More Students at FL Universities Seek Clean Energy for Campus

Student-government leaders from several Florida universities want their schools to commit to using 100% renewable energy.

This week, the student government association at the University of South Florida (USF) passed a resolution asking all power for the school come from renewable sources by 2030, and for a 100% renewable-energy model for all schools in the system by 2040.

It’s the fourth Florida school where students have stepped up to demand climate change be a priority in energy consumption.

Ryann Lynn, climate and clean energy advocate at the Environment Florida Research and Policy Center, said more than 50 schools across the country have committed to clean energy, but none are in Florida.

Conservationists Warn of Power Grab in FL's Energy Policy

“Colleges and universities are some of the biggest energy users in any given city or community that they’re in,” Lynn explained. “So, if they are unwilling to make this commitment, that is a lot of fossil fuels that we are continuing to be reliant on.”

Lynn’s group helped launch the “100% Renewable Campus” campaign at USF, and said questions about the students’ efforts have largely been about feasibility, and cost of implementing renewable energy.

Crystal Boutwell, campus organizer for Florida Public Interest Research Group Campus Action at USF, said the clock is ticking to change energy consumption habits.

“It’s our reliance on fossil fuels that is one of the biggest contributors to climate change impacts,” Boutwell asserted. “And it’s also one of the biggest differences that we can make, if we just simply transition to renewable energy. That’s one of the biggest differences that we can make as a society, and we’re running out of time.”

The resolution will now be sent to University President Steven Currall.

The post More Students at FL Universities Seek Clean Energy for Campus appeared first on Sunshine Slate.



source https://www.sunshineslate.com/business/education/more-students-at-fl-universities-seek-clean-energy-for-campus/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How can Energy Audits inform your Net Zero Strategy?

Image
Many organisations are already in the habit of undertaking energy audits to highlight where energy and water efficiencies can be made, save on utility costs, and reduce carbon emissions. Unfortunately, the sad reality of many energy audits and surveys (especially ones that are completed for compliance with ESOS), is that once they are completed, the report is often tucked away into a ‘virtual’ drawer, never to be seen again. But what if there was another use for that forgotten energy audit? Did you know that it could actually be a really useful business tool to help get you started on your net zero journey? To help you harness that data in a practical way, Energy Services Analyst, Rhiannon Farquhar explains what makes energy audits so essential to carbon management and how they can be used to get your business on the path to net zero. So, what are energy audits? To put it simply, an energy audit is an assessment of the energy needs and efficiency of a building (or process), which
Read more

Garden Offices | The Ultimate Work from Home Solution for 2021

Image
The Pros and Cons of Working from Home Working from home was not so long ago considered a perk of the job, however, the much-longed-for 30-second commute, for many of us, has finally become a realisation. Prior to the global pandemic, we would have spent 492 days of our lives commuting to and from work and inevitably, Covid-19 has brought about a catalyst of change. Businesses are now seeing the benefits of reducing costs by giving up office spaces, and with commuting now significantly reduced, one of the biggest winners out of this situation is the environment. With this in mind, there’s no doubt that the “new normal” of home working is, quite clearly, here to stay. The general consensus is that working from home is wholly positive and can provide a better work-life balance. Whilst this is true, there is evidence to suggest that this can be quite the opposite, with staff working later than usual as they battle to “switch-off” when their working day is over. So, what’s the solutio
Read more

Forgiveness Plan Would Remove One-Third of Students’ Loan Debt

Image
About one in three Idahoans who have federal student-loan debt would see it erased entirely if the Biden administration goes forward with a $10,000 forgiveness plan. That’s according to analysis from the website Student Loan Hero . President Joe Biden is considering eliminating the debt through executive order. Andrew Pentis, a senior writer and certified student loan counselor at Student Loan Hero, said the average monthly loan repayment in Idaho is $274. “Whether you have more or less than $10,000 worth of student loans left to repay, this dose of forgiveness would be hugely helpful, in either getting rid of your debt or shrinking it considerably,” said Pentis. “So certainly, if you’re a borrower in Idaho, you’d be rooting for something like this to happen.” The Trump administration paused federal student loan repayments in March 2020 during the pandemic. Biden extended the pause on his first day in office through at least October 1. Some Democrats want the Biden administration
Read more