On December 5th and 6th students across the University System of Maryland took action on climate change. Undaunted by the first snow of the season, students across the state rallied in a series of creative actions for clean energy.
The day of action was organized by the Maryland Student Climate Coalition (MSCC). A coalition of student groups from across the University System of Maryland (USM) who have united in a campaign to get the entire university system to adopt a comprehensive carbon neutrality policy. This policy includes using basic energy efficiency technology, clean energy purchasing, improving mass transit, and integrating sustainability into the curriculum. The students are gathering 13,000 signatures across the state to present to the Board of Regents on February 15th and urge them to pass the policy. Their efforts have already made headway with recognition on the USM’s website. The Maryland Student Climate Coalition’s campaign slogan is: “Invest in our Future: Make Carbon Neutrality a Maryland Reality.”
The headline actions occurred at Towson University and the University of Maryland College Park. The campus group, Towson Energy Activists creatively dressed in costumes and staged a mock fight between a smokestack (to represent the dirty fossil fuels of the past) and a wind turbine (symbolizing the clean technology of the future.) The wind turbine won! The event also had a special unveiling of Captain Climate, a new generation super hero sent to our planet to solve the climate crisis. Through their exceptional press work they garnished media coverage from The DC Examiner, the 501, and the Towson Towerlight.
Another highlight event was at the USM flagship institution, University of Maryland College Park. The group UMD for Clean Energy held a big “Green Out!” day in which they got hundreds of students across campus to wear green to show their support for clean energy. They also got dozens of students to volunteer to gather signatures for the USM carbon neutrality petition. They got 700 signatures in a single day! This brings them just 118 signatures shy of their semester goal of 5,005, which they expect to easily reach the final week of school. The culminating event of the “Green Out” was when dozens of students convened on the main campus lawn for a big clean energy rally. Against the backdrop of a field of 6 foot scale homemade wind turbines they cheered, beat drums, and listened to speeches from student leaders and student body president, Andrew Freidson. The event also drew campus and local media attention from the Prince George County Gazette, Prince George’s County Sentinel and the Diamondback newspapers.
Other coordinated actions occurred at Salisbury University, University of Maryland Baltimore, University of Baltimore, Frostburg State University, and University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science.
The Maryland Student Climate Coalition’s Day of Action was a great success, by capping off an active semester on their campaign for system wide carbon neutrality.
To support the MSCC and their campaign you can sign the petition here or by joining the facebook group “Support the MSCC”.
Last night in St. Paul, VA — ground zero for Dominion Virginia Power’s proposed Wise County coal plant — over 100 citizens raised their voices to question members of the Department of Environmental Quality. Residents raised a variety of concerns. The hearing was organized for DEQ to get input on their 
By now you’ve heard that Dominion Virginia Power is planning to build a new coal-fired power plant in Wise County, Va. The Richmond Times Dispatch projects that this plant will be “