Founded by former US Vice President Al Gore, Climate Reality is bringing the world together to stop climate change and create a healthy and prosperous future powered by clean energy. This is the University of California Santa Barbara Chapter. The Climate Reality Project Campus Corps empowers students to take their future into their hands and lead the global fight against climate change, beginning
right on campus. Issue
Universities have a large carbon footprint ripe for reduction. If college students in mass got their electricity from renewable energy they would replace 297 billion Pounds of CO2 emissions with clean energy. Winning 100% Renewable Energy on our current 12 campuses would bring nearly half a million students into the clean energy economy. Young voters are politically also a key constituency. In 2012, young voters were were actually the difference in 4 swing states: FL, VA, PA and OH. If 56,000 college students are mobilizing and calling for Renewable Energy, that movement can create the political cover necessary for the next President to take bold action on climate and support renewable energy. Our positive, hopeful, forward-looking message is also one that should resonate with young people. As a movement our job for so long has been to stop things (coal plants, drilling, etc.). This campaign is all about building a new future, creating the world we want to live in. College campuses also have the resources to embrace climate solutions in a bold way. Climate denial has been replaced with solutions denial. IEA estimates that 90% of new electricity generation worldwide came from renewables last year. Clean energy is here, it is affordable and it is time for our higher education community to embrace these solutions fully. Campaign Goal
Over several years, Campus Corps’ 100% Renewable Electricity Campaign activists at universities nationwide will build student pressure to move campuses to 100-percent clean, renewable electricity. While building the infrastructure necessary to achieve this goal, we aim to also organize students to support bold national climate policies as well. To achieve climate justice, we know that it takes more than simply switching to 100% Renewable Energy. In addition to making the switch, we will also educate students to act on the various inequalities and discrimination caused or heightened by the impacts of climate change. BUILD: student pressure to move campuses to 100% clean, renewable electricity
ENGAGE: students nationwide in supporting and achieving bold national climate policies
EDUCATE: students to act on the various inequalities and discrimination
