Coal Free IU to raise renewable-energy awareness

Coal Free IU will have its first discussion panel to inform students about the harmful effects of IU’s on-site coal plant and to raise awareness about alternative energy options today.

Coal Free IU began in September after the Sierra Club, the nation’s oldest and largest environmental group, launched its “Beyond Coal” campaign.

The purpose of the campaign is to shut down the more than 60 coal plants on college campuses across the country and to help them transition to 100 percent clean, renewable energy, said Sierra Club coordinator Monica Embrey.

“I’m really hoping that people get an idea of energy at IU,” said sophomore Novella Shuck, academic events coordinator for Coal Free IU. “I hope that they don’t take anything for granted and that they get an understanding of the realities and challenges that we face.”

“Coal on Campus: Coal and the future of energy at IU” is the topic of the discussion panel that will feature Bill Brown, office of sustainability; Ben Brabson, professor from the physics department; Jeff Kaden, University engineer; and Michael Beczkiewicz, networking coordinator for the Southern Indiana Renewable Energy Network.

Shuck planned the discussion panel in order to raise awareness about both the
environmental and public health issues associated with having a coal plant on campus.

The Sierra Club identified IU specifically as one of the 11 schools that they thought would be open to environmental change and could successfully transition to renewable energy.

In fall 2009, Embrey moved to Bloomington to run the Coal Free IU campaign, get students involved with the group and initiate action in shutting down IU’s coal plant.

“It’s exciting to do this with so many other schools at the same time and knowing that change is being made,” Embrey said. “It’s completely possible to power the campus with renewable energy.”

IU’s on-site coal plant is located north of 10th Street on Fee Lane and provides energy for heating and air conditioning on campus. In 2006 alone, the plant burned 68,000 tons of coal, Embrey said.

Sophomore Bryan James McClatchie, who works on faculty coalitions for Coal Free IU, got involved with the campaign when Embrey came to speak to his communications class.

His job is to increase support by getting faculty involved with events, asking them to permit a speaker to present to their class and getting them to sign the Coal Free IU petition that will be presented to the administration.

Sophomore Matt Cohen, student coalitions coordinator, communicates with students and gets groups on campus to endorse Coal Free IU. His goal is to have five community groups and 15 student groups affiliated with Coal Free IU by Thanksgiving.

“We want to get more people involved,” Cohen said. “On a bigger scale, we’re trying to educate students and give them the facts. We can make this campus a more green place.”