{"id":6326,"date":"2013-10-24T07:35:15","date_gmt":"2013-10-24T11:35:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/?p=6326"},"modified":"2013-10-24T07:36:31","modified_gmt":"2013-10-24T11:36:31","slug":"solar-save-goes-to-sga-about-fossil-fuels-vsu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/2013\/10\/solar-save-goes-to-sga-about-fossil-fuels-vsu.html","title":{"rendered":"Solar SAVE goes to SGA about fossil fuels @ VSU"},"content":{"rendered":"

\r\n\r\n<\/a>\r\n\r\nSAVE<\/a>‘s fossil fuel\r\n\r\ndivestment request<\/a> made the\r\nfront page of\r\n\r\nThe Spectator at VSU<\/a>,\r\nand Danielle Jordan of SAVE was pullquote about fossil fuels\r\nin another front page story, about solar panels on the Odum Library.\r\nThe student government didn’t vote to support SAVE’s request, but\r\nmany senators said they didn’t understand the subject and the student\r\ngovernment asked to get educated\r\nabout\r\n\r\nfossil fuels and divestment<\/a>.\r\n

\r\nJordan Barela and Von Kennedy\r\nwrote for The Spectator 24 October 2013,\r\n\r\nSolar panels bring green energy to Odum<\/a>,\r\n

\r\n

\r\nVSU is moving in a greener direction.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nA solar canopy was recently built behind Odum Library.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\n“We cannot address climate change without decreasing our dependency\r\non fossil fuels and solar is one way we could change that.”\r\n
\r\n—Danielle Jordan\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n

\r\nThe canopy is a 10 kilowatt solar array. The canopy produces energy\r\nthat goes directly to Odum Library, and does not go to the Georgia\r\nPower grid.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nConstruction of the solar canopy began in September, and was\r\nfinished earlier this month.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\n“It is exciting,” Danielle Jordan, president of Students\r\nAgainst Violating the Environment, said. “We cannot address\r\nclimate change without decreasing our dependency on fossil fuels and\r\nsolar is one way we could change that.”\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nThe solar panels were manufactured by a company called Enphase.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nEnphase is the leading micro-inverter system provider for both\r\nresidential and commercial solar panels.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nA solar micro-inverter is integrated into each solar panel module\r\nand converts the output into an alternating current so that multiple\r\nunits may be connected in parallel connections.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n

\r\nSee\r\n\r\nthe story<\/a> for more.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nJoe Adgie wrote for The Spectator 24 October 2013,\r\n\r\nSGA dismisses SAVE proposal<\/a>,\r\n

\r\n

\r\n\r\n<\/a>\r\nOn Monday night, SAVE (Students Against Violating the Environment)\r\nwent to the SGA for support of their divestment program and didn’t\r\nget it.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nThe divestment program concerns requesting the VSU Foundation to\r\n“freeze any new investments in the fossil fuel industry and\r\ncommit to a plan to divest all of its holdings in fossil fuels\r\nwithin five years,” according to a letter that SAVE sent to\r\nthe organization on Oct. 11.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nThe SGA, however, expressed concerns with the consequences of this\r\ndivestment program.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\n“I do know a few companies that are what (SAVE) would consider\r\nthat we need to divest from,” Sen. Tamelonie Thomas said.\r\n“They do play an integral part in our scholarship. They play\r\nan integral part in our special projects on campus, and I don’t want\r\nit to seem as though the SGA is stepping out and saying \u0098The student\r\nbody is against this’ when we don’t exactly know who these companies\r\nare.”\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nThomas was referring to a line in SAVE’s presentation that read\r\n“We have included a list of the 200 largest fossil fuel\r\nextraction companies from which we are asking to divest.”\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nSAVE did not list these companies, nor did they mention any of these\r\ncompanies, by name at Monday night’s meeting, and the SGA was unable\r\nto determine what these companies were. However, this list is\r\navailable on the Fossil Free campaign’s website at gofossilfree.org.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nOther SGA members explained the benefit that this divestment program\r\nwould provide to VSU.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\n“The thing is when you invest into a company, you’re\r\nempowering them,” said Senator Candicee Childs, SGA\r\nrepresentative of the Faculty Senate’s Environmental Issues\r\nCommittee. “If you take away your investment, you’re sending a\r\nmessage (that says) we as a people, as human beings, understand the\r\nissues that (are) going on with our climates, and we want a better\r\nenvironment.”\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nChilds explained that SAVE wanted the VSU Foundation to\r\n“invest in companies that actually care about us as humans\r\nwith the environment.”\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n

\r\nHere’s\r\n\r\nFossilFree<\/a>‘s list of \r\n\r\nTop 200 Fossil Fuel Companies<\/a>.\r\n

\r\nThe vote was 3 for, 13 against, and 18 abstaining.\r\nThe Spectator story\r\n\r\ncontinues with<\/a>\r\nmore comments from student senators, many of whom did not seem\r\nto understand what divestment was.\r\nThis is an educational opportunity, as the story recognizes at the end:\r\n

\r\nThe SGA vowed, however, to work with SAVE on projects in the future.\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n

\r\n\r\n<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n

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