About 30 University students gathered on the north side of the Lawn Tuesday, asking the University to end its use of coal-fired power. The rally, held by the student group UVa Beyond Coal and sponsored by the Sierra Student Coalition, is part of a nationwide effort to reduce coal use on college campuses and replace it with cleaner energy.
The students wore bright yellow T-shirts, held signs and gathered photographic petitions from about 100 students to show to President Teresa A. Sullivan.
"We're really working on this campaign to focus the University on leading the way into the 21st century and ending our dependence on coal power," Sierra Student Coalition Organizer Sriram Madhusoodanan said.
Organizers noted the rally's location was significant to the cause, as well, as it was a mixture of coal dust and rain that caused the deterioration and current renovation of the Rotunda's iconic columns. Madhusoodanan said UVa Beyond Coal started its public campaign "to draw attention to the fact that our coal dependence is having devastating effects."
In addition to these local concerns, the rally also emphasized the global impact of coal burning. "Global warming is also a huge issue, as coal plants produce more [carbon dioxide] than any other energy source," said Brittany Maltby, UVa Beyond Coal's media coordinator.
Thus far, the group has collected more than 800 signatures from concerned students, although its goal is to obtain roughly 2,000 by November, when the group plans to present its case to Sullivan.\n"With President Sullivan in her first year and being the first female president, we're trying to add another first to the list - the first university to be off of coal in Virginia," said Brennen Warner, UVa Beyond Coal campaign coordinator.
But Sullivan will have to weigh several factors when considering the move. Cheryl Gomez, the University's director of Energy and Utilities, said coal is still used for heating, alongside natural gas and low-sulfur fuel oil, which all springs from a plant located on the corner of Jefferson Park Avenue and University Avenue. About 38 percent of the University's heating energy was derived from coal in 2008.
But even though the University partially relies on coal, the facilities management department still has made efforts to be environmentally conscious. For example, the University uses a 99 percent-efficient particle pollution control technology as well as a continuous emissions monitoring system that aims to reduce the output of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Moreover, the coal the University uses comes from Kentucky, not from harmful mountaintop removal.
In the case that another power source is disrupted, having the option to use coal can be very beneficial, Gomez said.
"Reliability is very important since heating is provided to critical facilities," she said.
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