The Story
SEAC Stages “Die-In” to Protest Coal Use
SEAC rallies against coal. Courtesy of SEAC website.
“What do we want?”
“Clean energy!”
“When do we want it?”
“Now!”
This call and response chant was one of many that the Student Environmental Action Coalition (SEAC) supporters recited Nov. 30 at the UC terrace. Over 40 students gathered as part of a rally to protest the use of coal as a source of energy. They carried signs that read slogans such as, “Protect Our Water: No New Coal Plants in VA” and “Coal is never clean.”
Many of these students also participated in SEAC’s “die-in.” As a group, they collapsed to the ground, writhed -- many reached outward or gave a last flail -- and lay still.
According to SEAC coordinator Joshua Wayland (’08), “the idea of the die-in was to show that the use of coal as a source of energy is killing people right now.”
Students at the rally protested the use of coal, Dominion Energy’s plan to install a new coal-based power plant, the removal of renewable energy clauses from a Congressional environmental bill and the College’s recent grade of D- from the College Sustainability Report.
“We wanted to communicate to the campus that coal is a dirty source of energy, and we want no new coal to be used and no new coal plants to be built. Dominion Energy is trying to build a new power planet, and we want to speak against that. People talk about climate change as though it’s off in the future, but it’s happening right now.“ said Margaret Smith (’10), one rally leader.
“Dominion Energy has a monopoly over energy, and they control the type of energy we use,” Wayland said. “We’re Virginians, we’re taxpayers, and we feel that we should have some control over the type of energy that is used.”
Members of SEAC were also passing around a petition against the proposed coal plant. SEAC, as well as many other environmental groups around Virginia, are attempting to create a mile-long petition against the coal factory, which they hope to present to Dominion before the proposed start of construction in April. SEAC has committed to obtaining 2,500 signatures, and, according to Wayland, is “well on its way.”
Dominion has proposed a 585-megawatt power plant that would be fueled by coal. They want to begin construction in April of 2008 and estimate that the plant would be finished by 2012 with a total cost of roughly $1.6 billion. The completed plant would provide power to 146,000 customers, according to Dominion.
Dominion Energy was not the only thing the students at the rally were protesting. Andon Zebal (’08) stuck around after the rally, carrying a sign that read “Drive on with 35 mpg by 2020.” According to Zebal, “We [SEAC] have a photo petition that we’re sending to Senator John Warner and other politicians to get them to keep renewable energy parts in the bill, and not take them out like they’re doing. They’re trying to replace them with clean coal, which doesn’t exist. One thing we want is a 35 miles-per-gallon standard for cars by 2020, which is what my sign is about.”
SEAC activist Emily Newhook (’10) also spoke about the College’s recent actions regarding its energy policy. “The College has basically gotten a really bad rap for not listening to the suggestions from the student body about ways to reduce carbon emissions,” she said. “Obviously, the college got a D- in sustainability, and I think that just speaks to the fact that the college isn’t listening to student proposals.”
Some students felt that SEAC's decision to stage a die-in made its message less accessible. "I didn't really get the message at first," one freshman who chose to remain anonymous commented. "But then, when I figured it out, I thought it might have been clearer if they'd done it a different way."
Students interested in signing SEAC’s petition will have the chance to do so in the upcoming weeks at the UC, where the group will have an open table.