Newcastle Uni prides itself on being one of the country's 'greenest' universities. Walking around the shady, bushland campus you could be lulled into thinking this is true. In addition to not succumbing completely to lawn and pavement (close your eyes when you walk past the carpark), the University has a history of implementing energy reduction measures and has saved thousands of dollars a year through doing this, while greatly reducing its contribution to greenhouse gas emissions.

It may come, then, as some shock to find out that the University not only has no target to continue to reduce its energy use but also purchases over 95% of its energy from dirty, climate-change causing coal. The Uni recently rejected a call by students to switch to clean, renewable sources and is soon to sign a contract which will see its use of fossil fuels continue into the next decade. 

Perhaps an even more sinister indicator of the university's attitude to the greatest challenge facing the world today, is located on the Callaghan campus. The Cooperative Research Centre for Coal in Sustainable Development (formerly known as the CRC for Black Coal Utilisation, before the greenwash job) is a dirty partnership of corporate climate criminals and Universities, funded by industry and the Commonwealth government. 

As one of the 8 CRCs receiving a massive $153.8m of taxpayer money to do research for the mining and energy industries around the country (compared to the sole CRC dedicated to research into renewable energy, on a budget of $16.7m), Newie's own is a happy family of industry corporates: Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton, Western Power and Xstrata, and University partners: UNSW, Macquarie Uni, University of QLD and Newcastle Uni.   

The uni takes its support of the fossil fuels industry seriously; the director of one of the CRCs industry partners is also on the University's top governing body (did I hear someone say 'vested interest'?)

The CRC is funded to the tune of $6m per annum, following an initial seven year investment of $61m. A quick look at their website confirms that 'Sustainable Development' refers to the development of coal technology to ensure its dirty, polluting industry is sustained. 

Scientists around the world are calling for deep cuts (of up to 60%) in greenhouse gas emissions and even George Bush acknowledges that climate change is happening. Meanwhile, our universities squander any pretense to academic integrity and conspire to work hand in glove with coal corporations and the government, to throw this dirty industry a heavily subsidised lifeline.

Join a national campaign and students from thirteen campuses across Australia, to demand our universities cut ties with the fossil fuel industry and become leaders in stopping dangerous climate change.

At Newcastle Uni, students are calling for a 12.5% purchase of Green Power, which would truly position the University as Australia's leading 'green' uni.

Join the Clean Energy campaign because...

OUR EDUCATION SHOULDNT COST THE EARTH

Contact ....

Zoec Moore 0405 029 221

Dany Boulos 4921 6006 or 0410 868 935

http://www.ccsd.biz

http://www.investaustralia.gov.au