California Delivers Energy Action!

California Delivers Energy Action! Students from both the California State University (CSU) and the University Of California (UC) systems made Energy Action news. 4,993 signatures that were collectively gathered statewide to Energy Action’s Declaration of Independence from Dirty Energy petition and the California Addendum were presented to Chancellor B.Reed, head of the CSU system, and President Dynes, head of the UC system. Students across the nation have been collecting signatures since early October for Energy Action’s Declaration. The California Addendum included campaign goal specifics for both Renew CSU and Move UC campaigns. On Wednesday, November 17, 2004, representatives from the Renew CSU campaign took a very important trip to Chancellor B. Reed’s office in Long Beach. They delivered the signatures during an open forum session of a Board of Trustee’s meeting. Jason Spensor, Associated Students President & Sonoma State Renew CSU representative, spoke on the cost benefits that the proposed sustainability policy would provide. Spensor emphasized the need for student and expert representation on the board of sustainability. Shakkti Maissen, Northridge Renew CSU representative, read campaign specifics from the California Addendum to the Declaration of Energy Independence. In her closing Maissen announced “The future of the CSU’s energy is in your hands” while Shawn Putnam, California Energy Action Coordinator; Fresno Renew CSU representative, presented the signatures to Chancellor B. Reed on a silver platter. The Renew CSU campaign is working on implementing a sustainability policy that would set standards for clean energy, green building and energy efficiency. The clean energy policy asks for a commitment to obtain at least 25 percent of total electricity from renewable sources by 2014 and fifty percent by 2024. Of this, the equivalent of a half megawatt of renewable energy per CSU would begin by 2010. The green buildings standard requests that all renovated and newly constructed buildings be designed and constructed using green building guidelines equivalent to the LEED silver standards developed by the U.S. Green Building Council. The energy efficiency policy requests that Energy use per student should be reduced by 20% by 2014 and 40% by 2024. On Thursday, November 18, 2004, students from UC Los Angeles’s California Students for Sustainability Coalition (CSSC) delivered signatures to President Dynes during the open forum at the Regent’s meeting. Dorothy Kieu Le, UCLA CSSC representative asked the Regent’s board to support Move UC’s sustainable transportation policy. It is expected that during the January Regent’s meeting a report will be presented on Move UC’s transportation program. CSSC has been working hand in hand with the Regent’s board to continue on their UC clean energy policy and green building policy. It is recommended that the UC’s should reduce the fossil fuel consumption of its fleets by 50% in the next ten years. It is suggested that the UC’s work towards a climate neutral (zero fossil fuel consumption) fleet by 2025. The UC’s are also being requested to reduce the number of staff, faculty and students commuting in single occupancy vehicles by 25% in the next ten years by supporting and promoting alternative transportation such as bicycling, walking, carpooling and public transportation. Another Move UC request is that UC’s work towards a 50% reduction in single occupancy commuting by 2025. The next step for Energy Action in California is delivering the signatures to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in Sacramento. To be a part of this planning please contact Shawn Putnam, Energy Action, California Coordinator: shawn@energyaction.net. We will be mobilizing students from both the CSU andUC systems, holding our elected officials accountable for their actions is a necessary part of our democracy! To find out more about Energy Action view the declaration and get the latest on energy news visit: http://www.energyaction.net November 19, 2004 Shawn M. Putnam Energy Action California Coordinator