FSA says A-OK

Submitted by Zak Keith, Florida Green Fee Coordinator

Another success for the green fee mission, the Florida Student Association endorsed the campaign! The FSA is an organization of all the student government presidents of the state university system along with other Student Government senate members. They represent student interests statewide, and have a seat on the Florida Board of Governors.

On January 16th, students from UCF and state organizers made the journey down to Ft. Meyers to give their presentation. With budget shortfalls and the usual gut reaction against student fees, gaining the FSA’s support proved to be a worthy challenge. The green fee team made their presentation and helped planted the seed for approval from other student government members. At the end of the day, the Board of Directors of the FSA made their decision to promote the statewide effort for the green fee!

With this new found endorsement, the campaign expects to push hard in February to shore up final support from state and campus leaders leading into the March legislative session. Stay updated with the green fee by getting in touch with the Florida Green Fee Coordinator or checking the Coalition’s website.
www.floridagreenfee.com

Cliffside air quality permit contested at Forest City Hearing

Inside the auditorium there were maybe 200 of “them” and maybe 20 of “us”. Virtually all of “them” either worked for Duke, for Shaw Construction, or were local chamber or economic “development” types and politicians who read three versions of the same talking points over and over.

N.C. Division of Air Quality held a hearing tonight on a proposed air quality permit revision for the new coal-fired boiler (unit 6) that Duke Energy is building at its Cliffside plant in Rutherford County.Duke is asking the agency to revise its permit to classify the 800-megawatt addition as a “minor” source of hazardous air pollutants and set limits based on those emissions.

The proposed revisions and hearing are a partial response to a recent court decision that directed Duke to undergo a review to ensure it was using the best-available clean air technology at its Cliffside Steam Station. Facilities that are a minor source of pollution do not have to go through a review to ensure it is using the maximum achievable technology to control emissions.

The issue is far from cut and dry. Many local residence were far more interested in the 1,600 temporary jobs the plants construction will bring about. Apparently the moving testimonies and facts that concerned citizens, legal representatives, scientists, and professional environmental organizations did little to stifle the opinions of Duke employees as they have been fed a series of “magic numbers” by Duke Power that the new unit will remove virtually 90% of all pollutants and will even be….get this…..Carbon Free (for your non-science types coal is carbon). Duke created their new series of numbers after the unit was going to be classified as a “Major source of hazardous pollution”. Without changing 1 single thing to the design or technology of the unit Duke reduced the numbers of toxins/pollutants, emissions, and impact of the unit. The N.C. Division of air quality took those numbers and ran with Duke’s new numbers.

Duke Energy holds the power and they have their people firmly in their pockets, but the fact remains that they are severely lying about the impact of this unit and people need to realize that its not what Duke can do for them in the short term, but what they need to be doing to lead the way in a better future for North Carolina: Cleaning up their act, Creating a Green Jobs infrastructure, and putting peoples health before profit and shortcuts!

You can hear Jill Rios of interfaith power and light give her press statement and Russ Anderson give his testimony at http://www.youtube.com/RussSENNc

You can also read more about the efforts here: http://www.canarycoalition.org/

Florida Takes the Green Fee to the Next Level

2009: Year of the Green Fee

After saying goodbye to 2008, the Florida Green Fee Coalition set dead aim on 2009 with big plans for the state legislature.  A student created bill went through the legislative drafting process and is poised to be used in the upcoming March legislature session.  With the bill in hand, students have been contacting their state leaders and putting the Green Fee on the political map.

On Friday January 16th students are traveling to Fort Meyers to give a presentation and solicit support from the Florida Student Association (FSA), a group consisting of the student government presidents and staff from the Florida universities.

With the March legislative session readily approaching, the coalition is trying to find sponsorship within the state senate and house.  Students have contacted key state members throughout the course of the campaign, and a breakthrough is hopeful.

Currently, in a special session, the legislature is making decisions that will likely cut funding to many educational budgets across the state.  Now more than ever the coalition is pushing for the green fee, not only so sustainability can remain economically viable on college campuses, but also to show that students care enough of about these issues to put their money where their mouth is.  Look for more exciting information in the coming weeks.

Florida Green Fee humble beginnings

The campaign for a statewide green fee has been underway for over 2 years.  Students at the University of Florida got together in the fall of 2006 with the desire to create a more environmentally friendly UF.  The student group Gators for a Sustainable Campus promoted and worked hard to gauge student support for a green fee on their campus, culminating in a victory in the spring 2007 student government election.  UF students supported the creation of a green fee with 78% of the vote.

In the proceeding months, other schools from around the state began to start similar campaigns on their college campuses, and the Florida Green Fee Coalition was formed.  Coming together for a common goal and putting aside usual intra-state school rivalry, students worked tirelessly to advance the cause.  And in the spring of 2008, the University of Central Florida, Florida State University, and New College of Florida all passed referendum with 67%, 70%, and 80% respectively.  More schools joined the campaign, with new programs set up at USF, FAU, and UWF.

Emboldened by the successes at Florida campuses, the coalition moved the campaign to the state level.  Campus leaders along with Southern Energy Network organizers met in Miami in October of 2008 to discuss strategy and tactics in the coming months.  With the holiday season fast approaching, students took a much-needed break but were looking forward to move full speed ahead in the New Year.

Blog Submitted By: Zak Keith, Florida Green Fee Coordinator

Dynegy backs off funding coal plant

Based in Houston Texas, one of the largest owners and operators of power plants in North America has decided to dissolve a 2-year-old joint venture with New York-based LS Power Associates, ending its participation in at least five planned coal-fueled facilities around the country that would have produced an estimated 30 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually.

This decision may halt the development of their $2 billion, 845 MW Coal-Fired Longleaf Plant in Earl County GA.

Funding these plants would have made Dynegy a major builders of controversial carbon generators. These generators would exacerbate climate destabilization caused by industrial carbon dioxide emissions and intensify health-threatening pollution in surrounding communities.

Southern Energy Network has been engaged in the fight against Dynegy for more than a year with hundreds participating in call-in days to Dynegy, seventy attending a hearing on the plant and 30 folks traveling all the way to Texas to protest at the Dyengy Shareholders meeting and protest this and other Dynegy coal plants around the country.  We hope to see this trend continue with more coal investors pulling their investments out of dirty and risky coal plants.

Click here for more information on how you can get involved in stopping Dynegy’s proposed plants.