Mittens intact and banners in hand, 3,000 people swarmed the Capitol amidst a snowstorm Monday ending Power Shift ‘09.

“We, as a generation, have to decide whether we are locusts or honeybees,” said Van Jones, founding president of Green for All and New York Times bestselling author, during the opening session on Friday.

Throughout the four days, 12,000 environmentalists from every state – as well as every Canadian province and more than a dozen other countries – made Washington, D.C. their hive, hoping to yield a bold climate and energy policy in 2009.

The proposed policy would dramatically reduce emissions and create millions of green jobs.

“Just as the youth of America turned out in record numbers to elect a new president and transform Congress in the last election, they turned out in record numbers to take our rightful seat at the political table,” said Jessy Tolkan, director of Power Shift Energy Action Coalition.

“We stand at a critical point in our nation’s history, ready to work with our new leadership,” he said. “We won’t allow this moment to pass us by.”

Live music resounded in the convention center by night and the collective buzz of panels, workshops, green job fairs and speakers could be heard by day.

Big names glazed the schedule of speakers and performers: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, Obama’s assistant for energy and climate change, Carol Browner, rap group The Roots and Kentucky author Wendell Berry.

“I don’t want to get arrested, but I am willing to get arrested,” Berry said. “There is hope in finding out what the right thing is to do and doing it.”

Sleep descended the lists of priorities as hundreds of youth gathered overnight in the 7th Street art warehouse to prepare for the direct action movement on Monday.

Freshly printed flags hung from the rafters and the smell of paint emanated off of picket signs.

“We have already won. This is the victory, right here, right now,” said the woman briefing the crowd on nonviolent protest and the marching route for the upcoming day.

On Monday morning, green hard hats amassed inside the Congressional office building as the group lobbied.

Later, the people in the hats congregated at Spirit of Justice Park in preparation to march to the Capitol blocking all gates of its coal and natural gas-burning power plant.

The honey of four days’ labor: the largest citizen lobby day on climate change in U.S. history as well as the largest act of civil disobedience protesting dirty energy.

“Show me what democracy looks like!” half of the crowd shouted in unison.

“This is what democracy looks like!” roared the other.