Clemson Announces Move off Coal on Campus!

After a year-long effort by students Clemson President Jim Barker announced the university will be investing in several university upgrades including ending the use of coal on campus!  The campaign, spearheaded by Students for Environmental Action at Clemson, has been working with the administration to stop burning dangerous coal in the campus steam plant situated near the aptly named "Death Valley" - the university's football field.  Ending their use of coal is just phase I of several planned utility upgrades over the next five years and a significant step towards meeting the university's commitment to reduce their overall carbon emissions to zero by 2030. 

Students are excited and looking forward to another address by the President planned for next week at their "Solutions for the Next Decade" teach-in where they hope to hear more details for the transition. 

"Clemson is making strides in becoming more aware of sustainability and taking concrete steps to reduce its carbon emissions.  No where is this more evident than in President Barkers' announcement to begin Phase 1 of taking the campus coal plant offline.  This will catapult Clemson toward our goal of becoming a carbon neutral campus by the year 2030 and we are very excited to hear yesterday's announcement," said Graduate student and SEA leader Holly Garrett.

"This decision to move our university beyond coal shows that the university is really listening to the concerns of students and faculty who want a cleaner, healthier campus and demonstrates our dedication to environmental, economic and social leadership.  I'm very proud to go a university that is committing to building a clean energy future," said CU Beyond Coal leader Rose Kinane.  

"Now, we hope to see the university to continue invest in solutions like efficiency for our buildings and renewable energy projects that will make our school a 100% clean energy institution."

 

Comments

[Patricia Whitener]

I am so inspired to be apart of this group. SEA are powerful motivators and are initiating great changes beginning in their own 'front yards'

[Gabriel Fair]

This took hours upon hours of volunteer work from Clemson Students to present the University with this problem and the solutions.

View a video on Clemson's Channel where President Barker talks about it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUiFbV8JbC4

[Lisa Scharin]

Hopefully this will begin a "trend" throughout the state!!!
South Carolina needs to progress forward in MANY areas!
It's the 21st century!!
Thank-you Clemson for helping!!