A task force that oversaw the University’s transition to a coal-free campus came to a close Tuesday to the tune of a more muted crowd of student environmentalists.
At the final meeting of UNC’s Energy Task Force, there was less to protest. Because of the task force’s efforts, UNC has committed to eliminating coal. Task force members made sure their final recommendations were ready to present later this month.
Last year, the Sierra Club’s Coal-Free Campus Campaign targeted 60 U.S. campuses that still burned coal, which included UNC. In response, Chancellor Holden Thorp appointed the task force to develop the most practicable plan for reducing UNC’s carbon footprint.
Members of the Sierra Student Coalition, an environmentalist group, gathered briefly before the meeting.
“We want to make sure the Energy Task Force follows through with its plans and does not switch from one bad energy source to another,” said Taylor Timmerman, co-chairwoman of the Sierra Student Coalition.
Though the task force will no longer meet, the work toward ending all University coal use by 2020 and carbon-neutrality by 2050 is not finished. In November, UNC plans to begin testing wood pellets as an alternative to coal for energy production. The move was a task force recommendation.
Other near-term interim recommendations include seeking accelerate conversion from coal to a cleaner fuel or fuel mix, and optimizing use of natural gas as supplies and costs warrant. Further, UNC will make its best efforts to identify and secure coal that is certified by a third party and sourced from deep mines only.
“We would like to increase literacy among the University community,” said Elinor Benami, the student representative for the energy task force. “We have a solid set of recommendations and I am hopeful that good things will emerge.”
The meeting was subdued compared to others during which Sierra Student Coalition members have appeared. Many prior appearances were protests of UNC’s use of coal as an energy source.
