Help Get Renewable Energy on Georgia's Campuses'Â
History
During the 2006-2007 school year, students at Georgia State University and Valdosta State Univeristy passed resolutions through their Student Government Associations
in support of a mandatory increase in student fee's to be spent on
on-campus renewable energy and energy efficiency. These expenditures
would help decrease our institutions dependence on foreign resources
like Dirty Coal and Oil.
After months of debate over how to handle these resolutions, the
Student Advisory Council of the Georgia Board of Regents is now
preparing to have a bill come before their January 26-27th meeting.
This bill encourages the Board of Regents to earmark funding for energy
efficiency projects and renewable energy (from solar, wind, geothermal,
and bio-diesel from waste vegetable oils) on every campus. These
projects would greatly reduce campus energy costs and pollution, and
begin Georgia's shift away from global warming causing energy sources
TODAY,
The Student Advisory Council, of the Georgia Board of
Regents (made up of all student government presidents in the state),
PASSED our resolution asking for the Board of Regents to give Blanket
Support to all campus-led green fee initiatives, and which asks the BOR
to create a Sustainable Energy Management Plan which would act as a
guide for bringing renewable energy to campus.
The Board of Regents will here, and vote, for the proposal during their April meeting.
WE NEED YOUR HELP
We need students at EVERY public college/Univ. to contact their SGA Presidents and get them to commit to voting "Yes" on the Green Energy Referendum being brought to them at their SAC (student advidory council) meeting on January 26-27th.
1) *ORGANIZE*:: with your environmental organization, friends, or do it on your own; a meeting with your SGA President.
2) *INFORM*:: the president/senators about the upcoming bill, and what
the green energy bill is: a measure that allocates/earmarks funds to
on-campus renewable energy and energy efficiency, and that gets
campuses off dirty sources of energy like oil and coal.
3) *ASK*: SGA presidents to support the Bill: "will you support an
referendum to bring renewable energy to campus?
4) *REACT-ACT*: If your SGA president says 'yes' to supporting the
bill, ask them to pass an SGA bill in support at your school, or to
call their fellow Presidents at other institutions to talk about the
bill.
If your SGA president says 'no' to supporting the bill here are
things you can do to grow support and change their mind::: start a
petition, write a letter to the school paper, organize a rally, table
on campus, get support of student senators and pass an SGA resolution.
If anyone needs help talking to their presidents, getting more
information on the bill, running a campaign, or wants to help by
contacting other school's groups please contact Seth
Gunning:404-434-9745/ seth@climateaction.net or Tasha Fast: 912-381-8874/ nnfast@valdosta.edu
