Earth Equity News

College Students Protest Coal Use on Campuses. By Alan Scher Zagier, AP, September 16, 2009. "College students from Missouri to Oregon are urging their schools to stop using coal-based electricity in favor of cleaner energy sources ranging from wood chips to geothermal power. On September 16 students at the University of Missouri and other schools nationwide mounted a Sierra Club-led campaign [Campuses Beyond Coal] targeting coal-based power at colleges, whether generated at on-campus plants or purchased from private utilities. The campaign began the same day a group of college presidents rallied in Washington in support of clean energy legislation. Student organizers said colleges have a societal obligation to reduce and eventually eliminate coal use in favor of renewable energy. At Missouri, the school used more than 48,000 tons of coal to generate electricity in 2007, accounting for 80 percent of campus energy use. A Sierra Club report singled out UCLA, Oregon State, Indiana, Minnesota, North Carolina and five other schools along with Missouri. The environmental group identified 60 campuses with their own coal-burning power plants, including Georgia, Penn State and Virginia."