Page - September 18, 2009
Campuses across the nation are taking part in these campaigns to make their community and the world a greener place.
Greenpeace campaigns being run on campuses across the country right now include:
Quit Coal
Since fall 2009, the Greenpeace Student Network has worked with student activists at Michigan State University, Iowa State University, and Penn State University to shut down their dirty, dangerous coal plants.
Iowa State student leaders pressured their administration to stop dumping toxic coal ash in unlined ponds. Within weeks, the entire Iowa State University system agreed to being monitoring these sites for contamination!
In fall 2010, Penn State student activists protested their campus coal plant, by holding a 70-person march on 350.org's international day of climate action and holding numerous protests throughout the semester. In January 2011, the university agreed to quit coal; however, Penn State missed the opportunity to transition to 100 percent clean energy, and is likely going to use dirty, fracked natural gas on campus.
We are continuing to work with students at Michigan State University, who are fighting the largest on-campus coal plant in the United States. The T.B. Simon plant burns up to 250,000 tons of coal each year, has violated Michigan Department of Environmental Quality standards, and puts tens of thousands of students at risk for health problems like asthma. Students have held die-ins, marches with climate activist Tim DeChristopher, collected thousands of petitions, hundreds of letters, brought Greenpeace energy experts to meet with Michigan State administration officials, and teamed up with MSU Beyond Coal. The university is unwilling to quit coal, and students are continuing to fight like hell for 100 percent renewable energy.
Make no mistake: coal is dirty. From the destruction of mountaintops to the poisoning of our water and air to global warming, coal is a threat to our health and environment. To secure a safe climate and healthy future, we must end our dependence on coal.
If you have a coal plant on your campus, contact us to learn how you can take action to Quit Coal!