\Interested in renewable energy?"" UW-Madison sophomore Tyler Olson asks students leaving Memorial Library Wednesday afternoon as he passes out fliers. Some students say ""no"" or walk away, some take fliers as Olson poses his question to others.
Olson is trying to lure them to a Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group display which includes a tinfoil-and-cardboard wind power generator and a laptop on the table. The generator model refers to renewable energy and a bill proposed by Gov. Jim Doyle aiming to make 10 percent of Wisconsin's energy renewable by 2013. The laptop is WisPIRG's petition tool of choice for the day, dubbed E-mail Action Day. The group is trying to persuade students to e-mail the governor's Energy Task Force in support of the plan.
Wisconsin currently uses only 2 percent renewable energy, but has the capability to meet 120 percent of the state's energy consumption through wind power, according to WisPIRG literature.
UW-Madison freshman and WisPIRG volunteer Andy Grover said Doyle originally proposed the 10 percent target as mandatory but has since reneged and pitched the number as a goal.
""What we're hoping to do is make it mandatory,"" Grover said.
Emily Miota, a UW-Madison senior and coordinator of the WisPIRG energy campaign, said the change in wording makes it important for people to voice support, adding WisPIRG chapters at UW-Milwaukee and UW-Stevens Point are pushing similar campaigns.
""Lately [task force members have] been kind of going back and doubting themselves and hearing from the utilities as well that don't want renewable energy,"" Miota said. ""We're trying to get them to stick to their guns.""
Volunteers sat with another laptop Wednesday outside the Rathskellar at Memorial Union. UW-Madison sophomore Jonathan Platt, a WisPIRG volunteer, said the campaign has potential to make a difference because he does not think task force members expect much public interest in the topic. He said a similar campaign in Milwaukee generated 100 e-mails to the task force.
""When you consider that they aren't expecting anyone to make any comments on it, it's pretty cool,"" Platt said.
Volunteers said Wednesday's campaign produced more than 60 e-mails sent from the two locations.
