Spring Break
The Daily OrangeStudents join national movement to protest use of coal by corporations
By Rebecca Kheel
Posted: 11/17/08, 1:48 AM EST Section: News
As part of a national day of action against the use of coal and coal financing, Sierra Fox organized a protest Friday at a local Bank of America branch.
"It's important to deal with who's funding them, because we need that money for other things," said Fox, sophomore vocal music performance major at Syracuse University. "We need that money directed at things that will not destroy the environment, that will help us get sustainable energy."
But the protest did not go as planned in that only two other people came - Joe Ralbovsky, sophomore policy studies major, and Casey Knapp, freshman business major at Onondaga Community College.
"Coal is an energy source that is very toxic, not only to the landscape but to human life," Ralbovsky said. "I think that in this era of progressive change of renewable energy and sustainable living, that this would be a good time to bring up some other alternatives that would be more helpful."
Fox's main goal was to raise awareness, and she said she believes the protest was successful. She did not receive much support in numbers, but Fox said she was able to stop many passersby and drivers at stop lights to hand out flyers, stickers and give a speech on the dangers of coal and Bank of America's role in coal financing.
"Maybe (students) feel strongly about it, but they don't act strongly about it," Fox said. "At least people know about it now. I was shocked to hear responses like, 'We still use coal?' and 'Coal's bad?'"
The Rainforest Action Network, Greenpeace and other environmental organizations sponsored the national day of action against coal and coal financing. Citizens across the country participated in different forms of protest. Some, like Fox, protested outside Bank of America and Citibank, some called U.S. congressmen and others picketed power plants. Fox said she chose to protest Bank of America because of its convenience for students.
Bank of America still invests nearly 100 times more money in coal than in clean energy, according to the Rainforest Action Network.
"It's important to deal with who's funding them, because we need that money for other things," said Fox, sophomore vocal music performance major at Syracuse University. "We need that money directed at things that will not destroy the environment, that will help us get sustainable energy."
But the protest did not go as planned in that only two other people came - Joe Ralbovsky, sophomore policy studies major, and Casey Knapp, freshman business major at Onondaga Community College.
"Coal is an energy source that is very toxic, not only to the landscape but to human life," Ralbovsky said. "I think that in this era of progressive change of renewable energy and sustainable living, that this would be a good time to bring up some other alternatives that would be more helpful."
Fox's main goal was to raise awareness, and she said she believes the protest was successful. She did not receive much support in numbers, but Fox said she was able to stop many passersby and drivers at stop lights to hand out flyers, stickers and give a speech on the dangers of coal and Bank of America's role in coal financing.
"Maybe (students) feel strongly about it, but they don't act strongly about it," Fox said. "At least people know about it now. I was shocked to hear responses like, 'We still use coal?' and 'Coal's bad?'"
The Rainforest Action Network, Greenpeace and other environmental organizations sponsored the national day of action against coal and coal financing. Citizens across the country participated in different forms of protest. Some, like Fox, protested outside Bank of America and Citibank, some called U.S. congressmen and others picketed power plants. Fox said she chose to protest Bank of America because of its convenience for students.
Bank of America still invests nearly 100 times more money in coal than in clean energy, according to the Rainforest Action Network.
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