23 Comments
Last week, Bwog made passing mention that the Students for Environmental and Economic Justice were selling t-shirts on college walk. By way of a follow up, we’d like to say just how much we love their screen-printed, second-hand tees–they’re clever and environmentally/economically conscious!
But what really piqued Bwog’s interest was the cause said t-shirts are repping: the University’s full conversion to wind power. According to SEEJer Laura Seidman, C ’10, the group is petitioning Columbia to buy their power specifically from wind sources. Our power is curently supplied by ConEd; all we’d have to do is request that ours come exclusively from the company’s wind turbines and pay the extra 2 or so percent such power would cost. NYU has a similar arrangement, and SEEJ thinks it’s time for us to get on board as well. It would cost each student around ten extra dollars a year–although Bwog wonders whether there isn’t some local high-roller who’d kick in $500 million to cut down on energy use altogether.
Back when Bwog had a crack-like Sim City addiction, it learned that wind turbines are slightly more expensive but about as effective as coal and oil plants. Same in the real world? Chat up SEEJ and find out.
-ARR
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23 Comments
@$500 million Damn. I’m all for environmental protection, but that is a crap load of money. I’m sure Columbia consumes a lot of power, and that switching to wind power might make some difference, but maybe $500m could be invested in something more effective.
@500 million??? switching to wind power would not cost nearly that much. that is just how much the virginia tech investor pledged to upgrade buildings in DC. the increase in cost would be much closer to $400,000 (and probably less because that is based on the cost to an individual, not an institution like columbia buying in bulk). this is pretty reasonable considering columbia spends about $15,500,000 on electricity annually.
@fuck SEEJ When will these eco-fascists shut up? It’s supposedly just another $10 here and another $10 there, but it all adds up. And I really don’t want to have to pay more tuition for them to pursue their environmentalist agenda. If they want Columbia to use wind energy so much, they should pay for it with their own money.
@I fyou If you are paying tuition, then you’re stupid. Apply for one of the 10,000 scholarships if tuition’s such a big deal. What are you, GS?
@from an eco-fascist Actually, we’re really asking Columbia to pay for the switch to Wind Power because it’s the right thing to do not just for our environmentalist agenda but also for the coal miners who get black lung every year and the millions of other people affected by the continued use of dirty energy.
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/WPN4CU
@Huh? Most NYC power is nuclear. Just curl up and die already
@huh? check the facts standard new york electricity mix is 35% coal, 20% nuclear, 18% natural gas, 15% oil, 11% hydro, 1% wind which equals 68% dirty fossil fuels.
@nuclear that’s all of ny, not nyc, Indian Point dude, p.s. you’ve obviously never paid a utility bill in NYC. And I doubt there’s enough ‘real’ wind power in NYC to power Columbia. Sure they’ll charge us for it, but that’s unlikely to be what we’ll get.
All this activism, it’s so fraudulent. Get a life, stop trying boss me around, asshole
@REAL wind power REAL wind power gets put in the power grid from upstate new york and travels all they way to new york to power all of your fraudulent blogging.
@Real wind Shut up, you blow-hard. There isn’t nearly enough wind power coming into the grid to power Columbia. Sure they’d be happy to charge us some sort of surcharge, but there isn’t that much energy entering the grid. Seriously, though, if you’re so concerned why don’t you petition ConEd for tougher smoke stack scrubbing, or something that might actually make a difference and isn’t explicitly designed to fluff you up in front of your fellow students (who despise you, BTW)?
@well, Actually, it looks like nuclear is the largest % by only a little (about 7% over nat’l gas) and if you look, fossil fuels combined comprise well over the total for nuclear (margin’s about 23%). for 2005 data, anyway.
http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/st_profiles/new_york.pdf
@Come on You’re doing it for the coal miners? Are you going to pay their rent, too, when they no longer have a pay check? Being pro-environment is good but don’t claim you’re doing it for the poor, soot-breathing coal miners.
@what a joke i’m sure you’re against logging to prevent the countless vicious beaver attacks those workers have to endure during their jobs
@another seejer It’s true it would only cost $10 more/student/semester, but the mention of this in the petition is largely a symbolic statement of student support of the initiative.
SEEJ is definitely not looking for students to front the bill, but to show that they consider it a worthy issue on which to spend a relatively small additional amount of Columbia $.
You can also read the actual wording here:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/WPN4CU/index.html
@we must conserve the wind. By blowing, and breathing, we are diminishing our greatest resource: the wind. Fans are a threat to the nation. Pinwheels aren’t helping either.
@Sailor Wind farms destroy our local waters.
@$500m You honestly can’t think of a better way to spend half-a billion dollars on campus? You see this is why student government is powerless joke
@wtf you’re a joke because you do nothing. go cry to your mommy.
@I've killed I’ve killed people for less than that, what’s your UNI?
@blow me Anyone know if those t-shirts are still snaggable?
*wants one*
@seejer They’ll be for sale until Wednesday.
@ghi His name is Sid Meier and he had nothing to do with Sim City.
@yes I think Bwog was thinking of Will Wright. Viva la Spore!