connected DHS contractors, but done nothing to reform a deeply dysfunctional immigration system. We can do better.

Come by for a lively discussion of this vitally important issue with activists speaking from a variety of perspectives.

Some of the most exciting and competitive races of the 2008 election cycle feature some strong progressive candidates running in competitive districts. This panel will feature some of those challengers moderated by Brian Keeler.

Join in one of these ad-hoc sessions that originated from Rootscamp (or organize your own). Check out the details on how a self organizing session works here (.pdf 155KB).

Join in one of these ad-hoc sessions that originated from Rootscamp (or organize your own). Check out the details on how a self organizing session works here (.pdf 155KB).

How do we share a progressive message outside of the political space? When the mere mention of politics turns people off, or has them throwing their hands up in frustration, how do we share our vision and grow our movement? Our panelists will talk about the ways in which we can expand the conversation beyond the political space and strengthen the progressive movement in the process.

Taking Place at Champions, a stones throw from the convention, The event will consist on multiple themed rounds of trivia questions of increasing difficulty to test the teams' knowledge of fundamental and arcane facts. Teams can organize on whatever basis they choose (preferred websites, regions of the country, preferred candidates or we'll help you form teams on site for unaffiliated participants to break the ice.)

Prizes will be awarded for the winning teams. They may be shiny. More importantly is the title of "Biggest Nerds In The Blogosphere," which the winning team may trumpet until Netroots Nation 2009.