The Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group encouraged students to take action against global warming Tuesday at its ""sustainable semester"" kickoff on Library Mall.
Big Red Go Green, WISPIRG's global-warming campaign, and WISPIRG's Conservation and Recycling Efforts campaign hosted the event in an effort to encourage students to use sustainable resources and to contact U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., who currently remains on the fence about the American Clean Energy and Security Act.
According to Laura Goldberg, Big Red Go Green global warming solutions coordinator, if the act were passed by the Senate, it would create more ""green"" jobs and require 25 percent of our electricity to be provided by renewable energy sources.
WISPIRG members provided UW-Madison students with letters and postcards to sign and send to Feingold to encourage him to support the act.
Goldberg said members also provided students with information and tips on how they can have an impact on reducing global warming in Madison.
""We want America to be a leader in energy efficiency,"" Goldberg said. ""To have this liberal campus and to have so many great professors here, we really want to show that Madison itself can be a leader in the U.S. with energy initiatives.""
According to Goldberg, 185 UW-Madison students participated in Tuesday's event.
""The main point of the day was to get people excited about being sustainable throughout the semester,"" she said. ""But we also had some successful grassroots action as well.""
