Climate Week of Action
During the week of January 29, Furman University joined college campuses across the United States and Canada in participating in the Week of Action sponsored by the Campus Climate Challenge.
Furman hosted a talk by lawyer Sean Donahue about environmental court cases and sponsored a display of coal that emphasized its use in electricity production.
The Campus Climate Challenge, according to its website, is a national coalition of youth organizations aimed at getting high school and college campuses to use one hundred percent clean energy to reduce the growth of global warming. Its Week of Action is designated for campuses nationwide to unite to promote its cause and to pressure the U.S. and Canadian governments to address issues of global warming.
The presentation by Washington and Lee visiting law professor Sean Donahue (see interview below) on January 30 was the highlight of Furman’s participation in the week. Sponsored jointly by Furman’s Environmental Action Group and the Year of the Environment Committee, Donahue’s talk informed students about recent Supreme Court activity in environmental cases.
Donahue talked to a crowded Burgiss Theater about the case Environmental Defense vs. Duke Energy, which he argued for Environmental Defense before the Supreme Court last fall. He also talked about Massachusetts vs. the Environmental Protection Agency.
In his presentation, Donahue outlined the arguments and importance of both cases. Each case addresses issues about greenhouse gas emissions and the language of environmental protection laws. Environmental Defense could impact the regulation of electric company greenhouse gas emissions, he said. Massachusetts could ultimately decide whether litigants can use the courts to enforce climate change laws. A decision on both cases is expected to be handed down in the next two to three months.
Furman also participated in the Week of Action by displaying coal in front of the University Center during the week. Furman’s Environmental Action Group, which sponsored the event, set out four hundred pounds of coal, enough to provide electricity for one Furman student for one month. The display was accompanied by a poster about the use of coal and alternative energy.
"Hopefully the coal display gave students an idea about how much of their energy comes from coal," said senior Colin Hagen, EAG president. "The pile itself wasn't a tremendous amount, but one pile for every student per month adds up pretty quickly. I hope students will begin to recognize, or in some cases continue to recognize, the impact that energy use has on the rest of society."
Across the U.S. and Canada, campuses did a variety of things to celebrate the week. Many sponsored showings of An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore’s movie that warns about the effects of climate change. Others hosted winter activities to emphasize the importance of keeping winter cold by slowing global warming. Students also spent time writing to their Representatives to encourage them to sponsor legislation to help scale back climate change. by Marguerite Moeller. Reprinted with permission of the Paladin.
---VIDEOS---
Sean Donahue Interview Part 1
Sean Donahue Interview Part 2