To everyone around them, the world may look more like a mess than an opportunity for success — a climate crisis, rising fuel costs and a slumping economy — but Hawai'i's newest green soldiers have tapped into the most renewable of energy sources.

Hope.

Three students from the University of Hawai'i-Manoa recently attended Power Shift '09, an international gathering of 12,000 college students who converged on Washington, D.C., to hold elected officials accountable for their energy policies. Organizers called it the largest gathering of climate and clean energy activities in U.S. history.

Sponsored by Blue Planet Foundation, Daniel Alexander, David Aquino and Ivory Kealani McClintock were charged with learning how to implement their visions of a clean energy Hawai'i. They attended workshops and rallies, and met with lawmakers to discuss ways to create change.

The challenge is no small task in the most oil-dependent state in the country.

Finding environmentally friendly sources of energy have been pegged to Hawai'i's economic survival for decades. More than 92 percent of the state's electricity is driven by imported oil and coal, sources of fuel that annually dump 23 million tons of greenhouse gas into the atmosphere. That addiction to fossil fuels costs the state billions of dollars.

But the students are full of enthusiasm, said Jeff Mikulina, executive director of Blue Planet Foundation. It will help them persuade people to change the way they behave.

"We think they can be very powerful messengers," he said. "Ideally, we are equipping them with this knowledge and excitement to go forward and do these things."

But the opportunity that comes to each new generation also brings responsibility, he said.

"They can save the world," he said. "The ball's in their court."

DANIEL ALEXANDER

Age: 24

Hometown: Imperial Valley, Calif.

Major: Pursing a master's in urban and regional planning

One of Alexander's goals was to learn how other student movements created so-called "green fees" at their colleges and universities. A University of Montana student told Alexander the school's $2 fee helped create waste reduction and composting projects.

"It gives a secured source of funding, semester by semester, for green projects and sustainability projects," Alexander said — and with about 20,000 students at Manoa, a $2 per student fee could go a long way toward creating internships with an environmental focus.

"One of the main themes of Power Shift '09 was the creation of green jobs," he said. "Energy jobs are becoming prevalent because they can save tons of money. An energy audit at Hamilton Library found a potential savings of $700,000 a year."

DAVID AQUINO

Age: 21

Hometown: 'Alewa Heights

Major: Environmental policy

Aquino found a new appreciation for the role that students can play in the lawmaking process. He also learned strategies to rally students online — by using social networking sites such as MySpace, Facebook and Twitter.

"Creating a movement with students and getting them inspired and pumped up can really make a big difference in creating policy in Hawai'i," Aquino said. He wants to see programs that "train the next green army for the future."

His trip allowed him to join a network of like-minded students willing to share what did and did not work at their various campuses.

"I really wanted to go up there and really network and see what other universities were doing in regards to clean energy," he said. "I really wanted to bring back these ideas and learn how to apply them here in Hawai'i."

IVORY KEALANI MCCLINTOCK

Age: 21

Hometown: Anahola, Kaua'i

Major: Political science

Not only did McClintock learn how to lobby, but she was surprised that lawmakers were interested in what she had to say, she said.

"They were so happy to see young people coming up there," she said. "We told them we do care about what is going on. For me, it was really exciting, to get a good reception and to feel like we had support at the federal level."

She would like the university to become a green example for the community and thinks she has a the tools to help create that — success stories from campuses all over the nation.

"What I would love to see is more focus on the universities and the schools for training us in how to use alternative energy," McClintock said. "Then eventually, we can create a young, green workforce of local students, so we can stay in Hawai'i and have a more diversified economy."