Student Government, Activists Pass Anti-Bottled Water Legislation

Mar 18, 2010

Older News is still good news.

After final confirmation from Constitution Court, the resolution will effectively halt purchasing of bottled water with student fee monies.

University of Oregon student government approved today the Take Back the Tap resolution, which prohibits the expenditure of student fee monies on bottled water. The resolution was authored by the Climate Justice League, a new student group on campus, as well as members of student Senate.

“I’m thrilled that the efforts of 30 environmental leaders on the Take Back the Tap campaign resulted in resounding support for the resolution,” student senator Jeremy Blanchard said. “[It] shows that students are ready to make the change necessary to move toward a more sustainable, just campus.” Blanchard is also one of the co-founders of the Climate Justice League.

The Take Back the Tap resolution was originally approved at the February 24 student Senate meeting and expected to be finalized at the March 3 meeting. However, a Senate rule requiring approval from the student Rules committee created confusion as to whether Senate could actually finalize the resolution. Despite the possible violation of its own rules, Senate voted to confirm the resolution. The student Constitution Court approved today the resolution for immediate implementation.

UO Climate Justice League is a new student group formed out of the successful PowerShift West event in November, which had over 500 attendees from various west coast states. Our mission is to empower students to organize their communities and be leaders in the climate justice movement. By using targeted campaigns, we will work together toward a safe, just and sustainable future for all.