Unless you’ve been living under a rock, or perhaps a mine, it is no secret that a hot coal debate is in the works on UK’s campus. Despite a long tradition of coal dependency at UK, one student organization is looking to turn the tide.
UK Beyond Coal is pushing harder than ever for the university to make the transition to 100 percent alternative renewable energy sources by the year 2015.
UK owns and relies on two coal plants, which are permitted to burn 47,250 tons of coal per year, according to UK’s Physical Plant Division. UK’s campus and medical complexes are both 80 percent dependent on coal and plan to increase usage to power the new medical complexes.
Protesters gather in Washington, D.C., to protest the use of coal to power the Capitol for the Capitol Climate Action and PowerShift rallies in March 2009. Photo by Adam Wolffbrandt | staff
Becca Barhorst, a political science freshman and the event planning coordinator for UK Beyond Coal, said choosing to use alternative energy sources on UK’s campus would be good for our health, our planet and for Kentucky.
“UK needs to take advantage of the opportunity to lead the rest of the state in the clean and renewable energy future, Barhorst said. “There are incredible benefits in moving towards renewable energy, it will improve health quality for all Kentuckians and create enormous job potential in the renewable energy industry.”
UK Beyond Coal students believe 2015 is a feasible date for the university to make the transition to renewable energy sources.
Other universities, such as the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Ball State University and Cornell University, have already begun the transition from coal to renewable sources, said Curt Liska, a recent UK graduate and UK Beyond Coal research intern.
“In particular, Cornell will be coal-free by 2011. 2015 is a reasonable timetable because it allows for the identification of the best renewable energy solutions for central Kentucky and it allows time for implementation of these technologies,” Liska said.
UK Beyond Coal students also want to raise awareness about other negative aspects of coal, such as the poverty in Kentucky’s Appalachian region.
“In the last generation, 60 percent of coal mining jobs in Eastern Kentucky were lost,” Barhorst said. “These coal industries are exploiting our workers by using their labor for a short period of time and then pulling out when the region’s coal has been mined, leaving the communities impoverished and unemployed. The coal industry is not helping Kentucky, it is stealing from the state.”
The Sierra Club started the national Beyond Coal campaign in 2005 in response to an initiative to build 150 new coal plants across the United States, Barhorst said.
The campaign was able to stop 112 of the original 150 coal-fired power plants from becoming a reality, and it hopes to experience similar success at UK.
UK Beyond Coal has had about 1,000 students express interest and support to show UK President Lee Todd that students want to see UK make the renewable energy transition, Barhorst said.
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Once again, what is the alternative solution? And where does the money come from to implement it?
lol,lol,lol!!!!!! It’s never gonna happen.
@Juan
http://hempcar.org/efia.shtml
Here’s your alternative solution. Hemp is a renewable resource. It can be planted into the ground and it grows. NO, it’s not the same as marijuana though they are botanical cousins.
If you think hemp and marijuana are the same thing consider this scenario:
You ask me to get you a guard dog for your house. I arrive carrying a fully grown Yorkshire Terrier under my arm. “Dude!” you say, “When I said a guard dog I meant a German shepherd, or a pit bull, ya know..”
“Dude,” I reply, “They’re both from the canine family. They’re exactly the same thing!”
We then proceed to sit down and smoke a tightly rolled hemp cigarette, coughing profusely.
This is a great idea. Also the Club has put forward several reasonable solutions such as using natural gas as a bridge fuel to get to more sustainable energy.
As for the costs, coal is only cheap when you don’t consider the externalities, such as damaged health, water supply, and air quality. Coal is linked to lung diseases, cancer, and developmental problems. We cannot afford not to move beyond coal.
The great people that are heading up this campaign admit fully that they are not energy experts, and do not know exactly what would be the solution for UK to transfer beyond coal.
However, we have a house ran on 100% renewable energy sitting in our front yard that has placed ninth in international competition. So, we have the brain power to figure out a solution.
In fact, the policy that outlines UK’s commitment to go carbon neutral is clearly defined by the President’s Sustainability Advisory Committee. There is just no time line that suggests when this will occur, which is the goal of this group.
There have always been those who have said that it can’t be done, yet small groups have organized to change the course of history time and time again. Good job group!!!
Once again the “other side” of the story is not even mentioned, people on campus that want to keep tuition costs down and allow the coal miners of America to keep their jobs are forgotten like always. I approached this so called mass group (of four) one day to discuss the issues of energy they quickly informed me that they weren’t energy experts, well that was obvious by their lack of content on the subject. Then I asked them how many had even been to a reclaimed mine site once again I was met with faces of uncertainty. They then began to tell us how they had been informed that the people of those areas really didn’t like coal and that its toxic nature ruined their lives. I smiled and said I am a fourth generation coal miner and my family depends on it. The leader of the group said maybe we could set something up so that he could visit one of these sights I told him to come on down I would take him hunting…he just laughed…I tried but I am afraid I failed miserably…
If the students of UK want to clean the air up for the state, how about asking everyone in Lexington to give their cars up! Imagine the clean air! If this sounds insane, so does the thought of giving up the job of mining coal. I know plenty of people that have worked in the mining profession continuosly so far. The only thing that might cause them to loose their job would be those wishing for coal to disappear. I think these people have no idea what coal mining is like nowadays. They watch mining videos of the old day and think that is the way it’s like today. I’ll tell you, it’s far from it. It may be dirty at times but laying water lines is too and so on. Not everyone in this world can have a job where they stay spotlessly clean all day. They also say that coal is linked to diseases, but the burning of fuels made from oil does also. Imagine all the energy needed to make these “clean energy” pieces. Imagine the cost and the tuition hike! no one would be able to afford to go there. Just think, they had no idea about coal at UK until someone told them it was there and “bad for you”.
To William Turner: The “other side” is all that is ever heard in this state. In addition, a piece was run in the Kernel that took coal’s side just the day before this article ran.
So ajr the media base of the kernel isn’t bias? I am sorry if the state as a whole agrees that the university should support coal as it has supports us but the fact is college campuses are known to be powered by liberal who blah. Our campus is just the same as any other and will continue to be I was just pointing out that there are people who do support coal…If you are mad I could take you hunting or 4 wheelin’ on a reclaimed mine sight you might even have some fun and crack a smile who knows…