Around 15 people wearing leis and Hawaiian shirts gathered around the Federal Building in Reno on Monday. Instead of kicking back on a beach, though, the group was attempting to raise awareness about global climate change.

On Monday, Senator Harry Reid hosted his second Nevada Clean Energy Summit in Las Vegas. The Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada (or PLAN) urged all Nevadans to advocate for comprehensive legislation to “help alleviate the climate crisis.”

Some members of PLAN and other locals stood in front of the Federal Building to speak about pollution and climate change.

“Today is the day the (clean energy) summit is taking place, and we want to echo that event in northern Nevada,” PLAN director Bob Fulkerson said. “We ultimately want to use stimulus funds to help people retrofit old buildings that aren’t efficient in their energy use.”

PLAN is a statewide coalition of 25 different organizations that Fulkerson said “keep the pressure on Congress.”

Fulkerson said that one of the problems is that the businesses that profit from pollution spend millions of dollars lobbying Congress to impede “green legislation” from passing.

“Since the beginning of the year, oil and gas companies and electric utilities have spent nearly $24 million lobbying Congress and have made more than $4 million in congressional campaign contributions,” Fulkerson said. “These polluters spent $260,000 each day lobbying members of Congress in January, February and March, and their efforts continue.”

The purpose of the event, Fulkerson said, was to prove Nevadans believe they can protect the atmosphere while raising awareness about climate change.

“Another problem is that Americans don’t care about a lot of issues until the wolf’s at the door and climate change is something that develops over time,” Fulkerson said.

The signs held by participants urged people to advocate for legislation that invests in clean energy.

“We need to pressure Congress to pass legislation that maximizes clean energy jobs for Nevada and transitions us from the dirty coal and imported fossil fuels of the past to native clean energy that promotes national security through energy independence,” Fulkerson said.

Fulkerson explained that economic and environmental problems could be solved at the same time.

“We can help restart the economy by creating green jobs,” Fulkerson said.

Sparks Democratic Assemblywoman Debbie Smith said that she has worked to have legislation passed that benefits Sparks environmentally and economically.

“A recent poll showed that for the first time in 25 years, Americans are more worried about the economy than they are about the environment,” Smith said. “That’s why it’s important that people realize that we can do both at the same time. We passed legislation that will help fund weatherization projects which make homes more energy efficient, create jobs and decrease homeowner’s expenses.”

Sparks resident Kathleen Stanton said that she recently had solar panels installed in her home in an effort to use cleaner energy.

“It cost a bit to have them installed, but I know I’ll save in the long run, and I feel better knowing that I’m using cleaner forms of energy,” Stanton said.

Stanton added that she received a tax write-off for installing the panels.

“We just hope that on some scale we can pressure Congress to change energy policies,” Fulkerson said before delivering letters to Senators Reid and John Ensign.

As Fulkerson delivered the letters, Gary Walters of Reno said that events like the one in front of the Federal Building “don’t really do anything.”

Walters was walking in front of the building on his break and stopped to speak with the demonstrators.

“I understand what climate change is and everything, but when it comes down to it, this is just another way for people to feel better about themselves,” Walters said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if some of them jumped back in their SUVs and went to their air conditioned houses after this.”