Agenda - 06-15-2010- 7d - Laserfiche WebLink

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16 sustainability in classrooms powered by coal. Although we'd love to see coal use end today, we applaud UNC for agreeing to a firm deadline." Last year, the Sierra Club's Coal -Free Campus Campaign targeted 60 U.S. campuses that are still burning coal, including UNC and its coal - burning cogeneration facility. The Sierra Club urged these campuses to lead by example, cut their pollution, and end burning coal as soon as possible. In response, Thorp appointed 10 students, faculty and community members to a task force to make recommendations before year's end to reduce Carolina's carbon footprint. One task force member is Molly Diggins, the state director of the Sierra Club. The task force is led by Tim Toben, who is also chair of the N.C. Energy Policy Council. "Carolina's cogeneration facility is one of the cleanest - burning, most efficient coal plants in the country and has won national awards for efficiency from the Environmental Protection Agency," Toben said. "But it still burns coal, and that must end to avoid contributing to the worst effects of global climate change. And unless you set a deadline for ending coal usage, you're not going to get to it." Toben said the University's coal decision already is generating positive reaction. He has heard from James Hansen, the internationally recognized global climate change expert at the National Aeronauticsand Space Administration, who visited and spoke on campus in February. Hansen wrote in an e-mail to Toben, "UNC- Chapel Hill is a model for how students and a university can work together with a civil constructive approach to ending our national addiction to coal. it is good to see a university demonstrating the rational approach to problem solving. We need to somehow overcome the uncivil discourse that has infected current politics." Stewart Boss, coordinator for the Coal -Free UNC Campaign and co -chair for the UNC chapter of the Sierra Student Coalition, commended Thorp and other UNC administrators for listening to the students' concerns. "We have been fortunate to work with a university that has been responsive, open- minded and willing to hear our story," Boss said. "Our universities should be at the forefront of developing clean energy technologies and preparing students to be clean energy leaders. I hope other universities will soon follow UNC's lead in moving beyond coal." The Energy Task Force's interim recommendations deal with UNC's energy supply. The group will next turn its attention to improving energy efficiency in buildings, making its final recommendations in September. Listen to these remarks online at http: / /www.voutube.com /user /UNCSustainabillty! Energy Task Force website: http: / /www.unc.edu /chan /chancellors / thorp holden /energytaskforce.php