“As a premier university system in the country, UC has the
opportunity and responsibility to become a clean energy leader and
chart the way for other universities and colleges to follow,”
explained Kristin Casper of Greenpeace. “Clean energy helps fight
global warming, reduce pollution, increase campus livability and
stabilize spiking energy bills.”
As the Regents entered their meeting at the UCSF Laurel Heights
campus, they were greeted by students offering them solar coffee.
The coffee was brewed using solar power from the Greenpeace
“Rolling Sunlight,” a solar demonstration truck parked alongside
the rally. Students also conveyed their message with 500 balloons
reading “UC Go Solar,” while others rolled out a golden solar
carpet for the Regents’ entry. Inside the meeting students urged
the Regents to act to adopt precedent-setting clean energy and
green building standards.
Today’s events also included the release of the report, Building
for the Future: The Case for Green Buildings and Energy Security
for the University of California, by the clean technology think
tank Clean Edge, Inc. The
report shows that the UC system can adopt an affordable clean
energy and green building standard now.
This was the second day in a push by
students to encourage the Regents to address the possible future of
increased clean energy on campuses. Yesterday teams of UC students
made surprise visits to 28 Regents’ offices, presenting each regent
a mock solar panel and asking them to support the student
initiative.
