Students pressure University to go green
Cassie Bobotas / Correspondent
Issue date: 3/1/07 Section: Page One
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Students at the Douglass College Government Association meeting Tuesday night began to contemplate a new color for the University - green.
Cook College senior Jeff McCurdy sought the Council's support for a new project on behalf of the New Jersey Public Interest Research Group Student Chapters.
NJPIRG is run and funded by students at the University, and is comprised of five offices situated on all New Brunswick/Piscataway, Newark and Camden campuses.
McCurdy, the Cook/Douglass Campus Chapter chair of NJPIRG, informed the DCGA of a new policy the group is trying to pass that would commit the University to reducing of the school's global warming pollution to zero as soon as possible.
"We hope this will be achieved by creating goals and deadlines for the University to adhere to," he said. "There are several ways the University can do it, ranging from changing to energy efficient light bulbs to putting a renewable energy resource right here on campus."
The plan proposes that it is time for the University to adopt a plan to quickly reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, and take a leadership position in averting the worst effects of global warming.
It recommends taking advantage of clean energy, increasing on-campus efficiency to stabilize and reduce energy costs.
Standards are set in the proposal for the University to work toward conserving energy and reducing pollution. One key part of the plan is to get at least one source of renewable energy installed on each campus by next year, and have 20 percent of its energy requirements generated on site by the end of 2013 by solar, wind, geothermal or biofuel sources.
Funding sources for the plans, as suggested by the proposal, include state funding, a "Clean Energy Fund" the University could establish for startup money, gifts and grants, and a student surcharge as a last resort.
The proposal is a main component of the Campus Climate Challenge, NJPIRG's major campaign this semester. The challenge is a nationwide project of college campuses and high schools to become leaders in reducing global warming pollution.
Cook College senior Jeff McCurdy sought the Council's support for a new project on behalf of the New Jersey Public Interest Research Group Student Chapters.
NJPIRG is run and funded by students at the University, and is comprised of five offices situated on all New Brunswick/Piscataway, Newark and Camden campuses.
McCurdy, the Cook/Douglass Campus Chapter chair of NJPIRG, informed the DCGA of a new policy the group is trying to pass that would commit the University to reducing of the school's global warming pollution to zero as soon as possible.
"We hope this will be achieved by creating goals and deadlines for the University to adhere to," he said. "There are several ways the University can do it, ranging from changing to energy efficient light bulbs to putting a renewable energy resource right here on campus."
The plan proposes that it is time for the University to adopt a plan to quickly reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, and take a leadership position in averting the worst effects of global warming.
It recommends taking advantage of clean energy, increasing on-campus efficiency to stabilize and reduce energy costs.
Standards are set in the proposal for the University to work toward conserving energy and reducing pollution. One key part of the plan is to get at least one source of renewable energy installed on each campus by next year, and have 20 percent of its energy requirements generated on site by the end of 2013 by solar, wind, geothermal or biofuel sources.
Funding sources for the plans, as suggested by the proposal, include state funding, a "Clean Energy Fund" the University could establish for startup money, gifts and grants, and a student surcharge as a last resort.
The proposal is a main component of the Campus Climate Challenge, NJPIRG's major campaign this semester. The challenge is a nationwide project of college campuses and high schools to become leaders in reducing global warming pollution.