Campus Action & Sustainability

“Being bold is not about baby steps. It requires imagination, unconventional thought and courage.”
- Michigan State University Energy Transition Plan, Page 1

Hours ago, Michigan State University’s Board of Trustees voted to approve an “Energy Transition Plan,” touting it as a major step forward for powering MSU with clean energy. However what the university is less vocal about is that Michigan State is home to the largest campus coal plant in the country, and this plan does not set a timeline to shut it down.

Declaring your goal is 100% renewable energy while continuing to burn coal indefinitely is not being bold. It’s greenwashing, and we expect better from our colleges and universities.

Right now, students are rallying on campus to demand MSU stop greenwashing and make a real commitment to shut down their coal plant. Click here to stand with them in support.

Students and young people seem to have spring fever, and it couldn’t be coming at a more important time. This week a massive coalition of economic and environmental justice groups are kicking off the 99% Spring trainings to train over 100,000 leaders in nonviolent direct action. Young people are at the center of it, hosting over 75 trainings, and already springing into action.

Check out some highlights from across the country (and click through to read first-person accounts from WeArePowerShift.org), and get ready to plug in, because the 99% Spring is here!

April 6, 2012 -- Today Swarthmore's Mountain Justice sent a student delegation with an elaborate formal invitation to President Chopp to join them in their fight to divest Swarthmore College's money from the "Sordid Sixteen," the 16 dirtiest domestic fossil fuel companies. About 20 people, including members of Mountain Justice and the wider campus community, visited her office at 12:30PM to deliver the invitation, which requests the president's support at an upcoming Board of Managers meeting at which Mountain Justice will be presenting their divestment proposal.

In the early morning hours on Thursday morning, students at Ohio State University gathered outside the south edge of campus. The Board of Trustees were arriving for a meeting, and as they trickled in, students peacefully and silently held up signs asking for one thing: Don’t Frack With OSU. The protest attracted the attention of the local television news and the Lantern (the OSU newspaper), taking place as the Board members arrived for breakfast and then for lunch.