Despite the constant snow showers, the Cornell Greens rallied yesterday on Ho Plaza with a huge cloth sun to publicize their ‘Kyoto Now’ campaign.
The Kyoto Protocol, a project of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), calls for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to 5.2 percent below the 1990 levels between 2008 and 2012. The United States should aim to reduce emission to seven percent below the 1990 figures, according to the Protocol.
“Kyoto Now is a campaign to get Cornell to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to levels set forth by the Kyoto Protocol,” said Nicholas Gayeski ’02, a member of the Cornell Greens.
Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, contribute to an increase in global temperature, according to some of the world’s leading environmental scientists.
The Greens have asked Cornell to promote various energy conservation techniques such as encouraging students to seek alternative methods of transportation than driving, and putting motion detectors on lights.
Following discussions of the environmental issues with President Hunter R. Rawlings III and Susan H. Murphy ’73, vice president for student and academic services, the administration seemed “enthusiastic” about the project, the group noted.
“We want the Cornell administration to sign on and say ‘yes, we will reduce our emissions,'” said Moss Templeton ’02, a member of the Cornell Greens.
Templeton commented on “demand sustainability,” the inscription marked on the cloth sun protesters held.
“Basically the way we are using energy now, mainly with fossil fuels