Despite the "Republican war on science," scientific research and education continue to advance. In the last year, the Large Hadron Collider began operation as the most powerful particle accelerator on Earth, the Hubble Space Telescope was given new life, pandemic flu was averted thanks to public health campaigns and in spite of anti-vaccine denialists, climate change legislation made unprecedented advances even as emails stolen from a climate researcher gave the public a confusing view of science’s inner workings, and statewide science standards were found to require more and better evolution lessons than ever before. Scientific and technological advances require not just scientific experts, but an engaged public that appreciates the value of science and policies that encourage and support cutting-edge science education and research. A panel of scientists will discuss steps concerned citizens can and have taken to ensure scientific advances continue for the betterment of society.

A soldier, a minister and a businessman walk into a bar. Seems like the start of a bad joke, but in this case they’re about to advocate for clean energy. In fact, a broad national coalition of unusual suspects has shifted the climate change and clean energy debate in recent months. They've helped protect cap-and-trade proponents from the kind of attacks brought on by the health care debate. But why and how? Major efforts to recruit, train and position clean energy spokespersons from the military, religious and business communities have allowed the national clean energy campaign to greatly expand its reach. Now, if conservatives want to call clean energy “anti-American,” they risk saying it to the face of an Iraq vet, a priest or their local small businessman. We’ll shine the light on how to build widespread coalitions of community leaders to support progressive organizing efforts.

For many years conservatives have attacked the very idea of community organizing and empowering the poor by attempting to destroy the role of progressive organizations. And they have sought to define the limits of national debates so as to exclude the views of progressives. Indeed, the very ideas of community organizing , progressive advocacy and social justice are under assault. In the wake of ACORN and other attacks on progressive groups, it is incumbent that the progressive community recognize this danger and shape a response that will both defend groups under attack and begin to develop a narrative that respects the value of progressive organizing, its contribution to our nation's progress and that conveys to the broader public the political motivations informing these attacks. This panel will look at what happened to ACORN, how the progressive community responded and efforts underway to organize a long-term response for all nonprofits.

Activists and leaders on the right have spent the past three decades running “stealth” candidates and funding pressure groups in an effort to shape what American students learn in their public schools. Two of the fiercest state battlegrounds in the education culture wars have been Texas and Kansas, where social conservatives have, at various times, taken control of their respective State Boards of Education. The flash points in those battlegrounds have often been science and social studies, particularly instruction on evolution, the role of religion in the nation’s founding and efforts to promote conservative icons and ideology in textbooks and classrooms. Panelists will explore areas where the right has been most successful in its efforts to hijack education in service of a political agenda. They will also discuss resources available to progressive bloggers and activists who want to uncover, monitor and counter the right’s efforts at local, state and federal levels.

After this year's election, state lawmakers across the country will meet to draw new legislative districts. The Congressional maps created after 2010 will dictate political realities for the next decade. Republicans are already gearing up to target state legislatures because redistricting is a battle they are accustomed to winning. Progressives must begin organizing for this fight now if they hope to preserve a Democratic agenda for the future. Join Michael Sargeant, the executive director of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, and Sen. Steven Horsford, majority leader of the Nevada Senate, as they discuss how Democrats are organizing to prepare for this challenge.

The 2010 midterm elections will see a marked rise in the use of wedge issues meant to take advantage of the subconscious anxieties of the electorate. From anti-affirmative action ballot initiatives to immigration reform, gay marriage and explicit framing of the mid-terms as a referendum on America’s first black president, some will seek to stoke fires of resentment in the electorate. In this panel, leading scientists and progressive activists will teach attendees how unconscious prejudice works in the mind, how it is used to derail positive change and what they can do about it.

From local municipalities like San Francisco to state legislatures like the New York State Senate and all the way to the White House, government is beginning to leverage technology and social media tools to increase engagement with us—the public they serve. While efforts at the local, state and federal levels are only in their infancy, they hold the promise to radically change the way we interact with government by making the process more transparent, collaborative and participatory. This panel will explore how the Netroots community can create social change and reshape the future of our democracy by bringing disruptive innovation into government through new open government channels.

Immigration enforcement under the Obama administration has continued almost unchanged from the “enforcement-only” regime perfected by the Bush administration, applying criminal enforcement tactics to the civil immigration system. While Department of Homeland Security officials have promised to reform the immigration detention system after dozens of deaths in detention, the effort has been cosmetic and designed to forestall more rigorous oversight. Despite moving away from massive workplace raids, the agency has continued home and business raids under the radar, with the result that overall levels of deportation have actually increased under Obama. Meanwhile, legislative reform is stalled in Congress and the White House has not shown leadership. Join advocates and activists in a discussion of recent direct action pushing back against the Obama administration’s enforcement policy.

With a wave of populist energy upending the old political coalitions, bloggers have a leading role to play in redefining the political playing field. One of the openings is drug policy, with marijuana policy in the lead, pulling together the libertarian elements of the Tea Party movement, small-government conservatives and progressives. Medical marijuana is now legal in 14 states, and several more are considering taxing and regulating marijuana for non-medical use. Ballot measures are being considered in several states for 2010 and 2012. By embracing marijuana as a serious issue to be addressed in the context of a broader populist movement, bloggers can help to take it out of the policy and political ghetto where it normally resides and could make genuine progress.

Current levels of economic inequality are not only immoral, they're hastening the demise of our economy. Gains to the wealthiest one percent have come at the expense of the working and now unemployed poor. But our arguments about the dangers of inequality have fallen largely on deaf ears, subject always to the supremacy of the market and the grand mythology of self-made millionaires. In this session, we'll present research initiated and sponsored by the Progressive Ideas Network into the language of inequality—what's working and not in our discourse—and how to put forth compelling arguments for policies that halt and minimize economic inequality. We will reveal how people come to judgments about inequality, suggesting both overarching frameworks and immediate language fixes to make our case loudly and persuasively that this is a man-made problem we can and must address.

The Netroots Nation Interfaith Service celebrates the wide range of faiths represented in the progressive movement. The gathering is open to all, and provides an opportunity for fellowship and reflection. Traditionally, the service features readings from texts both sacred and profane, a brief sermon by clergy or lay participants, and music led by the Prophecy Street Singers. We also take up a collection for a worthy cause. In past years, we have raised funds for Hurricane Katrina relief, Habitat for Humanity, and Netroots for the Troops. This year's collection will go to Haiti for ongoing needs related to the earthquake.

The Interfaith Service has been held every year at Netroots Nation, beginning way back in 2006, when it was known as Yearly Kos.