Free Smoothies, Thanks to the Sun

Using solar-powered blenders, UC Berkeley freshman Sylvia Sanchez dished out free smoothies on Sproul Plaza on Wednesday in a CalPIRG-sponsored drive to raise awareness of renewable energy sources and environmental policies both on campus and across the nation.

The solar-power demonstration was spurred by the failure of a solar-power friendly bill in the State Assembly last month. Aptly titled the Million Solar Roofs Bill, the goal of the bill was to lower the costs and generate demand for solar power, as well as install a million solar roofs by 2018.

If passed when it comes back to a vote in January, the bill would provide incentives to install solar panels with $250 million in rebate funds to individual households and businesses.

"We want to raise awareness of the accessibility of solar power on campus and address the problem on the local level and inspire changes in bigger sectors," said CalPIRG member and event coordinator Dana Riley.

Members of CalPIRG also constructed a handmade pizza oven out of a cardboard box and tinfoil that had the capacity to cook mini pizza bagels.

Aside from raising awareness about the benefits and easy accessibility of solar power, CalPIRG officials said the demonstration was meant to send a message to Chancellor Robert Birgeneau that there is a high demand on campus for renewable energy sources.

"The chancellor makes changes when he believes students care about changes-we want to show him that we do care. We want to ask the chancellor to make renewable energy an issue on campus," Riley said.

Nicole Blume

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