Collegiate Times

In a campus community where coal-mining towns speckle the surrounding Appalachian area and talk of diminishing energy resources is increasingly gracing the radar of many young minds, the Beyond Coal group at Virginia Tech has been campaigning for a cleaner, more renewable future without the use of coal.

As part of this effort, the group is trying to raise more awareness around campus by hosting events. The first of these events is on Feb. 4 in Squires Student Center to talk about what it takes to really go beyond coal toward more efficient, renewable resources on campus.

Kara Dodson, the Student Project Coordinator for the campaign, said the focus of the event is to educate students and get them interested in the campaign.

“At the Kick-Off Party,” Dodson said, “we will be focusing on major goals of the Beyond Coal campaign and brainstorming new possible goals with the help of student involvement.”

The Beyond Coal campaign’s goal is to end coal use by 2020 and work toward pursuing alternative renewable energy sources.

Persuading President Steger and the rest of the Tech administration into committing is necessary in order to make serious progress in the Beyond Coal campaign. Last spring, the university signed on to the Climate Action Commitment and Sustainability Plan, in which they agreed to completely end coal use on campus between 2025 and 2050.

“This initiative taken by the administration is a definite stepping stone in our campaign,” Dodson said, whose group regularly meets with the administration in order to keep them updated. “As the Beyond Coal coalition, we are just trying to hold them to their promise, but with a better deadline 10 years from now. That way, we can actually lead and not just follow other universities.”

Cornell University actually had a recent victory in the coal movement as its president fully committed to the proposed 2020 deadline of ending coal use on campus.

“They’re a leading research facility, just as we are, so what is stopping us in achieving our goals?” Dodson asked.

In addition to encouraging more intensive research for renewable energy sources, the Beyond Coal group aims to make leeway with coalition building and media outreach.

Grassroots campaigning, which chiefly entails handing out postcards that support the 2020 deadline to the Tech community, plays a significant role in Beyond Coal’s efforts. Michelle Gabe, a freshman communication major who interns for the campaign, spends up to 10 hours every week raising awareness for Beyond Coal by striking up conversations with people all over the campus about the campaign and a cleaner future.

“I’m from a coal-mining town, so this campaign really does hit home for me,” Gabe said. “This experience as an intern allows me to gain professional experience in an environment where I truly understand what the campaign involves.”

Dodson enjoys this particular aspect of campaigning because she is able to teach people about the campaign and learn from them at the same time.

“It’s very interesting and enlightening because you meet some people that vehemently support coal and you end up having really good conversations with them,” Dodson said.

Indeed, controversy is a significant obstacle in the path to success for the campaign, as Blacksburg lies in an area where the coal industry had provided many jobs.

“Many question ‘What is going to keep the lights on without the use of coal in energy production?’” said Dodson. “We’re not going to fight business or fight what’s feasible, but if we don’t continue to talk about it and make the issues known, nothing will get done.”

In the face of the environmentally friendly craze, the Beyond Coal group pushes for equal efforts away from coal and for renewable energy.

“If we don’t solve this problem now, we’ll be paying for it for a very long time,” Dodson said. “We encourage students and faculty to come together at the kick-off party and see what we’re all really about.

Beyond Coal campaign kickoff

Date: Feb. 4

Place: Squires, Brush Mountain B

Time: 8 p.m.

Price: Free

A version of this article appeared in the Feb 3 issue of the Collegiate Times.