A call for action

On Thursday, November 12 at 2:00 p.m. faculty and students gathered together in front of President Kelley's office in Twamley Hall to rally against the use of coal at UND.

The protesters held signs, which read things like "President Kelley make a goal, no more coal," and "If Wisconsin can do it, so can we," and chanted, "No more coal."

There were three speakers present at the rally, Will Gosnold, professor of Geophysics, Sharon Hansen and Thomas Storfjord, student leaders in UND Beyond Coal. Their messages were simple-we need change and we need it now. "UND has an extraordinary opportunity to make a bold step towards creating a sustainable campus by replacing the aging coal-fired steam plant with a geothermal heat pump system," said Gosnold.

The new pump system would cut total campus CO2 emissions in half, and according to Gosnold it would "raise UND's public profile as a forward looking campus to a high level." Hansen said, "We are here today because UND students deserve better than a coal plant on campus … we need President Kelley to move beyond coal and to a renewable resource. "It has to start with students, we can't wait for administration."

Now more than ever UND Beyond Coal is looking for a commitment from President Kelley. "This is an opportunity for the President to demonstrate inspiring leadership and vision. That's what we are here calling on him to do," said Storfjord. "We are here because we need to see strong leadership to address global warming right here on campus. Global warming is happening here, it's happening fast, and we're the ones who will have to deal with it." In 2008 president Kupchella signed ACUPCC (the President's Climate Commitment), however, there has been little indication as to when President Kelley's administration plans on moving forward and beyond a coal plant. There have been few signs of progress. Beyond Coal is a nationwide movement to end the use of coal. It's not just UND students who are worried about the lasting affects coal will have on our environment. It is a large population of the nation's students and faculty as well. Climate change is a debatable subject, but the demonstrators agreed that the reliance on aging technology and fuel is outdated. "In a place where we are preparing for the future, we need a commitment to the future," said Hansen. To become more involved with UND Beyond Coal, visit www.undbeyondcoal.com. There are volunteer opportunities, petitions that can be signed, and updates on the progress of the campaign.