Sign the ONLINE petition for clean energy

We now have an online petition! Our goal is to reach 2,500 signatures by next semester so please forward the link and the below message on facebook, email listservs, twitter, or however you want to!

Virginia Tech currently burns 46,00 tons of coal at the campus power plant for steam heat and power. Yes, the campus needs to be powered, but there are alternative energy sources which would be safer for the students, more sustainable ,and move Tech towards a more innovative and modern future.

Dormitory rooms by the coal plant are contaminated with coal dust everyday. Do you want students to be exposed to serious health problems from dust inhalation? VT coal comes from underground and mountaintop removal mining in Kentucky. Do you want VT to support the destruction of beautiful mountains, valuable ecosystems, and people’s homes and communities? Climate change is causing severe droughts, storms, and altering ecological processes right now. Do you want VT to keep fueling to climate change with carbon intensive coal?

If you answered ‘no’ to any of these questions, support our movement by signing this petition and encouraging Tech to Invent a CLEAN Future.

Thank you for your help,

Beyond Coal and Greenpeace at Virginia Tech

Petition link: https://www.change.org/petitions/virginia-tech-coal-plant-move-to-clean-renewable-energy-by-2020

Pie the Plant Success!

117 petitions collected and 53 pies thrown at the “coal plant” (thanks Chris and Eric for being the plant!)

CT Coverage of Coal Oct 15

Dean Seal with the Collegiate Times wrote a fairly balanced and succinct article on the current political discussions around coal mining and use in America. The current “War on Coal” is a political attack from mostly Republicans on the EPA and Obama Administration. While coal prices have increased and production from Central Appalachia decreased, market forces are the main driver of coal’s recent downturn. Natural gas, extracted using hydraulic fracturing which is increasingly cheaper, is dominating the energy market.

Even here at VT the campus plant has only used natural gas in 6 months – that’s 6 months without burning coal! So, it’s clear to see that there are ways to heat buildings and keep the lights on without coal. Beyond Coal does not endorse natural gas because of its environmental and social costs, but, we recognize it as a transition fuel for renewable energy that carries a substantially lower carbon footprint. 

For more info on the coal market trends: http://appvoices.org/2012/03/12/coal-fired-generation-falls-to-40-percent/ + http://appvoices.org/2012/06/06/coalrally/

CT article: http://www.collegiatetimes.com/stories/20626/coal-plays-pivotal-role-for-virginia-residents-students-in-the-november-election

PIE THE PLANT

Today! Wednesday Oct. 17 Beyond Coal and Greenpeace at VT will be on Drillfield 12-2 where you can learn about the VT coal plant and possible clean energy alternatives… Then you can step up to the plate and toss a pie at the “coal plant” (someone dressed as coal!).

See you there!

EARTH WEEK 2012. greening VT the fun way.

It’s that time of the year! There are dozens of Earth Week events, but, here are the Beyond Coal highlights:

Tuesday April 17

11-3 PM Biomass Bar-B-Q on Drillfield… stop by our table to see how clean woody pellets burn and learn how this new fuel can move VT past dirty coal. Field games and other fun provided

5:30 PM Hokies Love Mountains Rally with guest speaker Chuck Nelson. Show your support for our majestic Appalachian Mountains and get involved to END mountaintop removal coal mining. 

Thursday April 19

7-8 PM FREE Urth show Hendersen Lawn (across from Moe’s). Listen to some free jams and celebrate Earth Week!

Saturday April 21

Community Day is all day at the Farmer’s Market! Buy local veggies and crafts, volunteer with Beyond Coal, and learn about dozens of other environmental groups in the area.

 

 

Green Speaks

Mark your calendars!!!

Green Speaks :: A Clean Energy Speaker Event

hosted by: Beyond Coal & Greenpeace at VT

Saturday March 17th, Virginia Tech campus Squires 341

11-12 Adam Hall, with Keeper of the Mountains, will discuss the tragedies of mountaintop removal coal mining in WV and how you can join the fight.

12-1 Carter Chamberlain, VT student, will present on his research comparing basic efficiencies between renewable and conventional energy sources.

