rich 1.0 Action Network https://actionnetwork.org <link href='https://actionnetwork.org/css/style-embed-v3.css' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css' /><script src='https://actionnetwork.org/widgets/v6/petition/climate-action-at-app?format=js&source=widget'></script><div id='can-petition-area-climate-action-at-app' style='width: 100%'><!-- this div is the target for our HTML insertion --></div> The Appalachian Climate Action Collaborative (ClimAct) https://actionnetwork.org/groups/the-appalachian-climate-action-collaborative-climact https://actionnetwork.org//images/generic_facebook.jpg We are in a crisis. Many, in fact. The climate crisis– caused primarily by human-driven greenhouse gas emissions and land development– has made our Earth get about one degree Celsius hotter, leading to wildfires, sea-level rise, and stronger storms, and threatened human and non-human lives. Worse, scientists have warned us that if we don’t reduce our emissions by 50% in the next 9 years, irreversible and catastrophic change will be unleashed. We know what we need to do, and we have a pressing deadline. Now is the time to act. Enter Appalachian State University, a public university in the High Country, dedicated (in word) to “sustainability,” and to “making a difference now and for our future.” One might hope and imagine that this means that App State would be working hard to reduce emissions and reach that deadline, right? That as a public university, they would be acting in regards to that crisis for the good of the public? Alas, no. According to the current trends of emissions reduction, ASU would reach net-neutrality* by 2115, which is far too late. The entire state of North Carolina is mandated to reach neutrality by 2050, the absolute latest allowable time deemed by scientists. App State continues to operate upon the assumption that incremental change is sufficient when that way of thinking-- giving us energy-efficient light bulbs and a few electric vehicles-- has lead to no significant emissions reductions. Faced with such a crisis and institutional failure, our university community has spoken out and taken action to solicit a change in all the available avenues. Instigated by ClimAct, the Appalachian Climate Action Collaborative, we have passed Student Government and Faculty Senate bills gathered over 600 supporters and even collaborated on the planning of the university’s official Climate Action Plan in order to push for just climate action-- reaching climate neutrality by centering justice for marginalized and frontline communities and healing to our ecosystems by addressing underlying systems of oppression and supremacy in our institution. Yet even with wild success and involvement in all of these areas, we have been ignored, silenced, and unable to create significant change in terms of accountability and commitments to action. The reality is that App State has all the resources, expertise, and ability to make the necessary changes. We own our own electric utility; we have over $125 million ready to be invested in climate justice on and off-campus; we have multiple academic departments with experts in community development, sustainable planning, and renewable energy solutions. Our current barriers to change are simple: lack of political will by an authoritarian university governance structure and prioritization of economic growth over education and well-being. This is where we come in. We are here to rise up, to speak out for what matters, and to push the political will in the favor of humanity and our global community. We are making bold demands for drastic climate action and justice. We are calling for renewable energy infrastructure and purchasing; community weatherization; reinvestment from fossil fuels and military into local communities; ethical and sustainable purchasing policies; an internal carbon tax; and a climate action committee composed of students, faculty, staff, and community members to serve on the Board of Trustees and hold them accountable to these changes. Imagine what could be accomplished by redirecting $130 million of investments into renewable energy infrastructure and community development. Or if the $99 million spent on supplies, services, and utilities purchased sustainably and ethically produced goods from local and minority-owned businesses. ASU owns an electric utility for peat's sake - they could lower energy use and bills for our entire community. And with actual community members working directly with the Board of Trustees - with actual power to make a change - who knows what is possible. All we know is that unless you act, none of this is possible. So how can you join us? Start by signing this petition. The Board of Trustees has ignored us before, but even they will a hard time ignoring us by the thousands. Next, we organize. We want to keep in touch with you to ensure we can, together, hold ASU accountable to the community and our demands. We will keep the pressure on until ASU is living up to its word-- of being a sustainable university that is “making a difference now and for our future.” *net neutrality: refers to the number of greenhouse gasses that are emitted by an entity. Net neutrality means that they would be producing fewer emissions and absorbing at least as much as they are producing. https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/climate-action-at-app