1-2 Christina-Alexa Liakos, Greenpeace Coordinator will discuss the cradle-to-grave life cycle of coal and how it is destructive to human health and the environment (coal ash, waste disposal, water waste).

2-3 A local presenter (TBD) on renewable energy alternatives such as wind, solar, and LED energy; costs, efficiency, net profit, benefits, and setup will be covered

 

 

Spring 2012 Meetings!

Join the movement for clean energy and come to a Beyond Coal at VT meeting!

We meet Tuesdays 7-8PM in Torgersen 1020.

Meetings include guest speakers, organizing events, researching alternative energy options at VT, and having a good time. Check us out and see how you can help transition VT from coal to clean energy by 2025.

Why follow a dying source?

Coal is on its way out. That’s for sure. Not only is it a non-renewable resource, meaning that we’re going to eventually run out, the industry isn’t as powerful as it would like you to think. Certain politicians say that coal drives the economy and that regulations ruin industry, but that’s simply untrue.

 

Coal stockpiles are going down. Jobs in the industry have been steadily decreasing, with or without environmental regulation. Yet people continue to cling to the past, wanting to support coal until the end. I wonder about this. It seems so antithetical to the traditionally American entrepreneurial spirit that champions innovation and new technology. Rather than adapt and evolve to the novel technology available, why are people supporting old, dirty coal?

 

Why would I have clung to pagers and beepers when cell phones came out? Why use a typewriter when the personal computer is more convenient? Who still watches VHS tapes when DVDs and Blu-Ray are better?

 

The coal industry isn’t a burgeoning business. It seems doomed to failure, so why do we not do something before we destroy even more land and hurt more people?

Renewable energy is a buzzword!

Lately, there’s been a TON of talk about renewables. Why? Because they’re becoming a viable alternative, and we’re poised to make some changes. A lot of this has to do with efficiency and cost. Not only is solar power becoming more and more efficient, the price of solar panels is rapidly decreasing. The New York Times had a great article on this, which notes a few key facts. First, Krugman talks about the massive price drop for solar, which is awesome. But secondly, he addresses the fact that coal companies and oil/natural gas companies cost energy users more than they should in costs to the public! Now, it seems that people are using solar more and more.

 

But what about coal? Well, as the supply of solar panels becomes abundant, stockpiles of coal are going down. Though this may not be permanent, it’s worth noting that we will run out of coal some day. It’s not an infinite resource by any means. And while we use this resource, it seems like disasters keep lurking. Where to put coal ash, tragic accidents that kill miners, and carbon emissions. Now that renewables are gaining steam, why should we look back? It’s worth it to move to a more permanent, stable energy source, rather than wait for an even more catastrophic disaster.

 

And as we all know, when the price is right, it’s time to buy! We can invest in renewables here on campus. While the university has been making strides in sustainability, it’s not quite there yet. Not as long as we’re firing coal, when biomass is a viable alternative. I’m glad society is making progress and discussing renewables, but we still have awhile to go!

More on coal ash

Last post, I put up the terrible news of the coal ash spill into Lake Michigan. But that spill will likely disappear from the news pretty soon. That doesn’t mean that the damage from coal ash isn’t lasting — it’s been years since the accident in Kingston, Tennessee, and yet residents are still feeling the burden. Their properties, river, and roads were affected because of a practice that lobbyists downplay as benign.

 

A lot of people focus on cost as a factor with coal ash. After all, wouldn’t it affect this terrible economy if coal industries had to dispose of their waste properly, adding costs and cutting jobs? Well, dealing with these huge spills costs private industries and government taxpayer money huge sums — $1.2 billion alone was spent on the Kingston incident from the government. This is what people are talking about when they reference the true cost of coal. We spend so much money trying to tie up the loose ends of dirty coal that the market price doesn’t reflect what ordinary citizens put into it. Here are a few interesting articles about the true cost of coal, one an older magazine article and one with a newer, global focus on the devastation of coal production.

 

As Tech students, we are supposed to have made a commitment to research and development into cutting edge technology — including energy research. As many students will tell you, it’s expensive. But the payout to society is worth the cost. Let’s get VT beyond coal and into the future, so that we don’t have to spend so much time and money on disastrous situations.